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

[Valv.Piti]

Remco should have used Landa better today again.

But great effort, I really hope he takes 2nd

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Whether he finishes second or not, today confirms that this will be his most impressive GT so far by a margin. Much more consistent and much further ahead of the humans than when he won the Vuelta, despite the route being much less favourable for him. The only problem is that he needs to repeat his Vuelta-to-Tour improvement another two times to have a shot at beating this version of Pogacar...

 

[kingjr]

He should try to gain back on time on Vingegaard tomorrow. He has been the second-strongest rider in the race since Wednesday, and Vingegaard's tank looks the emptier of the two right now. No point in trying to save energy for Sunday just to get beaten by Pogacar, who is climbing on a different level at the moment. He already has a stage win anyway.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Whether he finishes second or not, today confirms that this will be his most impressive GT so far by a margin. Much more consistent and much further ahead of the humans than when he won the Vuelta, despite the route being much less favourable for him. The only problem is that he needs to repeat his Vuelta-to-Tour improvement another two times to have a shot at beating this version of Pogacar...

The reason why the Vuelta he won was not consistent was that he crashed and had a sore hip two days before the queen stage. The only other GT he finished was last year's Vuelta where he was not adequately prepared for GC, but he still won 3 stages. It's not like he has 15 GT finishes and never managed to finish in the top 10.

 

[ManicJack]

He should try to gain back on time on Vingegaard tomorrow. He has been the second-strongest rider in the race since Wednesday, and Vingegaard's tank looks the emptier of the two right now.

If Remco has Vingo on the ropes, why didn't he attack him and drop him today, even if it was only for a small gain?

 

[Bolder]

The better he does the quieter this thread gets

I was surprised he didn't attack Jonas, who was clearly suffering, in the last 4 k today.

 

[kingjr]

If Remco has Vingo on the ropes, why didn't he attack him and drop him today, even if it was only for a small gain?

He did attack him, but couldn't drop him.

 

[AnotherArmChair]

He rode very well this whole Tour and looked strong....esp mentally strong and patient

.hope he is not too tired for the Olympics

 

[Tim Cahill]

I have to say this might've been the most bizarre Tour I can remember. He's ridden an excellent race and must be delighted with where he's at, he said the goal was podium and a win and he's achieved that without having any real blips in the process. Job done I think.

However, the level and consistency he's shown here would've seen him win or be thereabouts in every GT since like the late 90s, yet he's stood there today 7 minutes down with the 2x winner clinging onto his wheel. Not only that, but #1 just did the Giro and #2 was out of it on a roadside a few months back and they somehow turn up in the best condition I've ever seen from any rider.

He will be happy but in the back of his mind wondering what the *** is he supposed to do against that.

 

[KZD]

Dilemma. Try to save energy for the TT win maybe or try to go all in and eventually gaining time tomorrow. Think Pogi will win the TT if he goes for it.

I think Remco needs to do an all in tomorrow. He will likely take some time back in the final TT but almost 2 minutes is just too much and I don't think he should save energy for the TT win because as you said it Pogi is likely to win.

Whether he finishes second or third this Tour is definitely a success for Remco and certainly encouraging for the rest of his season and career.

 

[houtdffan]

The reason why the Vuelta he won was not consistent was that he crashed and had a sore hip two days before the queen stage. The only other GT he finished was last year's Vuelta where he was not adequately prepared for GC, but he still won 3 stages. It's not like he has 15 GT finishes and never managed to finish in the top 10.

and that was a Remco who before the start of the race said he didnt care about the podium. It was either win overall or he was going for stages

 

[houtdffan]

I have to say this might've been the most bizarre Tour I can remember. He's ridden an excellent race and must be delighted with where he's at, he said the goal was podium and a win and he's achieved that without having any real blips in the process. Job done I think.

However, the level and consistency he's shown here would've seen him win or be thereabouts in every GT since like the late 90s, yet he's stood there today 7 minutes down with the 2x winner clinging onto his wheel. Not only that, but #1 just did the Giro and #2 was out of it on a roadside a few months back and they somehow turn up in the best condition I've ever seen from any rider.

He will be happy but in the back of his mind wondering what the *** is he supposed to do against that.

He needs to not show up at the Dauphine 5 pounds overweight for starters

 

[Tim Cahill]

He needs to not show up at the Dauphine 5 pounds overweight for starters

True, but fatco gave us some great material to take the piss, his commitment to comedy has never been in question.

 

[Oldermanish]

He did attack him, but couldn't drop him.

And it's week 3 where all is revealed. He's got the experience to plan for the future. As I mentioned upthread it may take a reconsideration of his entire racing emphasis to gain another podium step. IMO he could but at the cost of some of the exciting racing he enjoys.

 

[AmRacer]

And it's week 3 where all is revealed. He's got the experience to plan for the future. As I mentioned upthread it may take a reconsideration of his entire racing emphasis to gain another podium step. IMO he could but at the cost of some of the exciting racing he enjoys.

Classica San Remco?

