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

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Yeah hope we will get highlights of the Belgian nats on British Eurosport. I think they often show the French and Spanish road races as highlights after covering the British race live.

In terms of the TDF he is way too raw still in terms of bike handling and peloton riding to come through the first week of a grand tour without being caught up in multiple crashes.
 
Re: Re:

Red Rick said:
Logic-is-your-friend said:
LesDiablesRouges said:
It’s too bad that we can’t see him in the TDF this year.
Not sure if serious.
Would Vuelta be in the cards next year?

It would be a likely choice as it is the most relaxed Grand Tour and the roads are usually wider and less cluttered with street furniture.

Also the Vuelta is by far the most common GT for riders to debut in at 3 week level probably at least half of riders maiden grand tour would be the Vuelta. By the end of next you could feasibly see him winning a breakaway stage in the Vuelta by going long and distancing his companions as in a group of any size you would not fancy his finishing kick which will always hold back his win tally compared to an Alaphilippe type.
 
Re: Re:

hayneplane said:
Red Rick said:
Logic-is-your-friend said:
LesDiablesRouges said:
It’s too bad that we can’t see him in the TDF this year.
Not sure if serious.
Would Vuelta be in the cards next year?

It would be a likely choice as it is the most relaxed Grand Tour and the roads are usually wider and less cluttered with street furniture.

Also the Vuelta is by far the most common GT for riders to debut in at 3 week level probably at least half of riders maiden grand tour would be the Vuelta. By the end of next you could feasibly see him winning a breakaway stage in the Vuelta by going long and distancing his companions as in a group of any size you would not fancy his finishing kick which will always hold back his win tally compared to an Alaphilippe type.

Next year is too early probably. I'd like to see him in 1-week races like the Tour of California, Dauphiné or Paris-Nice and 1-day races like Flèche Wallonne. Vuelta or Giro in 2021. TdF in 2022.
 
Why on earth wait until 2022 with the Tour?

That was the same age Sagan debuted in the Tour and he absolutely smashed it. It seems like Evenepoel is even a little bit better than Sagan, so he can surely get his Tour debut in 2021 if not already next year. He is so strong that his low number of years lived should have no influence at all. The only problem I can think of in that regard is that the very stressful nature of the Tour might be difficult for him to handle with his limited technical abilities but he has to go there sooner than later and one and a half year in the pro peloton should be enough for gathering experience.
 
Re: Re:

GuntherL said:
hayneplane said:
Red Rick said:
Logic-is-your-friend said:
LesDiablesRouges said:
It’s too bad that we can’t see him in the TDF this year.
Not sure if serious.
Would Vuelta be in the cards next year?

It would be a likely choice as it is the most relaxed Grand Tour and the roads are usually wider and less cluttered with street furniture.

Also the Vuelta is by far the most common GT for riders to debut in at 3 week level probably at least half of riders maiden grand tour would be the Vuelta. By the end of next you could feasibly see him winning a breakaway stage in the Vuelta by going long and distancing his companions as in a group of any size you would not fancy his finishing kick which will always hold back his win tally compared to an Alaphilippe type.

Next year is too early probably. I'd like to see him in 1-week races like the Tour of California, Dauphiné or Paris-Nice and 1-day races like Flèche Wallonne. Vuelta or Giro in 2021. TdF in 2022.

The one week plan is good but Flèche Wallone would be a waste as he does not have the punchier skills to contest top 5 there. No reason in my mind why a grand tour is unreasonable as I would only plan for him riding 10-11 stages and abandoning halfway through the second week. It’s not like he would be expected to ride it with GC ambitions
 
I think he is mature enough to race the Vuelta next year and if the experience goes well the Tour in 2021. Sivakov for example, started the Vuelta last year when he had barely completed 21 and Evenepoel has probably more potential than him.
I really don't understand why should he wait 3 years before starting a GT.
 
Re: Re:

Logic-is-your-friend said:
LesDiablesRouges said:
It’s too bad that we can’t see him in the TDF this year.
Not sure if serious.

Completely understand his endurance isn’t there yet along the experience etc. It’s more of a lament that we don’t get to see what would happen. Under no delusion that he wouldn’t struggle terribly. It would just be fascinating to see.
 
Re: Re:

LesDiablesRouges said:
Logic-is-your-friend said:
LesDiablesRouges said:
It’s too bad that we can’t see him in the TDF this year.
Not sure if serious.

Completely understand his endurance isn’t there yet along the experience etc. It’s more of a lament that we don’t get to see what would happen. Under no delusion that he wouldn’t struggle terribly. It would just be fascinating to see.
I can understand that. But he's said himself, that he is not fully grown physically. I assume (since he's not a doctor) that he got that from team doctors/coaches. That's one of the reasons why he doesn't want to start losing weight. He wants to be sure that he won't endanger his natural growth, before doing GT's.
 
Re:

KZD said:
I think he is mature enough to race the Vuelta next year and if the experience goes well the Tour in 2021. Sivakov for example, started the Vuelta last year when he had barely completed 21 and Evenepoel has probably more potential than him.
I really don't understand why should he wait 3 years before starting a GT.

We have no indication that he's mature to ride a GT. He wasn't good in Romandie. I'd like to see him perform in Paris-Nice or Tirreno where the betters are preparing for Milan-San Remo. Later that year a Dauphiné or Tour of Switzerland. If he shines there, you might sign him up for a Giro instead of a Vuelta in 2021. Even Merckx rode his first GT when he was almost 22.
 
He said he's still not sure if he's riding the WC ITT with the pro's or the U23. He says (if he has a choice) he'd rather not ride with the U23, because he doesn't want to take the spot of a "true" U23 (like Ilan Van Wilder).

