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

[topt]

Just a bad day at the office + cold.

He's just 22 and this was only his 3rd WT GC. Too early to judge his climbing abilities. We'll know more after the vuelta.

agree, hype must not die

 

[Panda Claws]

Maybe. But we'll never really know just how much Lomardia crash took away from him, will we?

I think that if this is the case someone from within the team or Evenepoel himself will eventually talk about it, even if only after his career.

 

[Andre]

I consider today's events far more concerning than any of his previous letdowns.

Last month's gravel climb in the Tour of Valencia. His bleak return to Lombardia. His slow-motion implosion at the Giro. Even the 2020 Lombardia crash -- each disappointment was expertly framed by a soothing narrative. About Bad luck. Recovery. Improvement. Hope. Better preparation. Finetuning. Potential. Mental lessons. Getting used to gravel. Dangerous descents. Bike handling.. Youth. Eagerness. More time.

But today, I sense something different among many cyclist followers and even his fans. It's the dawning realization: this is what it is.

"The soothing narrative" could be that he spent himself on the previous stage and still has to build stamina for races with more stages in them. "It is what it is" is a defeatist phrase that leaves no room for improving and fixing what needs to be fixed and improved. Remco will bounce back

 

[Oldermanish]

I think that if this is the case someone from within the team or Evenepoel himself will eventually talk about it, even if only after his career.

Agree 100%. Remco is still recovering and maturing. It'll be another few years before he knows what his peak is and then could only speculate if that would be comparable to expectations. Somewhere along the way he'll refine his best strengths as well. He should be very happy he's recovered this far and so should his legion of high-pressure fans.

 

[Savant12]

Agree 100%. Remco is still recovering and maturing. It'll be another few years before he knows what his peak is and then could only speculate if that would be comparable to expectations. Somewhere along the way he'll refine his best strengths as well. He should be very happy he's recovered this far and so should his legion of high-pressure fans.

Remco will win all the big races that Rog and Pog don't start or crash out of.

 

[Bolder]

That he rode a negative split on the finishing lap indicates to me that he either bonked or froze. One of my pet peeves is when riders aren't prepared for the weather. They have access to expensive, lightweight high-tech materials and yet seems like every time it rains or it's below 10 degrees we see riders shivering, falling off their bikes trying to put on a gilet with frozen hands etc.

I'd have worn windproof shoe covers, knee warmers, maybe even a balaclava. And put them on BEFORE the climb. Watching Ciccone ride the descent with a jacket on backwards was comical.

 

[wheresmybrakes]

Remco will win all the big races that Rog and Pog don't start or crash out of.

Remco would not have won this race if Pog was not in it. Poor lad had an off day, I was expecting him to lose time but not 4 minutes worth. Never mind, onto the next race, which is?

 

[AlfaLum]

What do we think about his recuperation?

 

[Red Rick]

What do we think about his recuperation?

Not inclined to blame stage 4 and stage 6 collapses on recovery

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Never mind, onto the next race, which is?

Itzulia according to PCS.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Honestly, he looks more like a sprinter than a climber. He looks really buff and probably 4-5 kg too heavy at the moment.

 

[Salvarani]

Honestly, he looks more like a sprinter than a climber. He looks really buff and probably 4-5 kg too heavy at the moment.

Yeah... he sort of has the same frame/height as a Cavendish or Ewan.

But he is probably more similar to Campenaerts, than those two. Or like a De Gendt, even though De Gendt is slightly taller. Both been capable of super-days and strong rides, similar to what Evenepoel has done in the past.

Lets say he gets leaner, wouldnt that affect him in other areas? I mean he has to feel good. It is a really fine line between starving yourself and having enough energy to perform also.

Maybe like some people have speculated over a few times... he can climb and produce good performances, but right now he doesnt seem like he is a real climber. Im sure one could get better and improve, we dont know his ceiling yet, but if it is not in your DNA there is only so much you can do. We will see.

