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

[Berniece]

When has Remco ever performed in a GT when he comes in below 100%? He strikes me as someone who needs everything to come together to be competitive, the antithesis of the GT natural Contador who could come from the beach.

When has Remco ever ridden for a big budget team with the best of the best in their staff? My assumptions are based on him improving, a lot, at RBH.

 

[AmRacer]

When has Remco ever ridden for a big budget team with the best of the best in their staff? My assumptions are based on him improving, a lot, at RBH.

Something to discuss in another part of the forum, perhaps?

 

[vappaxbipmv]

When has Remco ever ridden for a big budget team with the best of the best in their staff? My assumptions are based on him improving, a lot, at RBH.

I think SQS are being underrated here, it wasn't some semi amateur team. I don't expect some massive improvement by him, even being consistent over 3 weeks or winning a few 1 week races is a big improvement, I think they can do that

 

[Berniece]

I think SQS are being underrated here, it wasn't some semi amateur team. I don't expect some massive improvement by him, even being consistent over 3 weeks or winning a few 1 week races is a big improvement, I think they can do that

Based on how they mismanaged him a couple of times, I beg to differ

 

[red_flanders]

Yeah, have to agree with @Berniece , seems like there’s room for improvement over SQS. Even a small change for the better would be significant.

 

[vappaxbipmv]

Based on how they mismanaged him a couple of times, I beg to differ

I mean, is there any team that isn't a victim to mismanagement? I don't think so

Can he improve? Yes. Can he get much better? I don't think so

 

[KoopaCycling]

Remco despite the Lombardy crash which took him the whole of 2021 to get back from has steadily getting better every year even till 2024. Some minor setbacks, here and there but the 24 version of Remco was better than the 22 version of Remco that won the Vuelta. Whilst Remco won't be taking huge leaps anymore i think too many people look at last year and get the wrong impression. When in fact his fall of 2025 seemed to show he was getting back on track.

Even now Remco is a top 5 rider. Even if he stagnates which i'll doubt will happen fullstop. ( I do think he will improve if not cause of Red Bull then simply from being healthy and hitting his psychical prime) He'll at least make small increments. But even if he stagnates and remains the rider he is today, can you truly say that won't be enough to compete for the win. I think even his current self is good enough to compete.

Is his current self better than Vingegaard, Pogacar at GT, better than VdP,, Pogacar at 1 day races in general? No. But he's already good enough to compete with them. Cycling isn't a mathematical equation. Sometimes just being out there and being able to compete with the very best is enough. Ask Yates, Kuss, Hindley, Asgreen, Bettiol, Tersptra, Phillipsen, Mohoric, Stuyven, Van Baarle, ... . I'd argue that Remco is a better cyclist than all of them and is constantly putting himself in a position to compete for the marbles.

Too many people be knocking Remco just cause he is a contender and not the outright best in what he does outside of TT.

 

[Cycling111]

I think SQS are being underrated here, it wasn't some semi amateur team. I don't expect some massive improvement by him, even being consistent over 3 weeks or winning a few 1 week races is a big improvement, I think they can do that

Mikel Landa's 2024 Tour de France was far superior to his Tour 2023 in Bahrain.
Jan Hirt also had his best season in years in 2024.
Let's also remember that Almeida performed impressively in the Giro d'Italia as a rookie and Remco had problems. And when Remco debuted in 2019, Alaphilippe was winning a time trial in the Tour de France.

I wish Pogacar had had a teammate in 2020 who finished fifth in the Tour 🙄

Pogacar won a Tour de France alone in a terrible team. Remco, the year his teammate finished fifth, finished third. There's constant debate about Remco's supposed improvement as if his base level in GT were the same as Pogacar's, who has been on the podium in all his GT races.

Remco suffered on Almeida's wheel in his first Giro and was third in his first Tour with a teammate being fith.
Pogacar won the Tour on a disastrous team in his first Tour. This is the difference.

But thiss is what happens when they ignore things to tell biased stories.

 

[KoopaCycling]

Mikel Landa's 2024 Tour de France was far superior to his Tour 2023 in Bahrain.
Jan Hirt also had his best season in years.
Let's also remember that Almeida performed impressively in the Giro d'Italia as a rookie and Remco had problems.

I wish Pogacar had had a teammate in 2020 who finished fifth in the Tour 😭

Pogacar won a Tour de France alone in a terrible team. Remco, the year his teammate finished fifth, finished third. There's constant debate about Remco's supposed improvement as if his base level in GT were the same as Pogacar's, who has been on the podium in all his GT races.

