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

[Berniece]

So much negativity for a race event that can happen. It's 'only' 39 sec as well.
I wonder if Roglic, Almeida, Milan, Merlier, Van, Aert, Skjelmose, Rodriguez, Lipowiitz, Thomas, Cras, ... are getting the same amount of vitrol.

Different expectations i know, but at least he ain't pulled a Delgado.

It’s just unprofessional, and I expect more from him. What’s the point of sitting on top of a mountain for 3 weeks, training hard all season long, complaining and being disappointed about your winter if you then don’t focus during the actual biggest race you want to win?

 

[Mayomaniac]

He has a point. The media uses every opportunity to expose his extroverted character and many frame it as him being a brat.

I mean yeah, Evenepoel clickbait headlines that take his statements out of context are a thing (and have been for years), but Imo focussing on that bs and responding to it on social media is just wasted energy. Better call your wife or play some videogames to relax after the stages.

 

[peterfin]

I mean yeah, Evenepoel clickbait headlines that take his statements out of context are a thing (and have been for years), but Imo focussing on that bs and responding to it on social media is just wasted energy. Better call your wife or play some videogames to relax after the stages.

Sure. That would be my response. I guess it's also part of his character to respond in the way he does. Emotional energy is an important part of Remco's setup. Sometimes it has given him the strength to do almost inhuman efforts but many times it made him vulnerable as well. Nevertheless, I like how he is.

 

[greyclouds]

So much negativity for a race event that can happen. It's 'only' 39 sec as well.
I wonder if Roglic, Almeida, Milan, Merlier, Van, Aert, Skjelmose, Rodriguez, Lipowiitz, Thomas, Cras, ... are getting the same amount of vitrol.

Different expectations i know, but at least he ain't pulled a Delgado.

since when is Remco on the same expectation bracket as Steff Cras?…

 

[Didinho]

Maybe he can get some freedom for the stage win today if Pogi and Vingo mark each other in the end. 39” is not the end of the world, he will get a lot back in the TT if he can keep up with them today and stage 4.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Not sure what his timetrialing has to do with positioning. The riders were just lazy and thought they knew better. Staff has said multiple times it was dangerous there.

Personality wise I don’t know why he wouldn’t match with German strive for efficiency

Gasparotto in the Bora RB teamcar pretty much said the same, the riders got caught sleeping.

 

[peterfin]

Maybe he can get some freedom for the stage win today if Pogi and Vingo mark each other in the end. 39” is not the end of the world, he will get a lot back in the TT if he can keep up with them today and stage 4.

I can imagine he is not a marked man anymore. The strategists of Visma and UAE will focus on the other team. Still Pogacar is partly uncontrolable and might still react to anything Remco does. That is probably Visma hopes he does.

 

[Berniece]

Maybe he can get some freedom for the stage win today if Pogi and Vingo mark each other in the end. 39” is not the end of the world, he will get a lot back in the TT if he can keep up with them today and stage 4.

Vingegaard might ignore him, but Pogacar won’t and Vingegaard jumps on Pogacar

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I mean yeah, Evenepoel clickbait headlines that take his statements out of context are a thing (and have been for years), but Imo focussing on that bs and responding to it on social media is just wasted energy. Better call your wife or play some videogames to relax after the stages.

He did his relaxing during the stage. No need for that afterwards.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Vingegaard might ignore him, but Pogacar won’t and Vingegaard jumps on Pogacar

Neither Pogi nor Vingo will ignore him. He's still a candidate for the GC and 39'' is little in the big picture.

 

[Berniece]

Neither Pogi nor Vingo will ignore him. He's still a candidate for the GC and 39'' is little in the big picture.

Yeah, but Vingegaard is more calculated and he probably wants Pogacar to close that small gap. But it doesn’t matter, I don’t see Evenepoel attack for the win

 

[Ulle97]

Apart from Mas and Jorgenson (and thats a stretch anyway), non of the other contenders for a podium gained time on him. So thats for sure an overly negative view. Should still be on of the favourites for the remaining podium spot.

Let's come back to this comment in 3 weeks.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

The riders were just lazy and thought they knew better. Staff has said multiple times it was dangerous there.

Team car has to be extremely specific and yell in the microphone to get their lazy asses to the front of the peloton 5km before the potential danger. Not say during breakfast "also boys, don't forget that possibly maybe there are some parts somewhere in the final 30km that could perhaps be dangerous for echelons". From somemone like Lodewyck i would have expected this fiasco, but not from Steels.

 

[jmdirt]

Can we have a sticky post that says "39 seconds in no big deal"?

I don't understand why people see the need to keep typing that. Everyone knows that, but it's clearly not the point.

 

[Berniece]

Team car has to be extremely specific and yell in the microphone to get their lazy asses to the front of the peloton 5km before the potential danger. Not say during breakfast "also boys, don't forget that possibly maybe there are some parts somewhere in the final 30km that could perhaps be dangerous for echelons". From somemone like Lodewyck i would have expected this fiasco, but not from Steels.

The way I understood this from a recap at HLN they did this. An hour before that section Pelgrim (staff) went through it and said there was a lot of wind and that it was dangerous.

 

[Andre]

Still pissed about it, hope he loses podium by anywhere between 1 and 38s to anyone in that first group. I found their response severely lacking in passion and competitiveness.

He also needs to leave that team this season, and hope both parties realise this now. It took me long enough.

I feel the same way. Logic is your friend said it best: if they don't care why should we.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

The way I understood this from a recap at HLN they did this. An hour before that section Pelgrim (staff) went through it and said there was a lot of wind and that it was dangerous.

An hour? No, i am talking about telling them to MOVE NOW.

 

[Salvarani]

Leader has to command his doms

Have some brain and race know-how

And I think we have seen QS at the front, in a good position… but suddenly losing it when other teams fight for position. The doms lose Remco who ends up alone in 70th with no one around because he hasnt been able to hold the wheel of teammates. They ending up scattered looking for each other.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

That had nothing to do with it, Salvarini. They were chilling in the back because they got lazy and complacent. Not because they got forced out by other teams in a fight for position. The team management put together this lineup, yet they did not include an experienced road captain. That is on the team management. Evenepoel is 25, half of his career has been come backs from injuries and he has finished 3 GT's where he wanted to score a GC result. Then you know as a DS in the teamcar you need to be on top of things. So the blame goes to both riders as well as staff.

 

[Salvarani]

I disagree.

He is an experienced rider at this point. Leader for many years on his team. He should be able to lead his teammates. Thats a problem otherwise.

He has a problem in fighting for position, is a conclusion there is many examples for.

I think the team and his teammates tries to help him.

I think he doesnt want to crash, because he has had many, and it is problem when it gets crazy. The team knows it and tries.

It is not surprising who lost time yesterday.

 

[Salvarani]

Again, he just managed to be in last place in the group that made it over the climb. He was nowhere near the front with the other GC guys going into the climb.

Yet Van Wilder was among the front 20-ish riders.

 

[Berniece]

Better today but he’s *** at positioning himself. You can see him lose positions so easily when they go around him, he looks afraid

 

[Jumbo Visma Fan :)]

You would think he would also put a more contested effort in the sprint, then again absolute no help in the finale.

 

[peterfin]

Sometimes it looks like he is racing with an egg in his pants as they say here in Flanders.

 

[Berniece]

You would think he would also put a more contested effort in the sprint, then again absolute no help in the finale.

Think it’s a bit like Roglic where they focused on longer climbs instead of acceleration