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

[GuyIncognito]

So if i put -poel behind my surname my kids are basically guaranteed to become extremely talented cyclists?

Yes, major stars just like Manuel Gonzalezpoel

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

We already have the next Eddy Merckx. It's Froome.

Riiiight how many times has Froome won Roubaix, Milan San Remo, Liège Bastogne Liège, Amstel Gold, World Championships?

I presume you are joking otherwise you really look at Merckx Palmaires. They make everyone else’s look terrible in comparison.

 

[Bolder]

We already have the next Eddy Merckx. It's Froome.

Riiiight how many times has Froome won Roubaix, Milan San Remo, Liège Bastogne Liège, Amstel Gold, World Championships?

I presume you are joking otherwise you really look at Merckx Palmaires. They make everyone else’s look terrible in comparison.

Of course he's joking...but think about it...surely Froome could be in the mix at any of those races? LA was close in Amstel a few times IIRCE, and we've seen what Nibali can do in a one-day race. In fact you could probably even say that a GT contender is pretty well suited for a hard one-day race.

 

[Red Rick]

We already have the next Eddy Merckx. It's Froome.

Riiiight how many times has Froome won Roubaix, Milan San Remo, Liège Bastogne Liège, Amstel Gold, World Championships?

I presume you are joking otherwise you really look at Merckx Palmaires. They make everyone else’s look terrible in comparison.

Of course he's joking...but think about it...surely Froome could be in the mix at any of those races? LA was close in Amstel a few times IIRCE, and we've seen what Nibali can do in a one-day race. In fact you could probably even say that a GT contender is pretty well suited for a hard one-day race.

What has Froome done to suggest he's anything other than useless in those races?

 

[DNP-Old]

Liège - La Gleize will be his next race, starts on August 3rd.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

We already have the next Eddy Merckx. It's Froome.

Riiiight how many times has Froome won Roubaix, Milan San Remo, Liège Bastogne Liège, Amstel Gold, World Championships?

I presume you are joking otherwise you really look at Merckx Palmaires. They make everyone else’s look terrible in comparison.

Of course he's joking...but think about it...surely Froome could be in the mix at any of those races? LA was close in Amstel a few times IIRCE, and we've seen what Nibali can do in a one-day race. In fact you could probably even say that a GT contender is pretty well suited for a hard one-day race.

Hilly classics have different demands to mountain climbing. Some riders can do one, some can do both. The three things hilly classics reward that GT climbers may or may not have are:

1) One day endurance. LBL, Lombardia and a hilly worlds are very long races. GT climbers all have good next day recovery, but some of them cannot handle the length in one go of a major classic.

2) The ability to do many short, hard, anaerobic efforts. This puts different strains on the body than maintaining a high climbing tempo for many km.

3) Explosivity. If a rider can neither sprint nor compete in a last km uphill charge with the likes of Valverde, Martin, Alaphilippe then they can only win a major hilly race solo.

Some GT climbers can do these things well. They are already among the favourites for these races. Others have problems with some or all of these things. That doesn’t mean they can’t win, but it does mean that they can usually only do so by rolling the dice and trying a long attack. They can’t use a favourite’s strategy, because they aren’t favourites.

All the evidence so far suggests that Froome is one of the latter guys. As for Armstrong, it’s no surprise he could be competitive in hilly classics. He was originally seen as a hilly classics specialist before he became a GC man. Before his cancer diagnosis, he had already won Fleche and the WCRR and podiumed LBL and San Sebastián.

 

[GuyIncognito]

All that, plus the bike handling skills that are far more crucial to saving energy in the narrow roads of the classics than in most GT mountain stages.

To further add to Zinoviev's post with an example:

Nobody denies Ullrich had fantastic ability in a GT. One season he went into the Ardennes in by his own admission fantastic form, determined to get good results in the classics for once, and having just won a race with one of his greatest moments a long solo ending in a win by 2 minutes

How did he do in the Ardennes? He had no crashes, mechanicals or other major problems yet finished both Fleche and LBL around 30th place.

