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

[KZD]

Spring
For Pogacar UAE Tour and Strade weren't that impressive when you take the competition into account. Tirreno was though, he was amazing there.
In case of WVA, he was basically the best in every cobbled race he started in. He won Omloop, and E3. Single handedly got the Paris-Nice victory for Roglic and finished it off with a 2nd place in Roubaix and 3rd place in LBL.

TDF
How did WVA not have a better Tour than Pogacar? Not only did he win the green jersey, the first stage he won was amazing, and he outclassed the whole peloton with that 10km solo towards the finish. And after he basically won the green jersey, he was the best uphill help for Vingegaard, and for a moment made Pogacar crack on the Hautacam. Knowing how much WVA weighs, that's pretty impressive.

Well the if the competition at Strade and UAE was not great the same could be said about Omloop and E3... plus Pogačar was the strongest rider in Flanders still getting 4th and 5th at MSR.

Being runner-up in the Tour > Green Jersey. If Pogačar hadn't done anything else in the Tour I could agree with you given the amazing Tour that Van Aert did but he also own three stages, wore yellow and attacked left and right after he lost it.

If all that I said isn't enough to decide between Pogačar and Van Aert, the fact that Pogačar won a monument and Van Aert didn't (once again) should be enough to put the Slovenian ahead...

 

[tobydawq]

I don’t really get the logic. So the age at which a rider turns pro doesn’t factor?

Let’s say a future rider gets a pro contract at 15. By his fifth season he should still be doing two GTs?

Seems a bit silly.

Let alone the fact that Remco is not Vingo. He can win many many prestigious races that are not GTs.

The thing is that Remco was taking the piss of pro riders when he turned pro at the age of 18 (not to imply anything negative by the way, I just couldn't find a better expression). He is used to the level and has been there for a long time. It seems much more silly to me to liken him to any 22-year-old from ten or five years ago. He has progressed so quickly level-wise that I certainly think he would be capable of a tough programme.

Regarding your last paragraph, I do agree, and that does mellow my feelings a bit.

 

[red_flanders]

The thing is that Remco was taking the piss of pro riders when he turned pro at the age of 18 (not to imply anything negative by the way, I just couldn't find a better expression). He is used to the level and has been there for a long time. It seems much more silly to me to liken him to any 22-year-old from ten or five years ago. He has progressed so quickly level-wise that I certainly think he would be capable of a tough programme.

Regarding your last paragraph, I do agree, and that does mellow my feelings a bit.

One could also take the opposite view, that he's been on a bike only a few years and doesn't have the base of skills and form a rider at his age would have if he'd been riding for a decade. Despite all his wins, the reality is, that barring injury or other mishap, he's at the beginning of his career and has plenty of time for the Tour. When the team is ready, when he's really ready. Yes, he could go this year. No, I don't think the playing field will be very different next year, but his team likely will be. I guess I just don't see the urgency, personally. But I can see your POV as well.

 

[tobydawq]

One could also take the opposite view, that he's been on a bike only a few years and doesn't have the base of skills and form a rider at his age would have if he'd been riding for a decade. Despite all his wins, the reality is, that barring injury or other mishap, he's at the beginning of his career and has plenty of time for the Tour. When the team is ready, when he's really ready. Yes, he could go this year. No, I don't think the playing field will be very different next year, but his team likely will be. I guess I just don't see the urgency, personally. But I can see your POV as well.

That sounds like some academic nonsense a pundit who doesn't know what else to say would say.

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

So much talking about Le Tour.
WHO CARES.

The point is: can he and will he win Paris-Roubaix?
Else thread title must be changed.

Can he? Well he would need to enter, which I do not see happening in the next few years. I do see him going after Roubaix in a few years if he's able to win most everything else.

Is he capable? Yes, despite his small size, he's not exactly a stick and he's shown he's capable of outlasting everyone on long courses through his numerous breakway wins. At Roubaix all you need is a break and lots of luck.

The issue is that Roubaix is such a dangerous race that can easily disrupt and/or end your season as it's a dangerous race where lots of luck is involved to avoid a crash.

So if he wins the Giro, TDF, Lombardia and MSR I would guess he would be going to Roubaix. While he hasn't said it I think he wants into the 5 monuments club, which only has three others in it (all Belgians) Winning all three tours and the 5 monuments which would put him with Merckx as the only two riders to do it.

 

[red_flanders]

That sounds like some academic nonsense a pundit who doesn't know what else to say would say.

Shame to see nonsense like this from a good poster.

 

[tobydawq]

Shame to see nonsense like this from a good poster.

I'm sorry if it came out a little too harsh but I honestly think stuff like that has zero sense in the real world. Remco is more than capable of riding two GTs in a season, believe me...

 

[Berniece]

Well the if the competition at Strade and UAE was not great the same could be said about Omloop and E3... plus Pogačar was the strongest rider in Flanders still getting 4th and 5th at MSR.

Being runner-up in the Tour > Green Jersey. If Pogačar hadn't done anything else in the Tour I could agree with you given the amazing Tour that Van Aert did but he also own three stages, wore yellow and attacked left and right after he lost it.

If all that I said isn't enough to decide between Pogačar and Van Aert, the fact that Pogačar won a monument and Van Aert didn't (once again) should be enough to put the Slovenian ahead...

We'll agree to disagree. I don't feel that runner-up in the Tour is better than what WVA did at the Tour. And winning Lombardia doesn't mean that much in my book. It's the least prestigious of all monuments. An end of year race that is won by people that are still a bit fit and want to take a crack at it. Looking at the past 10 winners can tell you that.

