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

[IndianCyclist]

Plus the “elder” rider of the GC contending trio is only 25, we got ourselves an absolutely golden era coming up for cycling.

and while they look at each other, Carapaz can steal the wins

 

[memyselfandI]

There is a good and widish pool of these young athletes and older young athletes now. Let's just hope that UCI and ASO and RCS and all can put it nice. The way that it's not just lotsa tt GT or not at all tt GT, but balanced where multiple teams per race can smell the blood easily in different scenarios, that produces great racing.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

and while they look at each other, Carapaz can steal the wins

I'm afraid Carapaz isn't going to be doing a lot of stealing anymore. Or at least not TDF wins.

 

[DNP-Old]

“Vanaf nu één missie: de Tour winnen”, maar Kristallen Fiets-favoriet Remco Evenepoel hint in dubbelgesprek met Dirk De Wolf wel naar Giro 2023 als tussenstap

Monument, grote ronde, wereldtitel. Remco Evenepoel (22) heeft zijn eerste carrièredoelen bereikt. In een exclusief dubbelgesprek met onze allereerste laureaat, Dirk De Wolf, blikt de Kristallen Fiets-favoriet ambitieus vooruit op zijn toekomst. “Tot dusver oogt de Ronde van Italië van 2023 zeer...

www.hln.be

Good, good.

 

[Wvv]

“Vanaf nu één missie: de Tour winnen”, maar Kristallen Fiets-favoriet Remco Evenepoel hint in dubbelgesprek met Dirk De Wolf wel naar Giro 2023 als tussenstap

Monument, grote ronde, wereldtitel. Remco Evenepoel (22) heeft zijn eerste carrièredoelen bereikt. In een exclusief dubbelgesprek met onze allereerste laureaat, Dirk De Wolf, blikt de Kristallen Fiets-favoriet ambitieus vooruit op zijn toekomst. “Tot dusver oogt de Ronde van Italië van 2023 zeer...

www.hln.be

Good, good.

Can someone share the full article, please?

 

[Big Doopie]

Can someone share the full article, please?

and my Flemish is elementary and rusty. So a summary from a native speaker would be appreciated. Tx.

 

[steffr222]

“Vanaf nu één missie: de Tour winnen”, maar Kristallen Fiets-favoriet Remco Evenepoel hint in dubbelgesprek met Dirk De Wolf wel naar Giro 2023 als tussenstap

Monument, grote ronde, wereldtitel. Remco Evenepoel (22) heeft zijn eerste carrièredoelen bereikt. In een exclusief dubbelgesprek met onze allereerste laureaat, Dirk De Wolf, blikt de Kristallen Fiets-favoriet ambitieus vooruit op zijn toekomst. “Tot dusver oogt de Ronde van Italië van 2023 zeer...

www.hln.be

Good, good.

So it‘s going to be the Giro. Sticking to the plans, good move.
Love the last sentence - he regrets not having ridden MSR. Guess he‘s going for full Italian mode then next season. MSR, Giro, Lombardia.

 

[tobydawq]

I don't get why people think it's a good decision to not go to the Tour.

His time is now.

 

[KZD]

I don't get why people think it's a good decision to not go to the Tour.

His time is now.

Exactly it will be his fifth pro season and unlike the Giro, he never rode the Tour and given that he is the World Champion is expected of him to be there (I know he lost a season but still my point stands). Besides that, going to the Tour would enable him to prepare better for the Ardennes classics during the season. By choosing the Giro some people will say that he goes there because he knows that he has no chance against Pogacar and Vingegard in the Tour. At the very least he should expect for the Tour route to be announced in order to make a final decision.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Every choice top riders to that diminish the “Le Tour is really the only thing that matters in the world of cycling”-view is good.

Remco going for 3 of 5 Monuments, Giro and to defend his WC jersey. Cant get any better.

 

[steffr222]

Every choice top riders to that diminish the “Le Tour is really the only thing that matters in the world of cycling”-view is good.

Remco going for 3 of 5 Monuments, Giro and to defend his WC jersey. Cant get any better.

Exactly.

 

[Extinction]

I wish he would do the Giro AND the Tour, the latter for "experience." He could enter the Tour, his first, without pressure that way. I realize this goes against conventional wisdom, but recall that guys used to do the double and perform well. Remco was good after the Vuelta, so we know he can hold form for a long time. And if he gets too tired he can abandon or just hunt stages. Whereas if he actually did well, it could establish a precedent for doing the Giro-Tour combo in the years to come, which would be a great return to the past.

 

[tobydawq]

I wish he would do the Giro AND the Tour, the latter for "experience." He could enter the Tour, his first, without pressure that way. I realize this goes against common wisdom, but recall that guys used to do the double and perform well. Remco was good after the Vuelta, so we know he can hold form for a long time. And if he gets too tired he can abandon or just hunt stages. Whereas if he actually did well, it could establish a precedent of doing the Giro-Tour combo in the years to come, which would be a great return to the past.

I think this is an interesting proposition and I think he is the man to do it. I don't think QuickStep are the team to permit it, unfortunately.

 

[Gigs_98]

I wish he would do the Giro AND the Tour, the latter for "experience." He could enter the Tour, his first, without pressure that way. I realize this goes against common wisdom, but recall that guys used to do the double and perform well. Remco was good after the Vuelta, so we know he can hold form for a long time. And if he gets too tired he can abandon or just hunt stages. Whereas if he actually did well, it could establish a precedent of doing the Giro-Tour combo in the years to come, which would be a great return to the past.