 

[peterfin]

And it's week 3 where all is revealed. He's got the experience to plan for the future. As I mentioned upthread it may take a reconsideration of his entire racing emphasis to gain another podium step. IMO he could but at the cost of some of the exciting racing he enjoys.

Mentally that decision he already made. He will focus on GT wins.

 

[The fridge in the blue trees]

However, the level and consistency he's shown here would've seen him win or be thereabouts in every GT since like the late 90s, yet he's stood there today 7 minutes down with the 2x winner clinging onto his wheel.

Great tour by him, as a doubter (sorry, hater) didn't think he would be that good. Closer to Rodriguez (but he has disappointed a bit the whole tour, fading a lot now) than Roglic. Ok, we don't know where Roglic would be, but since Remco is closer to Pogacar than Rodriguez pretty safe to say my assumption was wrong (ok, if Roglic would be behind Rodriguez, I'd be right, well technically only)

But the problem with the quote is that cycling simply doesn't work like that. You face the riders you face. He would have beaten Froome, he would have beaten Contador, he would have beaten Nibali, Thomas, Bernal, whoever. All BS. We simply don't know, it's simply irrelevant, we could also simply claim that he would have cracked in 2015 and arrived 17th. Whatever. Great race, but it's what it is, he's third with hopes that Vingegaard cracks tomorrow and then he could even get second. And he can build from that, 7' back that's 24, doesn't mean it will be the same in 25. Have to admit that I now can see him winning the Tour in the future.

 

[peterfin]

This whole tour was a search for confidence for Remco, confidence in his own abilities to battle for the podium. He succeeded, whatever happens next. With a better team, better preparation and growth in a few area's where he has margin to improve (such as decending obviously) he has a chance to win the TdF. It may require a less stellar Pogacar but I cannot believe that Pogacar will repeat the next 5 years what he does now.

 

[AmRacer]

This whole tour was a search for confidence for Remco, confidence in his own abilities to battle for the podium. He succeeded, whatever happens next. With a better team, better preparation and growth in a few area's where he has margin to improve (such as decending obviously) he has a chance to win the TdF. It may require a less stellar Pogacar but I cannot believe that Pogacar will repeat the next 5 years what he does now.

And a Jonas at this level, not his normal. And that no youngsters emerge as GT mutants.

 

[Ulle97]

Classica San Remco?

Milan- San Remco

 

[memyselfandI]

Mentally that decision he already made. He will focus on GT wins.

I think it's very much a question of team building in his case, well same with Vingegaards case as soon as he recovers from this crash season. It's very different racing if you have team that forces the pace so hard that other team can not come front pacing. In every terrain and situations.

It's interesting to see if Bora can build team like that and buy Remco there. Well Bora needs to get Vlasov soloist aso out or at least force them to focus one cap only. Only UAE's 'team Pogi 'gc shortlists work like USPS and Sky at least, I mean focusing tightly for a gc goal in every scenarios, no strings attached and no soloing.

 

[Salvarani]

Classica San Remco?

It would be a great travesty if he gave that up. His legacy would be great by winning Classica San Remco like Nadal has collected wins in Rolland Garros.

 

[Billy The Kid]

I think Remco needs to do an all in tomorrow. He will likely take some time back in the final TT but almost 2 minutes is just too much and I don't think he should save energy for the TT win because as you said it Pogi is likely to win.

Whether he finishes second or third this Tour is definitely a success for Remco and certainly encouraging for the rest of his season and career.

I agree. It is impossible to take 2 minutes, even on a tired out Vinge on this TT course.Maximum 50-60 seconds.So Remco has to take at least a minute tomorrow to have som hope for the TT. Unfortunatelly i have a strong feeling that he will not try to much tomorrow as he looks content.

UAE will let the breakaway go by several minutes, so if SQS wants to make the race hard they will have to use the whole team to the brink on the two last climbs. I dont see so many other GC teams that want do collaborate with this work.

I see that many of you think that Pog will definitely win the TT. Its hard to argue, as he is clearly the strongest rider in the Peloton and on home turf. But, Remco is a master in the TT’s though and its about managing your Power, so i think it will be really close. As we saw in the last TT he won, he actually gained time on Pog on the climb. Even If these climb(s) in Monaco/Nice are longer, the first one,La Turbie, is pretty steady at 5,7% so still Aero gains to be made riding at around 35km/h. The second One up to Col d Eze is more explosive, but pretty short(4.min+)The first 2,5k is flat and the last 5,1k he can really put the hammer down. He will probably lose around 15 seconds to Pog on the downhill. My best guess would be something like this: 1.Pog 2.Remco 5sec 3.Vinge 38sec 4.Almeida 50sec

 

[dobrien]

If Remco has Vingo on the ropes, why didn't he attack him and drop him today, even if it was only for a small gain?

I'm pretty sure if he had the legs he would have done so; he couldn't even raise a decent sprint at the line, he certainly wasn't going to take 45 seconds out of him. To me it looks like he did what he was capable of without blowing himself up.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Milan- San Remco

Milan Sans Remco