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

[Extinction]

Evenepoel has been on a serious upwards trajectory in terms of form since the Giro (& definitely since the Olympics). A lot was said about the European Championship road race (i.e. with the narrative focusing on "tactical mistakes" versus Colbrelli), but the form he showed when he blew the field up should have automatically made any normal national team coach reconsider his standing in the WC RR.

On paper even before the race Remco Evenepoel was Belgium's second best rider & not too far behind WvA (with the accepted fact a sprint finish was more likely ergo WvA would be favored). But the way Evenepoel was dismissed like a bug beforehand was just nuts & now post-mortem with commentators "feigning disbelief" at the suggestion... Evenepoel was actually good enough to win.

WvA wasn't good on the day (wasn't even stronger than Stuyven), the race didn't end in a sprint (Alaphilippe went solo) & Evenepoel showed very strong legs.

So the Belgian coaches should be fired because they prepared for none of those eventualities.

I agree, but think Ala was on strepitous form so it still would have been difficult for Remco to win. In other words, I don't want to take anything away from the Frenchman who deserves only praise for the way he was able to grab the proverbial bull by the horns and slay the beast.

Yet, as you and I have suggested, if anybody could have challenged Ala on the day it was Remco Evenepoel (feasibly with a devastating counter attack on the first Leuven circuit). Pitty Belgium only had eyes for Van Aert, which is really bizarre considering that Evenepoel has shown uncommon potential.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Plot twist:
There is a documentary next Sunday on Belgian tv with images from the Belgian car. It seems indeed, from the first footage, that evenepoel was supposed to cover dangerous moves, even from far out, but there were guys from the team next to the road with signs. Remco ignored a “Do not pull” sign and Vanthourenhout wasn’t happy when he saw that during the race.
Vanthourenhout also noticed that remco pulled way too much (“he is almost dropping declercq several times” Vanthourenhout noticed).
They also noticed that evenepoel was driving very hard before the finale, and that he “would have lasted another round” if he took it a bit easier.

This confirms my thoughts that remco obeyed team orders, but with a rebellious twist, just to show the outside world he was this good.
And while I said before it's mostly Vanthourenhout to blame, I feel Remco, especially after his TV appearance, should take a really good look in the mirror before he says all kinds of thinks in a very (played?) naive way, claiming he only did what he was asked to do.

So he pretended to be a teamplayer, and clearly this was against his nature. You could even say merckx was right: Remco is not used to working for others, and with his talent, he will probably never learn this. But should he?
Because you could say that you shouldn’t try to tame a wild horse like remco. Just let him roam free…

What a not surprise. lol, this is gonna be good. When is this docu on exactly?

Yeah, I peeped that Remco was acting all naive and humble in that show. Dude's troll game is on point. lol, I start liking him more and more.

They shouldn't have promised WVA absolute leadership with only Stuyven as a backup. But if you take that ridiculous plan as a given, then no, Evenepoel shouldn't have been selected. Merckx was dead-on with his prediction.

This mess is still mostly on the coach IMO. A coach who is tactically inept, a crappy people manager, can apparently be bossed around by WVA and thinks that having a sitdown with Lefevere is all it takes to turn "de ket van Schepdaal" into a certified lapdog.

Genius.

 

[houtdffan]

Remco is showing he is quite the 1 day racer. I had always thought he'd be more of a stage racer, but he is definitely elite at both types of races. He consistently finishes high in the 1 day races, today included

 

[Ripper]

What a not surprise. lol, this is gonna be good. When is this docu on exactly?

Yeah, I peeped that Remco was acting all naive and humble in that show. Dude's troll game is on point. lol, I start liking him more and more.

They shouldn't have promised WVA absolute leadership with only Stuyven as a backup. But if you take that ridiculous plan as a given, then no, Evenepoel shouldn't have been selected. Merckx was dead-on with his prediction.

This mess is still mostly on the coach IMO. A coach who is tactically inept, a crappy people manager, can apparently be bossed around by WVA and thinks that having a sitdown with Lefevere is all it takes to turn "de ket van Schepdaal" into a certified lapdog.

Genius.

Exactly! Vanthourenhout and the coaching team blew this badly. I personally know people who could have devised and deployed better strategies.

