• The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

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

Page 527 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.

Should we change the thread title?


  • Total voters
    111
My point was purely about them all racing to win every time. Nothing else.
Yes, i understand. But surely understand that racing like that is easier to keep up on a less busy schedule.

Van Aert and Pogacar having ridiculously light schedules should perhaps not be the benchmark.

At least I hope not.
I don't think 68 racedays is light in any case. Regardless of how you feel about Pog's or Van Aert's schedule.
 
My point was purely about them all racing to win every time. Nothing else.

Mostly it was races, that a lot riders target, with strong fields. Big efforts every time.

Pog raced three monuments and probably would have raced four, if not because of a family situation. Many other one-day races where he also raced to win. SB,
Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal and Tre Valli Varesine.

Not many races that was just for "preparation", where he was visibly not in form or riding for the win. Like you said, raced to win every time.
 
So do Wout and Pogacar. It’s all a long way from the days of Nibali etc riding around building themselves into form. For the current generation of superstars every day they pin on a race number they treat it as a chance to win. Great attitude.
Yea, but it takes the really big, big, big talents to be good all year long. So it's not a long way from Nibali, but that Nibali was a long way from these guys.
 
  • Like
Reactions: hayneplane
Mostly it was races, that a lot riders target, with strong fields. Big efforts every time.

Pog raced three monuments and probably would have raced four, if not because of a family situation. Many other one-day races where he also raced to win. SB,
Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal and Tre Valli Varesine.

Not many races that was just for "preparation", where he was visibly not in form or riding for the win. Like you said, raced to win every time.
The only one he was truly off was San Sebastián when he just didn’t have it after the mental and physical toll of the tour and his cyclotourism following the Tour de France femmes like a fan backing his fiancée.
 
What if he doesn't win the Giro? Then he will have to try again in 2024? Or regress to Vuelta 2024, then Giro 2025, then Tour 2026, provided he won the 2025 Giro?

I will never understand this decision.
What don't you understand about his decision?
  1. He wants to win all GT's
  2. Giro is made for him this year with ~70km TT
  3. Giro after Vuelta is a good next step to not immediately jump in the highlight which is the Tour
  4. His team isn't good enough compared to UAE and JV in the Tour, which will already put him behind Pogacar/Vingegaard
 
What if he doesn't win the Giro? Then he will have to try again in 2024? Or regress to Vuelta 2024, then Giro 2025, then Tour 2026, provided he won the 2025 Giro?

I will never understand this decision.

I understand it, but I don't agree with it. Remco may never be in better shape to try the TdF. He had a thermonuclear season in '22 that far surpassed my expectations -- in fact he had more big wins in a season than 99.9% of pros have in a career (A monument, a GT and a WC -- you gotta be kidding!). So go for the big prize while you're in peak condition. Anything can happen in sport at any time.

I guess you could argue "ITT kms" in the Giro, but waiting for the perfect course in the Tour is like trying to time the housing market.

Did Tadej Pogacar go the Giro after he podiumed the Vuelta? No sir, he did not...
 
I understand it, but I don't agree with it. Remco may never be in better shape to try the TdF. He had a thermonuclear season in '22 that far surpassed my expectations -- in fact he had more big wins in a season than 99.9% of pros have in a career (A monument, a GT and a WC -- you gotta be kidding!). So go for the big prize while you're in peak condition. Anything can happen in sport at any time.

I guess you could argue "ITT kms" in the Giro, but waiting for the perfect course in the Tour is like trying to time the housing market.

Did Tadej Pogacar go the Giro after he podiumed the Vuelta? No sir, he did not...
"timing the housing market is not that di
I understand it, but I don't agree with it. Remco may never be in better shape to try the TdF. He had a thermonuclear season in '22 that far surpassed my expectations -- in fact he had more big wins in a season than 99.9% of pros have in a career (A monument, a GT and a WC -- you gotta be kidding!). So go for the big prize while you're in peak condition. Anything can happen in sport at any time.

I guess you could argue "ITT kms" in the Giro, but waiting for the perfect course in the Tour is like trying to time the housing market.

Did Tadej Pogacar go the Giro after he podiumed the Vuelta? No sir, he did not...
"timing the housing market" is not that difficult...at least I haven't found it so.
 
What don't you understand about his decision?
  1. He wants to win all GT's
  2. Giro is made for him this year with ~70km TT
  3. Giro after Vuelta is a good next step to not immediately jump in the highlight which is the Tour
  4. His team isn't good enough compared to UAE and JV in the Tour, which will already put him behind Pogacar/Vingegaard

He is so good that he has to try to win the Tour. Plus he is the World Champion.
 
What would be the perfect combination of QS riders to help Remco win Il Giro? Knox, Asgreen, Van Wilder, Serry, Vervaeke, Masnada, Lampaert. Is this a good lineup?
Question is whether QuickStep and/or the riders (Lampaert, Asgreen e.g.) are willing to sacrifice their spring for the Giro. They should if you ask me, but it remains an issue that's on the table. That being said, they got Hirt specifically for Remco, so he's 100% in barring injury or bad form.

Remco, Hirt, Asgreen, Lampaert, Bagioli / Ballero, Serry, Van Wilder, Vervaeke.
 
  • Like
  • Wow
Reactions: Sandisfan and Andre
Question is whether QuickStep and/or the riders (Lampaert, Asgreen e.g.) are willing to sacrifice their spring for the Giro. They should if you ask me, but it remains an issue that's on the table. That being said, they got Hirt specifically for Remco, so he's 100% in barring injury or bad form.

Remco, Hirt, Asgreen, Lampaert, Bagioli / Ballero, Serry, Van Wilder, Vervaeke.
I think Knox also said he was all in to help Remco in 23.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
I understand it, but I don't agree with it. Remco may never be in better shape to try the TdF. He had a thermonuclear season in '22 that far surpassed my expectations -- in fact he had more big wins in a season than 99.9% of pros have in a career (A monument, a GT and a WC -- you gotta be kidding!). So go for the big prize while you're in peak condition. Anything can happen in sport at any time.

I guess you could argue "ITT kms" in the Giro, but waiting for the perfect course in the Tour is like trying to time the housing market.

Did Tadej Pogacar go the Giro after he podiumed the Vuelta? No sir, he did not...
The decision has a lot to do with the team. Level of support, commitments made to other riders, etc. they never planned to go to the Tour in 2023. His incredible season opened up the question, but the course seems to have convinced them to stay on plan.
 
Remco, Hirt, Asgreen, Lampaert, Bagioli / Ballero, Serry, Van Wilder, Vervaeke.
I would guess neither Lampaert or Asgreen.

I think I would pick:
Remco, Hirt, Masnada, Serry, Vervaeke, Van Wilder, Cavagna and Cerny.
Cattaneo, Knox and Bagioli could be candidates, but I think I’d pick these 8 and then Ala, Jakobsen, Mørkøv, Asgreen, Lampaert, Cattaneo, Devenyns and Declerq to the Tour.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan

TRENDING THREADS