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

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Aug 29, 2011
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I'm probably naive but I don't get why they couldn't have just communicated that Remco had a broken rib. It's not like Vinge or Pog would have had their team do their absolute utmost to take advantage of that.
He was the underdog. There was no urgent need to project as much strength as possible here.

Say, Pog fell down the stairs last night, and broke 2 toes. Now that I wouldn't communicate until after the Tour.
 
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Sep 12, 2022
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To me Lipowitz/Evenepoel to the Tour and Roglic doing Giro/Vuelta seems like the obvious choice. Lipowitz isn't skipping the Tour with his performance this year and with Redbull being the sponsor I think, Evenepoel to the Giro is a waste of his classics chops if you ask me. Roglic is the only one of the 3 who is reliable for 2 GTs in a year, he seems to almost be saying his goodbyes to the Tour this year and I would not be surprised if next year is his last season and he wants to end it at the Vuelta.
Why not do:
Giro: Roglic/Lipowitz
TDF: Evenepoel/Lipowitz
Vuelta: Roglic/Evenepoel

Or you wouldn't let the Evenepoel/Lipo do 2 GT's?
 
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Feb 24, 2020
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Why not do:
Giro: Roglic/Lipowitz
TDF: Evenepoel/Lipowitz
Vuelta: Roglic/Evenepoel

Or you wouldn't let the Evenepoel/Lipo do 2 GT's?
Two GT's once or twice during his career are ok but one GT per year for Remco looks actually sufficient to me. I hope he still focuses on the classics and worlds too. Lipo might be more tuned to focus on GT's and do two GT's per year.
 
Sep 12, 2022
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You could let them do that. But some riders tend to not do great in 2 GTs in a row, and I honestly count Evenepoel at least among them.
Two GT's once or twice during his career are ok but one GT per year for Remco looks actually sufficient to me. I hope he still focuses on the classics and worlds too. Lipo might be more tuned to focus on GT's and do two GT's per year.
That's true, he's never shown to be able to do that. And definitely not two in a row. There maybe is a case to be made about Giro/Vuelta but not sure he can handle being so sharp all season long.
 
Feb 20, 2012
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That's true, he's never shown to be able to do that. And definitely not two in a row. There maybe is a case to be made about Giro/Vuelta but not sure he can handle being so sharp all season long.
For Evenepoel a lot depends simply on how much his weight is truly a physiological thing he struggles with to keep down and how much it's just mental/habitual in that he lets go too much during the off season.
 
Mar 11, 2023
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Tom Steels explains why Remco Evenepoel only now shared that he started the Tour de France with a broken rib. According to Steels, it was a mental choice:

"Sometimes you want to block something like that out of your mind."
They didn’t want to make excuses during the race, and hoped the injury would have minimal impact.

Evenepoel felt pain from the start, especially during stages with a lot of climbing and jostling. This affected his overall performance and recovery.

Interestingly, his time trial still went well—because TTs are more controlled and have fewer external factors, which made the rib injury less of a limiting factor in that discipline.

Steels emphasizes that fatigue from the early season and injuries piled up, leading to Evenepoel’s withdrawal in stage 12. He now needs time to fully recover.
 
Mar 17, 2022
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As part of the transfer deal, Remco got early access to the "The Big Book of RBBH excuses - How to keep up appearances in the face of continuous underperformance".
 
May 9, 2025
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You could let them do that. But some riders tend to not do great in 2 GTs in a row, and I honestly count Evenepoel at least among them.

agreed.

I think he should go to the giro in 2026 (particularly if it offers the best ITT KMs).

hopefully no crashes. and rebuild confidence.

very little point competing at the TDF against the new pog.

unless of course pog goes for all three GTs. then there is really nothing anyone can do.
 
Jul 31, 2024
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Personally i want him to aim for either giro/tour. Vuelta is already under the belt.
Obviously health and other goals/schedule/team schedule not withstanding.
 
Sep 12, 2022
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agreed.

I think he should go to the giro in 2026 (particularly if it offers the best ITT KMs).

hopefully no crashes. and rebuild confidence.

very little point competing at the TDF against the new pog.

unless of course pog goes for all three GTs. then there is really nothing anyone can do.
Personally I also rather see him finally put the Giro on his palmares, but Bora isn’t going to pay the big bucks to not ride TDF though.
 
Sep 12, 2022
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Feb 24, 2020
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Remco - who watches the tour and heard the TV crew talking about his potential transfer - said that he Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday sick in bed was, so he was not in a position to sign a contract.
 
Jul 31, 2024
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Messaged Sporza to say he has not (yet) signed anything. Apparantly stuck, sick in bed.
He won't be riding San Sebastian. Probably everything on the championships later this year.
Nothing in between. At least that's what tv said.

Presentators echo'ed my thoughts. Third in 2024 means he has a chance of winning Tour one day. Not in pole position, but a chance. They also believe we haven't quite seen the best version of Remco yet cause of everything. (Implying they hope to see the improved version of Remco in the future).
 
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Jul 20, 2019
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so, Remco went to the tour without the proper base, couldn't train due to allergies, had a broken rib (maybe that is why he couldn't train not the allergies, maybe he broke it during his Dauphine crash), and had a significant illness

A miracle he was able to be in third after 13 stages. Shows his talent
 
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Jul 31, 2024
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so, Remco went to the tour without the proper base, couldn't train due to allergies, had a broken rib (maybe that is why he couldn't train not the allergies, maybe he broke it during his Dauphine crash), and had a significant illness

A miracle he was able to be in third after 13 stages. Shows his talent

I would not go that far. For all that i'm with you in that Remco clearly wasn't ready, there is also no doubt some hyperbole is involved. He reached a certain level. Not his best level, but a certain level. Just that there was no refueling the engine.
 
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May 4, 2011
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After Remco's DNF they had "no idea" what was wrong with him and they hoped he'd resume training in a week. Ayone else find this odd?


What's wrong with Soudal-Quick-Step's leader? Tom Steels says he has no idea. "Maybe he'll get really sick in the next few days, and then we'll know. But for now, it's unclear. We'll see."

"In any case, we hope he recovers quickly and can resume training in a week."





 
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Sep 12, 2022
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After Remco's DNF they had "no idea" what was wrong with him and they hoped he'd resume training in a week. Ayone else find this odd?


What's wrong with Soudal-Quick-Step's leader? Tom Steels says he has no idea. "Maybe he'll get really sick in the next few days, and then we'll know. But for now, it's unclear. We'll see."

"In any case, we hope he recovers quickly and can resume training in a week."
Not really. I get what he's saying. They are just hoping that he is sick which would explain being completely empty and having to quit the TDF. Thus if sickness is gone, he could train again.

Obviously it's not sickness, and more the conclusion he made in his Instragram post. He needs rest first and foremost.