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

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Logic-is-your-friend

Logic-is-your-friend

Jun 7, 2011
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hayneplane said:
My point was purely about them all racing to win every time. Nothing else.
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Yes, i understand. But surely understand that racing like that is easier to keep up on a less busy schedule.

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

At least I hope not.
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I don't think 68 racedays is light in any case. Regardless of how you feel about Pog's or Van Aert's schedule.
 
S

Salvarani

Oct 15, 2017
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hayneplane said:
My point was purely about them all racing to win every time. Nothing else.
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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.
 
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Extinction

Extinction

Jan 8, 2020
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hayneplane said:
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.
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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.
 
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H

hayneplane

Sep 4, 2017
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Salvarani said:
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.
Click to expand...
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.
 
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Berniece

Berniece

Sep 12, 2022
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tobydawq said:
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.
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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
 
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B

Bolder

Jun 25, 2015
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tobydawq said:
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.
Click to expand...

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...
 
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Andre

Andre

Feb 1, 2020
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Bolder said:
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...
Click to expand...
"timing the housing market is not that di
Bolder said:
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...
Click to expand...
"timing the housing market" is not that difficult...at least I haven't found it so.
 
tobydawq

tobydawq

Nov 16, 2013
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Berniece said:
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
Click to expand...

He is so good that he has to try to win the Tour. Plus he is the World Champion.
 
DNP-Old

DNP-Old

Aug 6, 2014
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Andre said:
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?
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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.
 
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Andre

Andre

Feb 1, 2020
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DNP-Old said:
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.
Click to expand...
I think Knox also said he was all in to help Remco in 23.
 
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red_flanders

red_flanders

Apr 3, 2009
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Bolder said:
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...
Click to expand...
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.
 
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Eddy Evenepoel

Eddy Evenepoel

Aug 31, 2019
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DNP-Old said:
Remco, Hirt, Asgreen, Lampaert, Bagioli / Ballero, Serry, Van Wilder, Vervaeke.
Click to expand...
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.
 
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