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

[Berniece]

It can happen from 2026 and onwards.

When Roglic quits probably, he’s not known to be a good domestique

 

[AmRacer]

When Roglic quits probably, he’s not known to be a good domestique

He could be last rider setting a furios pace so Remco can attack.

 

[KoopaCycling]

Unless old age catches up with Roglic, Roglic being a domestique for anyone is ridiculous.

 

[AmRacer]

Unless old age catches up with Roglic, Roglic being a domestique for anyone is ridiculous.

If he wants to ride a couple of years after 2025.....

 

[Berniece]

He could be last rider setting a furios pace so Remco can attack.

Like SOQ did for Remco at stage 20 of the TDF 😅

 

[AmRacer]

Like SOQ did for Remco at stage 20 of the TDF 😅

Jonas on Remco's wheel, 'When will you attack?'
Remco, 'I'm attacking'
Jonas, 'I'll show you how an attack feels'

 

[Berniece]

Remco with a big chance of wearing yellow in the first week of the TDF, although I rather see him go for Giro + WC

 

[Extinction]

Remco with a big chance of wearing yellow in the first week of the TDF, although I rather see him go for Giro + WC

But thereafter it all goes downhill, unless he considerably ups his climbing game.

 

[houtdffan]

Remco with a big chance of wearing yellow in the first week of the TDF, although I rather see him go for Giro + WC

Giro, Vuelta, WC

Remco tends to do very well after a GT, so the Vuelta should be in his plans

proposed revised schedule after this abortion of a TDF route

UAE Tour
PN
MSR
Altitude
FW
LBL
short altitude
Giro
TDS
Play with Oumi at Mauna Kea
CSS
Vuelta
WTT
WRR
GDL
Play with Oumi

 

[Extinction]

Giro, Vuelta, WC

Remco tends to do very well after a GT, so the Vuelta should be in his plans

proposed revised schedule after this abortion of a TDF route

UAE Tour
PN
MSR
Altitude
FW
LBL
short altitude
Giro
TDS
Play with Oumi at Mauna Kea
CSS
Vuelta
WTT
WRR
GDL
Play with Oumi

I disagree, a rider of his calibre needs to ride the Tour. Third in his first try, considering the unusual high level of the competition, should be a motivation, not a deterrent. The problem is the size of the gap he has to bridge, but his talent is such that he is damned to a binding fate at the Tour. Otherwise his career will look like avoidance, rather than courageous battle that will not be compensated with other wins. He must take on Pogacar and Vingegaard at the biggest event of cycling for his career to have sense now.

 

[rghysens]

proposed revised schedule after this abortion of a TDF route

UAE Tour
PN
MSR
Altitude
FW
LBL
short altitude
Giro
TDS
Play with Oumi at Mauna Kea
CSS
Vuelta
WTT
WRR
GDL
Play with Oumi

Nahh... He´ll start the tour. If the giro course is more favorable to him, maybe he´ll focus on the giro, but I can´t see him skipping the tour.

 

[houtdffan]

I disagree, a rider of his calibre needs to ride the Tour. Third in his first try, considering the unusual high level of the competition, should be a motivation, not a deterrent. The problem is the size of the gap he has to bridge, but his talent is such that he is damned to a binding fate at the Tour. Otherwise his career will look like avoidance, rather than courageous battle that will not be compensated with other wins. He must take on Pogacar and Vingegaard at the biggest event of cycling for his career to have sense now.

it's not about avoiding. It's about being in the best possible shape for the worlds

besides, Pog is also likely to be at the Vuelta

 

[KoopaCycling]

He'll start the tdf. But depending on the giro reveal he might be better of doing that. I disagree with people saying he should do the tdf cause it's the biggest race. He should put his main focus on the GT that suits him most(between the giro and tour).

 

[Extinction]

it's not about avoiding. It's about being in the best possible shape for the worlds

besides, Pog is also likely to be at the Vuelta

Granted, but I'm talking about his worth in the greater scheme, because if he avoided the Tour, which I don't think he will, the calculation will seem a cop out. He himself said the Tour is his destination, as it should be. Merckx said he has to best Pogacar (and Vingegaard) on the only test that truly matters to ascend to the gotha of the sport. It's a hard burden for him. Winning the Vuelta again is only a palliative, the Giro would be more interesting in the palmarès, but nothing else matters than the Tour, unless he only wants to be a great classics rider, which he clearly does not.

