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

[Berniece]

When MVDP retires 😜

He said the same thing about Flanders a couple of years ago; even Lefevere said it could be imminent, and it hasn't happened

It’s almost as if Evenepoel can’t decide this on his own and there are other people weighing in on this decision

 

[KoopaCycling]

If there was any doubt left he'll be focusing on stage racing next year, he also made it clear he won't focus as much on TT this year. Planning to skip title defences. I'm guessing he won't do the Belgian Nationals nor UEC.

 

[KenFiamingo]

If there was any doubt left he'll be focusing on stage racing next year, he also made it clear he won't focus as much on TT this year. Planning to skip title defences. I'm guessing he won't do the Belgian Nationals nor UEC.

I think this all makes sense. GC Remco is perfectly capable of winning one day races and TT's. But TT/spring Remco is not capable of winning major GC's.

 

[Berniece]

I think this all makes sense. GC Remco is perfectly capable of winning one day races and TT's. But TT/spring Remco is not capable of winning major GC's.

I still expect Remco whose focus lays more on accelerating during spring though. It's not like he's doing hard 15km climbs now with Valencia and Catalunya

 

[Krzysztof_O]

It’s almost as if Evenepoel can’t decide this on his own and there are other people weighing in on this decision

In RBH Evenepoel maybe won't have more to say than in SQS. He would probably like to do MSR and RVV but let's see if RBH allows him to in 2026.

 

[AlpRaid]

Just a completely healthy run for once. Thats my wish.

He has not had a season that has not been marred/challenged by a bad crash or major illness. Not since his very first anyway. His best season in 2022 really only started at LBL when he was finally fully recovered from the Lombardia crash.

 

[Berflamand]

Just a completely healthy run for once. Thats my wish.

He has not had a season that has not been marred/challenged by a bad crash or major illness. Not since his very first anyway. His best season in 2022 really only started at LBL when he was finally fully recovered from the Lombardia crash.

I'm a bit disappointed with his schedule but yeah, regardless of any schedule I agree that this is the most important point.

Fingers crossed that he has an injury free year (both during his winter preparation as during the cycling season) and then I think we might see great things from him we haven't yet seen before (from him I mean, I'm not saying he'll turn out to be better than Pogacar or even on his level).

2026 might still be a bit of a transitional year (although I hope he does get some big wins) but if he stays healthy and with the added Red Bull expertise, I'm expecting (or at least hoping for) great things from 2027 onwards.

 

[Berniece]

I'm a bit disappointed with his schedule but yeah, regardless of any schedule I agree that this is the most important point.

Fingers crossed that he has an injury free year (both during his winter preparation as during the cycling season) and then I think we might see great things from him we haven't yet seen before (from him I mean, I'm not saying he'll turn out to be better than Pogacar or even on his level).

2026 might still be a bit of a transitional year (although I hope he does get some big wins) but if he stays healthy and with the added Red Bull expertise, I'm expecting (or at least hoping for) great things from 2027 onwards.

If everything goes normal, then based on his current schedule I would expect him to win Valencia, Catalunya, AGR and Dauphine. LBL and TDF he should be able to ride podium.

That alone would already be a stellar season for him, and much better spring than he normally has stage race wise.

Current competition for each race.
Valencia: Almeida, Uijtdebroeks, Tiberi
Catalunya: Almeida, Lipowitz
Dauphine: Del Toro, Ayuso, Uijtdebroeks, Tiberi

 

[Berflamand]

If everything goes normal, then based on his current schedule I would expect him to win Valencia, Catalunya, AGR and Dauphine. LBL and TDF he should be able to ride podium.

That alone would already be a stellar season for him, and much better spring than he normally has stage race wise.

Current competition for each race.
Valencia: Almeida, Uijtdebroeks
Catalunya: Almeida, Lipowitz
Dauphine: Del Toro, Ayuso, Uijtdebroeks, Tiberi

That would be great indeed. Especially Catalunya and Dauphine would fill a big gap in his current palmares.

Does Catalunya have a TT or is that not yet known?

 

[Berniece]

That would be great indeed. Especially Catalunya and Dauphine would fill a big gap in his current palmares.

Does Catalunya have a TT or is that not yet known?

The start and finish towns are known, and a description of the stages. There isn't an ITT part of it, and there are some tough mountain finishes like Coll de Pal (19km's at 7%).

https://www.voltacatalunya.cat/en/news/2025/the-stages-of-the-2026-volta-a-catalunya-have-been-decided/1493

If he's riding like in Romandie, he won't win any stage race, but I expect him to be at a better level than Catalunya 2023 and Paris-Nice 2024.

