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

[Extinction]

Despite that rushed preparation the 2024 Tour was still the best we have ever seen Remco climb IMO. For example, on PdB, Remco also broke Pantani's record. With his better prep this year Remco is the 3rd leg to what is shaping up to be a titanic battle in July.

The biggest thing, I think, now, when it's crunch time, is..."Show me the goods!" no wailing about. And the rest is history.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Despite that rushed preparation the 2024 Tour was still the best we have ever seen Remco climb IMO. For example, on PdB, Remco also broke Pantani's record. With his better prep this year Remco is the 3rd leg to what is shaping up to be a titanic battle in July.

You are overrating what he can do. Bernal won the Tour after braking his collarbone. He had 12 weeks to recover, not 9 like Pogacar (a "simple" injury just like Remco). And I'm pretty sure the gap for Vingegaard and Pogacar will be bigger than ever even if the actual gap (in time) is smaller due to Pogi and Vingo battle (looking to each other like Contador and Schleck in Tourmalet).

 

[Cycling111]

Vingegaard's injury was wors, and Pogacar did the Giro.
This year, both arrive without injury and without a Giro.

If Remco closes the gap, it will be because he's young and may have improved, but not because he was in worse condition last year due to a collarbone injury more than three months earlier.

 

[KoopaCycling]

I would love to see another TdF in which nothing happens to these 3 protagonists and we get to see them compete each other for 3 weeks at the highest possible level. But i've seen enough GT's to know, the odds are against us.

 

[Extinction]

I would love to see another TdF in which nothing happens to these 3 protagonists and we get to see them compete each other for 3 weeks at the highest possible level. But i've seen enough GT's to know, the odds are against us.

Pogacar, but why not do a retro course of 86, let's say, with long distances, and come what may. I'd love to see how todays bunch would fair, tactics wise and so forth.

 

[Cookster15]

You are overrating what he can do

Remco broke Pantani's PdB record by 40 seconds. Not sure how I can overrate that, its an objective fact. Sure they raced hard from the bottom with Matteo but we are comparing to Pantani's era and a record which stood for 26 years.

When Armstrong won on PdB in 2002 he had a leadout by US Postal (José Luis Rubiera) but was 3 minutes slower than Remco last year.

Note, I am not saying Remco can rival Pogacar and Vingegaard. I am simply pointing out Remco can be an elite climber and this year he should be even better. I think he can be third best climber again.

New Top 100 Plateau de Beille: The takeover

1. 2024: 39:50 Tadej Pogacar 23.95 km/h 2. 2024: 40:58 Jonas Vingegaard 23.29 km/h 3. 2024: 42:41 Remco Evenepoel 22.35 km/h 4. 1998...

www.climbing-records.com

 

[Peyroteo94]

Remco broke Pantani's PdB record by 40 seconds. Not sure how I can overrate that, its an objective fact. Sure they raced hard from the bottom with Matteo but we are comparing to Pantani's era and a record which stood for 26 years.

When Armstrong won on PdB in 2002 he had a leadout by US Postal (José Luis Rubiera) but was 3 minutes slower than Remco last year.

Note, I am not saying Remco can rival Pogacar and Vingegaard. I am simply pointing out Remco can be an elite climber and this year he should be even better. I think he can be third best climber again.

New Top 100 Plateau de Beille: The takeover

1. 2024: 39:50 Tadej Pogacar 23.95 km/h 2. 2024: 40:58 Jonas Vingegaard 23.29 km/h 3. 2024: 42:41 Remco Evenepoel 22.35 km/h 4. 1998...

www.climbing-records.com

Overrate what he can do without his broken collarbone in early April. I don't think he could be much better. Other thing important to say is that Remco was almost 3 minutes behind (even if he was better than Pantani) Pogacar in 10.5 km at 7%. This is a gigantic difference.
However I also believe he will be third in July.

 

[Berniece]

Overrate what he can do without his broken collarbone in early April. I don't think he could be much better. Other thing important to say is that Remco was almost 3 minutes behind (even if he was better than Pantani) Pogacar in 10.5 km at 7%. This is a gigantic difference.
However I also believe he will be third in July.

You don’t think Evenepoel will climb better now than last year? Because you think Evenepoel still carries the crash of December with him? Or crashes don’t have an effect on people anymore?

 

[Berniece]

not because he was in worse condition last year due to a collarbone injury more than three months earlier.

You Pogacar fans really are so funny. When Pogi crashes at LBL it’s the reason he lost the TDF, when Evenepoel had a way worse crash it didn’t effect him in the slightest.

 

[AmRacer]

Vingegaard's injury was wors, and Pogacar did the Giro.
This year, both arrive without injury and without a Giro.