He was perfectly suited to a GT but not at all to the Ardennes classics. The overlap in skills is partial, not total

And then of course there's experience and tactics. Froome's only "tactic" is to smash everyone by brute force. In the same year Ullrich was finishing around 30th, Armstrong was the strongest in LBL by far and tried smashing by brute force. This was not a mountain stage, so brute force counted for little. He finished 20th, threw his helmet against the side of the bus and went on a temper tantrum

In previous years Armstrong hadn't had nearly the same level of performance but rode much more smartly. So he got great results. That year, not so much.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Interesting article/interview with his trainer, former marathon runner Vandervennet.

(google translated article)

Training twice a day.
Training hard, on the condition that you recuperate plenty and avoid mental fatigue is a good thing.
Remco can do anything (unlimited potential) except sprinting.
Has the perseverance to let his potential thrive.
Physically and mentally strong.
Any athlete can falter, but he doubts Remco will.
More rash than skilled yet.
Smaller one week stage races would be ideal to start with.
Remco should refrain from humiliating opponents, or he'll quickly find himself isolated within the peloton.

 

[DNP-Old]

Re:

Liège - La Gleize will be his next race, starts on August 3rd.

These three stages and a relatively flat ITT of 9 kilometers in the next three days. Big race for juniors with some very good names on its palmares.

 

[Flamin]

Traditionally it's a TTT, not an ITT.

Remco won a stage there last year. In the results it says he participated as an 'individual', not sure how that worked with the TTT then.

 

[SKSemtex]

This guy must be really special. He is not a pro yet but he has already 13 pages here.
Tom Boonen had 9, Cancellara 18

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Re:

Traditionally it's a TTT, not an ITT.

Remco won a stage there last year. In the results it says he participated as an 'individual', not sure how that worked with the TTT then.

I could see him win it :lol: :lol:

 

[Flamin]

Re: Re:

Traditionally it's a TTT, not an ITT.

Remco won a stage there last year. In the results it says he participated as an 'individual', not sure how that worked with the TTT then.

I could see him win it :lol: :lol:

This year, no doubt! apparently he rode at Young Cycling Team last year.

 

[DNP-Old]

Remco... Lost...? Girmay Biniam Hailu is the name.

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

Re:

Remco... Lost...? Girmay Biniam Hailu is the name.

It was a flat stage. He can’t contest every stage. Stage 3 on Sunday has some difficult climbs and that is where I suspect he’ll blow the field up.

 

[Flamin]

Someone give the kid a pro contract.

1100m altitude gain over 90k isn't that flat btw.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Time to open the Girmay Biniam Hailu is the next Remco Evenepoel thread?

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Remco second? Judging by the image... it looks like it was a sprint between the two. And we already know he can't sprint. That guy probably sucked his wheel for 85k and then outsprinted him *shrugs* :lol:

9km TTT starts 10.45 in the morning, and the stage at 16.00 in the afternoon.

Edit: indeed Remco second, in a one on one sprint. So not surprising, especially since Hailu seems to be a very decent rider. Very succesfull in Eritrea and at the African Championships. Has only been riding in Europe for a month, but won a sprint from a small peloton last week in France.

1 HAILU Biniam 2:05:25
2 EVENEPOEL Remco ,,
3 RENDON FRANCO Juan Tito 0:43
4 PARISINI Nicolo ,,
5 VAN WILDER Ilan ,,
6 THOMSEN Frederik ,,
7 SKOT-HANSEN Aksel ,,
8 NAUDTS Thomas ,,
9 VAN BELLE Bas ,,
10 WACKER Ludvig Anton 1:58
11 GROLIER Lucas ,,
12 VAN GRIEKEN Jarne ,,
13 VERVLOESEM Xandres ,,
14 PAPIERSKI Damian ,,
15 KRUL Wessel ,,
16 VAN DER BEKEN Aaron ,,
17 VAN VEENENDAAL Hidde ,,
18 HEMING Mika ,,
19 LIEVENS Lars ,,
20 CLAEYS Robbe ,

 

[DNP-Old]

On attendait les étoiles du Champion d’Europe Remco Evenepoel à Aubel, c’est finalement un Erythréen qui s’empare du premier maillot jaune d’Aubel-Thimister-Stavelot.

