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

[Extinction]

Alto del Colorado is the weirdest climb of the year:
First race of the season for almost all european riders
Riding on austral summer, as opposed to the winter season in Europe with little time for adaptation.
Shallow climb, more of a constant uphill drag rather than a proper climb except for a couple of kms.
Extremely high altitude (similar to Stelvio) and very exposed to wind.

In proper conditions, it's true Evenepoel should fancy this climb, but taking everything into account, I wouldn't read too much about this performance.

Ganna was in the same situation, but paced his effort better and, at his weight, surely is in fine form. It will be interesting to see how he goes in the classics and Giro (for the TTs).

 

[peterfin]

Ganna was in the same situation, but paced his effort better and, at his weight, surely is in fine form. It will be interesting to see how he goes in the classics and Giro (for the TTs).

Ganna is in fine form at the moment. I assume he wants to grab gold medals at the EC track in two weeks and be in top form at the classics (PR in particular).

 

[Salvarani]

Not as good as he started last season in Valenciana and Algarve.

Dont think you can draw any conclusions.

He is peaking for L-B-L and Giro. He should be starting like this and build slowly during the spring. Bit disappointing that he is not fighting for the win in races all year round though.

 

[houtdffan]

Well, we shall see, but I still think he's carrying a couple/few kilos extra and needs to work on high intensity and lactate resistance. Seeing the photo of the podium finishers leads me to this conclusion.

Maybe he needs to burn off a few of those ice creams he ate during the offseason, lol

 

[red_flanders]

Oof Evenepoel not looking good there. I fear he might have had to many obligations this winter due to being world champion.
Pretty bad he has not looked like this in early season in previous years.
Perhaps 2000m altitude is just his limit.

He looked like this last year, very uneven in early stage races. I would draw zero conclusions about his abilities from this.

 

[Extinction]

Oof Evenepoel not looking good there. I fear he might have had to many obligations this winter due to being world champion.
Pretty bad he has not looked like this in early season in previous years.
Perhaps 2000m altitude is just his limit.

If altitudine is an issue for him, hopefully not as bad as for Valverde in his eflorensence.

 

[CHGJ2000]

Ganna is in fine form at the moment. I assume he wants to grab gold medals at the EC track in two weeks and be in top form at the classics (PR in particular).

Un viaggio curioso nei pensieri di Ganna. Le vacanze. La ripresa. La fatica. La strada. La pista

Un bell'incontro con Ganna durante la Vuelta a San Juan. Le vacanze. La ripresa. La fatica. L'ambizione. La strada. La pista. La stagione che lo attende

bici.pro

Ganna's form seems to be a little bit of an accident rather than planning to be in form for EC's on the track. He took an extra long off-season and is roughly a week of training (32 hours) behind this point last season. Maybe mental freshness has helped.

 

[stonerider]

Come on people, he just wanted to do a little high intensity interval for training purposes. Nothing to worry about...yet.

 

[Extinction]

Un viaggio curioso nei pensieri di Ganna. Le vacanze. La ripresa. La fatica. La strada. La pista

Un bell'incontro con Ganna durante la Vuelta a San Juan. Le vacanze. La ripresa. La fatica. L'ambizione. La strada. La pista. La stagione che lo attende

bici.pro

Ganna's form seems to be a little bit of an accident rather than planning to be in form for EC's on the track. He took an extra long off-season and is roughly a week of training (32 hours) behind this point last season. Maybe mental freshness has helped.

Nice article, nice photos. It's funny how pros after 3 weeks on vacation can't look at themselves in the mirror, because "too fat." It's a sickness.

 

[CHGJ2000]

Nice article, nice photos. It's funny how pros after 3 weeks on vacation can't look at themselves in the mirror, because "too fat." It's a sickness.

Yeah I thought that was kinda a sad statement to hear from Ganna. Eating/body image disorders sadly pretty common in the pro peloton.

