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

[Extinction]

Yes I see now as Logic corrected me. But I also read here recently that Remco just did a stint at altitude? If so, I am sure he will be climbing very well, maybe not Vuelta level but good enough for TdS.

As far as I know he was only training in Belgium prior to TdS. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Extinction]

As the question has been answered here too much it may not make sense to answer it again. Lets conclude there is a group here that wants him in the TdF if he is good enough to compete and another group that believes it is total bs because he might ruin the rest of his season (presumably like all the others going to the tour). What concerns me more is Remco's own answer pointing to the pressure within his team (the wolf pack attitude) and outside (the Belgian media and social media).

Well if the team wants to win the Tour with Evenepoel, then it needs to go from a wolf pack to lion's pride.

 

[Extinction]

Let’s say the worst happens riding the Tour and best happens skipping it this year:
Personally I’d rather go into next year winning CSS, WCTT, and GdL with potentially VaE and WCRR versus
a low top 10 GC, 1 or 2 stages at Tour, and falling short at my fall goals.

Sure everything can go wrong like at the Giro but winning all of the above would be a huge confidence boost.

He won't win all that anyway and not riding the Tour if he's in grand form will hurt him going forward.

 

[tobydawq]

Let’s say the worst happens riding the Tour and best happens skipping it this year:
Personally I’d rather go into next year winning CSS, WCTT, and GdL with potentially VaE and WCRR versus
a low top 10 GC, 1 or 2 stages at Tour, and falling short at my fall goals.

Sure everything can go wrong like at the Giro but winning all of the above would be a huge confidence boost.

Should he win CSS, WCRR and TT, Vuelta and Lombardia, I really don't hope the general interpretation would be that it would be a "confidence boost".

 

[SHAD0W93]

He won't win all that anyway and not riding the Tour if he's in grand form will hurt him going forward.

That’s why I said if the best or worst happens. We will have to agree to disagree on how not riding the Tour this year will hurt his future.

Should he win CSS, WCRR and TT, Vuelta and Lombardia, I really don't hope the general interpretation would be that it would be a "confidence boost".

Why wouldn’t it be one? He had to withdraw from his main objective of the year. Winning those races says to himself that he is still one of the best versus losing in majority or all of them.

 

[tobydawq]

That’s why I said if the best or worst happens. We will have to agree to disagree on how not riding the Tour this year will hurt his future.

Why wouldn’t it be one? He had to withdraw from his main objective of the year. Winning those races says to himself that he is still one of the best versus losing in majority or all of them.

Two monuments, a Grand Tour and two world titles would be one of the best seasons of the modern age, not a confidence boost.

 

[Sciatic]

That’s why I said if the best or worst happens. We will have to agree to disagree on how not riding the Tour this year will hurt his future.

Why wouldn’t it be one? He had to withdraw from his main objective of the year. Winning those races says to himself that he is still one of the best versus losing in majority or all of them.

My guess is he meant that’s waaay more than just a confidence boost, it would be be one of the best years imaginable. How many guys besides Merckx have won 2 monuments, the WCRR and WC TT, and a GT?

ed. What he said.

 

[Panda Claws]

Would be cool for him to win a serious one-week race though. Nobody cares about UAE Tour.

 

[peterfin]

Would be cool for him to win a serious one-week race though. Nobody cares about UAE Tour.

Indeed. Not even the leader of the UAE team. He should start collecting them all.

 

[Ulle97]

Can't wait for Tuesday's stage with the summit finish.

Love him or hate him, Remco really gets everyone's attention. TDS just got 10x more intriguing with the man's presence alone.

I don't think I've ever seen a 6sec deficit in a 12km TT disected and scrutinised so much as in today's stage. The man finished ahead of 159 riders and averaged 56kmph.

The Remco effect!!

 

[peterfin]

Remco's last 12 ITT results: 2,1,1,3,1,1,1,2,2,1,3,3. Nobody is better bet for the podium.

