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

[dobrien]

Even if he loses with 1-5 seconds?

Yes imho. He needs to properly spank Lipo today, otherwise I don't see him being able to hang with him in the mountains, let alone out-climb him. Obviously, Lipo is young and we have no benchmarks for him at the sharp end of Tour GC, but at the moment he's in great form and has the forward momentum; that's a powerful combo for a GT. Remco needs to look sharp today.

 

[Berniece]

There is no way that TT bike is within 1kg of the normal road bike, which it would need to be imho to make sense.

Plapp, on a regular bike, just beat Van Eetvelt's time by 3 minutes. Let's see how good the idea is of doing it on a TT bike.

Was LVE on a ITT bike?

 

[AlpRaid]

His best year was 2022 because he somewhat got lucky to avoid aliens in top shape. I don't believe he would beat Pogacar in LBL 2022, let alone Vingegaard or Pogacar in the Tour 2022. He won the Velo d'Or (with merit) but it's clearly the best rider in 2022 was Pogacar.

lol, u are somewhat fixated on one track argument. nowhere was I even comparing his 2022 season to others. I was only pointing out that HIS best season was 2022. I never said he would beat the aliens in the TDF that year.

also pog in 2022 -- tho already the best all around cyclist -- was not what he is today, nowhere close. he lost the TDF and was largely invisible at the worlds when remco rode everyone off his wheel. one cannot imagine pog losing either of those races now. but then, for sure. so don't be too sure pog would be a fait accompli at LBL in 22. Today, sure. but then, he was still part-human. no idea what happened to him between 2023 and 2024 seasons.

 

[AlpRaid]

WC was also influenced by Mathieu's issues and Pogi's not so good racing strategy.

pog was unable to drop anyone in the peloton on the climb when he tried.

completely different pog than what we have now seen in 2024-25. utterly different level.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Was LVE on a ITT bike?

Road bike. Nobody is on a TT bike, but of course Soudal Quickstep has special knowledge other teams do not have.

 

[KoopaCycling]

Remco will probably be the only who will ride a TT bike i think from the favourites.
And probably for a good reason. So much climbing...

 

[Salvarani]

I heard a "hybrid" type bike.

Maybe they have just made some modifications in the end.

 

[KoopaCycling]

I heard a "hybrid" type bike.

Maybe they have just made some modifications in the end.

From the interview it will be a black 'lighter' model, higher position and changed handlebars.
Also no full back wheel. i think.

Apparantly Remco has a good feeling about it, and the team 'thinks' he can pull it off.

At this point i'd almost become religious and start praying they actually know what they are doing.
But wait and see, wait and see...

I also hope they have a properly fine tuned back up bike in case something goes wrong. They should cause he is their leader but still...

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Remco will probably be the only who will ride a TT bike i think from the favourites.
And probably for a good reason. So much climbing...

They will outsmart everyone.

 

[Karl Merckx]

Vingo was also spotted on a TT bike

 

[Didinho]

At this point I just want him to start on his normal road bike. More to lose than to gain with trying something different he’s never ridden on, just for this 2-3km flat.

Ornlaybe with a disc wheel. Don’t know how much these weight?

 

[Berniece]

Road bike. Nobody is on a TT bike, but of course Soudal Quickstep has special knowledge other teams do not have.

So what does it matter that Plapp defeated LVE? LVE has been *** all TDF long after that crash.

 

[Salvarani]

Plapp has smashed that final part

 

[Berflamand]

They will outsmart everyone.

I think all of Vingegaard, Roglic and Lipowitz were spotted reconning this morning on a TT bike.

Doesn't mean they will actually start with the TT bike though...

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

So what does it matter that Plapp defeated LVE? LVE has been *** all TDF long after that crash.

It matters that Plapp is also a lighter TT specialist who pushes big numbers, and he set a big time on a regular bike. His team had to make he same consideration. The point is he didn't blow Van Eetvelt's time out of the water on a TT bike.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Did not recon the TT.

 

[Berniece]

Did not recon the TT.

They rode it last year, and they watched a video on their ipad. Yesterday I found it more ridiculous, today less so.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

They rode it last year, and they watched a video on their ipad. Yesterday I found it more ridiculous, today less so.

They did not do parts of the climb last year. And you always do a recon for a TT. Why not today? All the other guys also did this climb last year, and yet they are all doing a recon.

 

[Berniece]

They did not do parts of the climb last year. And you always do a recon for a TT. Why not today? All the other guys also did this climb last year, and yet they are all doing a recon.

I don’t why a recon is so important here. You are riding solo, the people that created the pace plan did a recon and perfected it to the numbers Evenepoel is pushing. He’s going to look down at his computer and push whatever they tell him to.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

They did not do parts of the climb last year. And you always do a recon for a TT. Why not today? All the other guys also did this climb last year, and yet they are all doing a recon.

Except for Pogačar, who was seen in Pau earlier today.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Except for Pogačar, who was seen in Pau earlier today.

Well, Pog doesn't have to compete against anybody anymore.

 

[houtdffan]

Did not recon the TT.

are these guys even a pro team?

 

[KoopaCycling]

It was to save the legs. Must have went deep yesterday

Though why not recon real quick on a moped or something.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

He's going to get hammered in that final 1k on his TT bike.

 

[Berniece]

Bad winter is clearly showing now. I really don't understand why he so hard wanted to peak for the Ardennes classics. Not only was that bad, and now TDF is already over after 2 weeks because of his shitty base. Don't expect much at the end of the season either. Just another lost season