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

[Elos Anjos]

Crashes affect riders' performance. It is known. Why call it an excuse as if it is somehow irrelevant?

It's possible it hurt before, but why announcing it just now. Either way, other foes would think it would be bluff.

 

[Berniece]

It's possible it hurt before, but why announcing it just now. Either way, other foes would think it would be bluff.

Because if you announce it after the fall your opponents will use that information to gain more time

 

[Ripper]

Because if you announce it after the fall your opponents will use that information to gain more time

Rrrrrrremco just cannot catch a break in GTs this year. Not sure much could have been done about Covid during the Giro, but it sounds like some precautionary measures might have helped regarding preventing the team illness (but perhaps not). And that crash was just ridiculous ... the race organizer really blew the post-finish line setup, and of course Remco picked an unfortunate winning celebration for the given circumstance

 

[Berniece]

Rrrrrrremco just cannot catch a break in GTs this year. Not sure much could have been done about Covid during the Giro, but it sounds like some precautionary measures might have helped regarding preventing the team illness (but perhaps not). And that crash was just ridiculous ... the race organizer really blew the post-finish line setup, and of course Remco picked an unfortunate winning celebration for the given circumstance

All will be forgotten if he wins the TDF next year

 

[Big Doopie]

All will be forgotten if he wins the TDF next year

well, lombardia is the real goal.

if remco is back healthy again, this is exactly the stage where remco misses having a great team. this could be like LBL or San Sebastian. but he does not have the team to get rid of other team's helpers.

instead he is likely to ship time since it will be a mountain sprint at extreme percentages.

 

[Wyndbrook]

It's possible it hurt before, but why announcing it just now. Either way, other foes would think it would be bluff.

Because he has weekly (Saturday) newspaper column.

 

[Ripper]

It's possible it hurt before, but why announcing it just now. Either way, other foes would think it would be bluff.

Is this a serious question or are you trolling?

 

[Big Doopie]

Seems like crash did affect him.

 

[Extinction]

No shame in losing out today, as he was forced to do all the work on the last climb AND lead out the sprint. Roglic's lead out man, however, had the Slovenian been forced to take up the pace, Remco probably wins. Once again Rog's modus operandi is effective, but without panache, something which simply characterizes his way of racing. The important thing is Remco looked good. On to tomorrow.

 

[Didinho]

Better again. This 2nd place is a mental win. Controlled the Jumbo’s on his own and almost won. Hope to see him like this so we have a good GC battle.

 

[Berniece]

He was very good today, seemed more like his normal self. On a long climb one of the JV boys will eventually crack.

 

[Oldermanish]

Better again. This 2nd place is a mental win. Controlled the Jumbo’s on his own and almost won. Hope to see him like this so we have a good GC battle.

He did what he should under the circumstances but he might have forced a JV rider to set pace after Kuss eased up. The GC battle has a full compliment of teams involved with the Spanish contingent so he should be able to settle back and let them to go at it.
Week 1 done, more or less.

 

[Didinho]

He did what he should under the circumstances but he might have forced a JV rider to set pace after Kuss eased up. The GC battle has a full compliment of teams involved with the Spanish contingent so he should be able to settle back and let them to go at it.
Week 1 done, more or less.

If he dropped the pace the other 2 Jumbo’s would attack, if they could. Better to keep the same pace yourself if you’re feeling good. You don’t want to let Kuss recover and make it a 3 vs 1 game.

 

[Lequack]

He was very good today in my opinion, I don't think he should be down on himself for not winning the stage

 

[Extinction]

He did what he should under the circumstances but he might have forced a JV rider to set pace after Kuss eased up. The GC battle has a full compliment of teams involved with the Spanish contingent so he should be able to settle back and let them to go at it.
Week 1 done, more or less.

I think he realized nobody could attack him with the pace he was setting, which in fact had Almeida and Kuss yoyoing off the back. Given his apparent need for steadiness, it might have been his best tactic, rather then have to chace down other accellerations (read Rog and Vingo). I'm not in your sandwich!

