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

[Berniece]

Since he can push the same wattage in TT position, why not ride with handlebars as long as they don’t weigh too much?

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Since he can push the same wattage in TT position, why not ride with handlebars as long as they don’t weigh too much?

He can also ride very aero on a normal road bike, not sure how much handlebars would help vs how much they weigh. Had the flat part been considerably longer or shorter, it would have been much more evident what was the best option, now it's really near zero gains either way it seems. Will be interesting to see whether all the favorites go with the same strategy or not.

 

[greyclouds]

He did struggle with heat in Suisse 2023 on one of the stages, right?

He did get a lot of bottles from both car and moto by the images. Didnt drink enough on the flat or cooled down every one and then? Was he too cooked by the sun/heat already by arriving to first climb? Recovered and maybe dealt with the heat bit better later.

Like his legs seemed decent in the end. He didnt collapse completely, after dropping quite early. Compared to other guys.

It is an odd one but there may be some explanations for it.

He is giving 22/23 Almeida yo-yo vibes. He is clearly ‘not too bad’ even if a step or two below last year’s Tour but he’s suffering. He might never get to Pogacars level (who can anyways) but I feel that he is has more in him, whether it’s a matter of training, nutrition, recovery or mental.

 

[geisterhome]

He is giving 22/23 Almeida yo-yo vibes. He is clearly ‘not too bad’ even if a step or two below last year’s Tour but he’s suffering. He might never get to Pogacars level (who can anyways) but I feel that he is has more in him, whether it’s a matter of training, nutrition, recovery or mental.

Yea he has been around way too long to expect any kind of significant jumps in performance, although he is still a young rider, but he has been at least extremely near his peak for years already.

 

[kingjr]

Yea he has been around way too long to expect any kind of significant jumps in performance, although he is still a young rider, but he has been at least extremely near his peak for years already.

How do you think would he perform if he rode for UAE?

 

[Lequack]

Remco Evenepoel after the 12th stage of the TDF: "It’s clear that Pogacar was still head and shoulders above everyone else. What I saw was that the Visma guys gave him a perfect assist, they need to stop doing that because Tadej is stronger than Jonas."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1945910626783543592

View: https://x.com/LeGruppetto/status/1945910626783543592

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Remco Evenepoel after the 12th stage of the TDF: "It’s clear that Pogacar was still head and shoulders above everyone else. What I saw was that the Visma guys gave him a perfect assist, they need to stop doing that because Tadej is stronger than Jonas."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1945910626783543592

View: https://x.com/LeGruppetto/status/1945910626783543592

Great hindsight, but after yesterday‘s stage it was certain that that‘s what they had to do. I wouldn‘t offer Remco a job as Visma DS.

 

[P4rthen0n]

"Some teams rode today as if they were there to support Pogacar and UAE" - Remco Evenepoel critical after surviving stage 12 with Tour de France podium intact

After being dropped worryingly early on stage 12 of the 2025 Tour de France, Remco Evenepoel showed a lot of heart and maturity to ride at his own pace, limit losses and keep his podium hopes intact. ...

cyclinguptodate.com

not sure Remco sounds confident

It's clear he doesn't have the same legs as last year and something went wrong in this year's preparation.

What he said after today's stage was a bit concerning. It's great that he paced himself so well after being dropped in the 1st climb. However, it seems that thinking about the podium was the only thing keeping him from giving up for the day.
I'm afraid that if this happens again and the podium gets out of the question, he will just let go.

 

[Peyroteo94]

How do you think would he perform if he rode for UAE?

He would be the perfect domestique for Pogacar.

 

[kingjr]

It's clear he doesn't have the same legs as last year and something went wrong in this year's preparation.

Yeah, it's almost as if he's had a crash or something. Funny that.

 

[Lequack]

He's still in front of Roglic, which is the main thing.

 

[kingjr]

He would be the perfect domestique for Pogacar.

I wasn't insinuating that he would somehow threaten your boyfriend's supremacy

 

[Karl Merckx]

Yea he has been around way too long to expect any kind of significant jumps in performance, although he is still a young rider, but he has been at least extremely near his peak for years already.

He has been unable to stay healthy for a long time in the last 2/3 years. That's the main problem.

 

[Gigs_98]

This is probably what the Abisque day would have been had he been riding for the podium at the 2023 Vuelta

Instead, he had already made up his mind to go for stages

Kinda funny that this also happened on essentially the same mountain

 

[stekelegel]

He has been unable to stay healthy for a long time in the last 2/3 years. That's the main problem.

nailed it. I saw a stat a couple months back on pro sportsmen returning after major injuries. After 1 about 66/75 % got back to their old values. After 2 this went down to 15%. Remco has got 3 in his young career. I fear we will never see the potential he had at 18/19 yo.

 

[houtdffan]

nailed it. I saw a stat a couple months back on pro sportsmen returning after major injuries. After 1 about 66/75 % got back to their old values. After 2 this went down to 15%. Remco has got 3 in his young career. I fear we will never see the potential he had at 18/19 yo.

he's really had 2. He had what Tyler Hamilton had in back to back years, a broken collar bone last year

Hamilton finished both GTs

 

[Red Rick]

Kinda funny that this also happened on essentially the same mountain

I was memeing to a friend "what's slower Evenepoel on Aubisque or GRRM writing Winds of Winter" but I think Evenepoel won that by a few decades.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Why didn't Remco help Rogla?

 

[jmdirt]

something went wrong in this year's preparation.

Car door...

He has been unable to stay healthy for a long time in the last 2/3 years. That's the main problem.

This^^^

 

[red_flanders]

He's still in front of Roglic, which is the main thing.

Wut? I can't imagine why he would care about that. There are more immediate threats to his goals at this point than Roglic.

 

[AlpRaid]

Since he can push the same wattage in TT position, why not ride with handlebars as long as they don’t weigh too much?

clip-ons à la Greg LeMond in 1989 MTT!!!

 

[AlpRaid]

Yea he has been around way too long to expect any kind of significant jumps in performance, although he is still a young rider, but he has been at least extremely near his peak for years already.

huh what?

pog had been riding/competing for longer when he suddenly had a huge jump at age 25 between 2023 and 2024.

astronomical jump (and, before you get all bent out of shape, I am well aware that he was already the most accomplished rider in the peloton, but -- frankly -- that makes it even weirder, tbh).

so why can Gianetti's boy do exactly what you say remco will never do? pray tell me.

 

[red_flanders]

What are everyone's thoughts on the time trial? How do you think Remco and his skill set do with the mountain course?

His aero advantage will of course be far less than it is on a flat TT. I would guess top 3, as he knows how to TT (suffer), and will go in with some degree of confidence and expectation. He's going to put a fair bit of time into a few in the top 10.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Yea he has been around way too long to expect any kind of significant jumps in performance, although he is still a young rider, but he has been at least extremely near his peak for years already.

And yet Pogacar was about that age when he suddenly took an other step. The big problem for Evenepoel is that he has a big crash nearly every year and has to start over too often.

 

[AlpRaid]

He has been unable to stay healthy for a long time in the last 2/3 years. That's the main problem.

indeed.

if you look at PCS, his best year was 2022 at age 22, despite that for most of the spring he was still returning from Lombardy crash after having his first injury-free winter. same year he won velo d'or.

he desperately needs a couple of healthy years.