 

[houtdffan]

Should he win CSS, WCRR and TT, Vuelta and Lombardia, I really don't hope the general interpretation would be that it would be a "confidence boost".

he sweeps those races, he's winning his second straight Velo D'Or

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Remco's last 12 ITT results: 2,1,1,3,1,1,1,2,2,1,3,3. Nobody is better bet for the podium.

I like how one side will read this and go - see! His form has dipped to second behind Kung; he’s way off.

And the other will look at it and go, He is on trend.

 

[Oldermanish]

Two monuments, a Grand Tour and two world titles would be one of the best seasons of the modern age, not a confidence boost.

And possibly an unreasonable goal, given the aggression and crashes that plague races today.
Now, if you crash out you just check the next box on options when you recover and get on with what works. If it happens too much you may become a strong domestique and live with the money you get paid. That was the outlook for Allaphillipe up until a stage win this week. It happens to many.

 

[tobydawq]

Can't wait for Tuesday's stage with the summit finish.

Love him or hate him, Remco really gets everyone's attention. TDS just got 10x more intriguing with the man's presence alone.

I don't think I've ever seen a 6sec deficit in a 12km TT disected and scrutinised so much as in today's stage. The man finished ahead of 159 riders and averaged 56kmph.

The Remco effect!!

"The man finished ahead of 159 riders" is not a very compelling argument, is it?

 

[DNP-Old]

Can't wait for Tuesday's stage with the summit finish.

Love him or hate him, Remco really gets everyone's attention. TDS just got 10x more intriguing with the man's presence alone.

I don't think I've ever seen a 6sec deficit in a 12km TT disected and scrutinised so much as in today's stage. The man finished ahead of 159 riders and averaged 56kmph.

The Remco effect!!

Very correct. Remco finishes 2nd after a covid infection and we have everyone and their mother analyse every pedal stroke, every breath, every blink. Wout finishes 3rd whilst in build up to his big goal of the year and he gets 1 ½ responses.

 

[ManicJack]

What concerns me more is Remco's own answer pointing to the pressure within his team (the wolf pack attitude) and outside (the Belgian media and social media).

I'm not a huge Remco fan, nor am I a "hater" as is thrown around pretty loosely here, but I find it to be really unfortunate that anyone has that much external pressure on them that they would make professional decisions based on what others may think or say. I feel sorry for the guy. Just go to the TdF and get out of it whatever he feels is best for working towards his future goals and ignore everyone else.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I'm not a huge Remco fan, nor am I a "hater" as is thrown around pretty loosely here, but I find it to be really unfortunate that anyone has that much external pressure on them that they would make professional decisions based on what others may think or say. I feel sorry for the guy. Just go to the TdF and get out of it whatever he feels is best for working towards his future goals and ignore everyone else.

Hater.

kidding

 

[ManicJack]

Hater.

kidding

I have been reading this forum for years and just recently decided that I was bored enough during my workday to start to contribute a bit. Thanks for the warm welcome. About what I expected.

 

[Extinction]

In today's la Gazzetta dello Sport there was an interview of Giulio Ciccone, winner of yesterday's last Dauphine stage. Ciccone also earned himself a tenacious victory against Roglic and Evenepoel at Catalunya this season. The Italian came down with Covid just prior to the grande partenza of the Giro, thus ruining his participation at the home GT. Yet he has picked himself up by the bootstraps and is clearly on track for big ambitions at the Tour: a stage win and the polka-dot jersey.

