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

[memyselfandI]

The biggest argument against Remco currently just is the the disastrous Giro, which was such a terrible idea from the start in all respects I still don't really understand how it could happen.

He is completely different athlete imho at the moment, super good off season and early season. Really excited here to see what is coming as season proceeds. It seems now that he's balanced both mentally and physically.

 

[hayneplane]

I think we grown used to it, but normally riders without a decent sprint are often riders who can count the wins on their hands over their whole carreer.
Winning a racce solo is extremely hard.
Yet Remco is winning them as if doing so is 'easy' on all kinds of terrain. (Gullegem is a great example about a race where a <63kg guy shouldn't win at all... and not in this way)

Cancellara is a power TT based rider though he is many KG bigger and theoretically better suited to flat solo efforts than Remco yet he only had circa 23 road wins in stages/one day classics outside of national championships and ITT/TTT (88 wins overall including GCs according to PCS). It’s true that at least half of those mass start wins are of the very highest quality with 6 monuments, 3xE3, 2xSB plus Grand tour stages but he also had a stronger flat sprint in long races hence his multiple podiums in MSR.

That even a rider of that quality didn’t win a high volume of road stages shows how difficult it is to blast the peloton off your wheel and hold the gap solo which to me shows how well Remco is going on flat and rolling terrain to be so insanely prolific.

 

[Red Rick]

Cancellara does not fit the comparison at all. He never focused on the same races that Evenepoel did.

 

[Oldermanish]

Cancellara does not fit the comparison at all. He never focused on the same races that Evenepoel did.

Yes! Cancellara did GTs, Paris Roubaix and other classics. He also was a fairly handy teammate to GT skinny boys. He did seem to enjoy all types of racing in an era that allowed it. The demand for results appears heightened. Perhaps it's the microscopic analysis that keyboard DSs read every race nuance and databit.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Pogacar, Roglic, Van Aert, MVDP, Alaphilippe, Carapaz, Bernal, Froome, Simon Yates (Adam somehow avoids all this), Quintana, Ganna, Dumoulin and Sagan, for starters.

Not even close.

I'd consider myself a serious poster in this thread, and I still wonder about him in a 3 week race. No more than I'd wonder about anyone else who is a contender but hasn't finished one, but GTs are a different animal. I tend to think he'll do really well, but I think it's a legitimate open question.

Does anyone who contributes to this thread NOT consider themselves a serious poster? Seems a bit like painting those with whom one disagrees in a negative light.

Not sure what your point is. I said it was a legitimate concern.

I'm also sure Illmaestro, victorschipolrijk, pvieira91 ... all consider themselves serious posters. Just like i'm sure Trump and Putin think very highly of themselves as well.
Seems a bit like trying to come across as the voice of reason at the expense of other posters.

 

[dazaau]

Not even close.

Is this why Remco starts so many small stage races with low competition? Because to not win is seen as a failure?

According to the lantern rouge Remco put in the best climbing performance of the year in the tour of Norway, buy why don't we see him at the criterium de dauphine, Tirreno - no one is watching the tour of Norway during the giro

 

[Big Doopie]

Is this why Remco starts so many small stage races with low competition? Because to not win is seen as a failure?

According to the lantern rouge Remco put in the best climbing performance of the year in the tour of Norway, buy why don't we see him at the criterium de dauphine, Tirreno - no one is watching the tour of Norway during the giro

how would we see him at the dauphine during the giro...? I am confused.

how many race days has he done compared to others...? Seems like a lot. He has done two of the hardest world tour stage races and is about to do another... (?)

itzulia (the hardest one-week stage race in the season) was already a huge step up considering his weight and fitness at that time. and he was by far the rider who animated the most attacking and excitement.

he is going to the TDS and therefore cannot go to Dauphine...(?) Again, I am confused about what exactly your issue is...?

the TDS is arguably more difficult than Dauphine. and the competition (other than jumbo) appears to also be much harder.

other than pog, who exactly in your mind has been more successful in the entirety of the races they have done this year...? One could perhaps point to Vlasov for consistency. But what has he actually won...Valenciana in freaking February...!?

and btw, side-note: many, many fans preferred Norway this year over watching the most boring giro ever. lol. at least there was exciting, attacking riding.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Is this why Remco starts so many small stage races with low competition? Because to not win is seen as a failure?

According to the lantern rouge Remco put in the best climbing performance of the year in the tour of Norway, buy why don't we see him at the criterium de dauphine, Tirreno - no one is watching the tour of Norway during the giro

He rides the Tour de Suisse instead of Dauphiné since he isn't riding the Tour but going to the Vuelta. The reason he has done so many small races, is because that was the plan in 2019-2020, due to his age when he became a pro right after leaving the juniors. The team made a schedule with many small races leading up to the 2020 Giro. But then Covid happened and the season got reshuffled and he crashed out during Lombardia before the Giro. He came back too soon and wasn't ready for the 2021 Giro, so the team let him ride smaller races again to slowly get him back to his best form. This year he has done Tirreno (11th), Itzulia (4th) and Liège (1st) already, which aren't exactly small races.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

His 2021 schedule was a disaster and had he done a better schedule last year his 2022 plan might have looked different. However, taking 2021 into consideration, I think his 2022 schedule has been very good.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

His 2021 schedule was a disaster and had he done a better schedule last year his 2022 plan might have looked different. However, taking 2021 into consideration, I think his 2022 schedule has been very good.

It was a disaster because his winter prep was a disaster and he didn't get to race before the Giro. After that there were the Olympics, which again had to be shoehorned into the schedule.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

It was a disaster because his winter prep was a disaster and he didn't get to race before the Giro. After that there were the Olympics, which again had to be shoehorned into the schedule.

Well, yes of course. But it was a disaster to do the Giro. He should have done some one day and one week races instead. Algarve and Andalucia would have been so much better.

