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

[limak_]

Is there even anyone taking this Remco - Spilak comparison so seriously?

It's just a joke, obviously quite degrading for Remco as he's much bigger talent than Spilak, but it's still just a joke.

On the one side there are haters overusing the term of "Belgian Spilak", but on the other side there are Remco lovers taking all of this too seriously.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

The distributions of their strengths seem quite different to me, so I don't think the comparison is very meaningful, nor do I think it's true that Evenepoel is quite a lot better (as a blanket statement).

It's about as meaningful as compaing him to Bambi. It's trolling 101 but some people find it funny, and that's basically where it ends. Spilak did not win one ITT in his pro career. The joke is that he was "good at one week stageraces" but not at GT's. Evenepoel only did one GT so far after a big injury and messed up winter preparation, but the jury has decided. Spilak in his entire career, won 3 one week stageraces, counting the one won by Valverde before his suspension (which by your logic in the GT podium topic, shouldn't count). Evenepoel, at age 22 after missing the better part of a year due to an injury, has already won 7, with maybe later today his 8th. Evenepoel already has over double the amount of pro wins and more medals at WCC than Spilak had after retiring.

Is he as of now a better climber than Spilak? Can you say that he isn't? Or just that you don't know yet. Evenepoel bonked in the last 1.5k in the first climb in early february. Is that the sample size you want to make that call? Picon Blanco doesn't count? How many times did Spilak bonk? Not that i'm a big Spilak connaisseur but i'm thinking quite often, or he would have been better at GT's. With Evenepoel the argument always steers towards his failures, which are then compared to other riders' successes. There is always some reason why his successes don't count.

Spilak didn't win his GC's against Contador or Froome. He won them against Kruijswijk and Dumoulin (before he became a GC rider). He also quite frequently bonked in one week stageraces, while Evenepoel has won nearly 50% of the one week stage races he entered.

 

[Big Doopie]

Is there even anyone taking this Remco - Spilak comparison so seriously?

It's just a joke, obviously quite degrading for Remco as he's much bigger talent than Spilak, but it's still just a joke.

On the one side there are haters overusing the term of "Belgian Spilak", but on the other side there are Remco lovers taking all of this too seriously.

i am laughing/joking when i use it. to point out how ridiculous it is.

also -- as noted previously -- the haters come off as much more ardent/deranged in their hate. they seem to have not wanted him to succeed from day 1.

most fans often qualify his potential and agree that there are unknowns.

 

[SHAD0W93]

On this conversation, Spilak also peaked and prepared for the week stage races in Switzerland. That was his big races. Evenepoel is peaking for other, bigger races.

 

[Netserk]

What are the best climbing performances of Evenepoel, what are the best climbing performances of Spilak? Do I think the former are quite a lot better than the latter? No. That's all.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Haha, the "new Spilak" topic has become alive. It's time to change the thread title, isn't it?

I was among the first to use it here I can't help myself sometimes

 

[greyclouds]

It seems that everyone takes everything very seriously in this thread (or online forums in general). People use the Belgian Spilak comparison, right or wrong (I think it’s wrong but still funny) simply because others get provoked (specially Logic). It’s like 12 year olds in the playground; you just joke because the other one gets provoked.

*disclaimer: I never used the Belgian Spilak joke, much prefer Goat Masnada and New Kid in the Block Ilan.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

What are the best climbing performances of Evenepoel, what are the best climbing performances of Spilak? Do I think the former are quite a lot better than the latter? No. That's all.

Do you think Pidcock is a better climber than Tim Declerq? What are their best climbing performances? Tim Declerq has more notable climbing performances at pro level.

 

[Netserk]

Do you think Pidcock is a better climber than Tim Declerq? What are their best climbing performances? Tim Declerq has more notable climbing performances at pro level.

I'm quite sure his performances in the baby Giro was better in absolute terms than anything Declerq has done. Some of his Vuelta performances are better too.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I'm quite sure his performances in the baby Giro was better in absolute terms than anything Declerq has done. Some of his Vuelta performances are better too.

Since when is the baby giro pro level? He barely dropped Henri Vandenabeele, and that was 2 years ago. Which climb in the Vuelta did he even finish ahead of the peloton? But good to see you completely missed the point.

 

[CyclistAbi]

I guess this is a rather normal thing in sports. You have to constantly prove yourself. When you are down you for sure will get reminded of that. For example Luka Dončić got 0 votes from media regarding the NBA All-Star Game. Around a month later it's painfully clear on what a joke that vote was. The problem with Evenepoel likely is/was he was pushed in a GT contender role too soon. And everything is hence evaluated from that point of view. For now i feel that we can enjoy his TT performances and solo attacks on some shorter stage races. And lets wait for potential GT future if an when he is ready for it.

 

[houtdffan]

Indurain clone

 

[Akuryo]

Indurain clone

If than means he'll win the Tour 5x I'll gladly take that.

 

[houtdffan]

If than means he'll win the Tour 5x I'll gladly take that.

He may need very long ITTs. He doesn't seem like the best climbe,r but is adequate. But can absolute crush the competition in the TT.

He'll like win GTs like Contador did at the 2015 giro

 

[Walter1234]

In the mean time the cycling pros are learning how to win stages when Remco races; sit in his wheel and in the last 500m sprint. Easy enough...

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

But the comparison was about what he is.

Is he as of now quite a lot better than Spilak as a climber?

Spilak retired years ago, so I’m pretty sure Remco is better as a climber right now.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

In the mean time the cycling pros are learning how to win stages when Remco races; sit in his wheel and in the last 500m sprint. Easy enough...

As long as Remco wins the GC in these races I don’t think he needs to bother much about the stages.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

In the mean time the cycling pros are learning how to win stages when Remco races; sit in his wheel and in the last 500m sprint. Easy enough...

The Colombians would have finished 1st and 2nd in any other scenario.

 

[Extinction]

The joke is that Spilak was a 1 week stage race master, but couldn't do anything in GTs

Got it, thank you.

 

[Bonimenier]

I wish I never explained the "joke". Could have saved us this 2 page long discussion.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

I wish I never explained the "joke". Could have saved us this 2 page long discussion.

in this thread every page is a gift. When will we reach 1000?

 

[Red Rick]

Gotta give respesct to Evenepoel.

He's already in Lil Richie Porte territory

 

[Big Doopie]

Gotta give respesct to Evenepoel.

He's already in Lil Richie Porte territory

is Lil Richie > Spilak?

real cycling fans need to know.

 

[VDB44]

The Colombians would have finished 1st and 2nd in any other scenario.

With Higuita's way of sprinting it could have ended like a few days ago ;-)

 

[Volderke]

In the mean time the cycling pros are learning how to win stages when Remco races; sit in his wheel and in the last 500m sprint. Easy enough...

Without wanting to hype Remco too much:
In this field, he could have gone for a longer range attack on the first climb over the finish, only dragging some riders with him, and keep attacking before the foot of the last climb. Not saying he would have dropped them all for sure, but I feel he would have had better winning chances if he cooperated with e.g. Martinez over the top of the hill and tried to go solo after that penultimate climb. Now he rode conservatively in order not to risk his GC, ending up with faster finisheurs.