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

[Red Rick]

With how much talking SQS have done about "the plan" I'm pretty convinced we won't see Evenepoel at the Tour.

 

[Andre]

This is so deflating. Damn, I want to go to sleep for 2 weeks.

 

[houtdffan]

I think the rule is asymptomatic and below a certain threshold for whatever COVID marker.

But if you're symptomatic you really shouldn't wanna go race in the rain and cold and high mountains the next two weeks.

Ayuso was most certainly symptomatic

 

[Didinho]

So far my interest in this Giro (for now). No good luck in Italy so far.

 

[Oldermanish]

He clearly was affected by COVID, which explains his drop in form over the last days.

It could cost him sleep if, as Red Rick noted he was asymptomatic. If he is and not at risk of going fully symptomatic he could keep training.

 

[Extinction]

What a Nightmare. He started off on fire and it all went south from there.

 

[Oldermanish]

Me too. Especially if it's something with low symptoms.

Who would risk exposure to an entire team to do this?

 

[Akuryo]

Alap, if he can find the form of 4 years ago. The climbing doms will be soft peddling the rest of the race if they even stay in

This may totally screw the sprinter who was supposed to do the tour, however

That's just it, I don't think they're gonna soft peddle at all. As bad as it is for QS and Evenepoel as a whole but this might be the chance for especially Van Wilder to go for stage wins on his own. And it wouldn't even be undeserved. Except Algarve he was working for others all year...

 

[Tim Cahill]

He will go to the Tour with a better and more befitting team I think.

Ala, non-sick Lomardia podium Masnada, UAE tour TTT Merlier, Asgreen etc.

 

[Gargamel35]

What a Nightmare. He started off on fire and it all went south from there.

Winning any GT is really really hard. But now Covid really turned the tables in last couple years and it sucks. You just don't know which day can be your last.

 

[Lequack]

What if his plan all along was just to win the two TTs and the leaders jersey, and leave us wondering what if.

 

[Netserk]

Why on Earth quit after a stage win and with a rest day to look forward to. Ayuso showed that it's not necessarily a death sentence.

 

[Berniece]

With how much talking SQS have done about "the plan" I'm pretty convinced we won't see Evenepoel at the Tour.

But won’t his season be abut lacklustre now? Prepare for a WC TT, San Sebastián and then Lombardia. That’s it?

 

[Extinction]

And this is just sh-it for the Giro. When would he come back, once he starts focussing on the Tour?

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

With what support team though? It's not like they're gonna pull all of his climbing domestiques out of the race as well. And can he compete without Van Wilder or Hirt? Even if Remco himself recovers and finds the needed form for the Tour, his team won't be anywhere near the rest of the competitors.

Indeed. The team has no margin. They can't pull 3 other guys out of the Giro, in order to support him at the Tour. Who else is there? Masnada, who hasn't shown top form for 2 years, Knox, Vansevenant, Bagioli... Those guys are gone when the peloton is still 50 guys.

 

[Didinho]

Was so hyped after his opening TT.
This will stuck for awhile. Hopefully he bounces back soon. Maybe he wants revenche and asks for going to the Tour.

 

[acm]

Ahhh... I was really looking forward to some epic battles with Rog and Ineos guys. Let's hope he'll get better soon and go to Tour.

 

[Extinction]

Why on Earth quit after a stage win and with a rest day to look forward to. Ayuso showed that it's not necessarily a death sentence.

Because he's clearly sick and can't tackle the next two weeks less than on full form. Ayuso was asymptimatic I believe.

 

[Red Rick]

But won’t his season be abut lacklustre now? Prepare for a WC TT, San Sebastián and then Lombardia. That’s it?

There's still the Vuelta.

 

[Riek s]

Strange they take him out and are not waiting until after the rest day. (most lightly symptomatic cases are +-3days). That means he isn't just lightly symptomatic.


Would also explain why he paced his efforts and struggled hard to keep that effort the last 2 days.
*** that is a shame, at least the belgian docters were right.


Hopefully he will get well soon!! getting ready for WC and maybe the Vuelta?

 

[KZD]

Very depressing news for sure but on the upside, winning a Grand Tour TT with sympthomatic covid is legendary.

As for his future plans, if he recovers well, I hope that he goes for the Tour. Going to the Vuelta would be the easy option but he already won it and this year's route doesn't suit him as well so he could just try the Tour even if its just for stages/mountains jersey/soft GC (I think he could become one of the youngest stage winners in all three GTs).

 

[Netserk]

I think the rule is asymptomatic and below a certain threshold for whatever COVID marker.

But if you're symptomatic you really shouldn't wanna go race in the rain and cold and high mountains the next two weeks.

There's no covid rules any longer.

 

[Berniece]

Why on Earth quit after a stage win and with a rest day to look forward to. Ayuso showed that it's not necessarily a death sentence.

Because those aren’t the rules? Ayuso was asymptomatic.

Or because it’s dangerous. They already had Declercq with heart issues

 

[Gargamel35]

Indeed. The team has no margin. They can't pull 3 other guys out of the Giro, in order to support him at the Tour. Who else is there? Masnada, who hasn't shown top form for 2 years, Knox, Vansevenant, Bagioli... Those guys are gone when the peloton is still 50 guys.

Even if the team is not really perfect, a TdF without Roglič, with broken hand (lack of training) Pogačar and Vinge is a really good chance. And he can't get Covid twice in short time.

 

[Nick2413]

I feel legitimately bad for the Evenepoel mega fans (and especially him obviously).