 

[KoopaCycling]

I disagree with the previous post. never understood people fixation with the tour. It's one of the big 3 and you want to win it. But i rather have roglic giro and vuelta wins over 1 tour win. whereas some would take the 1 tour win over the giro and vuelta wins. Mind you i do think giro historically is worth more than the vuelta. And i understand the tour is the biggest race in cycling. But if i can only have 1 GT peak, and the giro offers 100 kms of flat TT, i know where i am going if i'm remco. even if he won't win the giro/tour over the TT. He can still get a cushion over some of his rivals with a long flat TT. It's part of how he won the vuelta.

 

[Berniece]

I disagree with the previous post. never understood people fixation with the tour. It's one of the big 3 and you want to win it. But i rather have roglic giro and vuelta wins over 1 tour win. whereas some would take the 1 tour win over the giro and vuelta wins. Mind you i do think giro historically is worth more than the vuelta. And i understand the tour is the biggest race in cycling. But if i can only have 1 GT peak, and the giro offers 100 kms of flat TT, i know where i am going if i'm remco. even if he won't win the giro/tour over the TT. He can still get a cushion over some of his rivals with a long flat TT. It's part of how he won the vuelta.

I agree, TDF is the biggest race but cycling is much more than just the TDF. Not to mention that Evenepoel wants to win as many races as diverse as possible. He hasn’t won the Giro yet, so if the route suits him more this year just go for that. WC should also suit him a lot so that would work perfectly in a schedule with the Giro.

 

[Extinction]

I disagree with the previous post. never understood people fixation with the tour. It's one of the big 3 and you want to win it. But i rather have roglic giro and vuelta wins over 1 tour win. whereas some would take the 1 tour win over the giro and vuelta wins. Mind you i do think giro historically is worth more than the vuelta. And i understand the tour is the biggest race in cycling. But if i can only have 1 GT peak, and the giro offers 100 kms of flat TT, i know where i am going if i'm remco. even if he won't win the giro/tour over the TT. He can still get a cushion over some of his rivals with a long flat TT. It's part of how he won the vuelta.

Perhaps I didn't explain my point well. It's not the Tour per se, if not for a rider of his calibre. Would we have expected anything less from Merckx, Hinault, Fignon or Lemond? No, their talent was such that it's impossible to miss a Tour in your palmarès. If we were talking about any other rider than Evenepoel, it wouldn't matter if he won lots of big races, but not the Tour. Remco's an excellent climber and TTist with a huge engine, so a natural Tour pedigree and a race he wants ardently to win. Evenepoel, in the final analysis, will have an asterix on his career of he doesn't win the Tour against Pogacar and Vingegaard. He could win a bunch of classics, GTs, worlds (although with this Pogacar there is nothing for anyone else) and he would still, without the Tour, be less touted. Roglic came into cycling from another sport, who, in contrast to Remco, did not have the incredible expectations placed upon him; and then blew it in the only Tour he could have won. Does Roglic's 4 Vueltas and 1 Giro compensate for the lost Tour? Ask yourself would Roglic trade a win in that Tour for his other GTs and the answer is obvious. Yes. So, with this much talent, winning another monument, Vuelta, a Giro or WC won't make a difference for Remco, the way a Tour would against them. The problem is the current gap between them, an abyss.

 

[KoopaCycling]

Perhaps I didn't explain my point well. It's not the Tour per se, if not for a rider of his calibre. Would we have expected anything less from Merckx, Hinault, Fignon or Lemond? No, their talent was such that it's impossible to miss a Tour in your palmarès. If we were talking about any other rider than Evenepoel, it wouldn't matter if he won lots of big races, but not the Tour. Remco's an excellent climber and TTist with a huge engine, so a natural Tour pedigree and a race he wants ardently to win. Evenepoel, in the final analysis, will have an asterix on his career of he doesn't win the Tour against Pogacar and Vingegaard. He could win a bunch of classics, GTs, worlds (although with this Pogacar there is nothing for anyone else) and he would still, without the Tour, be less touted. Roglic came into cycling from another sport, who, in contrast to Remco, did not have the incredible expectations placed upon him; and then blew it in the only Tour he could have won. Does Roglic's 4 Vueltas and 1 Giro compensate for the lost Tour? Ask yourself would Roglic trade a win in that Tour for his other GTs and the answer is obvious. Yes. So, with this much talent, winning another monument, Vuelta, a Giro or WC won't make a difference for Remco, the way a Tour would against them. The problem is the current gap between them, an abyss.

