The Remco Evenepoel is the next Eddy Merckx thread

[RedheadDane]

would he drop out if he is contending for the win after the 2 weeks? Or would he pull a Contador from 2008 and remain in under that scenario

Or even if he's "just" in contention for a podium-spot, like Pogacar this year.
Or even just a top-10 spot, that would itself be a pretty good result for a 20-year-old.

 

[spalco]

Normally if the plan is for him to drop out he would lose half an hour immediately on the first couple stages to end speculation in advance. But with Remco you can't know.

 

[Joelsim]

Question.

How does anyone know that he lacks punch? AFAIK he hasn't actually had an opportunity to show it or not yet, he's usually ridden away from everyone beforehand.

 

[RedheadDane]

Normally if the plan is for him to drop out he would lose half an hour immediately on the first couple stages to end speculation in advance. But with Remco you can't know.

Maybe he'll lose half an hour, and then if he's still doing well by the planned dropout time, they'll just claim that it was the plan the entire time that he'd hunt stages/help the team. Either way, might be better for him, to not have the pressure.

 

[tobydawq]

Question.

How does anyone know that he lacks punch? AFAIK he hasn't actually had an opportunity to show it or not yet, he's usually ridden away from everyone beforehand.

I think it's based on his own words.

 

[Bonimenier]

Exactly, he said that his tests clearly show that his short efforts aren't all that great.

 

[Joelsim]

It’s been confirmed that The Giro is on his calendar.

 

[GuntherL1]

It’s been confirmed that The Giro is on his calendar.

Link?

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Question.

How does anyone know that he lacks punch? AFAIK he hasn't actually had an opportunity to show it or not yet, he's usually ridden away from everyone beforehand.

It is indeed based on both his own words (going on tests as well as his own experience) as it is based on what you can see in the race. He spins a high cadence but not a big gear. In the juniors (and you can see this in the footage of Lunigiana, WCC RR or any other footage you can find of this period) he often tries to accelerate but he can never drop guys like that. He has to raise the tempo for a few miles, or on a section uphill, for a longer period and choke whoever is in his wheel slowly until they crack. It's the way he's done it in the juniors, and also in his first year pro, in Baloise Belgium Tour, in Adriatica Ionica, in San Sebastian.

The only "somewhat" punchy effort i've ever seen of him (actually, surprisingly punchy) was in Hammer Climb Limburg (you can find the footage on youtube), where he has to sprint against Bodnar two or three times (and he's comfortably beaten every time) but still puts up "some sort of fight".

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gytm7WhGZik&t=58m22s

 

[Joelsim]

Link?

Deceuninck-QuickStep, anche il Giro d’Italia 2020 nell’ambizioso programma di Remco Evenepoel - SpazioCiclismo

Remco Evenepoel sarà al via del Giro d'Italia 2020. Il fenomeno belga, fresco di successo come sport

cyclingpro.net

 

[Jungle Cycle]

https://www.velo-club.net/post/remco-evenepoel-sera-au-depart-du-giro-2020

 

[Mayomaniac]

LBL, Olympics, WC and Lombardia as his main goals is already hard, but riding your first gt between LBL and the Olympics could be a bit of an overkill.
Seeing how it goes and pulling out after the 2nd week if you aren't high up on the gc is probably the smart thing to do.

 

[Walter1234]

Question.

How does anyone know that he lacks punch? AFAIK he hasn't actually had an opportunity to show it or not yet, he's usually ridden away from everyone beforehand.

There is nice example in the tour of belgium 4th stage; Remco as the leader at the start of the last climb in the race has to let Tim Wellens ride; in no way he can follow him. In the first minute he looses about 50m (cannot remember exactly). But after about 5 minutes Remco catches Tim Wellens again.

The Belgian junior team does tests; in the '1 minute' climbing test Remco looses about 10 seconds on the better junior riders. The best will reach about 11watt/kg. Remco will be closer to 8 maybe 9 watt per kg; but his 5 minute effort will not be a lot lower... So he just knows where his limits are and that he will not be a Merckx (who had it all....).

Walter

 

[RunningRouleur]

I'm sure he can do more than 9 w/kg for a minute. I can do that.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I'm sure he can do more than 9 w/kg for a minute. I can do that.

The test Walter is talking about is from when he just started cycling, nearly 3 years ago. He had just turned 17 and only started cycling a month or two before.

