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

[Bonimenier]

I suppose he can do Merckx 1969 and prove the validity of the title of this thread.

 

[Gigs_98]

I already wrote the same after Pogacar's LBL crash but cycling is the f*cking worst sport. Teases us year after year with great battles just for one of the parties to abandon for whatever reason 9/10 times.

I gotta admit, I'm also a bit surprised he makes his abandonment official now instead of waiting for the rest day, but I'm pretty sure his team will know what they are doing. If he is very sick right now I totally get that the potential long term consequences of staying in the race way outweigh the potential reward of a giro win.

Concerning what he'll do next, I really think he should do the Vuelta not the Tour. Historically the riders who have to pull out of the Giro and race the Tour instead start it really hot before fading in the last week. So while I believe he could be a force there, with the competition he will face in France it seems much smarter to stay patient, go for another Vuelta and in a year 100% focus on the Tour. Not saying a Tour start by Remco wouldn't be exciting, but I don't think it's the smart thing.

 

[Extinction]

Of course he can. Plenty riders do with all kinds of infections.

I highly doubt plenty of riders race openly with Covid and that today doing so would not cause consternation among colleagues.

 

[red_flanders]

Crap. Just read the news. Gutted. What a horrible development for what was shaping up to be a great race. There are still some competitors, but i"ll be honest, my interest level is about half what it was 5 minutes ago. Just hugely bummed.

 

[Didinho]

Concerning what he'll do next, I really think he should do the Vuelta not the Tour. Historically the riders who have to pull out of the Giro and race the Tour instead start it really hot before fading in the last week. So while I believe he could be a force there, with the competition he will face in France it seems much smarter to stay patient, go for another Vuelta and in a year 100% focus on the Tour. Not saying a Tour start by Remco wouldn't be exciting, but I don't think it's the smart thing.

Ride the Tour as training for the Worlds? Get after some epic stage wins and stay fresh the other days. Gaining some experience for the Tour next year.

 

[red_flanders]

Oumi was just out of pink outfits.
We all know who wears the pants, as shown by the cameraman today.

What an asinine comment.

 

[HelloDolly]

FFS Remco out of the Giro cos of Covid

I know I dont like the over the top fans but the Giro really needs him . And he still had a great chance to win imo

And you know what COVID now is milder than the flu
Yet if he had the flu he'd keep going

 

[Nick2413]

Not hoping for this, but with Roglic’s luck it wouldn’t be surprising to see him out and the 2 of them doing a 2nd showdown at the Vuelta.

 

[Red Rick]

FFS Remco out of the Giro cos of Covid

O know I dont like the over the top fans but the Giro really needs him . And he still had a great chance to win imo

And you know what COVID now is milder than the flu
Yet if he had the flu he'd keep going

Is this one of those comments that conflates a common coughing cold with the flu again?

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

Routine check doesn't sound like they thought he had it before they tested him.

Pretty sure that's deliberate default wording so that they don't get a shitstorm that they raced/didn't test a rider that was clearly feeling unwell already before the stage.
It wouldn't surprise me if he was already positive this morning/yesterday evening and they just went along with the ITT anyway but his health simply got worse so they had to pull the plug.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Guys, I cannot believe it. Just read the news.

My first thoughts:

1.) Now Remco will go to the 2023 Tour, and win it.

2.) This is exactly 1999 Madonna di Campiglio. Race leader (Pantani, Evenepoel) has to leave the race, wearing Pink. Overall GC success seemed 100% certain. Suddenly, everything is over. Pantani and Evenepoel thinking, „Why me?“… (Just like Sinkewitz thought in July 2007).

Now, Remco, get well soon. See you in France, in July.

Battle Royal at the 2023 Tour:

Remco vs Pog vs Vingegaard vs late addition Roglic…

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

a choice impossible to understand

A guy who won the time trial today means he's not ill, ok he didn't give to other Gc guys minutes but he beated among the best Itt riders in the world like Thomas and Kung

then tomorrow is rest and then two quiet days

Doesn't make sense

Even if he would not have won the Giro he could easily finish in the top 5 or top 10 with 2 stages won and more days in the pink jersey

Such a thing is disrespectful to the race

At the Tour he would not have done it

Disrespectful to the race? Be serious. The guy is a very young elite athlete with a huge future and he should risk his health to suffer to a top 10?