If the answer is yes for Roglic, then i kindly disagree with Roglic. I will take that giro win and 4 vuelta wins over 1 tour. especially since giro historically is almost as big as the tour.

Also whilst it's always better beating the very best. As it makes the achievement greater still. That is secondary. First comes the actual winning stuff. When someone says Pidcock, they say cyclocross and Mountainbike WC. Never mind he did not beat Van Aert, and VdP when he became cyclocross champion. Nobody is putting an asterisk behind VdP wins this year in Flandes and Roubaix cause he had no 'real' opponents. Nobody dismisses Nibali Tour win despite the opponents being lacklustre that year. First is just winning, then comes whom you beat. If Remco biggest chances at winning are at the giro, and not the tour i'd say focus on the giro. He has not won the giro yet. Also both Vingegaard and Pogacar are likely to focus on 2 GT every year from now. So odds are he will have to beat one of them either way. Regardless if he does the giro or tour.

 

[Gratemans]

Perhaps I didn't explain my point well. It's not the Tour per se, if not for a rider of his calibre. Would we have expected anything less from Merckx, Hinault, Fignon or Lemond? No, their talent was such that it's impossible to miss a Tour in your palmarès. If we were talking about any other rider than Evenepoel, it wouldn't matter if he won lots of big races, but not the Tour. Remco's an excellent climber and TTist with a huge engine, so a natural Tour pedigree and a race he wants ardently to win. Evenepoel, in the final analysis, will have an asterix on his career of he doesn't win the Tour against Pogacar and Vingegaard. He could win a bunch of classics, GTs, worlds (although with this Pogacar there is nothing for anyone else) and he would still, without the Tour, be less touted. Roglic came into cycling from another sport, who, in contrast to Remco, did not have the incredible expectations placed upon him; and then blew it in the only Tour he could have won. Does Roglic's 4 Vueltas and 1 Giro compensate for the lost Tour? Ask yourself would Roglic trade a win in that Tour for his other GTs and the answer is obvious. Yes. So, with this much talent, winning another monument, Vuelta, a Giro or WC won't make a difference for Remco, the way a Tour would against them. The problem is the current gap between them, an abyss.

I don't disagree with you, but that doesn't mean he should never, ever skip the Tour either.

 

[FroomeWagon]

I disagree with the previous post. never understood people fixation with the tour. It's one of the big 3 and you want to win it. But i rather have roglic giro and vuelta wins over 1 tour win. whereas some would take the 1 tour win over the giro and vuelta wins. Mind you i do think giro historically is worth more than the vuelta. And i understand the tour is the biggest race in cycling. But if i can only have 1 GT peak, and the giro offers 100 kms of flat TT, i know where i am going if i'm remco. even if he won't win the giro/tour over the TT. He can still get a cushion over some of his rivals with a long flat TT. It's part of how he won the vuelta.

The reason the tour is so important to the teams is because the tour is so important to the sponsors. I have read that as much as 80% of a teams annual budget is derived from eyeballs that watch the TDF. If my rider wins the tour, I will get 6X more viewers on my brand than if he wins the Giro or Vuelta.

The TDF is the "World Cup" or "Super Bowl" of bike racing, the Giro and Vuelta are nice little races for those that can't win on the biggest stage. I can't imagine a sponsor wanting to pay 5M+ for a rider that avoids the TDF because he is scared of the competition.

 

[Extinction]

If the answer is yes for Roglic, then i kindly disagree with Roglic. I will take that giro win and 4 vuelta wins over 1 tour. especially since giro historically is almost as big as the tour.

Also whilst it's always better beating the very best. As it makes the achievement greater still. That is secondary. First comes the actual winning stuff. When someone says Pidcock, they say cyclocross and Mountainbike WC. Never mind he did not beat Van Aert, and VdP when he became cyclocross champion. Nobody is putting an asterisk behind VdP wins this year in Flandes and Roubaix cause he had no 'real' opponents. Nobody dismisses Nibali Tour win despite the opponents being lacklustre that year. First is just winning, then comes whom you beat. If Remco biggest chances at winning are at the giro, and not the tour i'd say focus on the giro. He has not won the giro yet. Also both Vingegaard and Pogacar are likely to focus on 2 GT every year from now. So odds are he will have to beat one of them either way. Regardless if he does the giro or tour.

