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

[Red Rick]

From January:

Lol Tirreno prediction fail.

 

[wheresmybrakes]

Well done young man, even though you have spoiled my Sunday. Was it down to his 2 kilo weight gain or his 1.5 kilo weight loss? or maybe the half a kilo he lost from the week before? or maybe the 2 kilo he put on over Christmas? Bravo anyway.

 

[ppanther92]

Chapeau - first real big win. Still think he will continue to dissappoint (compared to teh expectations) in GCs and those rolling/hilly terrain calssics are the races he is extraordinarily at.

 

[Valv.Piti]

I was totally wrong about this guy. He is more than a Belgian Simon Spilak. He is a great rider. Regards.

Who even thought he was the Belgian Spilak?.... I always thought was strictly a meme on this forum.

Anyways, he was obviously the strongest rider today, but I wonder how Pogacar and Roglic would have ridden Faucons instead of these idiots today. If, if, if.. chapeau!

 

[TomBonnen2005]

The most iconic part of the race? The 10km time trial, pre-RaF, where he gained 40sec alone against Bahrein, Movistar, Ineos, and Jumbo. Evenepoel at his best.

 

[Netserk]

Many riders have been affected by illness this spring, but not Evenepoel. How many others of the best Ardennes riders could the same be said for? Afaik Teuns have been unaffected as well, right?

 

[HelloDolly]

So is the Tour win back on peeps ???

 

[Eeslliw]

Many riders have been affected by illness this spring, but not Evenepoel. How many others of the best Ardennes riders could the same be said for? Afaik Teuns have been unaffected as well, right?

Get out of here with that salty comment.

 

[Didinho]

He was saying for months that Liège was his first main goal. He did the recon a couple times the last weeks, what you could see in his confidence and the downhills. This morning he said he wouldn't open the race but just after that, when everyone would want to recup and he just did that. I think he was just that strong today. What a champ!

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Who even thought he was the Belgian Spilak?.... I always thought was strictly a meme on this forum.

Anyways, he was obviously the strongest rider today, but I wonder how Pogacar and Roglic would have ridden Faucons instead of these idiots today. If, if, if.. chapeau!

It became a meme because it was started by me and sometimes I can be a bit of a clown. I was being 100% serious, because I thought he would never have any prospects of winning a GT. And repeated it a lot so it became a meme..

I think I was always a little jealous of remco. He was the first big name world tour pro who was younger than me, and I used to dream of racing as a pro. So I envied him . I looked for any reason to dislike him.

He gained a lot my respect today for the way he rode. I know he did this a lot before but it was the first time he did it on such a scale that I had to admit my admiration.

 

[Red Rick]

Who even thought he was the Belgian Spilak?.... I always thought was strictly a meme on this forum.

Anyways, he was obviously the strongest rider today, but I wonder how Pogacar and Roglic would have ridden Faucons instead of these idiots today. If, if, if.. chapeau!

I honestly suspect Pogacar would've just closed Evenepoel on La Redoute right away. Rog would probably sit in 45th position there and miss it.

 

[tobydawq]

Many riders have been affected by illness this spring, but not Evenepoel. How many others of the best Ardennes riders could the same be said for? Afaik Teuns have been unaffected as well, right?

Oh my God, you're just such a sore loser... Always have to find something to diminish a win for a rider you don't like when he wins.

 

[Valv.Piti]

I honestly suspect Pogacar would've just closed Evenepoel on La Redoute right away. Rog would probably sit in 45th position there and miss it.

Yes, if he was in good position, that is... there wasnt much space at all, and if you dont have the wheel, you basically have no shot to close him down on rolling terrain. Even Pogacar I believe.

But if he has 35 seconds, Im convinced Pogacar would give it a proper shot to close it down. Mas went kinda fast, but cmon man, where was Martinez and Vlasov on that climb? Doesnt make any sense to me.

 

[Red Rick]

Yes, if he was in good position, that is... there wasnt much space at all, and if you dont have the wheel, you basically have no shot to close him down on rolling terrain. Even Pogacar I believe.