 

[HelloDolly]

I didnt conflate anything ...

 

[Bolder]

Me when I realize it's Monday again tomorrow

Get well soon,young man.

 

[Red Rick]

I didnt conflate anything ...

Okay cause no rider is gonna race with a legit flu unless their doctors are morons who should have their licenses revoked.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

but his health simply got worse so they had to pull the plug.

Exactly. Remco probably feels really bad.

They even let Ayuso finish the 2022 Vuelta Covid positive, finished on the podium.

I think Remco developed a heavy Covid infection, within very short time.

Get well soon, dear Remco!…

 

[HelloDolly]

I agree with Irish Peloton on this

https://twitter.com/x/status/1657851132855590914

View: https://twitter.com/irishpeloton/status/1657851132855590914?s=20

 

[nightowl]

FFS Remco out of the Giro cos of Covid

I know I dont like the over the top fans but the Giro really needs him . And he still had a great chance to win imo

And you know what COVID now is milder than the flu
Yet if he had the flu he'd keep going

Didn’t realize you were privy to exactly how sick Remco is right now. And if he were sick enough to significantly affect his form he absolutely would abandon with the flu. He’s a superstar rider going for GC wins he’s not going to put his body through the stress of riding sick to maybe scrape a top 10

 

[HelloDolly]

Okay cause no rider is gonna race with a legit flu unless their doctors are morons who should have their licenses revoked.

Well it has been done as have riders ridden with hip fractures, leg fractures , etc

Get real ...it goes on all the time

The point I was making COvid is very mild now , milder than the flu and yet riders ride on with the flu

 

[Bonimenier]

Well it has been done as have riders ridden with hip fractures, leg fractures , etc

Get real ...it goes on all the time

The point I was making COvid is very mild now , milder than the flu and yet riders ride on with the flu

Riders don't ride with the flu. A cold yeah, a flu no way.

 

[groogster]

Very sad indeed! He really looked sick in that interview after the iTT! It's impossible to compete at the highest level while your immunity system is fighting a nasty, nasty virus! Have you ever tried to do physial efforts with a flu?
Just to give you an insight, i use to play inddor football with my friend every single week, last year just after 10 minutes i start to be very tired with no reason whatsoever, then 2 days after i tested covid positive and had no symptoms besides being very tired for no reason! I couldn't do sustained light physical efforts in the next 4 months without feeling real tired! Now imagine to ride a bike doing 200k a day at the highest competitive level while having covid and you get a clue!

 

[HelloDolly]

Didn’t realize you were privy to exactly how sick Remco is right now. And if he were sick enough to significantly affect his form he absolutely would abandon with the flu. He’s a superstar rider going for GC wins he’s not going to put his body through the stress of riding sick to maybe scrape a top 10

I dont know how sick he is but he won the stage
I am happy he decided to quit if ill but I suspect that with Covid you dont get the choice to stay

 

[Gigs_98]

Guys, I cannot believe it. Just read the news.

My first thoughts:

1.) Now Remco will go to the 2023 Tour, and win it.

2.) This is exactly 1999 Madonna di Campiglio. Race leader (Pantani, Evenepoel) has to leave the race, wearing Pink. Overall GC success seemed 100% certain. Suddenly, everything is over. Pantani and Evenepoel thinking, „Why me?“… (Just like Sinkewitz thought in July 2007).

Now, Remco, get well soon. See you in France, in July.

Battle Royal at the 2023 Tour:

Remco vs Pog vs Vingegaard vs late addition Roglic…

Exactly like Madonna 1999. Absolutely no difference between the two cases. None whatsoever.

 

[groogster]

Well it has been done as have riders ridden with hip fractures, leg fractures , etc

Get real ...it goes on all the time

The point I was making COvid is very mild now , milder than the flu and yet riders ride on with the flu

You have no idea what you are saying! Do you know that covid is a virus? Do you know that even if you don't have symptoms, your immunity system starts fighting the infection since day 1? Do you know the amount of energy that your body spend fighting an infection? What do you think happens to your body when you are doing a 200k stage in bad weather at the highest competitive level while your body has to spend energy fighting a virus? It´s not like you are having flu and go to work driving your car!

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Well, last year, Girmay wins stage 10, DNS stage 11.

Now, Remco wins stage 9, DNS stage 10.

The Giro is the race about passion, and sometimes heartbreak.