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

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My point is that you don't automatically think it's a lost battle, definitely not Evenepoel
For the few remaining races, with Remco not at his best, he may acknowledge it's a lost battle. Now he knows what needs to be done to next year, and he will put in the hard hours into that. When he decides to go up against Tadej, he and all of us will see how it goes. I do think he believes he can reach Tadej level, until proven otherwise next season. If ever.
 
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The only explanation besides the obvious (bad shape) is a focus on training while still being opportunistic when conditions would be in his favour. The weather made it difficult if he wanted to use the race as a training block and go for a win as well without risking exhaustion when going all in. He has 'bad' memories here. While he won the Copa Bernocci before in the rain with a long range attack, he was totally empty in the final of Lombardy. Roglic had his 2nd DNF today and may also be in energy saving mode.

With the heavy rain tomorrow, we should expect another training block (and maybe DNF). He might try to push Pogacar again in setting up a long solo. You never know if Teddy's tank has a limit ...
 
When The Previous Merckx thinks that he is The Next Merckx, and says that Pogacar is better than him, I think that there's some "Back To The Future" stuff going on :eek:...

Only Remco Evenepoel can beat Tadej Pogacar in Lombardia.

Then, it will be time to reflect and appreciate. Wow! What a year! Remco didn't hide from Pogacar and Vingegaard, his Tour was great and he was a sponge the entire time. He knows how to win one. At 24 in '24. Can't be better than 24/24...

Allez Remco!
 
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So he should be exhausted.
Bad crash, rushed recovery and build for the tour, amazing Olympics, then managed to retain his worlds TT.
It's probably both physical and mental. He said getting ready for the WC was a huge challenge after the olympics. It was difficult to focus again and he had a week delay being sick. For Lombardy he was totally fed up with the trainings and wanted to use the races to get in shape but the weather makes it difficult. We shouln't expect to much from him this Saturday. The focus should go to 2025, hopefully without bad crash this time.
 
Evenpoel and italian races remain not the best of friends. By now i would not be surprised if Remco ain't regretting going to Italy this season altogether.

Rain always, DNF, bad result, aborted, ... . He can't be having the best of times right now.
 
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Evenpoel and italian races remain not the best of friends. By now i would not be surprised if Remco ain't regretting going to Italy this season altogether.

Rain always, DNF, bad result, aborted, ... . He can't be having the best of times right now.
The early season and late season sheduling of the Italian races doesn't help him. It's not just a matter of shape. Rain and cold have impacted his results before, especially when it involves climbing and more importantly decending, a feature of all Italian races. I think that a core temperature drop has an impact on his power output. It looks like his diesel engine suffers in those conditions.
 
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At their very best, Remco is the slightly better TT'er. So he should be minimally better on the flat in perfect conditions. Perfect conditions rarely exists. And pogacar the strongest rider atm (and prob. will be most of the time). Fatique, form of the day obviously matters.

That said Remco can be proud of today's race. Clear 2nd best. Without Pogacar he wins his first Lombardia today. Obviously Pogacar raced. So that point is moot. Still Remco did well, Especially after how bad it looked last week.

No doubt he would rather have won, but best Lombardia result so far. Can definitely be happy with that, and maybe built on it.

Honestly, remco looked strong today. However there exists this one man who can simply do things no one else seems to have answers for.
 
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So the often repeated theory that Remco would gain time back in the flat on Pogacar... any updates?
People just need to come to grip with that Pogacar is better than anyone else and thats okei. Its no shame in that same applies for everyone else in the history of the sport. Evenepoel is great Pogacar is just alot better.
 
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So the often repeated theory that Remco would gain time back in the flat on Pogacar... any updates?
That was always a backwards way of thinking... because the strongest rider on the day is probably the one that drops the other. That is more logical than basing it on that a rider should be capable of it without thinking about how he feels in the moment it actually happens, when you are putting him in that situation. It is not something you can calculate. That he will gain back the time.

Not impossible that someone can get back, of course, but very unlikely when dropped in a hard race.
 
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