While not an identical scenario, Evenepoel has gone through a similar Covid-induced drama, which ruined his Giro. Like Ciccone he seems to be in good shape, perhaps building form as the TdS developes. Yet, unlike Ciccone, Evenepoel has no plans to ride the Tour. If Remco gets better in the TdS, but then does not do the Tour, while Ciccone goes on to meet his goals in the French GT; I think Soudal will have made an enormous mistake.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

In today's la Gazzetta dello Sport there was an interview of Giulio Ciccone, winner of yesterday's last Dauphine stage. Ciccone also earned himself a tenacious victory against Roglic and Evenepoel at Catalunya this season. The Italian came down with Covid just prior to the grande partenza of the Giro, thus ruining his participation at the home GT. Yet he has picked himself up by the bootstraps and is clearly on track for big ambitions at the Tour: a stage win and the polka-dot jersey.

While not an identical scenario, Evenepoel has gone through a similar Covid-induced drama, which ruined his Giro. Like Ciccone he seems to be in good shape, perhaps building form as the TdS developes. Yet, unlike Ciccone, Evenepoel has no plans to ride the Tour. If Remco gets better in the TdS, but then does not do the Tour, while Ciccone goes on to meet his goals in the French GT; I think Soudal will have made an enormous mistake.

1/ Ciccone does not (intend to) ride for GC.
2/ Ciccone has no chance or ambition to become WCC ITT two and a half weeks after the Tour.
3/ Ciccone has virtually no chance to become WCC RR a few days later.
4/ Ciccone would likely not be a real contender for overall victory in case he did not ride the Tour and went to the Vuelta.
5/ Ciccone was struck a full two weeks earlier by covid, which makes a big difference when time is of the essence.

 

[Andy schleck]

This question was answered at the 2022 Vuelta. There were mountains in Spain weren't there? What happened on Pico Jano? As for TdS it will depend on his prep and what shape he is in. But I have no doubt after he won the Vuelta that Remco is a force in the mountains.

Jay vine was more fast than remco in pico jano, so it wasn't a outstanding performance. Let's not forget that the last vuelta was mainly unipuerto stages with no altitude, and he even barely beat Mas in the mountains. Remco is a good climber, but it's not a outstanding climber.

 

[Extinction]

1/ Ciccone does not (intend to) ride for GC.
2/ Ciccone has no chance or ambition to become WCC ITT two and a half weeks after the Tour.
3/ Ciccone has virtually no chance to become WCC RR a few days later.
4/ Ciccone would likely not be a real contender for overall victory in case he did not ride the Tour and went to the Vuelta.
5/ Ciccone was struck a full two weeks earlier by covid, which makes a big difference when time is of the essence.

As I stated their situations are not identical, but I still think if Ciccone can go on to ride a solid Tour, so could Remco. And I'm not putting any GC expectations on him, but feasably he might surprise in doing well. The learning curve, in any case, would be useful going forward. Van Aert, moreover, is doing the Tour and hoping the form holds until Glasgow. I realize Wout will approach this Tour with the Worlds in mind, but still.

 

[SHAD0W93]

I think we can all agree that we need a poll.

Yes, Evenepoel should go to the Tour
No, Evenepoel should not go to the Tour
I don’t care and am tired of seeing the same discussions
Other/Vino(e)

 

[Big Doopie]

As I stated their situations are not identical, but I still think if Ciccone can go on to ride a solid Tour, so could Remco. And I'm not putting any GC expectations on him, but feasably he might surprise in doing well. The learning curve, in any case, would be useful going forward. Van Aert, moreover, is doing the Tour and hoping the form holds until Glassgow. I realize Wout will approach this Tour with the Worlds in mind, but still.

ouch. never ends.

they are not identical at all. as @Logic-is-your-friend clearly points out.

i have no idea why you want him to sacrifice the rest of the season (and some potential big-time wins) in order to somehow "gain some experience".

just makes no sense, unless it is the ultimate 3D chess move by an "enthusiast" (AKA hater) who literally wants to see him fail the rest of the season.

also, there is no huge and vital experience gained at the TDF unless he was at the pointy end of things. Better for him (and his team) to gain more experience fighting for wins in other top races - that is much better "experience" than being manhandled at a TDF which you have not prepped fully.