Basically, Vanthourenhout worried more about politics and image than winning. Whoops

 

[Rackham]

Remco is showing he is quite the 1 day racer. I had always thought he'd be more of a stage racer, but he is definitely elite at both types of races. He consistently finishes high in the 1 day races, today included

Yes.

And being one of the elite who can do it all means sooner or later a rider gets Roglstomped. So say hello to Primoz Roglic, Remco (I believe that was the first time they'd properly competed against each other for a race win).

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Plot twist:
There is a documentary next Sunday on Belgian tv with images from the Belgian car. It seems indeed, from the first footage, that evenepoel was supposed to cover dangerous moves, even from far out, but there were guys from the team next to the road with signs. Remco ignored a “Do not pull” sign and Vanthourenhout wasn’t happy when he saw that during the race.
Vanthourenhout also noticed that remco pulled way too much (“he is almost dropping declercq several times” Vanthourenhout noticed).
They also noticed that evenepoel was driving very hard before the finale, and that he “would have lasted another round” if he took it a bit easier.

This confirms my thoughts that remco obeyed team orders, but with a rebellious twist, just to show the outside world he was this good.
And while I said before it's mostly Vanthourenhout to blame, I feel Remco, especially after his TV appearance, should take a really good look in the mirror before he says all kinds of thinks in a very (played?) naive way, claiming he only did what he was asked to do.

So he pretended to be a teamplayer, and clearly this was against his nature. You could even say merckx was right: Remco is not used to working for others, and with his talent, he will probably never learn this. But should he?
Because you could say that you shouldn’t try to tame a wild horse like remco. Just let him roam free…

Just read this. Him having to go in early breaks and him not "being allowed" to ride for victory in case there was an opportunity, quite frankly seals it. Of course he did his work with a rebellious twist. Yet claiming Merckx was right is simply not true. Not only have there been plenty of examples that he can ride for a team mate (Alaphilippe, Gilbert, Cavendish... even today for Almeida), more over, he didn't ride for himself. He effectively blew his own chances.

 

[Red Rick]

Now, was Evenepoel daft, or was he willingly sabotaging the team strategy?

The amound of daftness required for this to be just being daft would be rater extreme tbh.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Yes.

And being one of the elite who can do it all means sooner or later a rider gets Roglstomped. So say hello to Primoz Roglic, Remco (I believe that was the first time they'd properly competed against each other for a race win).

They "were supposed to" compete for the win in the 2019 WC ITT and 2021 OS.

 

[Red Rick]

Meanwhile the descending looks completely fine right now.

 

[Bonimenier]

Meanwhile the descending looks completely fine right now.

I don't think the descending in itself was ever that big of a problem. Riding in group or being overenthusiastic when following great descenders feels/felt more like an issue.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Meanwhile the descending looks completely fine right now.

But Quickstep still somehow had the idea of sending him to ride the Giro, while hyping him up as a main gc contender, when he hadn't raced in a bunch at all since his crash, 200 iq move...
Yes, his descending is fine right now, maybe he also prefers taking a descent near the front so that he can pick his own lines.

 

[Rackham]

Meanwhile the descending looks completely fine right now.

It's because he's brave.

Seriously, there's not much else to it (other than the base skill which he has). Look at Roglic for example: he has crashed himself countless times & yet keeps on getting back up & going for it on descents. Evenepoel is cut from the same cloth. This isn't like Ilnur Zakarin or Andy Schleck for example who once upon a time got spooked & were never the same on descents.

 

[Mayomaniac]

It's because he's brave.

Seriously, there's not much else to it (other than the base skill which he has). Look at Roglic for example: he has crashed himself countless times & yet keeps on getting back up & going for it on descents. Evenepoel is cut from the same cloth. This isn't like Ilnur Zakarin or Andy Schleck for example who once upon a time got spooked & were never the same on descents.

Ilnur is just sooo bad on a technical level, you'd think that a team would try to improve his descending technique during the off season, but apparenntly no...
Roglic has a skijumping background, so he was already used to high speeds, that probably helps.

 

[peterfin]

But Quickstep still somehow had the idea of sending him to ride the Giro, while hyping him up as a main gc contender, when he hadn't raced in a bunch at all since his crash, 200 iq move...
Yes, his descending is fine right now, maybe he also prefers taking a descent near the front so that he can pick his own lines.

There wasn't anybody in the DQS team hyping him up as a main gc contender. The media was hyping him up.

