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

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Still wondering if they aren't keeping an option open in the back of their head, of him riding something before the winterbreak. (In case there is something left to ride, lol).

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[red_flanders]

I say keep it shut down. Come back hungry. If you gotta ride, take some descending classes from Hirshci.

 

[Eeslliw]

I say keep it shut down. Come back hungry. If you gotta ride, take some descending classes from Hirshci.

You mean how to crash again

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Well, Lefevere didn't leave any doubt that riding the Vuelta was out of the question, in a Sporza talkshow. Apparently there were still some reservations whether or not it would be possible, but it seems it's been completely ruled out now. On the other hand, Lefevere said last year that there was no way Evenepoel was going to ride a GT in 2020, and yet a few months later he was planning on winning the Giro, lol. But i guess we can say we'll have to wait for 2021.

 

[Koronin]

Well, Lefevere didn't leave any doubt that riding the Vuelta was out of the question, in a Sporza talkshow. Apparently there were still some reservations whether or not it would be possible, but it seems it's been completely ruled out now. On the other hand, Lefevere said last year that there was no way Evenepoel was going to ride a GT in 2020, and yet a few months later he was planning on winning the Giro, lol. But i guess we can say we'll have to wait for 2021.

I suspect this one is more a question of noting wanting to take any chances of any set backs by having him come back from injury too quickly?

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I suspect this one is more a question of noting wanting to take any chances of any set backs by having him come back from injury too quickly?

Yes, Lefevere also stressed the fact that he lost a lot of muscle in his legs from mostly lying still for 6 weeks.

 

[Koronin]

Yes, Lefevere also stressed the fact that he lost a lot of muscle in his legs from mostly lying still for 6 weeks.

Thanks. That makes a lot of sense. It also is likely to be a much more definite decision that not sending him to a GT due to being young and 1st or 2nd year rider. Not wanting a set back for the injury is a more concrete issue.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

He says the days that were supposed to be "big days" for him (national champs ITT, Euro champs ITT, world champs, start Giro...) ended up being big days for him (in his recovery). Getting out of the hospital, getting green light, first ride outdoors etc...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1312351309165727744

View: https://twitter.com/deceuninck_qst/status/1312351309165727744

 

[Jungle Cycle]

he looks really skinny...

 

[kingjr]

he looks really skinny...

That's to be expected after such a long period of doing essentially nothing.

 

[Bonimenier]

That's to be expected after such a long period of doing essentially nothing.

If I do nothing for 6 weeks I gain 15kg

 

[Jungle Cycle]

If I do nothing for 6 weeks I gain 15kg

welcome to the club..

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Remco hard at work at getting back his toilet muscles.

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[red_flanders]

Amazing to see him back on the bike after that insane crash. I’m so bummed for what we missed from him these last weeks, but it’s great to see him back up and riding.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

In a documentary on VTM (Belgian channel) he said that if the fracture had been 1 millimeter more to one side, he would have been paralyzed (according to what doctors told him). He was also lucky that they found a small artery that had burst with the scan.

His "shoulder wipe" victory move was something he picked up from a Michael Jackson choreography (Dangerous), of who he was a huge fan as a kid (even going to carnival stores to buy Michael Jackson outfits and doing local dance competitions with Michael Jackson moves etc). He didn't mean it as a dig towards other riders.

During the recon of Lombardia, he was joking (on video) about turning on the GPS of his smartphone, so that they could find him if he were to die on the Sormano

PS: some pre-season PR:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zi6nS75hLY
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6YyvwaPzoo
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtt4-rz5nVo

 

[Wvv]

In a documentary on VTM (Belgian channel) he said that if the fracture had been 1 millimeter more to one side, he would have been paralyzed (according to what doctors told him). He was also lucky that they found a small artery that had burst with the scan.

Imagine if he/we lost the talent. Apparently it came horribly close to that.

 

[GuntherL]

In a documentary on VTM (Belgian channel) he said that if the fracture had been 1 millimeter more to one side, he would have been paralyzed (according to what doctors told him). He was also lucky that they found a small artery that had burst with the scan.

His "shoulder wipe" victory move was something he picked up from a Michael Jackson choreography (Dangerous), of who he was a huge fan as a kid (even going to carnival stores to buy Michael Jackson clothes and doing local dance competitions with Michael Jackson moves etc). He didn't mean it as a dig towards other riders.

During the recon of Lombardia, he was joking (on video) about turning on the GPS of his smartphone, so that they could find him if he were to die on the Sormano

I was pleasantly surprised by the documentary. It wasn't too sensationalist and the interviewer didn't impose himself too much. Sure, it wasn't very critical, but that's a consequence of the format.
I can't imagine how Evenepoels loved ones must have felt watching him go over that wall during the Tour of Lombardy.

 

[Wvv]

His family and entourage watched the final of La Lombardia in a nearby town in Italy and were filmed doing so. The images of them in agony and panic are kind of haunting. You can see his father and girlfriend in this screen capture.

Other than that, like Gunther said, the docu isn't too focused on sensation and quite interesting to watch. You can find it on VTM Go, but you'll need an account and probably a Belgian VPN.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I specifically liked the part where his dad joined the conversation between the interviewer, Remco's mom and his girlfriend (Remco wasn't present), after coming back from work. Remco's dad is a self-employed plasterer, and he still had a chunk of chalk/plaster on his forehead during the interview

It does show that these are "real" people, and i think that the Remco we see in interviews is also simply who/how he is, warts and all.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Currently he can't stand watching the Giro. Not being there hurts too much. He's doing training rides of 70km already, he seems to have the right "feeling" on the bike (not afraid in corners etc).

He's scheduled to resume competition end of January (i assume that would be San Juan, where he started the past two seasons).

PS: he again said riding the TDF would depend on the Olympic games.

 

[Bonimenier]

It could well be somewhere else. I doubt the vaccine will be ready in January. I'd be surprised if any of the WT teams go to South-America before a vaccine is ready.

 

[GuntherL]

Currently he can't stand watching the Giro. Not being there hurts too much. He's doing training rides of 70km already, he seems to have the right "feeling" on the bike (not afraid in corners etc).

He's scheduled to resume competition end of January (i assume that would be San Juan, where he started the past two seasons).

I think he knows that he's much better than anyone contesting the GC in the Giro. He beat most of these guys with ease earlier this year. Thomas could have been a competitor, but he's gone now.

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

I think he knows that he's much better than anyone contesting the GC in the Giro. He beat most of these guys with ease earlier this year. Thomas could have been a competitor, but he's gone now.

I know it is a meme but I think given the form Remco was in he would have a Merckx like smash the field victory at the Giro.

I mean as much as I like Harm Vanhoucke, he's in 4th, and he may end up on the podium.

 

[hayneplane]

I know it is a meme but I think given the form Remco was in he would have a Merckx like smash the field victory at the Giro.

I mean as much as I like Harm Vanhoucke, he's in 4th, and he may end up on the podium.

That and also seeing both how well Almeida is riding plus how good a job of supporting him DQS are doing must make him feel that would have been him already a minute ahead of most contenders.

 

[Sciatic]

I’m glad to get the updates on how he’s doing and hoping for the best for him. But the steadily rendition of “if he was there he would be ____(fill in blank re:how far ahead he would be)” sounds like, I don’t know, working at the same table as some who loudly sighs all day long (I have experienced this).