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

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There is a saying very interesting: "the higher you go, greater the fall". They keep dreaming about Remco getting closer to Vingegaard or Pogacar but he will never reach them. It's notorious he doesn't have and will never have Pogacar's ceilling
And why will he never reach that? It’s ridiculous to write in absolutes in cycling. He already rode better in 2024 than those two in 2023…

Also I have no clue what you mean with your saying. It has nothing to do with aspiring for higher results and not achieving them.
 
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Some quotes from his Flandrien interview:

"My best day on the bike in 2024, in terms of feeling, was stage 17 of the Tour to Superdévoluy when I took some time on Pogacar and Vingegaard. The feeling that day was even better than at the Olympics but I was afraid to make a move. When I eventually rode away from Pogacar and Vingegaard and saw they weren't following that was a new situation for me and I panicked a little. I couldn't decide at that point if I should ride all out or keep some reserves. More could have been possible that day. If I find myself in that situation next year, I know I just have to give it my all. "

"I hope Pogacar does not make any more progress next year. If that isn't the case I think it's realistic to close the gap of 9 minutes from this year to around 5 minutes with a perfect preparation. That would be a good start. After that we'll see what's possible. But I will have to work very hard for it."

"Yes, I was surprised at the level of Pogacar at some points. At Plateau de Beille I rode the same numbers as on every other final climb but I still finished at 3 minutes. He was crazy that day. Also Lombardy was very impressive. After his attack on the climb he had a minute at the top. After the descent he still had a minute. But then in the valley, which should have been a good part for me, he took an additional two minutes. At moments like that you realise he's the best rider in the world and he's on his way to become the best rider ever."

"The past year the combination Giro - Tour wasn't possible if I wanted to be top at the Olympic Games. Next year it is an option but we'll wait to see the route. If I ride the Giro I won't ride Flèche Wallone and Amstel. Liège I'll always ride as long as I'm healthy."

"I won't ride the Ronde next year. Milan-Sanremo is an option depending on the choice between Tirreno or Paris-Nice. But we haven't really talked about concrete planning yet, only about ideas and goals."

"My third place in the Tour has motivated me to do better in a Grand Tour. I really want to experience the feeling of winning a Grand Tour again like in 2022. So that will be the focus. Everybody knows my big goals are to win the Giro and the Tour so I want to fully invest in those goals. How much energy I'll still spend towards time trialing will depend on the routes of the Grand Tours but the main focus will be on climbing from now on."

"I'm not going to adjust my season planning to Pogacar's planning to try to avoid him. I like competing with/against Pogacar. Not only is he a great champion, he's also simply a nice guy. I think it's an honor to be able to compete against him and ride with him. I see it as a challenge to try to beat him. In the past I've already won races where he started. I hope there will be some moments like that next season."

That's a bit alarming that when he had the form to drop Pog and Vingo, he did not give it his all.

Just like he was afraid of blowing up on stage 11, when he was able to do the final 2 climbs quicker than those two.

Don't think he would have got second, but he could have won stage 11 had he not raced scared
 
That's a bit alarming that when he had the form to drop Pog and Vingo, he did not give it his all.

Just like he was afraid of blowing up on stage 11, when he was able to do the final 2 climbs quicker than those two.

Don't think he would have got second, but he could have won stage 11 had he not raced scared
What? He was dropped by Pogacar. When did he have the "form" to drop Pogacar in stage 17?
 
Lets all take a moment and appriciate the great Evenepoel own opinion, seems most sensible afterall.
As great as Evenepoel is, and he truly is and others with him, he up against a unhuman task, literally a more monumental task in cycling couldnt have been found ever.

Although the best time trialist in the world, Evenepoel couldn't bring back any time on Pogacar over the subsequent flat.

"But in the valley, actually a bit ahead of me, he rode away another two minutes. At such moments you realise that he is the best rider in the world and that he is slowly becoming the best ever."


 
Lets all take a moment and appriciate the great Evenepoel own opinion, seems most sensible afterall.
As great as Evenepoel is, and he truly is and others with him, he up against a unhuman task, literally a more monumental task in cycling couldnt have been found ever.

Although the best time trialist in the world, Evenepoel couldn't bring back any time on Pogacar over the subsequent flat.

"But in the valley, actually a bit ahead of me, he rode away another two minutes. At such moments you realise that he is the best rider in the world and that he is slowly becoming the best ever."


Is someone saying he isn’t?
 
Evenepoel. His own assessments of races he loses rarely cease to amaze me
I think it was more of a misinterpretation by @houtdffan, since I didn't read it as Evenepoel saying he could've dropped Pogacar/Vingegaard. I read it as, the moment I was able to get away, I should have gone all out, and maybe I would've gained a bit more time. Not sure why that's coping.

The quote:
"My best day on the bike in 2024, in terms of feeling, was stage 17 of the Tour to Superdévoluy when I took some time on Pogacar and Vingegaard. The feeling that day was even better than at the Olympics but I was afraid to make a move. When I eventually rode away from Pogacar and Vingegaard and saw they weren't following that was a new situation for me and I panicked a little. I couldn't decide at that point if I should ride all out or keep some reserves. More could have been possible that day. If I find myself in that situation next year, I know I just have to give it my all. "
 
Well I would stop if he just stopped saying things like "I could have dropped Ppgacar but chose not to" referring to a stage where Pogacar cleaned him off the wheel earlier.

That is not level headed. That is the opposite
But that’s not at all what he’s saying if Bernice has posted the right translation?

When I eventually rode away from Pogacar and Vingegaard and saw they weren't following that was a new situation for me and I panicked a little. I couldn't decide at that point if I should ride all out or keep some reserves. More could have been possible that day. If I find myself in that situation next year, I know I just have to give it my all.”
This isn’t at all the same as you propose. He’s talking about the kilometers he was alone ahead of them that he probably could’ve ridden faster, not that he could’ve dropped Pogacar earlier??
 
Well I would stop if he just stopped saying things like "I could have dropped Ppgacar but chose not to" referring to a stage where Pogacar cleaned him off the wheel earlier.

That is not level headed. That is the opposite
That is also not even close to what he actually said. I really don't even understand how you can twist words that much to come to such a conclusion.
 
But that’s not at all what he’s saying if Bernice has posted the right translation?


This isn’t at all the same as you propose. He’s talking about the kilometers he was alone ahead of them that he probably could’ve ridden faster, not that he could’ve dropped Pogacar earlier??
It is the right translation. To be sure I just listened to the actual interview where the quotes are coming from and he never said or implied that he could have dropped Pogacar.
 
It's basically the same level of stupidity. You have a gap and it's 2km to go and you're telling me you were half assing it? Please.

Evenepoel pretty consistently tries to act like he's a stronger rider than he is by acting like he doesn't understand the sport he's a professional in at the level of a 3 year old.
Consistently? Do you have more examples? Because this one isn’t it. If you remember the race, you can even see him doubting and not going all out
 
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