 

[Bonimenier]

There wasn't anybody in the DQS team hyping him up as a main gc contender. The media was hyping him up.

Actually the only one on DQS doing it, was probably Evenepoel himself.

 

[Rackham]

Ilnur is just sooo bad on a technical level, you'd think that a team would try to improve his descending technique during the off season, but apparenntly no...
Roglic has a skijumping background, so he was already used to high speeds, that probably helps.

It's all in the head.

I think there's a psychological block on descents with riders like Zakarin which doesn't exist with Roglic & Evenepoel. So yeah, it's a form of "bravery" to just go for it & trust in their instincts & abilities.

I've been reading & hearing the same "omg he can't descend!" stuff about Roglic for years now (especially after each crash) but it doesn't have any long term impact. Evenepoel looks the same.

 

[trevim]

Surprising the guy that had the legs to become world champion didn’t win this by simply scaring off the other riders.

More and more, Evenepoel strikes as football player disguised as cyclist. Like a Cristiano Ronaldo type, definitely a great sportsman but no way at all I would cheer for him. Too much me me me for my taste, would be better off keeping his mouth shut for a change…

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

Surprising the guy that had the legs to become world champion didn’t win this by simply scaring off the other riders.

More and more, Evenepoel strikes as football player disguised as cyclist. Like a Cristiano Ronaldo type, definitely a great sportsman but no way at all I would cheer for him. Too much me me me for my taste, would be better off keeping his mouth shut for a change…

Are we talking about the guy who rode an excellent team race today or the guy who's all me, me, me and wants to be leader every time?
When you played football at school, I bet there was always one kid who wanted to take every free kick and penalty. Van Aert reminds me of that kid.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Surprising the guy that had the legs to become world champion didn’t win this by simply scaring off the other riders.

More and more, Evenepoel strikes as football player disguised as cyclist. Like a Cristiano Ronaldo type, definitely a great sportsman but no way at all I would cheer for him. Too much me me me for my taste, would be better off keeping his mouth shut for a change…

yawn.

Having legs to become WC doesn't mean you will automatically become WC. And finishing 5th after working for your teammate in the final km's against maybe the best in the world on these types of finishes, clearly means his level is way off, to make the claim he felt he could have become WC on a completely different parcours. By the way, did you ever see Roglic (today's winner) again, last sunday, after his initial break with Evenepoel? How on earth is it possible that a guy who was so mediocre on sunday, wins today? A mystery!

 

[Ripper]

Are we talking about the guy who rode an excellent team race today or the guy who's all me, me, me and wants to be leader every time?
When you played football at school, I bet there was always one kid who wanted to take every free kick and penalty. Van Aert reminds me of that kid.

Remco seemed to ride a good team role today.

 

[Extinction]

Surprising the guy that had the legs to become world champion didn’t win this by simply scaring off the other riders.

More and more, Evenepoel strikes as football player disguised as cyclist. Like a Cristiano Ronaldo type, definitely a great sportsman but no way at all I would cheer for him. Too much me me me for my taste, would be better off keeping his mouth shut for a change…

The guy you mean who is scrutinzed, criticized, interrogated in his local press more than any cyclist ever and actually provides responses? If this is what you mean by a comparison with football player popularity, then he's got a bright future.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Actually the only one on DQS doing it, was probably Evenepoel himself.

When? He was clearly hoping to fight for pink, and he was clearly eager to take pink at one stage, but i can't remember him communicating anything but the standard "take it day by day" routine. Not a dig, i honestly can't remember him saying anything other. Obviously, the fact that they had Almeida work for him on two or three stages suggested there were plans to go further, but still...

 

[Extinction]

Actually the only one on DQS doing it, was probably Evenepoel himself.

In the RAI coverage actually no, as he always said he was at the Giro to just do his best, whatever that would be, and freely admitted he and his team had no idea how his body would react after a certain point in the race. So nothing of the kind. Rather he constantly played down expectations.

 

[Savant12]

I don't think the descending in itself was ever that big of a problem. Riding in group or being overenthusiastic when following great descenders feels/felt more like an issue.

Is he riding Lombardia this year? Will be interesting to see how he measures up again against Nibali.

 

[Extinction]

Is he riding Lombardia this year? Will be interesting to see how he measures up again against Nibali.

Yes he's riding Lombardia, as are, if I'm not mistake, Roglic and Pogacar.