If Remco closes the gap, it will be because he's young and may have improved, but not because he was in worse condition last year due to a collarbone injury more than three months earlier.

Pogi and Jonas are young too

 

[AmRacer]

You don’t think Evenepoel will climb better now than last year? Because you think Evenepoel still carries the crash of December with him? Or crashes don’t have an effect on people anymore?

Crashes only effects Rogla

 

[Lorzenz08]

Pogi and Jonas are young too

True Pogi and Remco are actually only 1 year and 4 months apart.

 

[Gratemans]

This year, both arrive without injury

Don't jinx it man... we're not there yet.

 

[veganrob]

Remco, depending on his appetite.

Depends on if Rocky Road ice cream is on sale

 

[memyselfandI]

Probably he doesn't need to look over ice cream sale bargains, no?

 

[houtdffan]

Remco Evenepoel keen to show he's closing the gap on Vingegaard & Pogacar: "Hopefully in the future I can go above them"

Remco Evenepoel is widely viewed as one of the four leading Grand Tour contenders in the current peloton alongside Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic. At the upcoming Criterium du Dauph...

cyclinguptodate.com

Not liking Remco's attitude. His goal should not be to close the gap, it should be to beat Vingo and Pog. Vingo especially since he was so close at last years TDF. Those 2 and a half minutes should easily be doable with proper prep this year

"I think the gap [to Pogacar and Vingegaard] was there last year and I think this year the main goal should be to close the gap, not completely maybe, but to come closer,"

 

[Berniece]

Remco Evenepoel keen to show he's closing the gap on Vingegaard & Pogacar: "Hopefully in the future I can go above them"

Remco Evenepoel is widely viewed as one of the four leading Grand Tour contenders in the current peloton alongside Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic. At the upcoming Criterium du Dauph...

cyclinguptodate.com

Not liking Remco's attitude. His goal should not be to close the gap, it should be to beat Vingo and Pog. Vingo especially since he was so close at last years TDF. Those 2 and a half minutes should easily be doable with proper prep this year

"I think the gap [to Pogacar and Vingegaard] was there last year and I think this year the main goal should be to close the gap, not completely maybe, but to come closer,"

Isn’t he just being realistic? Even more so after crashing again and losing so much time. It would already be a miracle if he reduces the gap.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Isn’t he just being realistic? Even more so after crashing again and losing so much time. It would already be a miracle if he reduces the gap.

I mean, for him and his usual attitude (always wants to win) that's actually a reasonable, sensible and mature statement.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Hopefully 1,5kg didn't come at the expense of balls.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Remco Evenepoel keen to show he's closing the gap on Vingegaard & Pogacar: "Hopefully in the future I can go above them"

Remco Evenepoel is widely viewed as one of the four leading Grand Tour contenders in the current peloton alongside Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic. At the upcoming Criterium du Dauph...

cyclinguptodate.com

Not liking Remco's attitude. His goal should not be to close the gap, it should be to beat Vingo and Pog. Vingo especially since he was so close at last years TDF. Those 2 and a half minutes should easily be doable with proper prep this year

"I think the gap [to Pogacar and Vingegaard] was there last year and I think this year the main goal should be to close the gap, not completely maybe, but to come closer,"

What cycling do you watch? Can't you see the massive difference between them?
It is like Tarling saying he can beat Remco in the TT of Rwanda 2025.

 

[pelotonIQ]

Remco said that if he podiums coupled with a stage win, it's a success. Realistically, 3rd is where he will most likely finish. It will be like last year, he will try to mix it up with Tadej and Jonas, once he loses a bit of time he will focus on consolidating 3rd place. Remco also have very good chances of being in yellow after stage 5.

 

[houtdffan]

What cycling do you watch? Can't you see the massive difference between them?
It is like Tarling saying he can beat Remco in the TT of Rwanda 2025.

LOL

2'30" is not a massive difference. One really good Remco day on a bad day for Vingo makes up that difference. Vingo had a few bad days last year

 

[Peyroteo94]

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[AlpRaid]

LOL

2'30" is not a massive difference. One really good Remco day on a bad day for Vingo makes up that difference. Vingo had a few bad days last year

hmm. but vingo is likely to be better than last year too.

a third place seems like a realistic goal (and that is barring accidents, etc.).

I expect Vingo to be much closer to Pog this time around.

So if Remco can bring the gap to Pog to 5-6 minutes, he may still actually be further behind Vingo than last year (which I fully expect).

 

[AlpRaid]

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love the fact that he would like to have VDP as a teammate. I know they are friends, but it also shows his willingness not to be sole top dog (as does his mention of Landa).