 

[peterfin]

We can speculate about his current and future climbing abilities but I don't think yesterday gives us any clues. The fact that he didn't try to follow the GC group from the start of the climb shows that he was basically not at his normal level at all. The fact that he basically kept his pace and evenshowed improved a little, showed that he was not ill or tired. The only explanation I have is that it's because of the cold. He has frequently underperformed in cold or wet conditions in the past, so I see a pattern here. The body spends energy to keep its temperature. If he doesn't prepare for it either in clothing or energy intake during the race, he will feel the impact by a loss of power. Although I am not an expert (and if there is somebody here please correct), I assume that some might suffer more than others due to metabolism, sweating etc and Remco may be part of that group. In any case, I do think this is a serious red flag that the team needs to address if he wants to be a challenger for GT podiums one day. QST is used to winning in cold and wet spring classics so they should have the expertise to improve his stamina in those conditions.

 

[Red Rick]

Yeah... he sort of has the same frame/height as a Cavendish or Ewan.

But he is probably more similar to Campenaerts, than those two. Or like a De Gendt, even though De Gendt is slightly taller. Both been capable of super-days and strong rides, similar to what Evenepoel has done in the past.

Lets say he gets leaner, wouldnt that affect him in other areas? I mean he has to feel good. It is a really fine line between starving yourself and having enough energy to perform also.

Maybe like some people have speculated over a few times... he can climb and produce good performances, but right now he doesnt seem like he is a real climber. Im sure one could get better and improve, we dont know his ceiling yet, but if it is not in your DNA there is only so much you can do. We will see.

Yeah the typical climber physique is a lot leaner, with longer, leaner legs it seems like.

 

[yaco]

I want to see on a 45 minute climb - This is Remco's true test.

 

[Blanco]

Maybe he's just not the next Eddy Merckx. Just a young lad who is good at some races and not so good at others.

Of course he isn't. However he had a chance to race against him for the first time.

 

[Netserk]

Yeah the typical climber physique is a lot leaner, with longer, leaner legs it seems like.

Betancur ten years ago though ...

 

[peterfin]

This morning he said that he missed 30-40 watts on the climbs. He said that he didn't suffer too much from the cold so he didn't need a jacket or handshoes in the decent. He doesn't know what happened. I wonder if there is a difference between what he feels and the actual impact of the cold on his body? It may be better to put that jacket on even if he feels ok without.

 

[Volderke]

link to original article:

Lefevere blijft Evenepoels groeiproces geduldig steunen, maar stelt vast: “Niet Remco is de nieuwe Merckx, wel Pogacar”

Ver van het beoogde podium verwijderd, dik vier minuten in het krijt. De eindbalans van Remco Evenepoels <a href="https://www.hln.be/dossier/tirreno-adriatico~d75425a66-b446-401c-b6e4-bb2abfca48d8/" target="_blank">Tirreno-Adriatico</a> is wat ze is. Teleurstellend, zoals hij het zelf...

www.hln.be

introduction roughly translated (it's behind the paywall):
Lefevere continues to patiently support Evenepoel's growth process, but notes: "Not Remco is the new Merckx, but Pogacar is"

Far from the (aimed at) podium, more than four minutes deficit. The final balance of Remco Evenepoels Tirreno-Adriatico is what it is. Disappointing, as he describes it. But powerful and enriching. That is also what 'big boss' Patrick Lefevere thinks. “Remco continues to question himself and everything he does. And work hard. That is positive.” An analysis.

“Not gone enough.” Remco Evenepoel summed up in three simple words on Saturday evening in Carpegna. It took overnight for an in-depth analysis. “It wasn't the day I was hoping for,” it sounds sober and honest. “Already in the valley, when we drove a group of fifty or sixty riders to the finish for the first time, my legs were definitely heavy. On the climb I pushed 30, 40 watts too little to keep up. If I hit (those watts), I'm up a minute of two faster. That makes a lot of difference. (smiles) It was strange that I got up the second Carpegna climb faster than the first.” I didn't give up and kept battling to limit the damage...(paywall)

So conclusion: even Don Patrick thinks the topic title should be changed...!

