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

[Bushman]

Stage 4 at TA should also favor Remco. Finishing climb is ~4.2km at 6.7%ish gradient. Those are the gradients Remco shines on

Pog should have the advantage on the mountain stage, however

Am I misunderstanding your post or do you suggest that Pogacar can be dropped because the climb is easier and therefore “suits Remco” more? That does not make a whole lot of sense

 

[Big Doopie]

Am I misunderstanding your post or do you suggest that Pogacar can be dropped because the climb is easier and therefore “suits Remco” more? That does not make a whole lot of sense

Actually I believe it does.

Tho I doubt it will happen.

Remco is unlikely to ever drop Pog on a steep climb.

If he is to drop him on any climb it would be in the way he won the first stage in Valencia. Letting everyone burn themselves out and then getting a small gap on gradients where TT-ing away is still possible. Only way he MIGHT have an advantage. But right now, I would have to see it to believe it. Pog does appear otherworldly.

 

[AlfaLum]

Actually I believe it does.

Tho I doubt it will happen.

Remco is unlikely to ever drop Pog on a steep climb.

If he is to drop him on any climb it would be in the way he won the first stage in Valencia. Letting everyone burn themselves out and then getting a small gap on gradients where TT-ing away is still possible. Only way he MIGHT have an advantage. But right now, I would have to see it to believe it. Pog does appear otherworldly.

Most of the times when I have seen Pogacar trying to burn himself out the other riders are already distanced by a minute or two.

 

[Big Doopie]

Most of the times when I have seen Pogacar trying to burn himself out the other riders are already distanced by a minute or two.

Agreed of course. However if it were to happen that may be the only way like at Euro championships - albeit that was a Pog not on full cylinders. And that is why I say I doubt it.

 

[TomBonnen2005]

Pogacar never pulled solos ike remco on rolling terrains. In fact the only rider I've seen doing it is Van der Poel, but he's often fading at the end like in Tirreno last year where pogacar and van aert finished in the same minute.

On the contrary Remco is constantly increasing the gap on the chasing groups (San Sebastian, Tour of Poland, Tour of Denmark, Coppa Bernocchi, ...) and I can only remember 2 "fails" since he began: Germany 2019 where Nibali/Thomas and some motorbikes helped a whole peloton to catch hime after a solo of 100km, and Burgos 2020 where his team asked to stop his effort because he only had 20" on a full peloton, wasting energy before the queen stage.

Overijse race last year was the best example, resisting for more than 1h30 to an entire peloton with >6w/kg is just crazy. And before that Alaf/Wellens had to let him go because he countered when everybody was already "à bloc" (his trademark, attacking when the other riders are at the limit like in Valencia, not possible in Algarve)

Outside of the high mountains, Pogacar can lose a GC if Remco has a gap. It would require an amazing team to avoid it. But unfortunately Evenepoel may be afraid to try during his first races against the slovenians, wasting his best weapon (and if the slovenians are smart they won't favor tough races outside of the mountains in order to keep the extra percents required to jump into Evenepoel's wheel like Collbrelli did)

Edit: and let also remember that at last year euro, a "not 100%" Evenepoel catched a "not 100%" Pogacar in the attack then dropped everyone except a 120% Collbrelli. Exactly the kind of scenario he needs

 

[houtdffan]

Source: @LasterketaBurua

That looks like stage 5, which should favor Pogacar

This is 4

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

They will see how Tirreno and Itzulia go, before deciding whether it is realistic to go for the GC in the Vuelta.

If they now want to wait or even steer him away from GC, then you have to wonder what they were thinking sending him to the Giro last year especially given the circumstances..

Dit zijn de volgende (tijdrit)doelen van Remco Evenepoel: "Mooi als hij het Pogacar lastig kan maken" | sporza

"Voortaan zal elke tijdrit voor mij de belangrijkste dag in een rittenkoers zijn", zei Remco Evenepoel (Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl) na zijn recente eindzege in de Ronde van de Algarve. In welke rittenkoersen is het binnenkort uitkijken naar Evenepoel? Hoe liggen de tijdritten in die koersen hem? En...

sporza.be

 

[houtdffan]

Am I misunderstanding your post or do you suggest that Pogacar can be dropped because the climb is easier and therefore “suits Remco” more? That does not make a whole lot of sense

Remco has had better results on the less steep climbs. Climbs in the 6-8% range are where he seems to be at his best.

