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

[Berniece]

Okay. You're free to believe whatever Evenepoel says, even if he quite clearly uses hyperbole. I don't.

Thanks, but I'll still call you out when you are just making stuff up. Even more so when Kuss literally before the race said to Remco that they aren't going to let him keep attacking. Which basically means, we think you might want to fight your way into the GC again.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Pog could win any GT where Jonas don't race.

Do you know what is sarcasm?

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Do you know what is sarcasm?

They are implying that Evenepoel just isn‘t as good a GC rider.

 

[Netserk]

They are implying that Evenepoel just isn‘t as good a GC rider.

As Pogi? Of course he's not.
As he is as a stage hunter? Probably not, but that is much less valuable than doing well as a GC rider.

 

[Blanco]

Thanks, but I'll still call you out when you are just making stuff up. Even more so when Kuss literally before the race said to Remco that they aren't going to let him keep attacking. Which basically means, we think you might want to fight your way into the GC again.

So why then they did let him yesterday when they caught Soler?

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Any info about possible reasons for Remco's Friday collapse? Normally when a top guy loses to much time without crashing it's down to an illness. In Polish Eurosport commentators were mentioning crumbling under pressure but it doesn't seem too legit. It was a very bad day and maybe he wasn't prepared enough for the race? Anyway, this isn't a confidence-booster ahead of the next year's Tour. There are still question marks over his GT abilities.

 

[Netserk]

Any info about possible reasons for Remco's Friday collapse? Normally when a top guy loses to much time without crashing it's down to an illness. In Polish Eurosport commentators were mentioning crumbling under pressure but it doesn't seem too legit. It was a very bad day and maybe he wasn't prepared enough for the race? Anyway, this isn't a confidence-booster ahead of the next year's Tour. There are still question marks over his GT abilities.

He lost 1'19" on Aubisque to the peloton (led by Gesink). When exactly after that he gave up and rolled to the finish I'm not sure, but if he had tried to limit his losses, he would have lost much less time in the end.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

He lost 1'19" on Aubisque to the peloton (led by Gesink). When exactly after that he gave up and rolled to the finish I'm not sure, but if he had tried to limit his losses, he would have lost much less time in the end.

Yeah, that's likely. At some point he probably realized that it's better to save himself for breakaways instead of killing himself completely on his bad day. Still, it was really bad regarding his GT aspirations.

 

[Netserk]

On Soulor after Bahrain paced the peloton, Almeida was ~30" behind the peloton and Evenepoel's group ~1'30".

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

On Soulor after Bahrain paced the peloton, Almeida was ~30" behind the peloton and Evenepoel's group ~1'30".

IIRC: early slopes of Spandelles it went from ~2 to 2 1/2 the first maybe 2 km and then it was stuck on around 2 1/2 until it jumped to over 5 min when we saw the images of the full team just softpedalling. From that I guess they tried for maybe a kilometer or two but kept losing time and then when they sat up the motorbike (it's these that checks the gaps right?) left them and that's why the gap was shown to be stable at around 2 1/2 minute when it was clearly not the case anymore.

 

[Netserk]

3 km from the top of Spandelles, he is ~5'20" after the Gesink led peloton. We only see him once earlier on the climb, but it's hard to confirm the gap visually there. But according to the GPS, it does seem like his group went nearly as fast as the peloton on the first half of Spandelles and then tanked after that.

 

[ManicJack]

Thanks, but I'll still call you out when you are just making stuff up. Even more so when Kuss literally before the race said to Remco that they aren't going to let him keep attacking. Which basically means, we think you might want to fight your way into the GC again.

That would be gifting him his way back into GC

 

[Berniece]

So why then they did let him yesterday when they caught Soler?

I’m merely quoting Kuss. The leader. From Jumbo-Visma.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

What can we expect from Remco for the rest of the Vuelta?
Johan Bruyneel said he would like to see Remco test himself against the GC guys on the coming three stages, prioritizing "training" for future GTs over trying to maximize the results in this Vuelta.

If I was DS in Quick Step I'd put the following plan:
- stage 16 to Bejes: contribute to the chase if needed and try to beat the GC guys (main favorite Roglic) in the 4,9 km climb with 8,6%.
- stage 17 to Angliru: stay with GC group until bottom of Angliru, then try to take it pretty easy, try to lose around 10 minutes.
- stage 18 to Linares: get in the break together with atleast one team mate (preferably both Cattaneo and one more). Secure KOM and try to win the stage.
- stage 19: sprint stage, recovery day.
- stage 20: try to use the team the first 110ish km and then try a long range solo attack

With maximum success that would give the chance to win 3 stages and if he can win 2 of those 3 it would be extremely good.

 

[Netserk]

Why would you try to win stage 16 from the peloton and not stage 17?

 

[topcat]

Remco should not lose time deliberately. He should keep getting in the breaks and if he’s not allowed he should attack from the gc group if he can.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Why would you try to win stage 16 from the peloton and not stage 17?

Because i dont think hes in top form and therefore its more likely to be able to win on a short climb than on Angliru?

 

[Valanga]

What can we expect from Remco for the rest of the Vuelta?
Johan Bruyneel said he would like to see Remco test himself against the GC guys on the coming three stages, prioritizing "training" for future GTs over trying to maximize the results in this Vuelta.

If I was DS in Quick Step I'd put the following plan:
- stage 16 to Bejes: contribute to the chase if needed and try to beat the GC guys (main favorite Roglic) in the 4,9 km climb with 8,6%.
- stage 17 to Angliru: stay with GC group until bottom of Angliru, then try to take it pretty easy, try to lose around 10 minutes.
- stage 18 to Linares: get in the break together with atleast one team mate (preferably both Cattaneo and one more). Secure KOM and try to win the stage.
- stage 19: sprint stage, recovery day.
- stage 20: try to use the team the first 110ish km and then try a long range solo attack

With maximum success that would give the chance to win 3 stages and if he can win 2 of those 3 it would be extremely good.

Or: he does not put any pressure on himself for once, and just tries to enjoy racing and going in breakaways whenever he feels like it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Or: he does not put any pressure on himself for once

This doesn't sound like him tho

 

[Valanga]

This doesn't sound like him tho

Nope, but if his collapse was (partly) stress related, it might be the wise thing to do.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

Remco should not lose time deliberately. He should keep getting in the breaks and if he’s not allowed he should attack from the gc group if he can.

He should think about what is the best prep for Il Lombardia.

 

[hayneplane]

No. I just googled it. Yeah some pretty good riders in the past few, but before 1980 I have never even heard
of any of these guys except for Kuiper.

Certainly no list of 'great' winners

That’s because until either 1992 or 1996 it was contested by amateur riders.

From 1996 every winner except Samuel Sanchez has won either a Grand Tour or a monument and he had 9 GC top 10s in Grand Tours so was far from a random winner.

 

[Berniece]

He should think about what is the best prep for Il Lombardia.

I agree. Lombardia > more stage wins. The mountain jersey is not that difficult to win, and honestly, who cares when you went for the red jersey.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

He should think about what is the best prep for Il Lombardia.

Yes he need to be in top form to dom for Masnada.

 

[Valv.Piti]

You don't think about Lombardia now, wtf. Milk the god damn race.