But if he has 35 seconds, Im convinced Pogacar would give it a proper shot to close it down. Mas went kinda fast, but cmon man, where was Martinez and Vlasov on that climb? Doesnt make any sense to me.

Probably. Especially on peak form.

I also think none of the group behind were particularly strong today.

 

[ppanther92]

But if he has 35 seconds, Im convinced Pogacar would give it a proper shot to close it down. Mas went kinda fast, but cmon man, where was Martinez and Vlasov on that climb? Doesnt make any sense to me.

And Mas was then even dropped after his effort (which makes sense, obviously) but came back because of the extreme passive racing. In my opinion, Remco would have won anyway at this point just because of his sheer strength on rolling terrain but how can a spent Mas and a dropped WvA come back after a selection was made and the gap to a solo attacker increase from 16s to 48s again? But not the first time this year that we saw extremly passive racing from some of the "favourites".

 

[Extinction]

However you look at it, that was a show of class.

 

[Netserk]

Get out of here with that salty comment.

Huh? That interpretation is on you.

It has been an usual spring with a lot of illness, but Evenepoel has been totally unaffected (afaik). Maybe the extra weight did him good?

 

[Extinction]

And Mas was then even dropped after his effort (which makes sense, obviously) but came back because of the extreme passive racing. In my opinion, Remco would have won anyway at this point just because of his sheer strength on rolling terrain but how can a spent Mas and a dropped WvA come back after a selection was made and the gap to a solo attacker increase from 16s to 48s again? But not the first time this year that we saw extremly passive racing from some of the "favourites".

It's called they didn't have the legs.

 

[ppanther92]

However you look at it, that was a show of class.

Without a doubt. I am personally curious on where to go from here. Can he replicate such attacks when everyone knows they are coming? Probably yes. Since today it was also already very expectable. What races can he win with that skillset? MSR, AGR, LBL, San Sebastian, Lombardia. Does his first very big win now translate in better GT racing? Not sold on that (yet).

 

[ppanther92]

It's called they didn't have the legs.

Partly but I have the feeling thats not the only factor in being that passive.

 

[TomBonnen2005]

I honestly suspect Pogacar would've just closed Evenepoel on La Redoute right away. Rog would probably sit in 45th position there and miss it.

With Alaphilippe in the wheel who would have then countered the slovenian.

 

[Red Rick]

Without a doubt. I am personally curious on where to go from here. Can he replicate such attacks when everyone knows they are coming? Probably yes. Since today it was also already very expectable. What races can he win with that skillset? MSR, AGR, LBL, San Sebastian, Lombardia. Does his first very big win now translate in better GT racing? Not sold on that (yet).

Sanremo - no
Ronde - maybe probably hard?
AGR - yes
CSS - been there
Lombardia - pretty hard with modern routes.

 

[Netserk]

Oh my God, you're just such a sore loser... Always have to find something to diminish a win for a rider you don't like when he wins.

Again: Huh? That's on you.

I seek all kinds of explanations, and don't you think that illness has played an unusual role this spring?

EDIT: We discussed weight before the race today, and maybe this is one of the benefits of his current weight?

 

[Extinction]

Without a doubt. I am personally curious on where to go from here. Can he replicate such attacks when everyone knows they are coming? Probably yes. Since today it was also already very expectable. What races can he win with that skillset? MSR, AGR, LBL, San Sebastian, Lombardia. Does his first very big win now translate in better GT racing? Not sold on that (yet).

As Lefevre said when complimented by an Italian journo, he won and he is only 22. As for your inquiries, clearly he has the skill set to win the hilly classics, as far as GTs go after the Vuelta things should be clearer. Since last year's Giro can't be the final word, given his return from injury and total lack of races prior to it.

 

[Extinction]

Partly but I have the feeling thats not the only factor in being that passive.

Well after 250 kilometers a lack of legs encourages "passivity." My point was nobody had the legs to be more aggressive and certainly not strong enough to close the gap to him. The insurmountable task led to the proverbial "racing for second place," with the exception of Vlasov perhaps, although we saw how far that got him. No, Remco won this on sheer force alone.