Teams & Riders The Remco Evenepoel is the next Eddy Merckx thread

[Le Grand Doop]

That was a VERY hard stage, which I think a lot of folks are underrating. The pace was super hard today. If you'd have told me he'd only lose 25 seconds to Pogi and Vingo today I'd have said great.

Don't think having bad legs one day means he's going to have bad legs for the rest of the race. He hung tough today. I mean he may struggle in the stages ahead, but today's performance I don't think is a harbinger of anything but him being in very solid form, with the right mentality.

agreed. and I hope he keeps battling - and not trying to match the two ETs right away.

I guess I am a nervous Nelly assuming the big crack will come.

 

[Prim]

agreed. and I hope he keeps battling - and not trying to match the two ETs right away.

I guess I am a nervous Nelly assuming the big crack will come.

Hard to know what to make of it. It is all very anecdotal. Admittedly he looked a bit under the weather in the pre-race interview and in the soundclip you linked he said he didn´t have his best legs. I hope this ends up being his worst day of the tour and, if that is the case, he still should have a fighting chance.

 

[Extinction]

That was a VERY hard stage, which I think a lot of folks are underrating. The pace was super hard today. If you'd have told me he'd only lose 25 seconds to Pogi and Vingo today I'd have said great.

Don't think having bad legs one day means he's going to have bad legs for the rest of the race. He hung tough today. I mean he may struggle in the stages ahead, but today's performance I don't think is a harbinger of anything but him being in very solid form, with the right mentality.

Bad legs or not, he was third best today and thus there is no reason to necessarily think his legs should get worse than anyone else who was behind him. I bet if he continues to ride as intelligently as he's been doing so far, the podium is within his grasp.

 

[jmdirt]

Way to fight young man!

 

[red_flanders]

agreed. and I hope he keeps battling - and not trying to match the two ETs right away.

I guess I am a nervous Nelly assuming the big crack will come.

Certainly could. But to me he doesn't look like it. I'm edging on the side of him fighting and hanging on like he has, without the big collapse.

Bad legs or not, he was third best today and thus there is no reason to necessarily think his legs should get worse than anyone else who was behind him today. I bet if he continues to ride as intelligently as he's been doing so far, the podium is within his grasp.

Agreed.

I just heard the post-race interview. He said "I didn't have the best legs".

 

[shadowrider]

Why would he been bumped. They worked quite good together to limit the losses. But I agree that he seems to be in a good place right now.

They worked together, but the pulls of Roglic were weak..... and very short. At 30 km of the finish, Roglic was clearly stronger. From the last 15 km it was Evenepoel.

 

[red_flanders]

They worked together, but the pulls of Roglic were weak..... and very short. At 30 km of the finish, Roglic was clearly stronger. From the last 15 km it was Evenepoel.

Remco was pretty complimentary of the work Roglič did in his post-race interview.

 

[shadowrider]

Remco was pretty complimentary of the work Roglič did in his post-race interview.

Don't be so selective please. Evenepoel also said that the pulls of Roglic were very weak at the end.

 

[red_flanders]

Don't be so selective please. Evenepoel also said that the pulls of Roglic were very weak at the end.

I'm not being selective, I haven't seen those comments. If you can link them, please do.

And please don't assume ill intent for no reason. Thanks.

 

[peterfin]

He should follow his own max pace instead of following Vingegaard or Pogacar when they accelerate. If he tries to hang on, he blows up, needs 5-10 minutes to recover and loses 30-40s before he gets back in his rythm. He will lose less time if he focus on his pace and only accelerates right before a top or finish.

 

[Le Grand Doop]

while he is outwardly accepting of the situation, does anyone else get the idea that Remco is somewhat shocked that Pog and Vingo are as good as they are?

 

[Krzysztof_O]

while he is outwardly accepting of the situation, does anyone else get the idea that Remco is somewhat shocked that Pog and Vingo are as good as they are?

I don't think so. He saw what they did in the previous 4 editions and knew he would be an underdog. And he wasn't actually far back today, strong ride by him. He doesn't have uphill turbo like Teddy and Vingo but who does?

 

[Prim]

while he is outwardly accepting of the situation, does anyone else get the idea that Remco is somewhat shocked that Pog and Vingo are as good as they are?

