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

[Berniece]

Merlier not going to the Vuelta, all-in on Remco... I would not be happy if I was Merlier. Just because Remco's season was shook due to Covid doesn't mean other riders now have to make concessions.

 

[Peter von]

They're really acting as if theyre a 8M budget team now

We always dreamed that Lotto would one day have the budget to have a rivalry with Quick-Step...

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Merlier not going to the Vuelta, all-in on Remco... I would not be happy if I was Merlier. Just because Remco's season was shook due to Covid doesn't mean other riders now have to make concessions.

According to Schotte, Merlier doesn't mind as there are not many chances for him in the Vuelta anyway, and the team gives him an alternative program with more opportunities for him.

 

[Berniece]

According to Schotte, Merlier doesn't mind as there are not many chances for him in the Vuelta anyway, and the team gives him an alternative program with more opportunities for him.

In the Sporza article it seems a bit weird, but that could have to do with how Patrick Lefevere phrased his sentence.

Original: "Tim wou de Vuelta rijden, maar hij is een brave jongen en zei dat hij zich zou neerleggen bij de beslissing van de ploeg."
Translated: "Tim wanted to ride the Vuelta, but he's a good boy and said he would follow the teams decision."

 

[wheresmybrakes]

I wonder if Rem now regrets signing a long contract with QS and is stuck with propping up a team that is gonna rely on him for their wins. He's soon gonna get a bit hacked off if something doesn't happen to improve his chances in GT's. Apart from winning a weak Vuelta, he still needs to prove he is a big gun for GT's. Looking at this Tour, he would have had no chance in it, so it was a good decision to say, I don't think so.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I wonder if Rem now regrets signing a long contract with QS and is stuck with propping up a team that is gonna rely on him for their wins. He's soon gonna get a bit hacked off if something doesn't happen to improve his chances in GT's. Apart from winning a weak Vuelta, he still needs to prove he is a big gun for GT's. Looking at this Tour, he would have had no chance in it, so it was a good decision to say, I don't think so.

His current contract was signed when he still was 20 years old i think, when he was still recovering from his injury i believe. At that time, considering the circumstances, it probably looked like a great deal for him.

 

[Andy schleck]

Remco is in the right team to be the best version of himself. Quick step and jumbo are the best teams to a rider be the best version of himself. Ineos is not what it was in the past. It would be a mistake to move to another team, like we saw with almeida.

Certainly patrick lefevre will give guarantees to remco, that in the grand tours the team will work exclusively for him, and also he will buy 2/3 climbers to help him.

 

[yaco]

Some seem to think that you wave a magic wand and you can get top class mountain domestiques!

Merlier made a mistake going to QS - He could have stayed at Alpecin who are not a GC team and shared GT's with Philipsen.

 

[Salvarani]

Some seem to think that you wave a magic wand and you can get top class mountain domestiques!

Riders are not standing in line to work for the next Merckx? They should be honored getting that call!

He seems like such a sweet and humble guy as well.

 

[Venge 82]

Patrick L's decision to leave Merlier at home shows that he is under pressure not to give Remco any excuses to justify a possible move to Ineos.
He also takes every opportunity to mention that Remco said after LBL that SQS was like family. You can imagine, PL will use this against Remco (to play on sentiment).
Of course, I understand that Patrick Lefèvre will be using every trick he has up his sleeve.

I do partially agree with Andy Schleck that SQS is the right team to be the best version of himself. For a sprinter : definitely yes! For a classics rider: it used to be, now a bit less...
For a GC contender: which SQS GC contender has become the best version of himself so far? I can't recall to be honest.

Certainly patrick lefevre will give guarantees to remco, that in the grand tours the team will work exclusively for him, and also he will buy 2/3 climbers to help him

He can guarantee that the team will work for him, but there is much more:
- More staff to help with preparations
- Hotel accomodations (only Jumbo, UAE and Ineos have easy access to hotel accomodation)
- Experience
- Great domestiques
- ...

I'm not sure he will "buy" (not the right word as generally in cycling riders are not bought) 2/3 climbers. He mentioned on the radio (today) that 1 extra good climber would already be enough. They talk about top-15 material in TdF, but I have my doubts. He only communicates after the 1st of August, but that clearly makes everyone nervous. The staff, but also Remco...

 

[Red Rick]

Patrick L's decision to leave Merlier at home shows that he is under pressure not to give Remco any excuses to justify a possible move to Ineos.
He also takes every opportunity to mention that Remco said after LBL that SQS was like family. You can imagine, PL will use this against Remco (to play on sentiment).
Of course, I understand that Patrick Lefèvre will be using every trick he has up his sleeve.

I do partially agree with Andy Schleck that SQS is the right team to be the best version of himself. For a sprinter : definitely yes! For a classics rider: it used to be, now a bit less...
For a GC contender: which SQS GC contender has become the best version of himself so far? I can't recall to be honest.