 

[KoopaCycling]

I am not counting my chickens. Too much can happen and remco his form tends to fluctuate

 

[houtdffan]

Dont forget hes adding a wt stage race or 2 in the early spring

 

[Berniece]

Dont forget hes adding a wt stage race or 2 in the early spring

I only expect UAE Tour to be added, and maybe Basque but since they are so risk averse Basque might be skipped.

 

[Monsi]

If everything goes normal, then based on his current schedule I would expect him to win Valencia, Catalunya, AGR and Dauphine. LBL and TDF he should be able to ride podium.

That alone would already be a stellar season for him, and much better spring than he normally has stage race wise.

Current competition for each race.
Valencia: Almeida, Uijtdebroeks, Tiberi
Catalunya: Almeida, Lipowitz
Dauphine: Del Toro, Ayuso, Uijtdebroeks, Tiberi

Dauphine would depend on whether Vingegaard rides the Giro or not. If Vingegaard skips Giro, then I expect him to be on the Dauphine startlist. Catalunya might be trickier because there's normally no time trials there but the Barcelona stage does fit a punchy Remco attack.

 

[Berniece]

Dauphine would depend on whether Vingegaard rides the Giro or not. If Vingegaard skips Giro, then I expect him to be on the Dauphine startlist. Catalunya might be trickier because there's normally no time trials there but the Barcelona stage does fit a punchy Remco attack.

Indeed, it was with the assumption that Vingegaard rides the Giro. Catalunya should be feasible, he was the strongest rider in 2023 after all

 

[AmRacer]

Indeed, it was with the assumption that Vingegaard rides the Giro. Catalunya should be feasible, he was the strongest rider in 2023 after all

Nah, Rogla was the strongest

 

[Netserk]

Indeed, it was with the assumption that Vingegaard rides the Giro. Catalunya should be feasible, he was the strongest rider in 2023 after all

no

 

[Berniece]

Nah, Rogla was the strongest

I said strongest, not smartest

 

[Berniece]

no

Yes.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

So no Milan San Remco again? How disappointing. One one the best one day racers, who is in the middle of his career, has done only two monuments out of five.

 

[AmRacer]

I said strongest, not smartest

Nah, Rogla was both the strongest and smartest

 

[AmRacer]

I said strongest, not smartest

Not being smart enough isn't an excuse. 😁

 

[Berniece]

Nah, Rogla was both the strongest and smartest

I advise you to rewatch the race then. It was very clear Evenepoel was the strongest.

 

[AmRacer]

I advise you to rewatch the race then. It was very clear Evenepoel was the strongest.

No, he wasn't.

 

[Berniece]

No, he wasn't.

Since you didn't rewatch it, here's a summary.

Stage 1
Roglic won, Evenepoel 2nd, while Evenepoel rode the fastest sprint and came from far back.

Stage 2
Evenepoel attacked multiple times, wasn't able to drop Roglic and Ciccone. Evenepoel kept pulling those two up the mountain, no one helping, to eventually see Ciccone win, Roglic 2nd.
I would already call this dumb and arrogant of Evenepoel

Stage 3
Evenepoel attacked but wasn't able to drop Roglic, but everyone else was behind. Eventually in the last hundreds of meters Evenepoel was able to drop Roglic, and started cheering 20-30m before finish costing him multiple seconds.
I call this dumb and arrogant again.

Stage 4
Bunch sprint

Stage 5
Remco starts with attacking, but eventually Roglic finally does the same too. Stopped sitting in the wheel and tried to drop Remco, failed. Then at 300m before the finish Evenepoel already launches his sprint, he's already fading after 150m while Roglic was happy with someone being his leadout. In the last 50m, Roglic stomps on Evenepoel, and takes 5-6s.
It isn't the first time that Evenepoel overestimated himself in the last hundreds of meters of a mountain finish. Started way too soon, and collapsed very quickly. Arrogant of him.

Stage 6
Small bunch sprint

Stage 7
Evenepoel kept trying to drop Roglic, but wasn't able to. Remco eventually won the sprint, but Roglic didn't put much effort in it since he already won the tour by 6s.

So yeah overall I would say that Roglic won Catalunya due to being more mature, riding smarter while Remco was stronger, but arrogant and overestimating his own abilities. Remco could've won this by purely sprinting to the finish in stage 3, and waiting a bit longer on stage 5.