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

[Krzysztof_O]

So next year, it will be the same old schedule:
Volta ao Algarve
Paris Nice or TA
Volta a Catalunya
Ardennes
Dauphiné
TdF
Some minor races
WC TT
WC RR
Italian classics

Can he finally win a one week stage race?

He'll have to contend with two strong GC guys in his own team so may be a co-leader in some of those races, not necessarily a sole leader like it's been so far.

 

[houtdffan]

So next year, it will be the same old schedule:
Volta ao Algarve
Paris Nice or TA
Volta a Catalunya
Ardennes
Dauphiné
TdF
Some minor races
WC TT
WC RR
Italian classics

Can he finally win a one week stage race?

how do we know it is the same as usual?

 

[Extinction]

With any rider, you have to get into the head of another. Pogi did this to Remco, but I'm not sure Remco can do this to Lipowitz (Roglic is no longer a factor, he's too old).

 

[CyclistAbi]

Welcome.

 

[CyclistAbi]

(Roglic is no longer a factor, he's too old).

Actually, the older you get the better you are at such things. But all in all don't worry about Rogla too much, he will be fine. As for the youngsters, here likely some tension is to rise, luckily they have Rogla so it should be fine.

 

[Berniece]

Breaking contract to join a super team means going on my naughty list.

That and I think it would actually be good for cycling if he fails there. Would stop people from screaming for every big talent to go to a super team (while at the same time complaining about every big talent being at the super teams).

Also 2 to 3M for Remco is peanuts.

Yeah I get it. Would’ve rather seen him succeed at SOQ, but I get he needs to change environments if he felt they weren’t able to get the best out of him. Doesn’t mean RBH will, but you only have 1 career, and with the goals he set for himself he doesn’t really have much of a choice.

 

[theyoungest]

Yeah I get it. Would’ve rather seen him succeed at SOQ, but I get he needs to change environments if he felt they weren’t able to get the best out of him. Doesn’t mean RBH will, but you only have 1 career, and with the goals he set for himself he doesn’t really have much of a choice.

You'd have a point if he was actually changing environments. But he's taking his entire environment along with him, a "hostile takeover" as Jantje Bakelants calls it. To me it seems like he's surrounding himself with the same group of yes men and sycophants, when an actual fresh environment could work wonders for him.

 

[CyclistAbi]

If all three parties agreed then it's all good, even Patrick said he won't comment on it, so that is that.

 

[Oldman]

With any rider, you have to get into the head of another. Pogi did this to Remco, but I'm not sure Remco can do this to Lipowitz (Roglic is no longer a factor, he's too old).

It'll remain to be seen what Roglic wants to do but I can see him continuing to work with Lipowitz if he goes to the Tour. Possibly. Not sure what RBH does with both Lipo and Remco at the Tour. Not much point in bringing Remco without support as much as Lipo. A strong early season for Remco could help alot; he'd better plan on integrating his life with RBH training/race planning. That'd start absolutely now to get the discipline aligned.

 

[Berniece]

You'd have a point if he was actually changing environments. But he's taking his entire environment along with him, a "hostile takeover" as Jantje Bakelants calls it. To me it seems like he's surrounding himself with the same group of yes men and sycophants, when an actual fresh environment could work wonders for him.

I feel Bakelants exaggerates a bit. Taking his soigneur and mechanic doesn’t matter to other team members. Only influence is Lodewyck. I think Vanthourenhout would’ve worked there anyway and his job doesn’t stop or start with Evenepoel

 

[theyoungest]

I feel Bakelants exaggerates a bit. Taking his soigneur and mechanic doesn’t matter to other team members. Only influence is Lodewyck. I think Vanthourenhout would’ve worked there anyway and his job doesn’t stop or start with Evenepoel

Of course Bakelants exaggerates, that's what he's hired to do, but he has a point. Vanthourenhout may not only be there for Evenepoel, but would he be there without Evenepoel? I doubt it.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Breaking contract to join a super team means going on my naughty list.

That and I think it would actually be good for cycling if he fails there. Would stop people from screaming for every big talent to go to a super team (while at the same time complaining about every big talent being at the super teams).

Also 2 to 3M for Remco is peanuts.

lol

Sporza reports they paid more than his final contract year, which would be significantly more than 2 to 3M. Secondly, when Evenepoel joined QS back in 2019, they were also considered a super team, just not for GC. Bora still has ways to go before i would consider them a super team. They can try and prove they are one with Evenepoel. And it would not be good for cycling if he fails there, because Pog needs all the opposition he can get, and few are a bigger threat to him than Evenepoel. But if you want 5 more years of Pog taking candy from babies and taking their lunchmoney, be my guest.

 

[Charlyghoul]

Things which seem fairly clear.

• Remco didn’t come to Bora without leadership guarantees
• Bora hasn’t been courting Remco to level up their classics game, though that’s a nice bonus
• Going to Bora isn’t going to magically make him or anyone on that team competitive with the big 2
• An in-form Remco with solid prep is a better GT rider than Lipo
• All that said, the road should (and will) decide come Tour time

If one is suggesting that Remco should dial back GC aspirations and focus on the classics, one is not paying attention. To Remco, to Bora, and their respective aspirations.

