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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.
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.
I don't disagree with you, but that doesn't mean he should never, ever skip the Tour either.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I appreciate your sentiments, but, really, the Tour is so much bigger than the Giro and Vuelta for a rider like Roglic and Evenepoel. For an Aru, fine, a Vuelta is a huge accomplishment, but not even four of them compensates for the Tour Roglic lost. In 20 years nobody will remember his 4 Vueltas, but only the Tour he lost. I know that's harsh, but the truth. Ask Fignon
Sponsors have an impact on those decisions too. They want their biggest name in the biggest race.
If you’ve been reading on here for a few years (or go back and read), you’ll know that the regular posters don’t rate the Tour higher than other races or find the racing better, although the Pog vs Ving rivalry has added a bit more interest. But there’s no getting around the fact that the Tour is the 800 lb gorilla of the cycling industry and the cycling world. So many teams’ sponsors and managers prioritize that as their season target. It’s simply bigger, but most on here don’t think it’s better.
That has more to do with storylines. Not with value. Flawed storylines if you look a bit deeper. Fignon won 2 tours btw. Value=/= storylines. Drama sells even more than succes at the end of the day.
The best GT riders should always race the Tour, especially if they are WC.
I certainly don't say a better race, but the simple truth is that no other race commands that every rider participating has aimed to be in the highest form possible. And it draws the truly biggest engines among those who can potentially win it. Neither the Giro nor Vuelta do that, which are for lesser talents, unless the Tour champion wants a double.If you’ve been reading on here for a few years (or go back and read), you’ll know that the regular posters don’t rate the Tour higher than other races or find the racing better, although the Pog vs Ving rivalry has added a bit more interest. But there’s no getting around the fact that the Tour is the 800 lb gorilla of the cycling industry and the cycling world. So many teams’ sponsors and managers prioritize that as their season target. It’s simply bigger, but most on here don’t think it’s better.
ed. You can do the conversion to kilos on your own
You cannot be biased for or against the single biggest race, the Tour. It's the most important race. Remco has already tried both the Giro and Vuelta without the Tour.
And those Italians and Spaniards, with few exceptions, could not win the Tour. It's no wonder a Frenchman hasn't won the Tour since Hinault in 85. That right there is the colossal difference in magnitude. And I'm not sniffing at these races, which are maginficent in their own right, but considering the issue with regards to a talent such as Evenepoel, who is "condemned" to do the Grand Bouclé at least until it becomes evident he can't win it, but by that time he'll be on another contract.
Coppi, Bartali, Gimondi, Nibali disagree with you.
Heh, unless Pog shows up. Should he do the Giro then? Hell yes! And then the Tour!
Like I said, i believe he should look at the parcours of the Giro and Tour each year, and decide which suits him more. (coupled with his other objectives for that year).
Tour of Denmark, Tour of Norway...that's the races for you. No, Remco is good enough to be at the biggest race. No reason to avoid it anymore
Right, but he himself said the Tour is his destiny. He knows he doesn't have a choice.
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