Not every rider makes the most gains on the >10% ramps. We'd have dismissed Ullrich as ever being a TDF contender if that was all that mattered

 

[Blanco]

Pogacar never pulled solos ike remco on rolling terrains. In fact the only rider I've seen doing it is Van der Poel, but he's often fading at the end like in Tirreno last year where pogacar and van aert finished in the same minute.

I think he pulled quite a solo ride in that same Tirreno you're talking about...

 

[Andre]

I think Remco will do very good at Tirreno.

 

[houtdffan]

They will see how Tirreno and Itzulia go, before deciding whether it is realistic to go for the GC in the Vuelta.

If they now want to wait or even steer him away from GC, then you have to wonder what they were thinking sending him to the Giro last year especially given the circumstances..

Dit zijn de volgende (tijdrit)doelen van Remco Evenepoel: "Mooi als hij het Pogacar lastig kan maken" | sporza

"Voortaan zal elke tijdrit voor mij de belangrijkste dag in een rittenkoers zijn", zei Remco Evenepoel (Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl) na zijn recente eindzege in de Ronde van de Algarve. In welke rittenkoersen is het binnenkort uitkijken naar Evenepoel? Hoe liggen de tijdritten in die koersen hem? En...

sporza.be

Is a week long race even enough to determine this? He was fine through 10 days of the giro with no prep, only a few seconds our of the lead and contending in the mountains

 

[TomBonnen2005]

I think he pulled quite a solo ride in that same Tirreno you're talking about...

A 15km attack to finish between Van der Poel and Van Aert on a race with multiple 1.5km walls at 10% where the first 15 riders finished individually is not exactly what I had in mind in terms of solos. Not sure Formolo working alone during 35km to limit the gap before Pogacar attack would have worked with Evenepoel.

 

[AlfaLum]

Well the fact that Pogacar had someone on his bumper for the whole effort does not make it less impressive. That was a solo despite him having someone sitting on his back.

 

[tobydawq]

I think he pulled quite a solo ride in that same Tirreno you're talking about...

His last stage win in the 2019 Vuelta wasn't exactly a bunch sprint, either...

 

[TomBonnen2005]

Well the fact that Pogacar had someone on his bumper for the whole effort does not make it less impressive. That was a solo despite him having someone sitting on his back.

I don't remember Van Aert sitting in his wheel but rather constantly staying in a 30sec range, losing time on the climbs and regaining on the flat. But again it was more an elimination race with Formolo keeping a hard pace and Pogacar attacking 20min far from the finish. The real solo was Van der poel for 2h in front while being able to resist to formolo-pogacar combined efforts without any gloves...

 

[TomBonnen2005]

His last stage win in the 2019 Vuelta wasn't exactly a bunch sprint, either...

Agreed, in the moutains the 2 slovenians already pulled some amazing raids (stage 8 of last year TDF was even more impressive, Pogacar made the TDF field look like amateurs)

 

[limak_]

They will see how Tirreno and Itzulia go, before deciding whether it is realistic to go for the GC in the Vuelta.

If they now want to wait or even steer him away from GC, then you have to wonder what they were thinking sending him to the Giro last year especially given the circumstances..

Dit zijn de volgende (tijdrit)doelen van Remco Evenepoel: "Mooi als hij het Pogacar lastig kan maken" | sporza

"Voortaan zal elke tijdrit voor mij de belangrijkste dag in een rittenkoers zijn", zei Remco Evenepoel (Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl) na zijn recente eindzege in de Ronde van de Algarve. In welke rittenkoersen is het binnenkort uitkijken naar Evenepoel? Hoe liggen de tijdritten in die koersen hem? En...

sporza.be

You can ask yourself, cause iirc you had the whole list of arguments why sending him for Giro last year was a good idea

Just kidding. It's just great to see that it seems like they finally started to manage him more wisely, not pushing anything at any cost but planning based on his actual performance and capabilities and that he's still only 22.