 

[Extinction]

He was very good today in my opinion, I don't think he should be down on himself for not winning the stage

He is a winner and winners don't settle for 2nd place.

 

[Volderke]

He is a winner and winners don't settle for 2nd place.

Well, he was disappointed and thinking why he didn't approach the finish as if it was sprinting for the stage.

You can clearly see the disbelief in his expression:

 

[Snake]

I don't know if it's the crash or something else but he doesn't look on the same level as last year, didn't he dropped everyone on a similar climb in 2022?

 

[SafeBet]

He rode very sensibly today given the circumstances. Both uphill and downhill he would've been attacked as soon as he eased up. I reckon there's no scenario where he can win this stage unless he's clearly the strongest.

 

[Big Doopie]

I don't know if it's the crash or something else but he doesn't look on the same level as last year, didn't he dropped everyone on a similar climb in 2022?

i agree. i do not think he is as good as last year.

however, he crashed, he has stronger opponents and an unfavorable route.

likely playing the long game.

if he enters the ITT with even a few seconds on the JV duo, that is honestly better than could have been expected.

30 seconds on Rog and maybe 15 on Vingo if all goes right in the ITT.

and that certainly still makes it difficult. maybe he is hoping vingo and kuss drop off due to riding TDF... who knows?

 

[Extinction]

Well, he was disappointed and thinking why he didn't approach the finish as if it was sprinting for the stage.

You can clearly see the disbelief in his expression:

Yea, but tactically he was caught between a rock and a hard place.

 

[Volderke]

Yea, but tactically he was caught between a rock and a hard place.

Indeed, if he didn't tow the group, it could as well have been a 5th place or whatever, as there would have been more occasion for attacks.

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

I don't know if it's the crash or something else but he doesn't look on the same level as last year, didn't he dropped everyone on a similar climb in 2022?

He's heavier. Last year he was nearly in untenable shape. He was 60.5 -61kg, which is the perfect weight but on a razor's edge in terms of increasing potential for getting sick and losing some power.

 

[Andre]

It was nice to see Remco in complete control on the last climb. He didn't even attack once, just made it impossible for others to feel comfortable; hurting some other great climbers on the way. Clearly the strongest today again. When Kuss went up the road, he knew he didn't have to chase or change pace. Team mate Hirt did some good helping at the start of the climb. Jumbo Visma will have their hands full having to worry about not only Remco but also Ayuso and Mas.

 

[Volderke]

His post-stage interview (Sporza, thus google translated, minor edits for better reading):
A cursing Remco Evenepoel in front of the microphone at the arrival interviews.

The Belgian champion showed today that he has fully recovered from the dip in the day before yesterday, but missed out on a second day victory.

"I didn't know we were sprinting for the win," he said afterwards. "I thought the breakaway was still up the road. In the last kilometers they didn't say anything in my earpiece and I didn't hear anything anymore through all the people."

"That's why I put myself so stupidly in Roglic's wheel in the last meters. I just wanted to be the first to enter the last corner and didn't even push to sprint."

However, the motivation to win this stage was initially there. "These are my home roads so I was very motivated and it went much better than yesterday. I think I could have won."

"Whether I'm angry with Klaas Lodewyck for the lack of communication? Yes, I'm going to send him home," Evenepoel joked.

Yet there was also something positive. "I didn't know what pace I drove, because I didn't have a power meter (after his bike switch). So it was a whole day by feel, but apparently fast enough to put Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard à bloc."

"My plan to let Sepp Kuss swim for a while and then drive there quietly has also succeeded," said Evenepoel. "So I showed today that I'm okay and the pains are gone. And the guys were good too, so that's positive for the next few days."

"It's just infuriating that bonus seconds were also linked to the sprint. When the disappointment goes away? Not knowing me, not quickly," he concludes (smiling).