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

[CyclistAbi]

Congratulations on winning Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

 

[Big Doopie]

next up?

TdS then belgian championships...?

anything in may at all?

 

[houtdffan]

next up?

TdS then belgian championships...?

anything in may at all?

A LOT of high mountain training it seems

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Youngest LBL winner since 1968

 

[Netserk]

Youngest LBL winner since 1968

If only Alaphilippe hadn't sabotaged Pogi in 2020.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Wonder what Vaughters will tell Powless, considering Evenepoel is all about CdA and not power.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1518315329369395200

View: https://twitter.com/albercampos_/status/1518315329369395200

 

[Nick2413]

Pretty incredible win today. I was starting to get a bit tired of the constant hype but any time a race is won in this fashion there is nothing but respect. I love seeing this kind of racing and am grateful for the current ones spicing it up. Lots of what if’s due to the crash and lacking chase but can’t deny he deserved this win. Will be interesting to see what he can put together on mountain stages this year.

On another note it seems many of the classics this year have ended with rather anticlimactic chase efforts or where the winning move has been missed with not even an attempt to close. Maybe they were all on the limit here when he went but didn’t look like it. Glad aggressive racing is being rewarded.

 

[red_flanders]

Pretty incredible win today. I was starting to get a bit tired of the constant hype but any time a race is won in this fashion there is nothing but respect. I love seeing this kind of racing and am grateful for the current ones spicing it up. Lots of what if’s due to the crash and lacking chase but can’t deny he deserved this win. Will be interesting to see what he can put together on mountain stages this year.

On another note it seems many of the classics this year have ended with rather anticlimactic chase efforts or where the winning move has been missed with not even an attempt to close. Maybe they were all on the limit here when he went but didn’t look like it. Glad aggressive racing is being rewarded.

I think quite clearly his attack put a number of guys over the limit. They were not on the limit when he attacked, but that attack did all it needed to do.

 

[IndianCyclist]

And while we are on the WCRR topic, the Belgian team selection and tactics for this year will be fun to watch.

I think it now becomes very clear and easy. Co-leaders. Remco attacks 30-40k. Wout stays in the peloton and counters any other attacks, disrupts chase. If Remco gets caught, he does the leadout for Wout.

 

[BigCoward]

You are forgetting Valverde.

And Andy

 

[wheresmybrakes]

Youngest LBL winner since 1968

Long way to go before he beats Valverde, the oldest at everything.

 

[Extinction]

Ok, so this goes here and in the Nibali thread.

From today's la Gazzetta dello Sport:

"...that's when, at -29 kms to go, Evenepoel took a look around, and decided that the moment of his rebirth had finally arrived. He thus shot out of the group like "a deer in springtime" and he murdered the race, ultimately catching up to and then dropping with ease on the final climb the frenchman Armirail, the last surviver of a super long breakaway group. The "crime" had a most excellent eyewitness in Vincenzo Nibali: "Yes, I was there. I realized that he was about to attack. Out of instinct I tried to get in his splipstream, but when he stepped on the gas he was going at triple speed. Super impressive, truely a phenomenon. My compliments go out to him. It was beautiful to see him win an important race after everything he's been through."

PS. "Remco is a kid with the heart of gold, as he was first to make his support known to Colbrelli after his heart attack with a message on Twitter."

 

[Arked]

I think he is definitely potential GT winner but we may need to wait few years for it. He needs less fast-twitch and more slow-twitch fibers in his legs to meet 3-week races demands (fatigue resistance, day to day recovery, fat burning capabilities). It should come with age and continuous training.

 

[TomBonnen2005]

Interesting insights from Strava for the ones wondering what may have happened with on form Pogacar/Alaphillipe:

On the full RaF segment that includes the false flat (4.32km at 4%), Evenepoel is 18st on the KOM in 8:55:

• 20" slowler than the Pogacar-Alaphillipe-Valverde group in 2021
• 18" slower than the chase group this year

On the RaF segment (1.13km at 10.8%), Evenepoel is 22nd on the KOM in 3:27:

• 16" slowler than the Pogacar-Alaphillipe-Valverde group in 2021 (with Valverde pushing 7.9W/kg)
• 5" slower than the chase group this year (with Valverde pushing 7.8W/kg)

It's probably uselful to add that Evenepoel pulled these efforts after a solo of 17min at 52km/h.

So indeed, the 2021 Pogacar group went 11" faster than the Valverde group this year on the steep segment but they somehow paid it afterwards losing 9" on the second part of the climb.

And, even more surprising in regards of Evenepoel's numbers, it seems the headwind played a role when you see that Valverde, pushing very similar numbers in 2021 (in Pogacar's wheel) and 2022 (in Mas' wheel), was 11" slower this year.

It confirms Evenepoel's monstruous performance, and the fact that the chasing group wasn't sleeping at all.
I don't see any other rider able to replicate this kind of solo efforts on the flat, while remaining so strong on the climbs (in 2021 we speak about 5 absolute monsters, riding together, going full-speed to drop the rest of the field after a day cruising in their teammates' wheels, only gaining 16" on a 3:30 effort on a guy who fought alone for 17min and who's known for being less explosive on this kind of climb, and who than probably had to deal with more headwind......)

 

[Cookster15]

Ok, so this goes here and in the Nibali thread.

