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

[Oldermanish]

It's all a mind game. Tadej and UAE are f-ing with Remco to try and leave him with doubts about how he measures up. It's classic disimulation technique. And it has forces Evenepoel into a useless Middle East voyage. It's actually quite brillant.

It's great to speculate but imaginary "mind game" and false schedules don't seem like the plausible conspiracy theory of today....sorry.
What's next? Random phone calls in the team hotel waking up Remco at all hours of the night? "Remco. Is your refrigerator running? Better go get it!"
Remco would get the biggest laugh out of this.

 

[Oldermanish]

Frankly I don't think bringing him to a suitably challenging stage race like PN or TA, in the preparatory phase of building up to the Giro, is being "trotted out," rather it's just a champion's schedule and ideal for his GT ambitions with it. Plus its generous and great to the fans as well. Some of the best racing over the last dozen or so years was in races like PN (Contador's 2007 and 2010 triumphs and 2009 collapse) and TA where Contador, Froome and Nibali battled it out royally in 2013. Contador's 2014 exposition at TA was memorable. Idem for Pogacar's show of force in last year's edition. Bring it on!

I totally agree. That's why I suggested a lower pressure avenue to allow proper training is a good strategy. Throwing a WC into early season races with overamped riders looking for any result is a risky crash-prone situation. Have you ever done early season crits? Everyone thinks they can win and carnage follows.

 

[Extinction]

It's great to speculate but imaginary "mind game" and false schedules don't seem like the plausible conspiracy theory of today....sorry.
What's next? Random phone calls in the team hotel waking up Remco at aou fll hours of the night? "Remco. Is your refrigerator running? Better go get it!"
Remco would get the biggest laugh out of this.

I, of course, made that up, but you sir come up with a better explanation! Although I would not put false schedules behind any of them. In fact, I'd hardly believe the "official reasons." It's like politics, you only get what most want to hear.

 

[red_flanders]

PODCAST | "Maybe Tadej Pogacar is afraid of a confrontation with Remco Evenepoel"

‘Misschien is Tadej Pogacar wel bang voor confrontatie met Remco Evenepoel’

In de nieuwe aflevering van de WielerFlits Podcast blikken Maxim en Youri vooruit op de Tour of Oman die dit weekend van start gaat. Daarnaast is er nog aandacht voor het WK veldrijden en de parcoursverlenging van de Amstel Gold Race voor vrouwen.Het stof van het WK veldrijden in Hoogerheide

www.wielerflits.be

Uh…that doesn’t seem to comport with the Pog I see and hear from. I call bull ***.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Still, I'm sure UAE want to win their home tour, pride is on the line.

Surely they need to lose it once in a while to stop the locals from thinking it's quite easy to win.

 

[Lequack]

Surely they need to lose it once in a while to stop the locals from thinking it's quite easy to win.

Ah yes, that is a good script. Making Remco be a villain.

 

[Nick2413]

Ah yes, that is a good script. Making Remco be a villain.

Too bad Logic isn’t around to shut down the incoming comments of Remco only winning because Pog isn’t there

 

[Big Doopie]

Doubt he will win. And actually would prefer him not to.

a glimpse of good form at catalunya that’s all.

then Vuelta shape at start of Giro with no crashes and onwards!

 

[houtdffan]

Doubt he will win. And actually would prefer him not to.

a glimpse of good form at catalunya that’s all.

then Vuelta shape at start of Giro with no crashes and onwards!

don't see Remco losing UAE. He said before the year that except for that joke race in Argentina, he was racing every race for the win. No competition at UAE Tour

 

[Oldermanish]

I, of course, made that up, but you sir come up with a better explanation! Although I would not put false schedules behind any of them. In fact, I'd hardly believe the "official reasons." It's like politics, you only get what most want to hear.

Pogacar has won the TdF and other nice races. He has an idea how to prepare and, if his own personal program suggests he doesn't want to fight for his life in crosswind sandstorms he can say: "No. I'm going to a sunny and beautiful race."
UAE doesn't need appearance money for their own race and, as far as nationalistic pride goes they'd rather keep the winner of the biggest race winning it. The promoting side may have over-suggested his presence to get a deeper field. It may have been a question that didn't need an explanation since no other teams are complaining about his situation. Remco....is he weighing in on this?
My guess is he'll cross this off next year's agenda after the first sandy crosswind.

 

[Berniece]

Doubt he will win. And actually would prefer him not to.

Why wouldn't you want him to win?

