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

[hayneplane]

Probably means he did very little work in the gym.

That seems a likely interpretation based on the rest of the off-season work described.

Highly impressive start to the season and the GC is scattered after 1 fairly innocuous stage that should have seen a group of around 10-20 either contest the win or least finish within 20 seconds yet only Vlasov got anywhere near that close and he never got near to shutting the gap.

 

[Walter1234]

One last big ride before the season starts.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1488607411728490497

https://twitter.com/x/status/1488607411728490497

View: https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1488607411728490497

Quote from Tom Steels today: "Remco became more mature in the past weeks". (Link) One does wonder....
edit: added the quote reference.

 

[Wvv]

I don't believe that he has "done very little fitness". What does he even mean by that?

In Dutch we use 'fitnessen' as a verb specifically for going to the gym, and do workouts or even powertraining.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

This guys should be going to the Giro to pull for Masnada he is extremely strong.

If he does well on the tougher stage tomorrow he is in the best shape of his life.

 

[tobydawq]

In Dutch we use 'fitnessen' as a verb specifically for going to the gym, and do workouts or even powertraining.

I figured as much but I think endurance training is also a form of fitness and I would think he had done some of that.

 

[Walter1234]

....
They did a 15' test 2 days ago during the team stage :

• Remco : 14'50"i - 430Wii - 7W/kg if 61kgiii
• ...

Remco's power numbers seem too high for such a small time difference meaning that either the numbers aren't accurate (not the first time) or that Ilan did the first part of the climb in Remco's wheel (seems possible since they have the same climbing time for the first 3km of this 6km segment, then Van Wilder lost 10' on the second part of the climb).
...

by comparison a 15 minute test Remco did last year March: https://www.strava.com/activities/5900368978#2868972708636100184
393W for 15 minutes or 6.32W/kg (says strava -62kg).
He is seems a lot stronger this year compared to last year.

 

[rghysens]

by comparison a 15 minute test Remco did last year March: https://www.strava.com/activities/5900368978#2868972708636100184
393W for 15 minutes or 6.32W/kg (says strava -62kg).
He is seems a lot stronger this year compared to last year.

Well, last year in march he was training for a couple of weeks after being sidelined for 4 months due to his crash. It's to be expected his numbers are higher.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

by comparison a 15 minute test Remco did last year March: https://www.strava.com/activities/5900368978#2868972708636100184
393W for 15 minutes or 6.32W/kg (says strava -62kg).
He is seems a lot stronger this year compared to last year.

Well, last year in march he was training for a couple of weeks after being sidelined for 4 months due to his crash. It's to be expected his numbers are higher.

He was pushing over 400 watts for 20 minutes as a junior. It would indeed only make sense that in March he was still recovering from his crash and relapse.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Tom Steels (QS-AV DS)

"Remco needs to be careful with his condition, because his goals lie further (in the season). But in this period of the season a top rated talent like Remco has to be able to win at 90 percent. He's good, but not top yet."

 

[Krzysztof_O]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1488607411728490497

View: https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1488607411728490497

Quote from Tom Steels today: "Remco became more mature in the past weeks". (Link) One does wonder....
edit: added the quote reference.

Finally a place where Remco can be himself.
BTW He's not that fat, otherwise the toy would've broken.

 

[Walter1234]

Finally a place where Remco can be himself.
BTW He's not that fat, otherwise the toy would've broken.

Na, I checked; they handle 100kg.

 

[TomBonnen2005]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1489262525807923204

View: https://twitter.com/oufeh/status/1489262525807923204?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw


Hope he can repeat this kind of performance tomorrow

 

[Krzysztof_O]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1489262525807923204

View: https://twitter.com/oufeh/status/1489262525807923204?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw


Hope he can repeat this kind of performance tomorrow

Remco will forget his wattometer tomorrow so 7 w/kg is likely.

 

[Boes]

8 w/kg, surely that can't be

 

[DaLong]

8 w/kg, surely that can't be

It'd be 8.2 w/kg if he'd quit eating so much Pizza Hut.

