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

[Oldermanish]

I'm not debating that certain races and finishes suit Alaphilippe more. I don't think you could interpret my post that way. I'm saying that they seem to want to come across as a tag team, but that in reality that has shown to be rather unilateral so far. That said, i was simply responding to a post that (jokingly i presume) suggested Alaphilippe working for Evenepoel.

I'd agree that the appearance of being a duo is strategically sound; it hasn't played out totally that way. Ala has done the type of lead out work that Remco's done this season but these races aren't shaping up to be a mass finish affair, are they?

 

[Netserk]

Basque Country with Evenepoel in the leaders Jersey was quite underwhelming from Alaphilippe to be fair. Might just be a lack of form, but he did not seem to be making much of an effort to do something.

Huh? Alaphilippe was with him until Krabelin. What more did you expect?

 

[Boes]

Huh? Alaphilippe was with him until Krabelin. What more did you expect?

Well, in the Queen stage I did expect him to hold on a bit longer. It could have made the difference for Remco to win considering he had to brigde gaps himself for 3 times.

The question is, was it because he didn't have the leggs or was it because it didn't fit in his scedule for the Ardenne classics.
I wouldn't judge him in both cases. He's a big champion and we can't expect him to do the work of a domestique for 2-3 days in a row if it'll hurt his build up to the classics. After all, QS will judge his season based on his performances in big races and not based on the work he did for Remco in 1 of 2 stage races.

 

[Netserk]

Alaphilippe has never done well on the harder Basque climbs. It's the same in Tirreno and Paris-Nice. He would've had to be among the 10 strongest that day to help Evenepoel (after Krabelin), and that was obvious already before that he wouldn't be.

 

[AlfaLum]

Huh? Alaphilippe was with him until Krabelin. What more did you expect?

He was dropped on Krabelin from the moment anyone started to put in some effort. We are talking about Alaphilippe here yes, a guy that has been able to survive such climbs (Civiglio for example) to race to a top-5 himself. Now if he was on a bad day, it can happen I don't know. But a motivated Alaphilippe that is riding for his own GC or chances has done better on tough climbs before.

 

[Wvv]

If anyone is going to win FW in a different way, it will be Remco.

We, and yes I mean every cycling fan regardless of the eventual result, can only hope he starts the Mur with a 25 seconds bonus.

 

[Netserk]

But a motivated Alaphilippe that is riding for his own GC or chances has done better on tough climbs before.

Do you think he was motivated in 2018?

 

[Extinction]

Can't understand how Quick-Step utilized Remco in the race today, who rather should have been sent to attack hard from half way up the arrival Mur de Huy to make a selection and set up Alaphilippe properly for a final assault with 300 meters to go. Given Pogacar's level today, Tadej surely would have dropped off and Alaphilippe would have then marked the right horses to have a better shot at victory. Instead, Remco was chasing the final break and had nothing to give Alaphilippe at the critical moment of the finishing climb.

Come to think of it, Quick-Step has really disappointed in the tactical depoyment of its riders this classics' season.

 

[Red Rick]

Don't think it would make the difference between winning and losing. But not even trying anything is really disappointing.

I actually do think an attack in Fleche can work if you climb the penultimate Mur really fast and attacks then start flying.

 

[roundabout]

somehow, a good weather Fleche is not really selective these days regardless of any route changes. When they started the last Cherave there must have been at least 80 riders still left in the group.

 

[Red Rick]

somehow, a good weather Fleche is not really selective these days regardless of any route changes. When they started the last Cherave there must have been at least 80 riders still left in the group.

They drilled it on the penultimate Cherave and the peloton was down to like 30 or so then they did the penultimate Mur at a lolpace.

 

[Blanco]

Can't understand how Quick-Step utilized Remco in the race today, who rather should have been sent to attack hard from half way up the arrival Mur de Huy to make a selection and set up Alaphilippe properly for a final assault with 300 meters to go. Given Pogacar's level today, Tadej surely would have dropped off and Alaphilippe would have then marked the right horses to have a better shot at victory. Instead, Remco was chasing the final break and had nothing to give Alaphilippe at the critical moment of the finishing climb.

Come to think of it, Quick-Step as really disappointed in the tactical depoyment of its riders this classics season.

Alaphilippe's position was ok, not much worse than last year, he simply didn't had the legs.
Remco has no business on the finishing Mur, his place to attack is 30km earlier.

 

[Extinction]

Don't think it would make the difference between winning and losing. But not even trying anything is really disappointing.

I actually do think an attack in Fleche can work if you climb the penultimate Mur really fast and attacks then start flying.

To the bolded, well it certainly would have made a difference between losing and losing that the actual Quick-Step approach guaranteed, as Alaphilippe was both without help in the critical moment of the climb and marked the wrong horse in Pogacar, thus finding himself unable to jump accross to Vlasov, Valverde and Teuns being too far behind in decisive moment. A lose-lose situation for the Frenchman. Having chased down the break on the flat before the final assault of Mur de Huy, which seemed like a remake of Pais Basque when Remco did donkey work to lead out Julien in a full 3 sprint finals (whilst racing for GC - an unheard of tactic in modern cycling!), Evenepoel was left with nothing on the final ascent when it actually mattered and truely would have been useful to Alaphilippe. Again, had Evenepoel been saved for the final burst in apnea to the finish line, Pogacar, given his show of form at the end, would have faded and this would have allowed Alaphilippe to benefit from his teammate's accelleration to track the trio to which he should have been glued in the end. Sure, he still might have lost, however, the possibility of victory would have also been in the air. By contrast, as it was, the Quick-Step debacle (for I find no other appropriate term to use) was merely falimentary. In fact, the best Alaphilippe could have achieved given those circumstances was fourth. And fourth he got.