Au départ à Aubel, les mauvaises langues regrettaient déjà l’absence de suspens et de spectacle. On se demandait avec combien de minutes d’avance Evenepoel franchirait la ligne et qui serait son plus proche poursuivant. Le spectacle a pourtant bien régné et ce jusqu’à l’arrivée. Impérial, cassant le peloton à chacune de ses accélérations, Remco Evenepoel a pourtant dû s’avouer inférieur sur la ligne d’arrivée à Aubel. Pas bon pour ses stats, lui, cet ancien Diable Rouge voyant son goal-average passer à 4 courses perdues (pour 25 victoires) cette saison. L’Anderlechtois a certes bondi au pénultième franchissement de la ligne d’arrivée, mais il a été suivi par… un Erythréen ! Surprise de taille pour le Champion d’Europe Juniors qui peinait jusque-là à trouver un adversaire à sa hauteur sur le vieux continent.

Il s’est économisé
Aligné avec le Centre Mondial du Cyclisme, cette structure de l’UCI qui encadre les jeunes des petites fédérations, Biniam Girmay Hailu a fait plus que s’accrocher dans la roue du futur représentant de Quick Step.

« J’ai compris que je devais suivre le Champion d’Europe », dévoile le longiligne Erythréen, au physique de grimpeur. « Quand il a attaqué à l’entame du dernier tour, j’ai cependant hésité. J’ai vu que l’écart grandissait, donc j’ai fait le bond. Je commençais à souffrir, donc j’ai décidé de m’économiser pour le sprint. »

Evenepoel fâché
Ce qui a eu le don d’attiser le courroux d’Evenepoel. « Je déteste quand on joue le mort puis qu’on me passe dans les 100 derniers mètres. J’ai dû faire tout le boulot pour éviter le retour des poursuivants puis à la fin il me remonte au sprint. Je ne supporte pas ça », s’agace le Brabançon, qui se console avec les pois de meilleur grimpeur. Car c’est bien Hailu qui s’empare du premier maillot jaune de cette 52e édition de l’épreuve pour Juniors. « Je ne suis pas un habitué des courses en Europe, donc je m’attends à souffrir ce week-end », poursuit-il dans un Anglais hésitant. Car le gaillard n’a débarqué en Europe que début juillet, surprenant même son coach français en s’imposant le week-end dernier en Coupe de France. « J’espérais jouer placé, car je ne m’attendais pas à ce qu’il soit si costaud. Physiquement, il m’impressionne mais il pèche par un manque de technique et de tactique. »

Deux qualités qui seront mises à l’épreuve sur les trois prochaines étapes s’il veut conserver le maillot jaune jusqu’à Stavelot.

Remco Evenepoel veut sa revanche
Le poing serré, frappant sur son guidon. Remco Evenepoel était touché dans son orgueil en coupant la ligne d’arrivée à Aubel ce vendredi. Deuxième, battu pour la quatrième fois de la saison seulement, le double champion de Belgique et d’Europe ne se contentait pas de la deuxième position.

« Je roule toujours pour gagner, donc une deuxième place me déçoit toujours. Il a fait semblant qu’il était mort, mais il a pu sprinter. Je retiens ce genre de manœuvre. Demain, il verra », rageait le meilleur U19 du pays ce vendredi. « Il reste encore deux jours, dont un chrono collectif et une étape assez usante. Ça m’offre assez d’opportunités pour prendre le maillot jaune. »

D’autant qu’Evenepoel connaît bien les étapes à venir, pour s’être imposé en 2017 sur l’étape de Thimister (certes reliftée dans sa première partie cette année) et pour s’entraîner régulièrement dans les Ardennes. « J’ai continué à rouler car je pense surtout au maillot jaune à Stavelot. L’étape de dimanche me plaît, et je veux montrer que je mérite la victoire. Mais si je peux déjà distancer le maillot jaune ce samedi, je le ferai. D’autant que nous avons un collectif bien rodé pour le chrono par équipes. »

Eritrean kid rode on Evenepoel's wheels, acted like he was dead and then beat him in the sprint. Evenepoel is not amused and has announced a revanche tour.

