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

[Red Rick]

I don't blame Remco, i feel the team could have done a better job guiding him. Again.

Probably yeah.

I have to imagine athletes in general and especially cyclists are much mroe prone to overextending in rehab because they're just that used to being on the pain limit. Seems very negligent to not be super on top of the rehab of your brightest talent, especially considering he wasn't making it to any big races in 2020 anyway. Maybe COVID played a role but still.

Right now I think it doesn't really make sense to set big goals for him this year right now. Just rehab properly and then set the goals.

 

[HelloDolly]

145 pages on this kid ..the hype is mega
This is the reason he is rushing as is the team to race GTs..

its all mental at his age not to mention with that injury

But you all having him wining the Giro and the Olympics !!!

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

145 pages on this kid ..the hype is mega
This is the reason he is rushing as is the team to race GTs..

its all mental at his age not to mention with that injury

But you all having him wining the Giro and the Olympics !!!

It's not as if he hasn't lived up to the hype. He just got hurt and he's anxious to get back to win.

 

[roundabout]

In an interview this weekend Lefevere acknowledges that it was the team who has failed Remco and that Remco is not to blame. He just does everything he is told to do.

Lefevere says that his own doctors and the staff in Herentals reacted too optimistically.

Nevertheless they still aim for the Giro. If Remco can get a basic condition level, Lefevere would like him to start even if he's not in top shape, without pressure and without podium ambitions, to learn how he reacts to a Grand Tour.

<<Unpopular take>>

What else is he going to say publicly when Evenepoel is the biggest asset his team has?

<<Unpopular take>>

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

<<Unpopular take>>

What else is he going to say publicly when Evenepoel is the biggest asset his team has?

<<Unpopular take>>

Even if it were Evenepoel's own doing, it would still have been the (medical) team's responsibility to guide him. If indeed he is the team's biggest asset, you would expect them to watch over him like a hawk. It's not because he can ride fast and push the pedals hard, that he is anything but an inexperienced 20 year old (he turned 21 this week i think) that needs to be told and monitored. Him winning races and being up there with the best, doesn't change the fact that he's only been riding a bike competitively for 3 years and has never had a serious injury.

Other than that, there are a number of things Lefevere could have said to avert blame from Remco, without pointing the finger to the medical team (if undeserved). One could simply be "complications". Voila, unforseen, nobody to blame, case closed.

 

[memyselfandI]

Lefevere is 100% right with this one. It's absolutely the best way to take RE to his maiden Grand Tour. It's atm most important thing for him to finish GT. To learn his ability to recover after 2-3 weeks of racing in highest level. It is completely unknown water for him.

 

[Red Rick]

Best way is to go when you know he's fully recovered, fully prepared and then aim for the highest results possible than go to a first Giro with suboptimal preperation.

Vuelt would make the most sense to me.

 

[roundabout]

Even if it were Evenepoel's own doing, it would still have been the (medical) team's responsibility to guide him. If indeed he is the team's biggest asset, you would expect them to watch over him like a hawk. It's not because he can ride fast and push the pedals hard, that he is anything but an inexperienced 20 year old (he turned 21 this week i think) that needs to be told and monitored. Him winning races and being up there with the best, doesn't change the fact that he's only been riding a bike competitively for 3 years and has never had a serious injury.

Other than that, there are a number of things Lefevere could have said to avert blame from Remco, without pointing the finger to the medical team (if undeserved). One could simply be "complications". Voila, unforseen, nobody to blame, case closed.

What you write about guidance is true, but just from my own experience (and it's a slightly different thing) when I had surgery, one of the first things that my surgeon told me was to make my GP aware if I was to have any issues during recovery.

Given that Evenepoel very likely had much better medical care than I did, I doubt that he wasn't also made aware that he should inform them in case of any issues.

And using word "complications" would also put the medical team in question.

 

[Salvarani]

Lefevere is 100% right with this one. It's absolutely the best way to take RE to his maiden Grand Tour. It's atm most important thing for him to finish GT. To learn his ability to recover after 2-3 weeks of racing in highest level. It is completely unknown water for him.

Getting to know his recovery is one thing. Another thing is if he can keep his focus for 3 weeks.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

What you write about guidance is true, but just from my own experience (and it's a slightly different thing) when I had surgery, one of the first things that my surgeon told me was to make my GP aware if I was to have any issues during recovery.

Given that Evenepoel very likely had much better medical care than I did, I doubt that he wasn't also made aware that he should inform them in case of any issues.

And using word "complications" would also put the medical team in question.

I'm sure he had better care than you, but you also aren't a professional athlete (i assume), or if so, a multimillion standout talent at that (again, unless you are Pogacar or Bernal). So it only makes sense that you would not get the same care, and the doc would not go through the same lenghts guiding you and pointing out the severity of the situation given your physical well-being is also your livelyhood, since not only wouldn't it matter for you nearly as much, but you also wouldn't be put in a situation where you could possibly hamper your own recovery, like a pro athlete would by overdoing it too early.

Lefevere said to Evenepoel's mom, that he would take care of him like his own son, when he signed Remco 2 years ago. However, the team knew how ambitious he was, how hungry for glory, how inexperienced, how brazen... and after failing to tone him down in the actual race when it mattered most, they again failed to tone him down in his recovery.