 

[AlfaLum]

I don't remember Van Aert sitting in his wheel but rather constantly staying in a 30sec range, losing time on the climbs and regaining on the flat. But again it was more an elimination race with Formolo keeping a hard pace and Pogacar attacking 20min far from the finish. The real solo was Van der poel for 2h in front while being able to resist to formolo-pogacar combined efforts without any gloves...

sorry, somehow I deleted the word Lombardia from my post it seems. That way a solo raid with somebody on his bumper.

 

[tobydawq]

Agreed, in the moutains the 2 slovenians already pulled some amazing raids (stage 8 of last year TDF was even more impressive, Pogacar made the TDF field look like amateurs)

Okay, but it wasn't exactly a straight-forward high-mountains stage.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

You can ask yourself, cause iirc you had the whole list of arguments why sending him for Giro last year was a good idea

Just kidding. It's just great to see that it seems like they finally started to manage him more wisely, not pushing anything at any cost but planning based on his actual performance and capabilities and that he's still only 22.

I'm not the one doubting to send him to the Vuelta for GC. They are. And iirc i said him going to the Giro also had upsides, as i think they learned a lot especially concerning his weaknesses. I'm also not the one who has all the data and medical reports. They do.

 

[Sciatic]

They will see how Tirreno and Itzulia go, before deciding whether it is realistic to go for the GC in the Vuelta.

If they now want to wait or even steer him away from GC, then you have to wonder what they were thinking sending him to the Giro last year especially given the circumstances..

Dit zijn de volgende (tijdrit)doelen van Remco Evenepoel: "Mooi als hij het Pogacar lastig kan maken" | sporza

"Voortaan zal elke tijdrit voor mij de belangrijkste dag in een rittenkoers zijn", zei Remco Evenepoel (Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl) na zijn recente eindzege in de Ronde van de Algarve. In welke rittenkoersen is het binnenkort uitkijken naar Evenepoel? Hoe liggen de tijdritten in die koersen hem? En...

sporza.be

At the time I wondered if it was akin to how NFL teams sometimes put their rookie high-draft pick quarterback in as a starter even though they (and most observers) know they’re not ready for it yet. Aside from getting a marketing boost, the reason seems to be that teams—even though they spent a lot of $ on the QB—want to find out ASAP if he is the real deal, before they invest even more $ to build a team around that QB.
Obviously cycling is a different world and this was about coming back from an injury, but was it possible that Quickstep wanted to find out, as soon as they could, whether Evenpoel was really going to be an elite GC rider? Because even though they knew he had great numbers and superb one day results, they would like to be more certain about his GT potential before changing some of their team structure to become more of a riding for high GC every year type team?

 

[Flurk1982]

Agreed, in the moutains the 2 slovenians already pulled some amazing raids (stage 8 of last year TDF was even more impressive, Pogacar made the TDF field look like amateurs)

The TDF field last year was very weak.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

I don't understand why Remco is not going to the Giro. There he can prove his worth in the 3rd week working for Fausto Masnada on the mountains. If he does that it's clear he can get a good result himself on a grand tour gc. Instead they send him to Norway tour. Fausto needs a mountain gregario!

 

[Flurk1982]

I don't understand why Remco is not going to the Giro. There he can prove his worth in the 3rd week working for Fausto Masnada on the mountains. If he does that it's clear he can get a good result himself on a grand tour gc. Instead they send him to Norway tour. Fausto needs a mountain gregario!

I like Fausto too but let's be honest. Fausto will always have to work for Remco in the mountains.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I don't understand why Remco is not going to the Giro. There he can prove his worth in the 3rd week working for Fausto Masnada on the mountains. If he does that it's clear he can get a good result himself on a grand tour gc. Instead they send him to Norway tour. Fausto needs a mountain gregario!

Quick-Step will solve that problem, don't worry. Fausto won't have to work for Remco and Remco won't have to work for Fausto. Instead, Fausto will work for Ilan in the Giro, and Mauri will work for Remco in the Vuelta.