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

[FroomeWagon]

Giro is almost as prestigious as the tour.

If you believe that, then I don't think we are going to share common ground. I respect your opinion, but I don't agree with it.

I agree that the Giro course might be much more difficult than the Tour, but the level of competition, on average, isn't close. We agree to disagree.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Giro is nowhere near the Tour when we talk about popularity. You can't based your opinion in wishful thinkings. Just take a look to audience, media coverage, sponsors and you will know cycling is almost all about the Tour (talking about money).
It is a shame, Giro is my favourite race!

 

[houtdffan]

While I do think not getting injured would’ve helped, not sure it would get him that close to Pogacar and Vingegaard. I think general further development as a rider will get him to close that gap

he was close to Vingo. 2:30 off is not exactly a big gap over 3 weeks

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

I dunno, maybe I’m off here but I would argue that, thanks to Contador, Froome, and Roglic, the Vuelta has become quite prestigious and coveted. The average Vuelta win in the past 15 years I would say >>> the average Giro win.

 

[Berniece]

he was close to Vingo. 2:30 off is not exactly a big gap over 3 weeks

That’s true, but Vingegaard also had a worse crash

 

[Extinction]

Nah, your just stating your own biased views as facts. Demeaning others. You purposely ignore why I think he should check & compare the parcours of the giro and tour each year. And upon seeing the parcours decide which of the 2 he should put his main focus. Never said he should not go to the tour. Only said that if the giro suits his talents more he should choose to make that his main focus. I'm certain he would need to fight off Pogacar or Vingegaard regardless of which of the 2 he'll chose. So nothing to do with being afraid Remco won't be able to compete.

Giro is almost as prestigious as the tour. Vuelta not so much. If Tour is Roubaix, then Giro is Flanders. Whereas Vuelta more like E3 or Wevelgem if you catch my drift. Obviously i'm taking it to the absurd to make clear my point. I actually think quit high of the vuelta. As it's the 3rd biggest GC race of the year. It's not cause everyone else jumps on the media bandwagon (armstrong, netflix, ...) that i'll forget about giro's history.

Your last parapgraphe is again missing the point. I'm not saying he should not race the tour. And just race vuelta or giro. In fact having already won the vuelta he should probably only race that GT as a secondary option. The choice isn't between giro and vuelta. But between tour and giro. And i feel he should make that decision every year by checking out the parcours. If the Giro suit him more, he should race the giro. If the tour suits him more, he should race the tour.

Somehow this simple logic can't be fathomed by you, and instead you go back to remco fans afraid. Tour is biggest. He should therefore race Tour.

He will, but that doesn't change the metric. He might win the double under auspicious circumstances or he is just better. It's all in the cards..

 

[Extinction]

I dunno, maybe I’m off here but I would argue that, thanks to Contador, Froome, and Roglic, the Vuelta has become quite prestigious and coveted. The average Vuelta win in the past 15 years I would say >>> the average Giro win.

Yea, since they changed the calendar in 95. This pushed the Giro for years to a second thought, so it's good that the race has come to the fore again, despite Vegni and his incompetance. Spain is more sexy now.

 

[houtdffan]

That’s true, but Vingegaard also had a worse crash

Still, remco was more injured than pog 2023 (abd sick at dauphine). We saw how that worked out for pog

 

[Berniece]

There is no fight between an in-form Pogacar and an in-form Remco so I prefer to see Pogi vs MVP in RVV.

You live in a bubble if you think there isn’t a fight between an in-form Pogacar and in-form Evenepoel in Liege

 

[AmRacer]

You live in a bubble if you think there isn’t a fight between an in-form Pogacar and in-form Evenepoel in Liege

5 second fight, maybe. 😉

 

[scribers]

You live in a bubble if you think there isn’t a fight between an in-form Pogacar and in-form Evenepoel in Liege

This is a sneaky cross thread post!!

I respect optimism

 

[Berniece]

This is a sneaky cross thread post!!

I respect optimism

Wanted to make sure the reference with “living in a bubble” was caught since it was used here

 

[theyoungest]

I dunno, maybe I’m off here but I would argue that, thanks to Contador, Froome, and Roglic, the Vuelta has become quite prestigious and coveted. The average Vuelta win in the past 15 years I would say >>> the average Giro win.

Nah... who goes into the season and says: my main aim is winning the Vuelta? Right, nobody. Roglic won it 4 times, and all of those times it wasn't his main goal of the season.

 

[Coffeeplanter]

Nah... who goes into the season and says: my main aim is winning the Vuelta? Right, nobody. Roglic won it 4 times, and all of those times it wasn't his main goal of the season.

Correct, the Vuelta is a race where riders who failed during either the Giro or the Tour, for whatever reason, come to salvage their season. If you win it it's cool. If you don't, cool as well. Only two types of riders can be bothered to peak: neopros and Spanish riders of PCT level.

 

[Andre]

I also personally don't think Roglic would trade 5 GT's for one Tour.

 

[Tanakka]

I also personally don't think Roglic would trade 5 GT's for one Tour.

What about 3 Vuelta (out of his 4) plus his extra two GT podiums?
Would he give away those for a single TdF?

In that scenario he'd have 1 TdF, 1 Giro, 1 Vuelta, wins, and no other gt podiums.