National coach Verbrugghe wants to wait for the national championships, but is considering to take Remco to the Euro Championship ITT.
 
Re:

Logic-is-your-friend said:
He said he's still not sure if he's riding the WC ITT with the pro's or the U23. He says (if he has a choice) he'd rather not ride with the U23, because he doesn't want to take the spot of a "true" U23 (like Ilan Van Wilder).

National coach Verbrugghe wants to wait for the national championships, but is considering to take Remco to the Euro Championship ITT.
Worlds ITT should be cool.
 
Re: Re:

Red Rick said:
Logic-is-your-friend said:
He said he's still not sure if he's riding the WC ITT with the pro's or the U23. He says (if he has a choice) he'd rather not ride with the U23, because he doesn't want to take the spot of a "true" U23 (like Ilan Van Wilder).

National coach Verbrugghe wants to wait for the national championships, but is considering to take Remco to the Euro Championship ITT.
Worlds ITT should be cool.
If he gets selected. I'm not sure he is with the best 2 of Belgium yet.

The Belgian ITT champs will be a big selection. He's lucky Van Aert isn't doing WC ITT... Campenaerts is stronger (normally), then V Aert as well but he isn't riding. Then there's De Gendt, Wellens, Lampaert who can all decently TT..
 
Re: Re:

Dekker_Tifosi said:
Red Rick said:
Logic-is-your-friend said:
He said he's still not sure if he's riding the WC ITT with the pro's or the U23. He says (if he has a choice) he'd rather not ride with the U23, because he doesn't want to take the spot of a "true" U23 (like Ilan Van Wilder).

National coach Verbrugghe wants to wait for the national championships, but is considering to take Remco to the Euro Championship ITT.
Worlds ITT should be cool.
If he gets selected. I'm not sure he is with the best 2 of Belgium yet.

The Belgian ITT champs will be a big selection. He's lucky Van Aert isn't doing WC ITT... Campenaerts is stronger (normally), then V Aert as well but he isn't riding. Then there's De Gendt, Wellens, Lampaert who can all decently TT..

On a long (50k) course, he has no point of reference. I also think Lampaert would be above him in the pecking order. You're also forgetting De Plus (who is a better ITTer than Wellens still). I don't think these guys will just hand him their spot, knowing he could do the U23 race instead.

Lexman said:
his future race program has to be set yet, except for the nationals, but normally he wo'nt ride any other WT race this year anymore...

I don't think he's raced too much this year. He even crashed out of the UAE tour early on. I really hope his season isn't over yet. Especially since he will not be riding l'Avenir either.
 
https://sporza.be/nl/2019/06/15/lodewyck-en-de-weert-over-evenepoel/
Editted google translate:

"Even though Evenepoel is shining, the first two years remain a learning experience"

Remco Evenepoel amazed a lot of people again in the Baloise Belgium Tour. (img)

Remco Evenepoel has shown all his qualities in recent days in the Baloise Belgium Tour. Praises were sung like never before. "Let us enjoy what he can do", says Klaas Lodewyck, his team boss at Deceuninck-Quick Step.

Lodewyck: "Exceptional, but remain down to earth"

Evenepoel seized power in the 2nd stage to Zottegem, which he won solo in an impressive way. He confirmed in the time trial on Friday and in the Ardennes hills on Saturday the 19-year-old super talent did not falter when Wellens and Campenaerts attacked him. Yesterday his leader's jersey was never in danger.

Team boss Lodewyck saw how Evenepoel controlled the queen stage on Saturday: "He did everything he had to do," says the former rider to Sporza.

"When Wellens started, Remco knew he had to find his own pace. He let him ride away for 10 seconds, closed the gap carefully again, let him struggle for a moment and then took control of the race himself."

"Whether Remco is someone who talks a lot during the race? No. He said maybe 3 or 4 times in the ear:" Good job, guys, I'm proud of you! "." With Capecchi and Keisse in the team, among other things, there was sufficient experience to assist him. "

"In the time trial he finished fourth, but it felt like a victory. At that age (19) we can only be satisfied. We have always protected him well with the team and have brought him gradually. De Baloise Belgium Tour was a goal for him. If you see where he is already, you know he's doing well. "

"Everyone has already had patience with Remco and will also have to be patient in the future. Even though he is shining, the first 2 years remain a learning experience. But that's the nice thing about it. What he does is exceptional, but it is it is important that he stays down to earth. Let us enjoy what he 's showing so far. "

De Weert (Lotto-Soudal): "He confirms what we expected of him"

Kevin De Weert saw his pupil Victor Campenaerts win in the Ardennes, but the performance manager of Lotto-Soudal could not ignore an "astonishing" Evenepoel. The former coach sees the confirmation of what he already expected of the young talent.

"We have seen an astonishing Evenepoel in recent days. Ever since the Hammer Series in Limburg he has shown himself to the pro peloton, even though he has shown nice things before. I knew him before he became a cyclist. He was part of the climbing project and I have been able to follow his entire evolution ", continues De Weert.

"He is a very pleasant boy with his feet firmly on the ground. Although there is no one else who can do this at the age of 19. Last year he became European champion on the road with a 10-minute lead, he became world champion and took the European and world title in time trial, so he confirms what we expected of him. "

The question now is: what are the following goals for Evenepoel and where does this all go? "I think they should guide him well. But they are already doing very well at Deceuninck-Quick Step. He is very well surrounded with people like Vanmol. Let him grow quietly and we'll see where it takes him, "says De Weert.

Evenepoel takes the blue leader's sweater home. (img)