 

[red_flanders]

It doesn’t matter whose fault it is, what’s done is done. Lefevere did what a leader should do, accept the responsibility and move on.

In the grand scheme of things this will all be soon forgotten. Recoveries aren’t perfect, they have ups and downs.

 

[Red Rick]

Think they all have part of the blame here, but ultimately it also doesn't matter that much.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Think they all have part of the blame here, but ultimately it also doesn't matter that much.

It matters plenty if you don't want to make the same mistakes twice.

 

[Oldermanish]

Probably yeah.

I have to imagine athletes in general and especially cyclists are much mroe prone to overextending in rehab because they're just that used to being on the pain limit. Seems very negligent to not be super on top of the rehab of your brightest talent, especially considering he wasn't making it to any big races in 2020 anyway. Maybe COVID played a role but still.

Right now I think it doesn't really make sense to set big goals for him this year right now. Just rehab properly and then set the goals.

This is definitely his first big lesson: own your training and recovery regimen. The days past of team "doctors" encouraging and injecting riders to keep them in races to fulfill team obligations should be long gone. Remco needs to separate his training analysis from his boosters and outside interests, if he hasn't already. I can't imagine laboring under the huge expectations he's had heaped on his shoulders but his recovery, like Froome's could take awhile.

 

[Red Rick]

It matters plenty if you don't want to make the same mistakes twice.

Well I'm assuming he's not gonna rush recovery without talking to doctors again first.

 

[Poursuivant]

Kid is ridiculous, probably doesn’t even need that many warm up races, will still be flying in the Giro. was trying to find his epic Poland win on YouTube but there isn’t much, that was arguably his best win so far for me.

 

[Big Doopie]

Kid is ridiculous, probably doesn’t even need that many warm up races, will still be flying in the Giro. was trying to find his epic Poland win on YouTube but there isn’t much, that was arguably his best win so far for me.

U can find the stage at Tiz cycling. Starts out in Polish and then moves to English commentators.

 

[red_flanders]

Kid is ridiculous, probably doesn’t even need that many warm up races, will still be flying in the Giro. was trying to find his epic Poland win on YouTube but there isn’t much, that was arguably his best win so far for me.

Could be, I hope so, but the "let's let him ride the Giro without ambitions" narrative isn't really working for me. I can't imagine this kid riding without the intent to win. If he's not close to top form, I would question letting him ride the Giro to "get a feel for a 3-week Tour". I wonder if it would be more frustrating rather than useful.

 

[Berflamand]

Green light for Remco.

A scheduled scan today has shown that his fracture has healed completely and he is allowed to start training on the bike again.

 

[rghysens]

Green light for Remco.

A scheduled scan today has shown that his fracture has healed completely and he is allowed to start training on the bike again.

New coal on the hype train engines.

 

[Boes]

If I were him, I'd just focus on the Olympics (both TT and race) and the TT WC this year and chose the other races accordingly.

I hope half-assing the giro woun't ruin his entire season.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1358746151193870336

View: https://twitter.com/EvenepoelRemco/status/1358746151193870336

If I were him, I'd just focus on the Olympics (both TT and race) and the TT WC this year and chose the other races accordingly.

I hope half-assing the giro woun't ruin his entire season.

I would try to get ready for the Giro, but keep still the first two weeks and do the bare minimum. Then see how far the third week takes him. Apparently he's been doing other things like swimming to maintain his condition. He doesn't have to start from scratch.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Giro is 3 months away. I think he has a chance to build a decent form for this race (assuming the injury doesn't bother him anymore). It's not like he hasn't raced or trained for a year.

 

[hayneplane]

Great news but baby steps please and no rushing into high intensity training to try to play catch up.

With this season looking as open to disruption as last year gaining shape and getting a gauge of his ability at high level events would be the best strategy in my view rather than focussing in too much on one set goal.

Obviously the Worlds on home soil will be a huge motivation along with the Olympics.

The Dauphine would be a good one week race target ahead of the Olympics if the Giro proves to be too soon in his recovery process as the field is stacked and would be a good marker against the likes of Roglic plus the Ineos Tour A team.

 

[Zoef-Lightning]

The Giro is in less than 3 months. Today, Evenepoel is just allowed to rehabilitate on a bike. First on zwift. Very carefully. Not outside on a bike, also because there is currently snow and ice on the roads of Belgium. Starting basic training after cycling rehab will not be possible untill the end of February/begin of March. The basic training that his teammates or opponents started in december. From april he will be able to gradually switch to more focused training (as others did begin january). From the second part of april, he will be able to train in a competition-oriented way. But still without competition. Competition will be possible at the earliest at the end of April, beginning of May. Maybe in the Tour of Romandia. But Evenepoel will never be ready for a three-week competition starting on May 8th. It's a risk to throw him into a stage race so quickly (after his rehabilitation), at his young age, and immediately for three weeks. On the other hand, he is young, strong and talented. He might surprise us. But it would be better to aim for a re-appearance in Switserland or the Dauphiné. And then start to prepare the Olympics. To be the first major stage race to ride the Vuelta.