Primož Roglič - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Tanakka]

What is up with everyone granting Remco the status as third best GC rider over Roglic? Because he looked better on a couple stages in the Tour this year? Come on.

Because Remco is turning 25 at the beginning of 2024 while Rogla isn't getting any younger: he turned 35 a few days ago and will be 35 and 7 months by the time the first GT of the year (the Giro) ends

Many assume that given the fact that Roglic turned to cycling unusually late, and wasn't doing a long distance sport before either, he might have less 'wear&tear' than many at his age.
But, still, not everybody is Geraint Thomas (and let's put aside Horner's weird Vuelta win at 41-42, for the moment).

Who is the youngest winner of Tour de France?

Who are the youngest and oldest winner of Tour de France? The oldest winner is at age . The youngest winner is at age .

www.procyclingstats.com

https://twitter.com/x/status/1794602557970800796

View: https://x.com/StatsOnCycling/status/1794602557970800796

Giro is almost as prestigious as the tour. Vuelta not so much. If Tour is Roubaix, then Giro is Flanders. Whereas Vuelta more like E3 or Wevelgem if you catch my drift. Obviously i'm taking it to the absurd to make clear my point. I actually think quit high of the vuelta. As it's the 3rd biggest GC race of the year. It's not cause everyone else jumps on the media bandwagon (armstrong, netflix, ...) that i'll forget about giro's history.

I live in Italy.
It isn't.
Perhaps till 88-93 or so it was close. But since then it dropped value year after year, and especially in the 2020s it's nowhere close to the TdF anymore.

 

[Berniece]

What about 3 Vuelta (out of his 4) plus his extra two GT podiums?
Would he give away those for a single TdF?

In that scenario he'd have 1 TdF, 1 Giro, 1 Vuelta, wins, and no other gt podiums.

Primož Roglič - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Maybe it depends on if he wins another one to be sole Vuelta record holder. Would you trade those wins for a single TDF win?

 

[Berniece]

According to Belgian journalist Michel Wuyts, Bora-Red Bull had a contract of 10 million per year ready to sign for Evenepoel. Currently he earns 5M with bonus.

Wuyts onthult: dit monstercontract mét extra's kon Evenepoel tekenen bij Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe

Remco Evenepoel rijdt ook in 2025 bij Soudal Quick-Step, ook al lag een contract bij Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe klaar. Michel Wuyts onthult nu wat er op tafel lag voor Evenepoel.

www.wielerkrant.be

 

[YavorD]

Do you think Evenepoel might skip the Tour next year?
To me Giro-Vuelta-WC doesn't look too bad. But a lot depends on his desire to ride the classics.

 

[KoopaCycling]

Do you think Evenepoel might skip the Tour next year?
To me Giro-Vuelta-WC doesn't look too bad. But a lot depends on his desire to ride the classics.

No chance he will definitely ride the tour in 25, unless he crashes and won't get back in shape in time. Otherwise Tour will be his major goal for the season.

 

[Berniece]

Do you think Evenepoel might skip the Tour next year?
To me Giro-Vuelta-WC doesn't look too bad. But a lot depends on his desire to ride the classics.

I would also rather have him do Giro-Vuelta-WC, but Patrick Lefevere already indicated that he’ll definitely ride the Tour. He might do Giro-Tour-WC though, but I don’t expect much from him at the WC then.

 

[Extinction]

Because Remco is turning 25 at the beginning of 2024 while Rogla isn't getting any younger: he turned 35 a few days ago and will be 35 and 7 months by the time the first GT of the year (the Giro) ends

Many assume that given the fact that Roglic turned to cycling unusually late, and wasn't doing a long distance sport before either, he might have less 'wear&tear' than many at his age.
But, still, not everybody is Geraint Thomas (and let's put aside Horner's weird Vuelta win at 41-42, for the moment).

Who is the youngest winner of Tour de France?

Who are the youngest and oldest winner of Tour de France? The oldest winner is at age . The youngest winner is at age .

www.procyclingstats.com

https://twitter.com/x/status/1794602557970800796

View: https://x.com/StatsOnCycling/status/1794602557970800796


I live in Italy.
It isn't.
Perhaps till 88-93 or so it was close. But since then it dropped value year after year, and especially in the 2020s it's nowhere close to the TdF anymore.

You must consider the history and calander placement. The Vuelta used to be raced in April, when the Ardennes classics were full-on and the fact that the Bigs did a full monument session, from Coppi to Merckx, Hinault, Lemond etc. Indurain, like Delgado, was an old school Spaniard GT rider. Then, when they moved the Vuelta to late August, with specializion having come to the fore, the GT guys mostly had to pivot to a Tour-Vuelta scenario. The Giro became a colorful and nostalgic legacy that mainly concerned Italians, from Pantani to Simone, Garzzeli and il Piccolo Principe. Now everybody remembers what a grand Giro actually means.

 

[CyclistAbi]

No way would Rogla trade any of the GTs, stage races, monument ... wins for a Tour title. Said that he is not done with the Tour yet. Rogla will win Tour too, it's inevitable.

As for Remco not taking 10 millions per year and to sign for Red Bull. Interesting.

 

[Berniece]

Personally I have a hard time finding a more miserable way to look at achievements as something transactional

That’s true, TDF will obviously be a hole in Roglic’s palmares, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t one of the best GT riders of his generation. He’ll be remembered for that.