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

[red_flanders]

Sounds like Remco is planning on doing the Baloise Belgium Tour. I'm not familiar with the source, so maybe someone who consumes Flemish media can weigh in.

Remco Evenepoel past programma serieus aan door tegenvallende Giro

Remco Evenepoel doet de nodige aanpassingen aan zijn voorbereiding op de Olympische Spelen nadat de Giro d'Italia duidelijk maakt dat hij meer wedstrijdritme nodig heeft.

www.wielerkrant.be

 

[Panda Claws]

Sounds like Remco is planning on doing the Baloise Belgium Tour. I'm not familiar with the source, so maybe someone who consumes Flemish media can weigh in.

Remco Evenepoel past programma serieus aan door tegenvallende Giro

Remco Evenepoel doet de nodige aanpassingen aan zijn voorbereiding op de Olympische Spelen nadat de Giro d'Italia duidelijk maakt dat hij meer wedstrijdritme nodig heeft.

www.wielerkrant.be

I looked into it a little bit and Lefevere had the following to say:

• That he is riding Elfstedenronde because they only had 6 out of 7 riders assigned so it was easy to fit in Remco. (Tells me they really want him to get race km's)
• Belgium Tour is mentioned but appearantly they will decide on that this saturday.

And he has to ride the NC RR anyway or he can't go to the Olympics. I see no reason why he wouldn't ride the NC TT as well (16/06).

 

[Eeslliw]

However, he aknowledged it's one of his weaknesses, together with accelerations, and he is prepared to work on them because he knows at top level it's all important.

Go Remco!

Is explosiveness something you can train or make real improvements? Or you basically have it or not? Because some riders are just incapable of accelerations and can just ride tempo. I doubt none of them tried to get better at it.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Is explosiveness something you can train or make real improvements? Or you basically have it or not? Because some riders are just incapable of accelerations and can just ride tempo. I doubt none of them tried to get better at it.

Both. You can get better at it by training, but Evenepoel will never be an Alaphilippe, regardless how much he trains.

 

[Ripper]

Is explosiveness something you can train or make real improvements? Or you basically have it or not? Because some riders are just incapable of accelerations and can just ride tempo. I doubt none of them tried to get better at it.

You can improve what you've got, but if you're not blessed with explosiveness genetically, you will always be at a disadvantage in such efforts compared to those who are, all other things being equal. This is why sprints at the end of really long hard races are less predictable, as some people have who have more natural explosiveness may have depleted their capacities by the end of the race.

 

[lenric]

Is explosiveness something you can train or make real improvements? Or you basically have it or not? Because some riders are just incapable of accelerations and can just ride tempo. I doubt none of them tried to get better at it.

depends on the amount of fast-twitch muscle fibers he has.

 

[TomBonnen2005]

The old remco showing his face again, but not yet the remco of last year who was able to punch Schachmann and Martin in Algarve. This stage confirms he needs to focus on explosiveness now that he's approaching his former level.

 

[yaco]

Quickstep should use the second half of the year to explore Remco's versatility - Let's see how well he goes on bergs and cobbles ! They should be able to find a good calendar which excludes the Vuelta.

 

[Red Rick]

Good news guys.

It is time to overreact for both sides

 

[Red Rick]

The old remco showing his face again, but not yet the remco of last year who was able to punch Schachmann and Martin in Algarve. This stage confirms he needs to focus on explosiveness now that he's approaching his former level.

Slightly different sorts of climbs. And field. Today says very little about explosivenes unless you want him to drop everyone on a 1km 6% climb and solo home in a low level race which isn't very interesting.

He'll probably not run into hilly specialists with a worse sprint than him.

 

[Andre]

How dare Ghys take the stage!

 

[red_flanders]

The old remco showing his face again, but not yet the remco of last year who was able to punch Schachmann and Martin in Algarve. This stage confirms he needs to focus on explosiveness now that he's approaching his former level.

I feel like folks are hoping he will become something he appears not to be. He's going to win by crushing people, not exploding at the finish. It will limit his number of wins in stages and one-day races. He's a GC guy all the way. Best thing he can do is continue to improve his power, endurance, and bike handling. Chasing explosiveness isn't going to make any difference.