 

[rghysens]

8 w/kg, surely that can't be

In a short amount of time, it can.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

8 w/kg, surely that can't be

Sprinters do over 20W/kg for 5 to 10 seconds.

 

[Zoef-Lightning]

Evenepoel has indeed started with a slightly higher weight (he looks like the San Sebastian Remco) . Or to put it another way, last year on his forced comeback, he was underweight. Both too little muscle and a little too little fat. Too little power and too little durability. What we quickly saw during the Giro. But also because of his irregular performance during last season. I think that Evenepoel is now approximately again reaching the level of the second half of 2020. But with more experience and a more mature body.

But because he didn't race a Grand Tour in 2020 with his 2020 form, that still doesn't say anything about his Grand Tour abilities.
Also curious how he will deal mentally in the third stage with the gravel section. In the giro he blocked completely in the heavy gravel stage. Especially in the gravel descents. But in the third stage it's just a gravel climb. Yet. Yesterday, in the few sharp bends in the descent, he didn't seem comfortable and didn't ride the best lines. I think that Evenepoel is still unconsciously carrying the consequences of his fall in Lombardia.

 

[red_flanders]

Evenepoel has indeed started with a slightly higher weight (he looks like the San Sebastian Remco) . Or to put it another way, last year on his forced comeback, he was underweight. Both too little muscle and a little too little fat. Too little power and too little durability. What we quickly saw during the Giro. But also because of his irregular performance during last season. I think that Evenepoel is now approximately again reaching the level of the second half of 2020. But with more experience and a more mature body.

But because he didn't race a Grand Tour in 2020 with his 2020 form, that still doesn't say anything about his Grand Tour abilities.
Also curious how he will deal mentally in the third stage with the gravel section. In the giro he blocked completely in the heavy gravel stage. Especially in the gravel descents. But in the third stage it's just a gravel climb. Yet. Yesterday, in the few sharp bends in the descent, he didn't seem comfortable and didn't ride the best lines. I think that Evenepoel is still unconsciously carrying the consequences of his fall in Lombardia.

I think the gravel section will be short and steep enough that the main issue is going to be watts rather than bike handling.

 

[Zoef-Lightning]

I think the gravel section will be short and steep enough that the main issue is going to be watts rather than bike handling.

I didn't mean the driving skills at all . But the chance that he will mentally block because he is riding on gravel.

 

[Boes]

It'd be 8.2 w/kg if he'd quit eating so much Pizza Hut.

Lol

In a short amount of time, it can.

Sprinters do over 20W/kg for 5 to 10 seconds.

Yeah, but for 900 meters (climbing!). That must have been an effort of like 2 mins? 2 and a half min.
Still impressive

 

[red_flanders]

I didn't mean the driving skills at all . But the chance that he will mentally block because he is riding on gravel.

I understood. Don't think it's going to be an issue going steeply uphill. Not sure why he would carry crash worries from Lombardia into an uphill gravel section.

 

[Bonimenier]

I didn't mean the driving skills at all . But the chance that he will mentally block because he is riding on gravel.

I doubt that. He was actually quite good in that Giro stage that Bernal won finishing uphill on gravel. Positioning at the start was the main issue.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I haven't heard anything about his CX training nor about his descending which were scheduled to improve his bikehandling. He was supposed to get some training from Cal Crutchlow, but from the lines he was riding yesterday, i think he got lessons from a drunken farmer instead. I've been riding a motorbike my entire adult life (since my 19th) and going into a corner at high speed where you can't see where it's going, can be stressful so it's important (not to use the phrase "imperative", lol) that you remind yourself of the basics that you learned. And honestly, it's not rocket science so i'm a bit surprised that i can't see it when i'm watching him take his corners. Slow down before cornering. Outside-inside-outside. Keep focus on the farthest point of the bend. Accelerate as you see the end of the bend.

Has anybody heard/read anything about him having done some training? Even if it only gave him peace of mind, it would be worth it.

 

[Red Rick]

His descending was fine in the 2nd half of last season.

As for gravel, uphill it shouldn't matter, barring random flats.