It also seems clear that some folks tend to let their passions and bias deeply interfere with their ability to read this situation. You don’t like Remco? Fine, he clearly is a guy who seems to get people wound up. I find him disappointing in some ways and don’t always love his personality. But the guy is ALL about winning, and has a champion’s drive. That he’s up against one of the two or three greatest riders of all time is a tough hand to play. Acting like that makes him other than a great rider seems foolish.

What happens if Remco struggles like this year and/or Lipowitz emerges as a better tour rider?
Could be some dissension in the red bull ranks

 

[fenns]

What happens if Remco struggles like this year and/or Lipowitz emerges as a better tour rider?
Could be some dissension in the red bull ranks

Yeah what happens if Remco loses a minute early in the Tour - does he then agree to work for Lipowitz?

This feels like a signing that should have been made a year ago - but only now has become possible.

 

[AlpRaid]

Bingham is at Bora.

Hour record! Let’s do it!

 

[Samamba]

lol

Sporza reports they paid more than his final contract year, which would be significantly more than 2 to 3M. Secondly, when Evenepoel joined QS back in 2019, they were also considered a super team, just not for GC. Bora still has ways to go before i would consider them a super team. They can try and prove they are one with Evenepoel. And it would not be good for cycling if he fails there, because Pog needs all the opposition he can get, and few are a bigger threat to him than Evenepoel. But if you want 5 more years of Pog taking candy from babies and taking their lunchmoney, be my guest.

Quick Step was never a super team in the terms I'm talking about now (money, just buying every good rider).
Evenepoel is no threat to Pogacar in GT racing at all, not at QS, not at Red Bull. You're living in a different universe if you thinkg this is changing anything to Pogs dominance in grand tours. Only thing that's changing that is Vingegaard getting better, some sort of new alien coming into the scene or (most likely) Pog losing motivation.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

lol

Sporza reports they paid more than his final contract year, which would be significantly more than 2 to 3M. Secondly, when Evenepoel joined QS back in 2019, they were also considered a super team, just not for GC. Bora still has ways to go before i would consider them a super team. They can try and prove they are one with Evenepoel. And it would not be good for cycling if he fails there, because Pog needs all the opposition he can get, and few are a bigger threat to him than Evenepoel. But if you want 5 more years of Pog taking candy from babies and taking their lunchmoney, be my guest.

Remco is hardly a threat to Pog, don't be ridiculous. Pog's only realistic threat is lack of motivation, we all know that. I know Remco's your boy, but please.

 

[Peyroteo94]

So good to see the hope coming back to Remco fans.
I'm afraid this hope will vanish in the Tour 2026. Just a feeling.
But as Oumi said, he likes to follow Chimeras.

 

[red_flanders]

What happens if Remco struggles like this year and/or Lipowitz emerges as a better tour rider?
Could be some dissension in the red bull ranks

Road always decides. Personally I think Remco will have a big year.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Road always decides. Personally I think Remco will have a big year.

A better year he will have for sure.

 

[KoopaCycling]

As long as remco is able to come back healthy without any real lingering crash issues, we'll see some great stuff.

 

[AlpRaid]

I have never said what you accused me of.

Huh!?

 

[peterfin]

As unlucky, as Evenepoel is with crashes, he's been quite lucky in some of his biggest wins as well.
Pogacar's mother in wall passing away and his crash gifted him 2 wins in LBL. Roglic's crash made his Vuelta win formality (yes, he could/would have won anyway, but..), MVDP's games with little girls deffo had some impact as well.
Heck, if last year someone decided to ride with MVDP, he was nowhere near that group

He must be the luckiest rider of all-time. Somehow he managed to win 64 races while we know since to 2019 that nobody lets him go when he attacks because they can just sit on his wheel. He only has an engine. He can't attack, he can't sprint, he can't climb, he can't decent, he can't take a corner, he can't ride in the peleton, he can't ride on gravel and he can't ride on cobbles.

 

[Charlyghoul]

He must be the luckiest rider of all-time. Somehow he managed to win 64 races while we know since to 2019 that nobody lets him go when he attacks because they can just sit on his wheel. He only has an engine. He can't attack, he can't sprint, he can't climb, he can't decent, he can't take a corner, he can't ride in the peleton, he can't ride on gravel and he can't ride on cobbles.

But ‘tis a mighty engine

 

[Oldman]

Actually, the older you get the better you are at such things. But all in all don't worry about Rogla too much, he will be fine. As for the youngsters, here likely some tension is to rise, luckily they have Rogla so it should be fine.

I think Roglic could be the modulator by being the lead for the Giro with Remco as the back-up threat. See how it goes.
The Tour will feature Lipowitz with whomever can help him. It'd take Roglic dominating early season for him to consider any role in it, IMO.