 

[red_flanders]

I'm sorry if it came out a little too harsh but I honestly think stuff like that has zero sense in the real world. Remco is more than capable of riding two GTs in a season, believe me...

No problem, thanks.

Sure, he's capable of riding both. Don't think he's going to win the Giro and the Tour, I think if he does the Giro he'll come in tired AF for the Tour. I don't know that he WON'T do it, but I seriously doubt he'll do it for the win. Competition is way too strong to come into that battle anything but 100%, and that quite possibly would not be enough anyway. He won a close Vuelta against lesser competition with full, uninterrupted, optimized prep. Winning the Tour after doing the Giro? I don't believe there's anyone who can do it now with the level of the current top tier. There are myriad reasons other than that which have been stated above.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Just stick to the plan. Giro '23 and Tour '24.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Just stick to the plan. Giro '23 and Tour '24.

Sounds good. By 2024 Pogi and Vinge will be burned out following their Tour battles. Remco to complete the GT set at the age of 24.

 

[gze]

Purely looking at the results I would give the edge to Pogi for the Vélo d'Or 2nd place.
On the other hand, WVA did some “impossible” efforts during the tour like a 10 km solo in YELLOW in front of a chasing peloton and a ~78 kg rider dropping Pogi on Hautacam…

I think the panel of professional journalists chose WVA over Pogi because they deemed these efforts to be more unique than the ones of Pogi.
If Pogi would have won the bunch sprint on the Champs-Elysées it would have been an entirely different story.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

Only one that deserved the win, Wout being second makes sense too. Don’t see why Pogacar should’ve been second. Wout had a better spring and TDF

Pogacar won a Monument. Van Aert won none of them.
Anyway there could ave only been one winner.

 

[Andy schleck]

Sounds good. By 2024 Pogi and Vinge will be burned out following their Tour battles. Remco to complete the GT set at the age of 24.

No. As long as remco don't win grandissima, the volta a Portugal, he is not completing the GT set.

 

[houtdffan]

WVA had no business being #2 in the Velo D'Or race. None

Being a super dom in the TDF does not trump finishing second with 3 stage wins, nor does it trump winning a monument, 2 WT stage races, and another 1 day WR race

Pog behind Remco is legit, but Pog being WVA is laughable at best

 

[Red Rick]

TDF
How did WVA not have a better Tour than Pogacar?

Nvm you had me checking forum rules if people could be banned for being too wrong but apparently not

 

[tobydawq]

The antipathy against Van Aert on this forum is ludicrous.

 

[HelloDolly]

Why is he not foing to the Tour ? Is it not the race for the best to compete in ?

Want to see Pog, Vingegaard, Bernal, Hindley , Rog and Remco at their best at the Tour
Like in Highlander where the best come to fight

 

[Red Rick]

Why is he not foing to the Tour ? Is it not the race for the best to compete in ?

Want to see Pog, Vingegaard, Bernal, Hindley , Rog and Remco at their best at the Tour
Like in Highlander where the best come to fight

Giro vs Tour is a risk/reward calculation where Giro is definitely the safer, more boring option.

I'm a little more curious as to why they already rule out Giro/Vuelta though.

 

[Andre]

Why is he not foing to the Tour ? Is it not the race for the best to compete in ?

Want to see Pog, Vingegaard, Bernal, Hindley , Rog and Remco at their best at the Tour
Like in Highlander where the best come to fight

...maybe Remco will race the Tour of Scotland, anything is possible...

 

[Red Rick]

The antipathy against Van Aert on this forum is ludicrous.

Guess there is some backlash in this bubble because cycling media and especially Belgian media talks him up like the best rider in the world half the year.

There's obviously some piss takes like Belgian Pozzato and all that, but saying it's ridiculous that he got 2nd in Velo d'Or ahead of Pogacar or Vingegaard is hardly down to antipathy.

 

[Big Doopie]

Nvm you had me checking forum rules if people could be banned for being too wrong but apparently not

Then you’d have to check another rule: can you ban yourself?

;-)

 

[yaco]

Will the the TDF offer Remco an appearance fee ? There's your answer.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Will the the TDF offer Remco an appearance fee ? There's your answer.

“Of organisator RCS een hoge startpremie betaalt? I wish. Je hoort verhalen van Chris Froome die een miljoen krijgt om de Giro te rijden, maar ik geloof daar niet in. ASO betaalt sowieso niks, maar bij RCS is dat ook niet gigantisch. De compensatie is vooral logement: extra hotelbedden tijdens de Giro of accommodatie om de periodes tussen twee RCS-koersen te overbruggen in Italië.”

“Whether organizer RCS pays a high appearance fee? I wish. You hear stories of Chris Froome getting a million to ride the Giro, but I don't believe that. ASO pays nothing anyway, but RCS doesn't pay huge fees either. The compensation is mainly in accommodation: extra hotel beds during the Giro or accommodation to bridge the periods between two RCS races in Italy.”

 

[Extinction]

The antipathy against Van Aert on this forum is ludicrous.

To be honest he has rubbed me the wrong way for hubris and a superiority complex. It's not that one with great talent should be humble, but there is a more unassuming ways to carry yourself that I appreciate more. For example, MvdP does not give me Wout's impression, and Van Aert's dismissively categorical responses to the unpleasant, although unavoidably legitimate questions, like at last Tour doesn't earn him any sympathy in my books. They remind me of a certain other unmentionable, albiet on a diminished scale.