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

[Red Rick]

I think the comparisons are futile. Cycling might just be the sport with the biggest bias to results from the past when comparing results directly. For all we knwo Merckx would "just" be a great allrounder without domination right now.

 

[houtdffan]

At what point does Lefevre send him to the tour an have Alap be his primary dom. Not sure Bernal would beat him this year due to the lack of high altitude climbs given his form

 

[PremierAndrew]

At what point does Lefevre send him to the tour an have Alap be his primary dom. Not sure Bernal would beat him this year due to the lack of high altitude climbs given his form

Not sure Bernal would beat him this year due to 21 stages where remco can pull 5 minutes on the field

 

[PremierAndrew]

Is he racing lombardy next week?

 

[Red Rick]

At what point does Lefevre send him to the tour an have Alap be his primary dom. Not sure Bernal would beat him this year due to the lack of high altitude climbs given his form

Not sure which of the 3 assumptions in here is the funniest.

 

[Bonimenier]

Is he racing lombardy next week?

Yes, his first big goal of the season.

 

[SafeBet]

Number 1 favorite for Lombardia.
Unprecedented level of dominance over a number of GT winners on display today.

 

[Big Doopie]

Yes, his first big goal of the season.

frightening if the other nine wins (after tomorrow) and four stage races were not also "goals"...

LOL!

 

[Lequack]

I can't see how he can lose the Giro this year. He'll gain loads of time in the TT and noone really to challenge him in the mountains.

 

[Red Rick]

I can't see how he can lose the Giro this year. He'll gain loads of time in the TT and noone really to challenge him in the mountains.

He actually got dropped on a mountain like a week ago. It's actually really clear he's stronger on rolling terrain than on steep mountains.

 

[houtdffan]

Not sure which of the 3 assumptions in here is the funniest.

nothing funny at all there. The way he is riding, he would be a favorite if he were to go to the tour. He could have a large lead after the first week as that suits him (he could go on the Turini and hold the gap to the Col D'Eze). The finishing climb of stage 4 is a pure power climb, favoring him, as is the finish to stage 6

 

[Red Rick]

nothing funny at all there. The way he is riding, he would be a favorite if he were to go to the tour. He could have a large lead after the first week as that suits him (he could go on the Turini and hold the gap to the Col D'Eze). The finishing climb of stage 4 is a pure power climb, favoring him, as is the finish to stage 6

Okay the 3 assumptions I'm talking about:

1. Alaphilippe as high mountain domestique is a good idea. Which it really isn't. He was struggling to hang on for most of the Tour and he wouldn't be able to even do much work for Evenepoel in the best case, wasting one of the best stagehunters on maybe a few seconds here and there.
2. Egan Bernal is only good on high altitude. He wins as much on low altitude as on high altitude, and he was really just not great in the 2nd week of the Tour last year.
3. Evenepoel would be the standout favorite for the Tour. I wouldn't go that far. He'd be one of the favorites to win, but with him never having done a GT before I'm not sure why I'd go for the Tour at a first GT attempt, when the Giro suits him many times better and has a weaker field.

 

[KZD]

Incredible, in this kind of hilly courses he is almost unbeatable.

I am really thrilled to his debut in Lombardy next week.

 

[Red Rick]

The real challenge is winning Milano Sanremo with Cipressa attack

 

[Climbing]

I don't think I ever saw something like this to be honest.
What's left to test? Multi climbing stages? Recovery over 3 weeks.
Seems from another planet.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

The real challenge is winning Milano Sanremo with Cipressa attack

He'll attack 70k from the finish, everybody will think he' s crazy and wait... and he'll be in the hotel by the time Colbrelli wins the sprint, thinking he'd won.

 

[Red Rick]

He'll attack 70k from the finish, everybody will think he' s crazy and wait... and he'll be in the hotel by the time Colbrelli wins the sprint, thinking he'd won.

Jokes on Evenepoel when Demare this time steps into the team car and drives it past Evenepoel to the finish while Nibali can barely hang on so that Evenepoel barely podiums.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

At what point does Lefevre send him to the tour an have Alap be his primary dom.

I would not be surprised if Remco goes for Giro + Olympics next year instead of the Tour.

 

[Bonimenier]

I would not be surprised if Remco goes for Giro + Olympics next year instead of the Tour.

I've been thinking the same. With the olympics being moved to next year, we'll likely have to wait another year for his debut in the Tour.

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Is the field stronger now than in the past or weaker? Tough to say, but I can’t remember a time with so many exciting contenders and former Gt winners. I hope everyone wears a mask and socially distances so we don’t eff this up.

Evenepoel vs Nibali vs S Yates vs Carapaz in Giro and that’s the weaker field.

Bernal vs Roglic vs Thomas vs Dumoulin vs Kr....jk vs Pogacar, plus the Froome side show, plus the Landa, Quintana wildcards

 

[Red Rick]

I don't think I ever saw something like this to be honest.
What's left to test? Multi climbing stages? Recovery over 3 weeks.
Seems from another planet.

Multi mountain stages, like really big ones, especially back to back. Normally you'd assume he can't make efforts like these every day. My assumption would be if he's the best in the high mountains, the gap is somewhat smaller than on hilly terrain, and the overall edge would be a little less big over the course of 3 weeks.

Not really assuming he'd magically crack.

 

[Red Rick]

Is the field stronger now than in the past or weaker? Tough to say, but I can’t remember a time with so many exciting contenders and former Gt winners. I hope everyone wears a mask and socially distances so we don’t eff this up.

Evenepoel vs Nibali vs S Yates vs Carapaz in Giro and that’s the weaker field.

Bernal vs Roglic vs Thomas vs Dumoulin vs Kr....jk vs Pogacar, plus the Froome side show, plus the Landa, Quintana wildcards

I think the field is surely stronger than any of the post 2006 years. It's also great that riders mix their GTs up more and are less contained to one of strictly Giro/Tour/Vuelta

Contador's time had Schleck and Cuddles as main opposition. Froome had Quintana, NIbbles and Contador mainly, but Contador would *** up every Tour and Froome and Nibbles barely collided. Meanwhile you had GT winners in Hesjedal, Horner and almost Kruijswijk.

 

[bajbar]

Imagine a grand Tour where every mountain stage is a Froome-like solo from 80 km out.

 

[Red Rick]

Imagine a grand Tour where every mountain stage is a Froome-like solo from 80 km out.

I'd rather not.

 

[houtdffan]

Okay the 3 assumptions I'm talking about:

1. Alaphilippe as high mountain domestique is a good idea. Which it really isn't. He was struggling to hang on for most of the Tour and he wouldn't be able to even do much work for Evenepoel in the best case, wasting one of the best stagehunters on maybe a few seconds here and there.
2. Egan Bernal is only good on high altitude. He wins as much on low altitude as on high altitude, and he was really just not great in the 2nd week of the Tour last year.
3. Evenepoel would be the standout favorite for the Tour. I wouldn't go that far. He'd be one of the favorites to win, but with him never having done a GT before I'm not sure why I'd go for the Tour at a first GT attempt, when the Giro suits him many times better and has a weaker field.

My rebuttals

1. Yes, Alap was struggling. However, he may be able to give that 3-4 good km. He'd not have to worry about conserving energy and hanging on like he did last year

2. Never said Bernal was bad at low elevations. He just may be unbeatable at the very high altitudes. Thus, Evenepoel has a chance given the lower elevations of this route.

3. Yes, the giro is better this year for Evenepoel with the TTs. No question about it. But, given his form, he'd have a real chance at this tour. As good as he is, he deserves to have the team dedicated to him