 

[Extinction]

Alaphilippe's position was ok, not much worse than last year, he simply didn't had the legs.
Remco has no business on the finishing Mur, his place to attack is 30km earlier.

Really? Alaphilippe may not have had the legs, but he was marking Pogacar, which was understandable, but not the winning tactic. He was waiting for a turn of speed from Tadej that never materialized. In the meantime, victory went up the road and he was then too far back to close. I'm not so sure Remco could have been useless on the Mur, as coming towards the half-way point or thereabouts he was looking round for Alaphilippe. With fresher legs he may have been able to do a pilot accelleration. Attacking from 30 k out would have equally yeilded nothing as having him close on the break before the Mur. At any rate, reserving Evenepoel for the Mur as a trigger point for Julien I think was worth a try.

 

[YavorD]

Really? Alaphilippe may not have had the legs, but he was marking Pogacar, which was understandable, but not the winning tactic. He was waiting for a turn of speed from Tadej that never materialized. In the meantime, victory went up the road and he was then too far back to close. I'm not so sure Remco could have been useless on the Mur, as coming towards the half-way point or thereabouts he was looking round for Alaphilippe. With fresher legs he may have been able to do a pilot accelleration. Attacking from 30 k out would have equally yeilded nothing as having him close on the break before the Mur. At any rate, reserving Evenepoel for the Mur as a trigger point for Julien I think was worth a try.

Alaphilippe didn't have the legs (probably also start a bit too far behind). He wasn't exactly closing the gap once he overtook Pogacar.
As people said, using Remco on Huy only is a massive misuse. Given the questions about Ala's shape this season and horrible spring for QS, they should've use Remco for a long attack (with Carr maybe). It probably would've lead to nothing, but that was their best option.

 

[Extinction]

Alaphilippe didn't have the legs (probably also start a bit too far behind). He wasn't exactly closing the gap once he overtook Pogacar.
As people said, using Remco on Huy only is a massive misuse. Given the questions about Ala's shape this season and horrible spring for QS, they should've use Remco for a long attack (with Carr maybe). It probably would've lead to nothing, but that was their best option.

Well, it's not as if Alaphilippe finished 33rd. He was 4th, so his legs were not bad, just not super, which is why a teammate at the end could have been useful. In any case, if he started to accellerate from too far behind it was because he was waiting on Pogacar to make the first move, but Tadej didn't have the legs and this seems to have cost the Frenchmen the lead trio's wheels in the decisive moment. I'm not for utilizing riders in any scenario that "probably (but in this case definitely) would've lead to nothing," for which I'd have held on to Evenepoel to at least be of prossible use to Alaphilippe in the end. If Evenepoel still failed to be of use there's no real loss, because as things turned out Remco could not have been any less usefull to Julian when it really mattered anyway.

 

[AlfaLum]

Well, it's not as if Alaphilippe finished 33rd. He was 4th, so his legs were not bad, just not super, which is why a teammate at the end could have been useful. In any case, if he started to accellerate from too far behind it was because he was waiting on Pogacar to make the first move, but Tadej didn't have the legs and this seems to have cost the Frenchmen the lead trio's wheels in the decisive moment. I'm not for utilizing riders in any scenario that "probably (but in this case definitely) would've lead to nothing," for which I'd have held on to Evenepoel to at least be of prossible use to Alaphilippe in the end. If Evenepoel still failed to be of use there's no real loss, because as things turned out Remco could not have been any less usefull to Julian when it really mattered.

Its a mano a mano climb for the real puncheurs. Evenepoel is not a real puncheur.

 

[Extinction]

Its a mano a mano climb for the real puncheurs. Evenepoel is not a real puncheur.

I'm aware of that. But if he isn't even capable of a solid go halfway up the climb to draw others out and possibly show any weaknesses among Ala's direct competition, to then reveal which point of references to follow, then why even bring him to the race? Training for Liege? Ok, but for the sake of training, would it not have been more useful to himself and Quick-Step to have him at least attempt to be of some use to Alaphilippe in the end? I don't see the harm in it.

 

[Escarabajo]

Remco has 9K replies. Valverde has 8K replies, Pogacar 4K and Froome 18K. Remco is on route to be the winningest cyclist on the forum!!!!

Again, I would take him to the Tour. Imagine all the media looking for Remco instead of Pogacar. LOL.

 

[Jumbo Visma Fan :)]

Remco has 9K replies. Valverde has 8K replies, Pogacar 4K and Froome 18K. Remco is on route to be the winningest cyclist on the forum!!!!

Again, I would take him to the Tour. Imagine all the media looking for Remco instead of Pogacar. LOL.

Going to take a while to catch up to Contador’s 50k, but surely of all the active riders he will definitely be the winningest.

 

[Escarabajo]

Going to take a while to catch up to Contador’s 50k, but surely of all the active riders he will definitely be the winningest.

If Remco wins the Tour this year he will reach that mark by year's end!

 

[Boes]

If Remco wins the Tour this year he will reach that mark by year's end!

If he goes to the tour and he doesn't win, he'll reach it even faster!

 

[Panda Claws]

A lot of the talk about Froome was on a different part of the forums though.

 

[Big Doopie]

A lot of the talk about Froome was on a different part of the forums though.

so was contador. Lol.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

I can‘t wait for Sunday… It‘s LBL, finally. Best one-day race of the year.

I hope Remco rides a good race, but I fear he‘ll get dropped after 220 kms and arrive with +1min 30secs…