 

[jmdirt]

"better to make the mistake now than in a bigger race" is just stupid for so many reasons.
I look forward to seeing the rainbow kit at the front of races this year.

 

[Extinction]

He is peaking for L-B-L and Giro. He should be starting like this and build slowly during the spring.

Right, and Bernal is coming back from Hades, is peaking for the Tour, so how should he be starting?

 

[Salvarani]

Right, and Bernal is coming back from Hades, is peaking for the Tour, so how should he be starting?

I dont know. You tell me, who has all the answers.

 

[Extinction]

I dont know. You tell me, who has all the answers.

Not ahead.

 

[Andre]

...of course, all Remco had to do was wait it out and not attack with 9.7 kilometers to go. If he waits it out and goes to the last kilometers with the leaders (or leader) then Bernal, Ganna, Higuita and all the rest would have ended up behind Remco. Superman would take the sprint anyway and Remco sits in first in overall. But that's life. Nothing to worry about...January is coming back for everybody.

 

[Extinction]

...of course, all Remco had to do was wait it out and not attack with 9.7 kilometers to go. If he waits it out and goes to the last kilometers with the leaders (or leader) then Bernal, Ganna, Higuita and all the rest would have ended up behind Remco. Superman would take the sprint anyway and Remco sits in first in overall. But that's life. Nothing to worry about...January is coming back for everybody.

I'm not convinced on those grades that, had he waited it out, having lost 1"09' to MAL in the end, he would have stayed with Superman. The wasted effort would have cost him 30-40 secs. not more, in which case he's either with Ganna or Bernal.

 

[Berniece]

I'm not convinced on those grades that, had he waited it out, having lost 1"09' to MAL in the end, he would have stayed with Superman. The wasted effort would have cost him 30-40 secs. not more, in which case he's either with Ganna or Bernal.

Which would also be fine for a January, knowing where Lopez is at and the NC of Colombia coming up.

 

[Extinction]

Which would also be fine for a January, knowing where Lopez is at and the NC of Colombia coming up.

And Bernal? Ganna? In January? Let's see Feb, March and April.

 

[Netserk]

If he rode in the gruppetto, it wouldn’t matter. It’s in the middle of the winter and outside Europe, in a failed state. Only the appearance fee can be transferred to where it matters.

 

[Extinction]

If he rode in the gruppetto, it wouldn’t matter. It’s in the middle of the winter and outside Europe, in a failed state. Only the appearance fee can be transferred to where it matters.

This isn't cycling in the Hinault era. And what has a failed state got to do with anything, let alone it's true causes?

 

[Big Doopie]

I like that he is not in best shape atm.

He shouldn’t have to prove himself every race anymore.

Nibali was way off at the Dauphine in 2014 and look what happened.

 

[Berniece]

And Bernal? Ganna? In January? Let's see Feb, March and April.

You said that without his attack at 10km before the finish he would have arrived with Bernal or ganna. What’s wrong with that in a January on a climb of 4% above 2500m?

 

[Lequack]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bbtqdugeyog&t=4s


Remco is a great rider. It is a best with a hugh potential, but he has to control his nervous to be a real champion.

He did the same with me a week ago when I keep his wheel during an aceleration. "Please man, stop", he told me... I know it not nice to have someone to your wheel to concentrate...for me was funny, but not good for him show that behaviour.

I dont have video as this man has, sorry.

Video from the same guy, but on Pogacar's wheel instead

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yLvcakGUgA

 

[Extinction]

Video from the same guy, but on Pogacar's wheel instead

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yLvcakGUgA

Looks like the guy never got as close to Pogi.

 

[Extinction]

You said that without his attack at 10km before the finish he would have arrived with Bernal or ganna. What’s wrong with that in a January on a climb of 4% above 2500m?

I said possibly. Had he arrived with Bernal or Ganna, it would have certainly looked better then trying to drop them first, to then get dropped by them, when clearly he wanted the stage and the GC.