 

[Extinction]

Pogacar has won the TdF and other nice races. He has an idea how to prepare and, if his own personal program suggests he doesn't want to fight for his life in crosswind sandstorms he can say: "No. I'm going to a sunny and beautiful race."
UAE doesn't need appearance money for their own race and, as far as nationalistic pride goes they'd rather keep the winner of the biggest race winning it. The promoting side may have over-suggested his presence to get a deeper field. It may have been a question that didn't need an explanation since no other teams are complaining about his situation. Remco....is he weighing in on this?
My guess is he'll cross this off next year's agenda after the first sandy crosswind.

So, they really did F with Remco.

 

[Boes]

I doubt he'll win. A good Remco wouldn't lose 35 seconds on Ganna on that climb in Argentinia even if he did screw uw tactically.
Last year he got dropped in Suisse and Catalunya and TA before peaking at Vuelta. I imagine he'll follow the same kind of scedule of last year.

I think he'll have 3 massive goals this year, Giro in May, WC in August and Lombardy in October. Everything in between will be less important due to build up and training camps.

 

[Berniece]

I doubt he'll win. A good Remco wouldn't lose 35 seconds on Ganna on that climb in Argentinia even if he did screw uw tactically.
Last year he got dropped in Suisse and Catalunya and TA before peaking at Vuelta. I imagine he'll follow the same kind of scedule of last year.

I think he'll have 3 massive goals this year, Giro in May, WC in August and Lombardy in October. Everything in between will be less important due to build up and training camps.

I agree, but I do find it weird how inconsistent he is sometimes. Last year in the beginning of the year he was quite good, Valencia and Algarve. Now he seems to not even be close to that form.

 

[houtdffan]

I agree, but I do find it weird how inconsistent he is sometimes. Last year in the beginning of the year he was quite good, Valencia and Algarve. Now he seems to not even be close to that form.

Remco wasn't good in Valencia. He got dropped on the main MTF worse than he was in Argentina

Algarve had a 32km oversized TT for that type of race

 

[Big Doopie]

He was also still coming back from the crash with inconsistent perfs but growing. And at least a full winter training behind him.

He desperately wanted to measure himself.

He doesn’t need to do that any more.

He can now prep fully for only his objectives like he did Vuelta last year. San Sebastián was a bonus. As LBL will be this year. Not an objective.

I expect some indications of form at Catalunya (like Itzulia last year). No need for more.

 

[peterfin]

He never rides a race just for preparation. He may not be stressed anymore due to his bigger goals but I doubt he will ever start a race, and in most cases even a single stage of a stage race, without the intention to win it (himself or his team). So I am sure he starts the UAE tour to measure himself against the other contenders. I bet he is annoyed Pogacar is absent.

 

[Extinction]

He was also still coming back from the crash with inconsistent perfs but growing. And at least a full winter training behind him.

He desperately wanted to measure himself.

He doesn’t need to do that any more.

He can now prep fully for only his objectives like he did Vuelta last year. San Sebastián was a bonus. As LBL will be this year. Not an objective.

I expect some indications of form at Catalunya (like Itzulia last year). No need for more.

To the bolded, I don't think San Sebastian was a bonus, but confirmation that he was ready for the Vuelta. LBL should be for the Giro what San Sebastian was for the Vuelta last year. Doubtless defending his title in Liege is, moreover, an objective, just not as big as the Giro, but an objective nonetheless and as a Belgian no less. So he won't take the start to finish second. In any case, he will be in great shape by then, because if he is not he won't be ready for the Giro. So he will.

As for Catalunya, it will be different than the Basque Country last year, because he is building for the Giro not the Vuelta, so it's difficult to gauge how he will go. Catalunya runs from 20-26 March, whereas the grande partenza of the Giro is on 6 May. With 6 weeks between them, in theory Remco could hit a first peak to then take an active rest before the final Giro build-up. Otherwise he could be a tad below really good form, although I doubt the team would bring him to such a hard stage race if he weren't in competative shape for victory, but we shall see.

 

[Oldermanish]

So, they really did F with Remco.

Wait, so you come to that conclusion based on what I said? Please, read it again.
IMO Pogacar could give a f k. He's a racer and will have fun. You overestimate Remco's impact on the world of cycling. Does Remco ponder Pogacar's every move? I doubt that, too.

 

[Extinction]

Wait, so you come to that conclusion based on what I said? Please, read it again.
IMO Pogacar could give a f k. He's a racer and will have fun. You overestimate Remco's impact on the world of cycling. Does Remco ponder Pogacar's every move? I doubt that, too.

I don't know, but they are the two biggest names of the sport and, judging by this thread, Remco is by far the most popular or at any rate the most discussed. I think you underestimate this.