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

It scary how similar Evenepoel’s mentality is like Merckx’s. He treats losing as if you kicked his dog and spat on little children. Galactus indeed.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Probably the best learning experience he will have all year. That’s worth more than ten more two minute solo wins against an out classed field for his development.

Also hats off to Hailu. When a guy has consistently been riding everyone off his wheel all year of course you don’t work with him. You’d have to be lobotomised or at least macho to the point of stupidity. If that guy is so arrogant that he just pulls you the whole way to the finish, you deserve the win.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Can’t stop laughing at that. Biniam Hailu, a new cycling hero.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Re:

Eritrean kid rode on Evenepoel's wheels, acted like he was dead and then beat him in the sprint. Evenepoel is not amused and has announced a revanche tour.

That guy probably sucked his wheel for 85k and then outsprinted him *shrugs* :lol:

Called it, lol.

Probably the best learning experience he will have all year. That’s worth more than ten more two minute solo wins against an out classed field for his development.

Agreed. Especially since it took him by surprise.

If that guy is so arrogant that he just pulls you the whole way to the finish, you deserve the win.

Because Evenepoel is "arrogant" and does all the work, another guy "deserves" the win? He deserves the win because he outsmarted Evenepoel.

I also don't think it's arrogance, rather naivity. This guy had won 25 of the 28 races he entered. He systematically has dropped everybody just because they couldn't handle his pace, even the cream of the crop of European juniors can't follow his pace. Is it then arrogant to assume a guy who's appearing to be dead, is also about to break? But in any case, it's a good thing that it happened, because in the future, he won't be able to drop everyone, and 90% of his collegues, will use the same tactics. In that regard, he did pick the right team, because he will most certainly learn those ropes at Quickstep.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

It’s exactly arrogance. I don’t mean it as a condemnation: How could any kid win every race he is ever in easily and not be arrogant? He pulled another rider the whole way to the line in a way that nobody would do unless it’s barely occurred to them that somebody might not be multiple tiers below them. Everything the guy has done in the sport has predisposed him to assume that he’s much stronger than everyone else, for the very obvious reason that he has been much stronger than everyone else over and over again. That’s why he needs to get into a higher level of competition quickly. It really isn’t good for his development, either in terms of basic skills or in terms of attitude for him to have no serious opposition.

He’s not the Buddha. He’s a kid who is a sports prodigy. Losing like that is great for him.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Re:

It’s exactly arrogance. I don’t mean it as a condemnation: How could any kid win every race he is ever in easily and not be arrogant? He pulled another rider the whole way to the line in a way that nobody would do unless it’s barely occurred to them that somebody might not be multiple tiers below them. Everything the guy has done in the sport has predisposed him to assume that he’s much stronger than everyone else, for the very obvious reason that he has been much stronger than everyone else over and over again. That’s why he needs to get into a higher level of competition quickly. It really isn’t good for his development, either in terms of basic skills or in terms of attitude for him to have no serious opposition.

He’s not the Buddha. He’s a kid who is a sports prodigy. Losing like that is great for him.

I agree it's good for him. Like i said in my previous post. But i don't agree it's arrogance. Or at least not necessarilly or exclusively. Inexperience, naivity... sure. This is an 18 year old kid, who's been racing for little over a year and has been winning practically every race he enters by minutes. You can easily turn this around, and say that if he had not ridden each race the way he has been doing, if he would instead have saved energy, would have ridden more cynically, waiting for the right opportunity to jump (instead of just drop the entire peloton from the get go), that not only would he have won a lot less races (more speculating and waiting and being beaten in the sprint) as well as not realizing what his full potential would be, out of fear of falling back or burning himself in crazy breaks. He's come out guns blazing from the start and always showed his hand (which in itself, is a sign of naivity, not arrogance, imo)