He can guarantee that the team will work for him, but there is much more:
- More staff to help with preparations
- Hotel accomodations (only Jumbo, UAE and Ineos have easy access to hotel accomodation)
- Experience
- Great domestiques
- ...

I'm not sure he will "buy" (not the right word as generally in cycling riders are not bought) 2/3 climbers. He mentioned on the radio (today) that 1 extra good climber would already be enough. They talk about top-15 material in TdF, but I have my doubts. He only communicates after the 1st of August, but that clearly makes everyone nervous. The staff, but also Remco...

The stupidest part in all of this is that Evenepoel himself isn't even on a big contract. Like last article I read he was only on 2M

 

[Venge 82]

The stupidest part in all of this is that Evenepoel himself isn't even on a big contract. Like last article I read he was only on 2M

Might be, but that's without bonuses. I believe PL is a big fan of performance based remuneration.

 

[Berniece]

Might be, but that's without bonuses. I believe PL is a big fan of performance based remuneration.

Indeed, because his deals with sponsors are also based on performance

 

[houtdffan]

In the Sporza article it seems a bit weird, but that could have to do with how Patrick Lefevere phrased his sentence.

Original: "Tim wou de Vuelta rijden, maar hij is een brave jongen en zei dat hij zich zou neerleggen bij de beslissing van de ploeg."
Translated: "Tim wanted to ride the Vuelta, but he's a good boy and said he would follow the teams decision."

Only role for Merlier would have been leading Remco out for bonus seconds

 

[Red Rick]

Only role for Merlier would have been leading Remco out for bonus seconds

Lol.

It's very likely Merlier was promised to race the Vuelta at the very least when he moved to SQS. First he doesn't go to the Tour despite performing better than Jakobsen and Jakobsen leaving, now Evenepoel getse the full team fo rthe Vuelta.

 

[laarsland]

He can guarantee that the team will work for him, but there is much more:
- More staff to help with preparations
- Hotel accomodations (only Jumbo, UAE and Ineos have easy access to hotel accomodation)
- Experience
- Great domestiques
- ...

- DSs used to the ins and outs of GT-battles more complex than last season's Vuelta

 

[houtdffan]

Lol.

It's very likely Merlier was promised to race the Vuelta at the very least when he moved to SQS. First he doesn't go to the Tour despite performing better than Jakobsen and Jakobsen leaving, now Evenepoel getse the full team fo rthe Vuelta.

He could have come as a donkey

 

[Bonimenier]

Lol.

It's very likely Merlier was promised to race the Vuelta at the very least when he moved to SQS. First he doesn't go to the Tour despite performing better than Jakobsen and Jakobsen leaving, now Evenepoel getse the full team fo rthe Vuelta.

They promised the Belgian champion he will be allowed to race the Vuelta.

 

[Elos Anjos]

Remco is in the right team to be the best version of himself. Quick step and jumbo are the best teams to a rider be the best version of himself. Ineos is not what it was in the past. It would be a mistake to move to another team, like we saw with almeida.

Certainly patrick lefevre will give guarantees to remco, that in the grand tours the team will work exclusively for him, and also he will buy 2/3 climbers to help him.

Are you, like, "slow"?
Almeida has improved and got a whole team to support him at Giro. The result was a podium.
In Quickstep he would be caught between Remco and a classics team. Of course his move towards another team was the right one ,although one can question if UAE was the right choice. Notwithstanding, the bottom line is that moving out was the first step.
And even if there were doubts one just has to look at the shitstorm around PL and Remco's 2023 season.
Glad I could be helpful.

 

[Gratemans]

When it comes down to production values, they clearly have a lot to learn from Jumbo Visma. But at least it's good to see that they have the bad acting and cringe factors down as well.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1678396334364033030

View: https://twitter.com/soudalquickstep/status/1678396334364033030

Only saw it now. Jfc, I absolutely despise clips like these. Are there really people out there who think crap like this is even remotely funny? They just fill me with rage for some reason.
Sorry, I'm off killing a bunch of bunnies now.

 

[Elos Anjos]

All I want from Quickstep or any other team for that matter is that they can bring out the best possible version of Remco. It seems to me that PL is faltering in that matter.

 

[red_flanders]

Only saw it now. Jfc, I absolutely despise clips like these. Are there really people out there who think crap like this is even remotely funny? They just fill me with rage for some reason.
Sorry, I'm off killing a bunch of bunnies now.

It's junior high level writing and acting. Embarrassing.

 

[Andy schleck]

It's junior high level writing and acting. Embarrassing.

They hired some writer from wwe.

 

[peterfin]

They hired some writer from wwe.

It exemplifies the lack of budget of the team. Remco should have asked Average Rob to make the clip.

 

[peterfin]

Stage 12 of the tour is one of these stages where I really wonder how Remco would perform. I think he could do a lot of damage on stages like this. Probably it would not be enough to put Pogacar and Vingegaard in real danger but other GC riders could lose minutes.