I think you are underestimating the pressure he would be put under if he were to go to the Tour. It doesn't matter whether he himself expects to fight for the win, the media will expect it, and if he doesn't perform well that will be framed as a disappointment. It's always like that. People always started to hype up Nibali when he showed any glimpse of form at the Tour after riding the Giro and that was despite Nibali being notoriously bad at races he didn't peak for.

If Remco wants to put himself out of the spotlight, riding the Tour, but not going for the gc, is not the way to do so.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

At the very least he should expect for the Tour route to be announced in order to make a final decision.

I've got a feeling those guys will know long before us, or the official press release, what to expect from the route.

 

[Extinction]

I think you are underestimating the pressure he would be put under if he were to go to the Tour. It doesn't matter whether he himself expects to fight for the win, the media will expect it, and if he doesn't perform well that will be framed as a disappointment. It's always like that. People always started to hype up Nibali when he showed any glimpse of form at the Tour after riding the Giro and that was despite Nibali being notoriously bad at races he didn't peak for.

If Remco wants to put himself out of the spotlight, riding the Tour, but not going for the gc, is not the way to do so.

I don't know. Remco seems to have the talent to try. The media can't see as a failure what he does not declare as GC intentions and does not specifically prepare for in the best way. Surely the media is well aware that if your sole GT focus isn't the Tour going into it, then, as recent history has demonstrated, it is unlikely you place high overall in the French race. It, the media, can't change that for Remco's sake. But the team and the Tour would benefit with Evenepoel at the race. I don't see going to the Tour without pressure as trying to be put out of the spotlight. Rather I view it as simply that, namely just talking the pressure off, which might even allow him to perform beyond expectations. Because, when you think about it, if the first time he goes to the Tour it's to win, well then the pressure will be an incredible burden, which may impact him negatively. Plus going to the Tour without declared ambitions allows him to see the level so that he knows the form he must reach to win it another time. Although, again, Remco has repeatedly surprised so far and he should be much stronger next year, so I don't see the harm in it. I'd even dare say it's a non-losing scenario, whereas going all-in for his first Tour and not winning would be an undeniable defeat.

 

[Oldermanish]

I wish he would do the Giro AND the Tour, the latter for "experience." He could enter the Tour, his first, without pressure that way. I realize this goes against common wisdom, but recall that guys used to do the double and perform well. Remco was good after the Vuelta, so we know he can hold form for a long time. And if he gets too tired he can abandon or just hunt stages. Whereas if he actually did well, it could establish a precedent for doing the Giro-Tour combo in the years to come, which would be a great return to the past.

In that Golden Era you also had a few that would do all 3 tours. They had some dedicated and medicated riders back then, too.
It is a good training and experience bloc to do the Giro and start the Tour with a definite and disclosed early departure date. Getting super-fatigued can compromise more than one season if a young rider isn't careful. Having a plan would allow Remco to see the difference in media pressure and intensity with a mandated exit strategy. The press would, hopefully, cut him enough slack to take it all in and enjoy it.

 

[Gigs_98]

I don't know. Remco seems to have the talent to try. The media can't see as a failure what he does not declare as GC intentions and does not specifically prepare for in the best way. Surely the media is well aware that if your sole GT focus isn't the Tour going into it, then, as recent history has demonstrated, it is unlikely you place high overall in the French race. It, the media, can't change that for Remco's sake. But the team and the Tour would benefit with Evenepoel at the race. I don't see going to the Tour without pressure as trying to be put out of the spotlight. Rather I view it as simply that, namely just talking the pressure off, which might even allow him to perform beyond expectations. Because, when you think about it, if the first time he goes to the Tour it's to win, well then the pressure will be an incredible burden, which may impact him negatively. Plus going to the Tour without declared ambitions allows him to see the level so that he knows the form he must reach to win it another time. Although, again, Remco has repeatedly surprised so far and he should be much stronger next year, so I don't see the harm in it. I'd even dare say it's a non-losing scenario, whereas going all-in for his first Tour and not winning would be an undeniable defeat.

You are acting like the media is a rationally thinking person, not the machine, trying to generate as many clicks as possible, it really is.

 

[Red Rick]

Giro-Tour is the dumbest thing you can do.

You also can not frame going to the Giro as some form of "not only peaking for the Tour" because the Tour fits in a season with spring and fall classics better.

There's 2 reasons to do the Giro over the Tour.

1. You want to do Giro-Vuelta.
2. You estimate the odds of winning the Giro are far greater than winning the Tour.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Giro-Tour is the dumbest thing you can do.

You also can not frame going to the Giro as some form of "not only peaking for the Tour" because the Tour fits in a season with spring and fall classics better.

There's 2 reasons to do the Giro over the Tour.

1. You want to do Giro-Vuelta.
2. You estimate the odds of winning the Giro are far greater than winning the Tour.

It's not the former. Merlier is racing the Vuelta, supposedly.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

When's he going to do the grandest tour of all, Flanders?

 

[red_flanders]

It's not the former. Merlier is racing the Vuelta, supposedly.

Can't believe they're going to give Merlier leadership for the Vuelta. I mean, if no Remco, not sure what the other options are, but he's not performed well enough to deserve it.

 

[Red Rick]

Can't believe they're going to give Merlier leadership for the Vuelta. I mean, if no Remco, not sure what the other options are, but he's not performed well enough to deserve it.

Merlier is honestly a WTF signing if you're sitting on Evenepoel and Jakobsen.

 

[houtdffan]

Can Merlier do donkey duty on the flats or something? No clue why he was signed

 

[proffate]

Can't believe they're going to give Merlier leadership for the Vuelta. I mean, if no Remco, not sure what the other options are, but he's not performed well enough to deserve it.

Lefevere can turn almost any sprinter into a winner and even moreso at the vuelta where the level is lowish