I disagree, Roglic would want that Tour more then all the other GTs. Like it or not the Tour, which has always been the biggest race in the sport, has grown too big for it's own good, as the rest of cycling is literally eclipsed by it for all but real knowledgeable fans. And even so, for the biggest talents of the sport, which means big engines over multiple terrain, disciplines and duration (and Van der Poel is not in this category, who can have his cobbled monuments and horay, horah), the Tour crowns the king. But I'm talking about a very select élites, and Remco is in this category. It's, therefore, incumbant upon him at this stage of his career to ride the Tour each year. Winning the Giro is fine, but then he must race the Tour. Unless you think he's a Carapez or Hindley type of talent, who can define the season a success winning the Giro. I do not. Remco has entered maturity and for him this means the Tour isn't an option any longer, anymore than it is for Pogacar.

 

[Extinction]

I don't disagree with you, but that doesn't mean he should never, ever skip the Tour either.

He can't skip the Tour, as he's entered maturity. His days of being able to opt out of the race are over, and rightly so, especially as he got third in his first attempt. Besides the sponsors wouldn't put up with it, even in Belgium. He's so good he's damned to the Tour, because presently two are superior. He can do 2 GTs now, but the Tour must be one of them

 

[Oldermanish]

He can't skip the Tour, as he's entered maturity. His days of being able to opt out of the race are over, and rightly so, especially as he got third in his first attempt. Besides the sponsors wouldn't put up with it, even in Belgium. He's so good he's damned to the Tour, because presently two are superior. He can do 2 GTs now, but the Tour must be one of them

He should work the Tour into his priorities. His effort last year while recovering definitely improved his end of season efforts; right up to the point of fatigue. He should benefit from that next season.
He raced the last Tour like he should: get some exposure, a stage win or two and test himself on terrain that doesn't suit him. It'll help him approach the actual opportunity to win when it presents itself. That said, I always think a rider of his quality should race what he wants to race. He only owes his sponsors what he agreed to do based on his salary or he'll end in the burn out ward. So much relies on the hard work of training and tactics that a good attitude will help.

 

[KoopaCycling]

I would not claim to know Roglic his mind. But i stand by my statement that for me winning a giro and 4 vuelta is better (and bigger) than winning 1 Tour. I'd say 1 giro and 1 vuelta combo might even edge a Tour win, but just barely cause vuelta like it or not is just not as big as winning the giro let alone the tour. The vuelta remains a GT and third most important GC. But Giro and Tour just have more history.

Remco skipping the tour in favour of the giro would have nothing to do with him evading his opponents. Simply with him maximizing his chances to actually win the GT by choosing the one that suit him most. For me if he wins the Tour the Giro becomes more important from that moment on, and if he wins the giro, the tour becomes more important from then on. But that's just me. I don't see the tour as a must ride for any rider. The tour is the bigger race, but giro is still near as important to try and win for me.

To me people that insist someone needs to ride the tour just cause it's biggest race, sponsors. ... Honestly i don't care about that stuff. no doubt the sponsors do. but i don't. At the end of your career i feel you need to have done everything possible to have won as much as possible. Not do the races cause your sponsors want them. I think Lefevre is one the very best, but he too was moaning about the olympics. Well, pretty sure Remco will forever be happy he fully focused on them.

 

[Extinction]

He should work the Tour into his priorities. His effort last year while recovering definitely improved his end of season efforts; right up to the point of fatigue. He should benefit from that next season.
He raced the last Tour like he should: get some exposure, a stage win or two and test himself on terrain that doesn't suit him. It'll help him approach the actual opportunity to win when it presents itself. That said, I always think a rider of his quality should race what he wants to race. He only owes his sponsors what he agreed to do based on his salary or he'll end in the burn out ward. So much relies on the hard work of training and tactics that a good attitude will help.

Unfortunately, a rider of his calibre, owes the sponsors his presence at the Tour. Sport is business and sponsors want exposure, for which the Tour is a must for him. The team being there without its marquis rider, isn't a return on their investment. At this point every other significant win is fine and great, but skipping the Tour would be a major sporting negligence, unless he suddenly downgrades his ambitions. What he wants is relevant only within this framework now. If I were him, I'd push for Paris-Nice, MSR, Ardennes, Giro-Tour program next year, then Worlds.