Pogacar won the Tour on a disastrous team, and Remco suffered on Almeida's wheel in a Giro.

This is what happens when they ignore things to tell biased stories.

I would agree that Pogacar has the leg up, but it's hard to overlook all the bias of your post. Making it ironic that you would argue bias in favour of Remco. I mean you're talking about Giro 21 after his near death Lombardy crash. I would also argue that in the leadup to Almeida impressive giro debut in 2020, Remco was looking incredible in the fall of 2020 until his crash. And was set to make a very good Giro debut. You're talking about Landa as if he's some average joe who suddenly got an outlier tour under soudal. and so on.

 

[Red Rick]

Del Toro is overrated, he lost to Yates and Carapaz… it was an exciting race, and it was close, but those 3 wouldn’t ride top 5 in TDF. Some not even top 10

In the words of one of the great TV villains of all time:

"At last, a thing we agree upon"

 

[vappaxbipmv]

Remco despite the Lombardy crash which took him the whole of 2021 to get back from has steadily getting better every year even till 2024. Some minor setbacks, here and there but the 24 version of Remco was better than the 22 version of Remco that won the Vuelta. Whilst Remco won't be taking huge leaps anymore i think too many people look at last year and get the wrong impression. When in fact his fall of 2025 seemed to show he was getting back on track.

Even now Remco is a top 5 rider. Even if he stagnates which i'll doubt will happen fullstop. ( I do think he will improve if not cause of Red Bull then simply from being healthy and hitting his psychical prime) He'll at least make small increments. But even if he stagnates and remains the rider he is today, can you truly say that won't be enough to compete for the win. I think even his current self is good enough to compete.

Is his current self better than Vingegaard, Pogacar at GT, better than VdP,, Pogacar at 1 day races in general? No. But he's already good enough to compete with them. Cycling isn't a mathematical equation. Sometimes just being out there and being able to compete with the very best is enough. Ask Yates, Kuss, Hindley, Asgreen, Bettiol, Tersptra, Phillipsen, Mohoric, Stuyven, Van Baarle, ... . I'd argue that Remco is a better cyclist than all of them and is constantly putting himself in a position to compete for the marbles.

Too many people be knocking Remco just cause he is a contender and not the outright best in what he does outside of TT.

From the top of my head, I can only think of 2 riders that improved since Red Bull came into the sport big time. Pellizzari and Lipowitz. One turned 22 a few days ago and it would be extremely weird if he didn't improve on any team at WT level due to his age. The other has a lot fewer years at WT level than Remco, basically much less polished, just see his tactical awareness, nonexistent. Literally everyone else stagnated or has gotten worse. Remco improving, especially a lot, is not a done deal on RBH

 

[KoopaCycling]

From the top of my head, I can only think of 2 riders that improved since Red Bull came into the sport big time. Pellizzari and Lipowitz. One turned 22 a few days ago and it would be extremely weird if he didn't improve on any team at WT level due to his age. The other has a lot fewer years at WT level than Remco, basically much less polished, just see his tactical awareness, nonexistent. Literally everyone else stagnated or has gotten worse. Remco improving, especially a lot, is not a done deal on RBH

Red Bull bought a 51% controlling stake in January 2024...

Also Bora achieved some fine results through what can be argued was development.
Buchman, Hindley, Shachmann all had good results.

We all know the Red Bull addition is bound to be a step up over Bora alone though.
We just need to look at what they did in other sports. Through buying talent on and off the field. Investing in infrastructure, ... .

 

[Red Rick]

From the top of my head, I can only think of 2 riders that improved since Red Bull came into the sport big time. Pellizzari and Lipowitz. One turned 22 a few days ago and it would be extremely weird if he didn't improve on any team at WT level due to his age. The other has a lot fewer years at WT level than Remco, basically much less polished, just see his tactical awareness, nonexistent. Literally everyone else stagnated or has gotten worse. Remco improving, especially a lot, is not a done deal on RBH

Jai Hindley won the Giro in his first year at RB.

 

[vappaxbipmv]

@Red Rick @KoopaCycling

I clearly said "since Red Bull came into the sport big time". So far Red Bull improved nobody except the 2 mentioned riders, Pellizzari and Lipowitz

The rest improved before them or they didn't improve