 

[RunningRouleur]

Right, that makes more sense. I imagine Remco is capable of more like 11 w/kg right now. That's very good, but not top-tier punchiness that Alaphilippe possesses.

 

[Walter1234]

The test Walter is talking about is from when he just started cycling, nearly 3 years ago. He had just turned 17 and only started cycling a month or two before.

I refer to test 2018 somewhere april.
Update: there are no strava data of him in 2017 I think. So no idea how to get to 1 minute test info of Remco 2017.

 

[Walter1234]

Right, that makes more sense. I imagine Remco is capable of more like 11 w/kg right now. That's very good, but not top-tier punchiness that Alaphilippe possesses.

It would actually surprise me is he gets 11w/kg in one minute. Because he is really really slow in short efforts.
But let us see if he ever releases his power data what it really is. At least until now he never managed to drop anyone in a short effort. He just rides and at some point after minutes nobody follows....
And yes: I would not be surprised that you can follow him in a one minute effort... Because he is -I repeat- really really slow... (above 5 minutes he is insane fast....).

Walter

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I refer to test 2018 somewhere april.
Update: there are no strava data of him in 2017 I think. So no idea how to get to 1 minute test info of Remco 2017.

The test he took, with the Belgian juniors, where he climbed 15 seconds slower than 3 year older Lambrecht on Ballon d'Alsace was from 2017 (the year Lambrecht lost Tour de l'Avenir to Bernal with 69 seconds). Here is an article from 2018, posted by 18-Valve. (pithy), where Bomans talks about that test "l'an dernier" (last year), meaning 2017. But you are correct and he must have done another test a year later as well. He talks about it here in an article posted by DNP-old: 7W per kg, on the entire climb (23 minutes) how i understand it. All his Strava records seem to have been wiped though (at least i can't find any from either year).

Btw is there any news on when DQS will announce their riders program?

Tenth of January, team presentation.

 

[Walter1234]

The test he took, with the Belgian juniors, where he climbed 15 seconds slower than 3 year older Lambrecht on Ballon d'Alsace was from 2017 (the year Lambrecht lost Tour de l'Avenir to Bernal with 69 seconds). Here is an article from 2018, posted by 18-Valve. (pithy), where Bomans talks about that test "l'an dernier" (last year), meaning 2017. But you are correct and he must have done another test a year later as well. He talks about it here in an article posted by DNP-old: 7W per kg, on the entire climb (23 minutes) how i understand it. All his Strava records seem to have been wiped though (at least i can't find any from either year).


Tenth of January, team presentation.

 

[Walter1234]

The test he took, with the Belgian juniors, where he climbed 15 seconds slower than 3 year older Lambrecht on Ballon d'Alsace was from 2017 (the year Lambrecht lost Tour de l'Avenir to Bernal with 69 seconds). Here is an article from 2018, posted by 18-Valve. (pithy), where Bomans talks about that test "l'an dernier" (last year), meaning 2017. But you are correct and he must have done another test a year later as well. He talks about it here in an article posted by DNP-old: 7W per kg, on the entire climb (23 minutes) how i understand it. All his Strava records seem to have been wiped though (at least i can't find any from either year)

The Belgian cycling team also does 1 minute tests. But I cannot find back that test result on strava now; Remco was here a lot slower then the better juniors (10 seconds if I remember). Just to say he is slow....

Walter

 

[shalgo]

Ah ok, it doesn’t make any sense in English. Unsympathetic means something totally different.

Actually, it can also be used in exactly the same way in English. Look at the third definition in the link below:

Unsympathetic | Meaning of Unsympathetic by Lexico

What does unsympathetic mean? unsympathetic is defined by the lexicographers at Oxford Dictionaries as Not feeling, showing, or expressing sympathy., Not showing approval or favour towards an idea or action...

www.lexico.com

 

[Joelsim]

Bizarre. I’ve not heard it used in that sense in my lifetime.

 

[shalgo]

Bizarre. I’ve not heard it used in that sense in my lifetime.

It is frequently used that way in reference to fictional characters, i.e. likable characters are sympathetic characters and unlikable ones are unsympathetic characters.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Regarding fat percentages (Alaphilippe 5%, van der Poel 5.2%...) , Remco's body isn't ready for such low percentages yet. If he eats more in the evening, he will train more in the morning. He watches what he eats and doesn't drink alcohol.

He wants to have a long career, because he likes doing it. Not because of the money.

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