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

[houtdffan]

Is Remco staying at Soudal or do you think he'll go to Red Bull? Which altitude camp do you think he'll go to?

already confirmed he is staying

He rejected a trade Red Bull had proposed, where they would send Rog to Soudal for Remco

 

[Berniece]

already confirmed he is staying

He rejected a trade Red Bull had proposed, where they would send Rog to Soudal for Remco

Remco wanted Roglic as a domestique?

 

[houtdffan]

Remco wanted Roglic as a domestique?

no, he was going to be traded for Rog

 

[Red Rick]

I still haven't read any credible source on that story.

Won't believe it got any further than randomly thrown out idea by one guy in the meeting room.

 

[Berniece]

no, he was going to be traded for Rog

No I mean that Remco didn’t want to get traded because he wanted to ride for Bora while Roglic is his domestique.

 

[AmRacer]

No I mean that Remco didn’t want to get traded because he wanted to ride for Bora while Roglic is his domestique.

It can happen from 2026 and onwards.

 

[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.