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

[peterfin]

Prior to the start of the Vuelta he said that a podium and a stage was his goal but 4 stages and 12th in GC would also be fine. So it's going to be the latter.

 

[Didinho]

Happy for Remco that he was able to produce this performance to get the win today after what must’ve been a very demoralizing day yesterday.

On the other hand, I’m now dreading that the usual suspects will bring up how he put 8 minutes into Vingegaard on a high mountain stage at every opportunity.

Or that Bardet is a 2nd in Tour GC and Remco beat him 😁

 

[yaco]

Once Remco goes to the TDF in 2024, I doubt you can have the whole team around him - Give him 2 mountain doms, bring a sprinter and lead out and 3 versatile riders who can help GC and the sprinter.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

With today I have honestly not a clue about what happened yesterday, but I think today proves that he should definitively continuing pursuing GC in Grand Tours, because he’s shown that if everything works out for him he can win, and if he completely cracks he can still win stages directly after blowing up.

 

[DNP-Old]

Bardet: 'I felt really great, but it's not everyday you are ahead with a legend.'

True. 👑

 

[houtdffan]

Amazing that after whole day in the attack he didn't lose a single second vs the red jersey group on the final climb.

doubt he will be allowed another breakaway after today

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Once Remco goes to the TDF in 2024, I doubt you can have the whole team around him - Give him 2 mountain doms, bring a sprinter and lead out and 3 versatile riders who can help GC and the sprinter.

There is in my opinion no reason for QS to bring a sprinter to the tour when their best sprinter is Merlier. Merlier has shown that he’s only one to count for in the first few days of a GT and next year the tour will start with some very hard stages.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Today reminds me of last year on stage 15 when most and Jumbo thought Evenepoel would get dropped on the beginning, really steep section only for him to blow their team up.

Great win today and could potentially get more stage wins, KoM, and top 10 if the stars align.

 

[JosefK]

Four stage wins in grand tours in 2023 and possibly more to come, with a likely win in the Vuelta's KOM classification. He should ride the TDF next year.

 

[tobydawq]

Did anyone doubt he could beat Bardet in a breakaway?

He did better when he was dropped on the hardest climbs last year.

Yeah, completely comparable situations

 

[Berniece]

Did anyone doubt he could beat Bardet in a breakaway?

He did better when he was dropped on the hardest climbs last year.

Sure…

 

[Netserk]

Today reminds me of last year on stage 15 when most and Jumbo thought Evenepoel would get dropped on the beginning, really steep section only for him to blow their team up.

Great win today and could potentially get more stage wins, KoM, and top 10 if the stars align.

The day he was dropped by Mas with more than half a minute?

 

[The fridge in the blue trees]

Strong reaction, but makes yesterday's collapse even more mysterious...

 

[Netserk]

Yeah, completely comparable situations

[whisper]I think Rogla could also drop Bardet in a breakaway[/whisper]

 

[SHAD0W93]

The day he was dropped by Mas with more than half a minute?

The day they let Mas go because he was almost 3 mins and MAL 6 while Roglic stayed glued to his wheel till the end?

 

[DNP-Old]

 

[Extinction]

Strong reaction, but makes yesterday's collapse even more mysterious...

The other thing is how do you go from second in the TT, be fine on the next hilltop finish, then drop like a stone on the first climb of the queen stage, lose 27 mins, to then the very next day put on a show? I'm really at a loss by the severity of the debacle and then bounce-back performance today. I remember Fignon losing 12 minutes on one mountain stage in the 86 Tour. He was done, wasn't going to perform well again in that race. That's what I honestly expected from Remco.

 

[Netserk]

The day they let Mas go because he was almost 3 mins and MAL 6 while Roglic stayed glued to his wheel till the end?

Okay, the day he chose to drop.

 

[Snake]

btw he shouldn't drink something that is coming from a fan....

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

[whisper]I think Rogla could also drop Bardet in a breakaway[/whisper]

I love how you like to bring up Roglic when no one is talking about him. I hope you’re not one of those guys that are complaining when people bring up Remco in non-Remco relevant threads and discussions.

 

[Netserk]

I love how you like to bring up Roglic when no one is talking about him. I hope you’re not one of those guys that are complaining when people bring up Remco in non-Remco relevant threads and discussions.

Other GC riders are the relevant benchmark for his climbing ability, no? Especially when a breakaway victory is supposed to show how well he can climb.

 

[Nick2413]

This was a bit perplexing and maybe he doesn’t even understand it, but nice to see Remco having some redemption. Much better than throwing in the towel and leaving or just riding in the peloton to Madrid.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Other GC riders are the relevant benchmark for his climbing ability, no? Especially when a breakaway victory is supposed to show how well he can climb.

In this context it would be much more relevant to look at Bardets performance level the last few seasons than bringing in Roglic the way you did.

No one would ever question if Roglic could beat Bardet, same as no one would questioning if Vingegaard or Pogacar could do it. Or Hindley. Remco beat him comfortably, of course the other guys that have won GTs lately would do the same on a normal day.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Okay, the day he chose to drop.

Funny how it’s dropping when it’s riders you don’t like and it’s not dropping because the other rider is so far behind for those that you do like. It was in Evenepoel’s interests for Mas to get closer to Roglic and become a threat. Did Roglic himself then drop and ride away at the end, yes. After Evenepoel and his teammate decided to set the pace.

 

[Arked]

The other thing is how do you go from second in the TT, be fine on the next hilltop finish, then drop like a stone on the first climb of the queen stage, lose 27 mins, to then the very next day put on a show? I'm really at a loss by the severity of the debacle and then bounce-back performance today. I remember Fignon losing 12 minutes on one mountain stage in the 86 Tour. He was done, wasn't going to perform well again in that race. That's what I honestly expected from Remco.

Low glycogen yesterday? This is something you can come back in 24h. Especially when you're chilling for half a stage.