I´m leaning the other way actually. My feeling is that he is surprised that he has been able to stay as close as he has to them with today's stage being exhibit A.

 

[dennisdy]

If he's in the top three after the Tourmalet stage, I'll be a believer.

 

[jflemaire]

Where did you read/hear this? He seems quite satisfied on social media.

In French on RTBF he says his legs were good, but maybe not the best. And he is pretty positive about his ride.

 

[Extinction]

Certainly could. But to me he doesn't look like it. I'm edging on the side of him fighting and hanging on like he has, without the big collapse.

Agreed.

I just heard the post-race interview. He said "I didn't have the best legs".

Hopefully he's not sick, as there's a rumor going around he woke up in the morning feeling a bit under the weather.

 

[red_flanders]

Hopefully he's not sick, as there's a rumor going around he woke up in the morning feeling a bit under the weather.

Heard that too when I woke up, and then when he faltered after Pogi's attack I'm like "crap". But he hung in. Seems like he'd have mentioned something, at least not feeling 100% if he were sick.

 

[Wvv]

Let's pray he's not sick. Two rather 'easy' stages ahead so if there's something under his skin, he could recover a bit.

 

[red_flanders]

Let's pray he's not sick. Two rather 'easy' stages ahead so if there's something under his skin, he could recover a bit.

Yeah. To your point of "easy", 7000+ feet of climbing tomorrow!

 

[Sciatic]

Yeah. To your point of "easy", 7000+ feet of climbing tomorrow!

That’s about right for a hilly stage with lots of little ups and downs along with categorized climbs. But it might be “easy” if the GC teams cool their heals after the tough battles fought today.

 

[Extinction]

Heard that too when I woke up, and then when he faltered after Pogi's attack I'm like "crap". But he hung in. Seems like he'd have mentioned something, at least not feeling 100% if he were sick.

You don't let your opponents know you are sick or else they try to drop you ASAP. On the other hand, UAE put the pressure on the entire race, so it's not as if they could have put him out of GC any sooner. If he is sick, it must be mild cold, which in a couple of days should pass in time for him to be at full strength for the Pyrenees. It also could just have been his day of feeling a bit under the weather due to the accumulated fatigue that too will pass.

 

[Venge 82]

I'm in 2 minds.

On 1 hand, we hear more and more rumours of rides being ill (but that there would be some kind of code in the peloton not to talk too much about it). More and more teams are wearing masks in the buses. I heard 1 team is coming to the start by cars, not by bus. Also, 2 Cofidis riders abandonned, Tim Declercq abandonned, Wright was out of time and normally shouldn't,... Could be Covid is spreading again in the peloton.

On the other hand, if Remco were really ill, I don't think he would be able to finish within 25 seconds after a stage that was raced at very high pace (faster than the fastest scheme). Have you seen the Watts/kg of Vingegaard? On Puy Mary (7min28sec at 7.41 W/kg) and on Col du Pertus (12min00sec at 7.25 W/kg). Those are crazy numbers considering the first 70 km were super fast as well. So, would Remco be able to come back from 50 seconds to 25 seconds if he were ill?

I just hope none of the big 4 is ill. That would be a real pity for the suspense (suspense for the win (Pog/Ving) and suspense for the podium (Remco/Roglic)).

 

[peterfin]

His cold sore shows his immune system is challenged. It could be due to the combination of fatigue and a minor infection such as a cold. It will have minor impact but probably enough to miss a few watts in a hard stage like yesterday. Lets hope it's not worse. QS has a stringent policy regarding covid. He will have to abandon the race if he has covid with symptoms.

 

[Berniece]

His cold sore shows his immune system is challenged. It could be due to the combination of fatigue and a minor infection such as a cold. It will have minor impact but probably enough to miss a few watts in a hard stage like yesterday. Lets hope it's not worse. QS has a stringent policy regarding covid. He will have to abandon the race if he has covid with symptoms.

Or because he didn't put anything on his lips, and they dried out in the sun.

 

[memyselfandI]

From yesterdays cyclingnews:

"Remco could have tried to go with Pogačar, but then he risked blowing up and losing more time," Soudal-QuickStep manager Tom Steels pointed out to Sporza.be.

Interesting! No balls. So it's contagious disease, I guess, no?