 

[Netserk]

This morning he said that he missed 30-40 watts on the climbs. He said that he didn't suffer too much from the cold so he didn't need a jacket or handshoes in the decent. He doesn't know what happened. I wonder if there is a difference between what he feels and the actual impact of the cold on his body? It may be better to put that jacket on even if he feels ok without.

That’s a huge difference. Does he really think that he ought to match Vingegaard and Landa on Carpegna??

 

[Red Rick]

That’s a huge difference. Does he really think that he ought to match Vingegaard and Landa on Carpegna??

That group were all missing watts themselves.

6.0 for 20 min isnt exactly thermonuclear

 

[gregrowlerson]

That group were all missing watts themselves.

6.0 for 20 min isnt exactly thermonuclear

336 pages! This thread is bigger than the bible (and also seems to make extraordinary claims at times)!

I always come here for my RE

 

[Panda Claws]

link to original article:

Lefevere blijft Evenepoels groeiproces geduldig steunen, maar stelt vast: “Niet Remco is de nieuwe Merckx, wel Pogacar”

Ver van het beoogde podium verwijderd, dik vier minuten in het krijt. De eindbalans van Remco Evenepoels <a href="https://www.hln.be/dossier/tirreno-adriatico~d75425a66-b446-401c-b6e4-bb2abfca48d8/" target="_blank">Tirreno-Adriatico</a> is wat ze is. Teleurstellend, zoals hij het zelf...

www.hln.be

introduction roughly translated (it's behind the paywall):
Lefevere continues to patiently support Evenepoel's growth process, but notes: "Not Remco is the new Merckx, but Pogacar is"

Far from the (aimed at) podium, more than four minutes deficit. The final balance of Remco Evenepoels Tirreno-Adriatico is what it is. Disappointing, as he describes it. But powerful and enriching. That is also what 'big boss' Patrick Lefevere thinks. “Remco continues to question himself and everything he does. And work hard. That is positive.” An analysis.

“Not gone enough.” Remco Evenepoel summed up in three simple words on Saturday evening in Carpegna. It took overnight for an in-depth analysis. “It wasn't the day I was hoping for,” it sounds sober and honest. “Already in the valley, when we drove a group of fifty or sixty riders to the finish for the first time, my legs were definitely heavy. On the climb I pushed 30, 40 watts too little to keep up. If I hit (those watts), I'm up a minute of two faster. That makes a lot of difference. (smiles) It was strange that I got up the second Carpegna climb faster than the first.” I didn't give up and kept battling to limit the damage...(paywall)

So conclusion: even Don Patrick thinks the topic title should be changed...!

That's pretty brutal.

Evenepoel is the new Edvald Boasson Hagen

 

[groogster]

To much hype on a youngster that is special indeed. Certainly not at Pogacar level but give him time to decide what kind of a rider he will be. My bet at this point of his career is that he will be essentially a top tier at classics and 1 week races. Don’t expect him to be a future winner of a GT but who knows…

 

[Big Doopie]

30-40 watts? Seems like Vaughters does know what he is talking about.

He also needs the change his body and become much leaner. Not sure everyone can do that.

What boggles the mind is that Quickstep must KNOW that he does not have the W/kg to compete on these climbs and yet they add on bulk and keep touting him as a GT rider. Makes little sense.

Also it appears that his recovery day in day out may not be what is needed either. He drops drastically in form after a certain amount of days. I believed the Giro was likely due to the ridiculous preparation he had had. Now it seems perhaps that may be him…

But QS doesn’t know what they are doing. Imagine him at Ineos where they would really take care of him and lessen the pressure (look at Pidcocks first GT, no pressure whatsoever).

Ultimately, I hope we do not miss out on many great rides at one day races like San Sebastián while he pursues this dream of becoming a GT rider if they have the data that he does not push the necessary watts to truly compete.