 

[GuntherL1]

Even more important than his excellent performances in Norway, is his increasing level of maturity. The team has done a good job there recently and it looks like there was some internal criticism. I already had the feeling that they put him on a leash during his appearance in Extra Time Koers after LBL.
If he can add calm and tactical awareness to his exceptional talent, he'll become a formidable force and we won't have to suffer through the reckless and unproductive behaviour we saw during the European road race in 2021 and Brabantse Pijl recently.

I am curious though how he's going to handle the World Championships in Australia if he completes the Vuelta at full throttle. We've seen that it's extremely hard to add top performances at the TT and RR after a GT. He may have to compromise.

 

[dutchdescent]

It will only be a matter of time before he starts throwing tantrums again. Smooth sailing atm, but bad luck, stiffer competition will be the true test if the ‘new Remco’ is here to stay or not.

 

[Zoef-Lightning]

Is this why Remco starts so many small stage races with low competition? Because to not win is seen as a failure?

According to the lantern rouge Remco put in the best climbing performance of the year in the tour of Norway, buy why don't we see him at the criterium de dauphine, Tirreno - no one is watching the tour of Norway during the giro

He is not riding the Dauphiné because he's not riding the Tour. In addition, he has more time to recover from Norway not starting in the Dauphiné, but only to start in Switzerland on June 12th.
Your comment makes no sense. This year, the Tour of Switzerland is more difficult and has a stronger field of participants. Not a single flat ride, unlike in the Dauphiné. And the mountains and climbs are longer and higher.

 

[dazaau]

He rides the Tour de Suisse instead of Dauphiné since he isn't riding the Tour but going to the Vuelta. The reason he has done so many small races, is because that was the plan in 2019-2020, due to his age when he became a pro right after leaving the juniors. The team made a schedule with many small races leading up to the 2020 Giro. But then Covid happened and the season got reshuffled and he crashed out during Lombardia before the Giro. He came back too soon and wasn't ready for the 2021 Giro, so the team let him ride smaller races again to slowly get him back to his best form. This year he has done Tirreno (11th), Itzulia (4th) and Liège (1st) already, which aren't exactly small races.

Sweet, glad to hear he is doing Swiss. Leige was very impressive. I was wondering if it really was all hype, but that was a very strong performance. I'm sure it did him a world of good to get a big win in after a tough return following that crash. Look forward to seeing him climb when in form.

The vuelta is going to be one heck of a field the way it's going.

 

[GuntherL1]

It will only be a matter of time before he starts throwing tantrums again. Smooth sailing atm, but bad luck, stiffer competition will be the true test if the ‘new Remco’ is here to stay or not.

I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. People evolve.

 

[Berflamand]

For those who remember his Brabantse Pijl and more specifically his struggling on the cobbles of the Hertstraat:

He just uploaded a Strava training ride where he said he did the Hertstraat x5 and completed it fully in the gutter.

Training on his weaknesses combined with a bit of self-mockery it seems.

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

For those who remember his Brabantse Pijl and more specifically his struggling on the cobbles of the Hertstraat:

He just uploaded a Strava training ride where he said he did the Hertstraat x5 and completed it fully in the gutter.

Training on his weaknesses combined with a bit of self-mockery it seems.

He knows he's going to ride RvV and Roubaix later in his career. Not to mention that Belgian racers should know how to ride cobbles.

 

[Bonimenier]

He knows he's going to ride RvV and Roubaix later in his career. Not to mention that Belgian racers should know how to ride cobbles.

He was actually trying not to ride the cobbles on that ride.

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

He was actually trying not to ride the cobbles on that ride.

Certainly, which is the only way to ride Hertstraat. The problem with Remco on cobbles that I've seen is that he doesn't take the easy route and tries to power through them.

Given his TT abilities and his ability to pull away on flat slightly hilly surfaces, if he gets the techniques down doesn't try to overpower the cobbles he's cables of winning RvV and even more so Roubaix.

 

[Oldermanish]

He knows he's going to ride RvV and Roubaix later in his career. Not to mention that Belgian racers should know how to ride cobbles.

Being Belgian would only mean a rider should know how they could ride cobbles. Being good at cobbles is as much a product of physical attributes as experience. Quintana actually handled cobbles well but I doubt he'd make a career of it.

 

[spalco]

Certainly, which is the only way to ride Hertstraat. The problem with Remco on cobbles that I've seen is that he doesn't take the easy route and tries to power through them.

Given his TT abilities and his ability to pull away on flat slightly hilly surfaces, if he gets the techniques down doesn't try to overpower the cobbles he's cables of winning RvV and even more so Roubaix.

Remco would be the lightest winner of Roubaix in a long time (Hinault I think), but otherwise the race should be perfect for his racing style, yeah.

 

[Oldermanish]

Remco would be the lightest winner of Roubaix in a long time (Hinault I think), but otherwise the race should be perfect for his racing style, yeah.

Hinault's angry style of riding made him heavier than he actually was. He's Le Blaireau for a reason and we may never see another. Time has changed racing since then.

 

[Big Doopie]

Remco would be the lightest winner of Roubaix in a long time (Hinault I think), but otherwise the race should be perfect for his racing style, yeah.

Hinault's angry style of riding made him heavier than he actually was. He's Le Blaireau for a reason and we may never see another. Time has changed racing since then.

and yet i have always said that if there is one rider he reminds me of, it is le blaireau.

attitude.

hargne.

riding quality.

the only thing i didn't think he had was hinault's sprint... but recent successes may suggest at least the ability to be the most powerful at the end of a tough race.

 

[memyselfandI]

Mkay, I'll leave Tom Dumoulin out of that list I posted earlier over there. For now. For as long as he's rested and ready for the comeback, no?