So don't think for a moment Pogi could care less about Evenepoel and vice versa. I was being facetious, but only to a point, since in cycling mind games are historically a fact. Now I'm not saying that's the reason why Tadej has pulled out of UAE, but I wouldn't be surprised either if it were. For a major reason Remco is going to the Middle East was to race against Pogacar. Now that the latter won't be at the start this in some way disrupts the plan. It is odd though that Pogacar isn't doing his team's title event, aparently for a stomach bug he had in January, when last year's program went so well for him through Flanders.

 

[Big Doopie]

To the bolded, I don't think San Sebastian was a bonus, but confirmation that he was ready for the Vuelta. LBL should be for the Giro what San Sebastian was for the Vuelta last year. Doubtless defending his title in Liege is, moreover, an objective, just not as big as the Giro, but an objective nonetheless and as a Belgian no less. So he won't take the start to finish second. In any case, he will be in great shape by then, because if he is not he won't be ready for the Giro. So he will.

As for Catalunya, it will be different than the Basque Country last year, because he is building for the Giro not the Vuelta, so it's difficult to gauge how he will go. Catalunya runs from 20-26 March, whereas the grande partenza of the Giro is on 6 May. With 6 weeks between them, in theory Remco could hit a first peak to then take an active rest before the final Giro build-up. Otherwise he could be a tad below really good form, although I doubt the team would bring him to such a hard stage race if he weren't in competative shape for victory, but we shall see.

Itzulia last year was building to LBL not Vuelta. So my comparison stands.

LBL as a prime objective will be tough this year. He has said so himself. Because of timing with altitude camps. That is in fact similar to San Sebastián last year. Then again, he managed that pretty well…

 

[Salvarani]

Itzulia last year was building to LBL not Vuelta. So my comparison stands.

LBL as a prime objective will be tough this year. He has said so himself. Because of timing with altitude camps. That is in fact similar to San Sebastián last year. Then again, he managed that pretty well…

Defending champion and it being one of the biggest races he can win, with him being Belgian as well, I find it hard to believe he wont be close to his best here. He will want to win it again and should be a big target. Probably just trying to play down expectations since he has won LBL already and the Giro being the biggest target this season, but I am quite sure he would want to win LBL. He wins it his season would would already be a success in a way.

Going all in one race, the Giro, and potentially failing with the rest of the season ending with zero big wins would be quite bad for him.

 

[Big Doopie]

Defending champion and it being one of the biggest races he can win, with him being Belgian as well, I find it hard to believe he wont be close to his best here. He will want to win it again and should be a big target. Probably just trying to play down expectations since he has won LBL already and the Giro being the biggest target this season, but I am quite sure he would want to win LBL. He wins it his season would would already be a success in a way.

Going all in one race, the Giro, and potentially failing with the rest of the season ending with zero big wins would be quite bad for him.

not saying he won’t try. But the timing in the build up for the giro means he will not be prepped specifically for LBL as he was last year.

and who says the season ends at the giro? It starts at the giro for him this year.

Let him prep his goals like all other riders are allowed to. Enough of demanding that he win every race he enters. He has certainly earned that right now.

 

[Salvarani]

not saying he won’t try. But the timing in the build up for the giro means he will not be prepped specifically for LBL as he was last year.

and who says the season ends at the giro? It starts at the giro for him this year.

Let him prep his goals like all other riders are allowed to. Enough of demanding that he win every race he enters. He has certainly earned that right now.

Thats not what I meant at all! How did you interpret it that way?

Just think he is good enough and LBL being one of the biggest races he could win is something he probably wont go into lightly. It should still be a big target for him, even if it is close to the Giro schedule-wise.

I did not say it ends with the Giro either... there is still worlds and Lombardia left. I meant if the season ends with zero big wins it would be quite bad.

It is probably good to have multiple targets as it is very rare in cycling they all pan out for a rider.

 

[Panda Claws]

Just curious if with Pogacar, Evenepoel (and perhaps Vindegoord) we will finally see them going tit-for-tat when it comes to Tour victories.
And I don't mean someone grabbing a single Tour victory when the stars align (Evans, Nibali, Thomas).

Has that ever really happened?

• Froome had his challengers in Quintana, Contador and Nibali but none of them managed to beat him outright.
• Contador had his challengers before too in A. Schleck and Evans but he was not really beaten there outright either.
• Armstrong had his challengers in Ullrich and Beloki but we all know how that went.
• Indurain was not really beaten.
• Etc.

The only instance of that I can really think off may be LeMond and Fignon.

Sad to think there is a very good chance that one of them will end up hogging all those victories over the other.