He didn't win today but he made the race and he hurt people. Which is just fun to watch. And he's already got the lead and 43 seconds on everyone else. Awesome.

 

[Bolder]

I feel like folks are hoping he will become something he appears not to be. He's going to win by crushing people, not exploding at the finish. It will limit his number of wins in stages and one-day races. He's a GC guy all the way. Best thing he can do is continue to improve his power, endurance, and bike handling. Chasing explosiveness isn't going to make any difference.

He didn't win today but he made the race and he hurt people. Which is just fun to watch. And he's already got the lead and 43 seconds on everyone else. Awesome.

I get all this but he should be able to figure out a way to win against 2 tired non WT riders.

On the other hand after hearing his explanation, he was probably at his limit, too, in the last 10k and didn't want to to be cat and moused out of the race lead. So I'll moderate my hot take immediately after the stage, which was that he screwed up an easy win...

 

[Lefebre]

He is back The Man, The Myth, The Legend.
Crushing the competition like they were amateurs.
Welcome back Remco

 

[HelloDolly]

Everyone seems very sure that the Slovenians won't misfire.

He is back The Man, The Myth, The Legend.
Crushing the competition like they were amateurs.
Welcome back Remco

Emmmm he lost !!!!!!!

 

[red_flanders]

Emmmm he lost !!!!!!!

Yes, but he's also leading the GC and completely dominated the day's racing.

 

[KZD]

Really strong performance today, he is as good or maybe even better than in 2019 which kind of worries me about his future as a GC contender for Grand Tours as it could point to fragilities in the mountains or in recovery.

 

[red_flanders]

Really strong performance today, he is as good or maybe even better than in 2019 which kind of worries me about his future as a GC contender for Grand Tours as it could point to fragilities in the mountains or in recovery.

I think I know what you mean, but maybe explain a bit more how looking strong today worries you in terms of GT's? I mean I think we have to accept that he just didn't have enough of a base for a run at a 3 week race, and we can't really know if that was just because of his injury and lack of training, or if it's something more.

I don't think being strong on day 1 of a week(ish)-long stage race tells us anything one way or another. I think we'll know more when he does a GT with a full prep and not before. For my part, I don't see why there would be an issue. He shows every sign to me of someone who will have tremendous endurance.

 

[Sciatic]

Good news guys.

It is time to overreact for both sides

Whew—now we don’t have to worry about having enough to speculate about until the Tour!

 

[red_flanders]

I get all this but he should be able to figure out a way to win against 2 tired non WT riders.

On the other hand after hearing his explanation, he was probably at his limit, too, in the last 10k and didn't want to to be cat and moused out of the race lead. So I'll moderate my hot take immediately after the stage, which was that he screwed up an easy win...

After pulling them for 32k? His priority was getting time.

 

[Big Doopie]

Really strong performance today, he is as good or maybe even better than in 2019 which kind of worries me about his future as a GC contender for Grand Tours as it could point to fragilities in the mountains or in recovery.

Fragilities in recovery? Sure. Still possible.

In mountains? No. He followed Bernal on stage 6 of the giro after breaking his pelvis and nine months away from racing. The kid can climb. There is no question.

and if he ends up winning 8 LBLs and 7 Lombardies and 6 worlds and no GTs, all good as far as I am concerned. Because the way he does it is simply phenomenal. And old school.

 

[jaylew]

and if he ends up winning 8 LBLs and 7 Lombardies and 6 worlds and no GTs, all good as far as I am concerned. Because the way he does it is simply phenomenal.

15 monuments and 6 Worlds? No pressure, right?

 

[johnymax]

and if he ends up winning 8 LBLs and 7 Lombardies and 6 worlds and no GTs, all good as far as I am concerned. Because the way he does it is simply phenomenal. And old school.

I hope those are just random numbers you wrote in your post. Because I'm sorry to tell you, but there is a much bigger chance he ends up winning 0 LBLs, 0 Lombardias and 0 Worlds. I don't think he'll stay at zero, but those numbers you've put out are just ridiculous.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Emmmm he lost !!!!!!!

Ramco, even when he loses, he wins.

 

[Big Doopie]

15 monuments and 6 Worlds? No pressure, right?

lol

missed the point again

funny that u specifically leave out the point of my post.

oh wait I just want to argue something no one is arguing. Lol.