From today's la Gazzetta dello Sport:

"...that's when, at -29 kms to go, Evenepoel took a look around, and decided that the moment of his rebirth had finally arrived. He thus shot out of the group like "a deer in springtime" and he murdered the race, ultimately catching up to and then dropping with ease on the final climb the frenchman Armirail, the last surviver of a super long breakaway group. The "crime" had a most excellent witness in Vincenzo Nibali: "Yes, I was there. I realized that he was about to attack. Of instinct I tried to get in his splipstream, but when he stepped on the gas he was going at triple speed. Super impressive, truely a phenomenon. My compliments go out to him. It was beautiful to see him win an important race after everything he's been through."

PS. "Remco is a kid with the heart of gold, as he was first to make his support known to Colbrelli after his heart attack with a message on Twitter."

Thanks for this. Nibali’s first hand eyewitness account says a lot. I didn’t follow nor understand much of the criticism of him in recent times. Probably inevitable since he announced himself (at least to me) at the 2018 Worlds and everyone jumping on his bandwagon. Then he maybe said some things prematurely at the Giro. Hopefully he can put his head down from here and let his legs do the talking.

 

[Berflamand]

next up?

TdS then belgian championships...?

anything in may at all?

In his original schedule he was supposed to start again at the Tour of Norway the 24th of May before the TdS. I guess that will still be the plan.

 

[Lequack]

In his original schedule he was supposed to start again at the Tour of Norway the 24th of May before the TdS. I guess that will still be the plan.

There go the hopes for a Norwegian victory then. They will not be pleased.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Tour of Norway should be a nice warmup for Remcos climbing legs.

The first stage ends with a 2,1 km climb at 8,4% (14% max).
Second stage is kind of easy, but there is a 28 km climb at almost 5% in the middle of the stage.
Third stage is the queen stage. 175 km with some climbs in the first 100 km, with the biggest one 6,3 km at 7,5%. Then the final MTF is 12 km at 8,2%. 16% max. This is a proper climb.
Fourth stage is for the sprinter, but 232 km long, so a good training ride.
Fifht stage and 6th stage is also pretty easy, but there is some hills in the last part of the stage where Remco can try his trademark solo attacks if needed.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Remco won LBL in Vandenbroucke style… Very impressive win, yesterday.

It was apparently the fastest edition of LBL, ever.

2021: Pogacar, 259.1 kms, 4352 vertical meters, average 38.9 kms/hr.

2022: Evenepoel, 257.2 kms, 4342 vertical meters, average 41.4 kms/hr.

Remco was 2.5 kms/hr faster than Pogi was in 2021!…

 

[tobydawq]

Remco won LBL in Vandenbroucke style… Very impressive win, yesterday.

It was apparently the fastest edition of LBL, ever.

2021: Pogacar, 259.1 kms, 4352 vertical meters, average 38.9 kms/hr.

2022: Evenepoel, 257.2 kms, 4342 vertical meters, average 41.4 kms/hr.

Remco was 2.5 kms/hr faster than Pogi was in 2021!…

Damn, Pogi better hope Remco doesn't do the Tour then, because that's a gap of around six hours!

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Beautiful victory! By far the strongest rider in the race. I just love watching him ride - always aggressive. I especially loved that he started celebrating 3 kms from the finish

 

[hayneplane]

Tour of Norway should be a nice warmup for Remcos climbing legs.

The first stage ends with a 2,1 km climb at 8,4% (14% max).
Second stage is kind of easy, but there is a 28 km climb at almost 5% in the middle of the stage.
Third stage is the queen stage. 175 km with some climbs in the first 100 km, with the biggest one 6,3 km at 7,5%. Then the final MTF is 12 km at 8,2%. 16% max. This is a proper climb.
Fourth stage is for the sprinter, but 232 km long, so a good training ride.
Fifht stage and 6th stage is also pretty easy, but there is some hills in the last part of the stage where Remco can try his trademark solo attacks if needed.

Should be an interesting clash with Tobias Johanneson the current winner of L’Avenir in the latters home race

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Should be an interesting clash with Tobias Johanneson the current winner of L’Avenir in the latters home race

Tobias seriously hurt his arm in the crash yesterday, so not sure if he will be ready. His brother said yesterday the he don't think it's broken but they were gonna do scans today. If it's not a big injury we can be in for a nice fight.

Jumbo, Ineos, Bora, Trek, Lotto, EF, Israel, Wanty and DSM are also going to Tour of Norway, so there probably will be some other strong opponents for Remco than Uno-X (Halland Johannesen x2 and Træen I expect if Tobias is ready).

 

[greyclouds]

Fantastic and deserved win for Remco, which by now has as many Monument wins as his colleagues JA and WvA. It was possibly gifted in some ways, but that should not take away any merit from it. He attacked when it best suited him, and he fought it all the way to the finish line in impressive form. We can all wonder what would have happened if WvA hadn't had Covid, if Poga was there if the big crash hadn't happened, but hats off to the young Belgian.

Also, we've discussed his race schedule, training and weight ad eternum, but his good results in Itzulia and now the win in LBL vindicates his and QS's decisions. He also showed that he can time his performances, as I don't think that his quiet LFW was accidental, but rather a lay low performance in order to guarantee the best legs possible for the bigger race.

For ToN and TdS I hope that he approaches them in a conservative manner, before the summer and Vuelta - if he wants to go for GC he needs to look at the next races only as a build up to it.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Poels won in 2016, Remco in 2022.

MVDP+Remco=Wout Poels, because:

van der POEL + EvenePOEL = 2 POELs