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

[Berflamand]

I think there is some lack of confidence, after his crash in the Belgian TT last year and after his crash in the Basque Country TT. Then we are not talking about the heavy crash itself, a few days later, although not on a time trial bike. Evenepoel and his entourage also assess the risk and want to minimize the chance of another crash (in a TT). I am also convinced that Evenepoel will not be on his time trial bike much in the next two months. All attention will be paid to physical preparedness and rebuilding confidence and skills on a regular racing bike. If Evenepoel were to get close to his best form before the start of the Tour, a few time trial training sessions would probably be added.

It was already the plan to skip the Belgian NC TT this year before his crashes at Itzulia.

He's not skipping it because of a lack of confidence, he's skipping it because it doesn't fit in his altitude camp plan.

 

[Karl Merckx]

It was already the plan to skip the Belgian NC TT this year before his crashes at Itzulia.

He's not skipping it because of a lack of confidence, he's skipping it because it doesn't fit in his altitude camp plan.

Exactly. And he comes down from altitude the day before the NC RR, so he probably plans to DNF pretty fast.

 

[Berniece]

Exactly. And he comes down from altitude the day before the NC RR, so he probably plans to DNF pretty fast.

Why? He's mostly pretty good after altitude

 

[Karl Merckx]

Why? He's mostly pretty good after altitude

Usually you never ride a race the day after coming back... He'll be good 7 days later, a the start of the tour. Here he has to because of stupid belgian federation rules.

 

[DNP-Old]

Usually you never ride a race the day after coming back... He'll be good 7 days later, a the start of the tour. Here he has to because of stupid belgian federation rules.

Just fake an illness like Wout does every other year.

 

[Berniece]

Usually you never ride a race the day after coming back... He'll be good 7 days later, a the start of the tour. Here he has to because of stupid belgian federation rules.

A single day is of course very quick, but how much time was there between the end of his altitude program and the start in Classica San Sebastian in 2022? Not a single day, but I don't think this was a whole week.

 

[Berniece]

So around 4 weeks of altitude training, then Dauphine, and then another 2 weeks at altitude. Can't remember him doing so much altitude training before a race

This is wrong. He did the same in 2022. Where he did a long camp in Livigno, went to San Sebastian, and then did another 11 days before the start of the Vuelta in the hotel of Kolobnev.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

One thing im curious about which we dont know is Evenpoel in flandern whats the general consensus of how people think he would do there here?

Evenpoel to win it before Wva? before Morgado? im torn how Evenpoel would do there.

If the race was made hard from the start, i could see him win RVV. Before Van Aert, because i don't see Van Aert win it as long as either Pogacar or Van der Poel are there. Evenepoel has been successful on Flemish roads before. He won Baloise Belgium Tour twice, he won Brussels Cycling classic, he won the Belgian NC and he was good at the WCC 2021. There are a few of very specific skills he would have to train probably, but other than that, if he can win Liège, he can cope with distance, hardness, twisting and turning. As we could see in Brabantse Pijl 2022, his technique for cobbled climbs is probably the one thing he would need to focus on.

 

[Berflamand]

If the race was made hard from the start, i could see him win RVV. Before Van Aert, because i don't see Van Aert win it as long as either Pogacar or Van der Poel are there. Evenepoel has been successful on Flemish roads before. He won Baloise Belgium Tour twice, he won Brussels Cycling classic, he won the Belgian NC and he was good at the WCC 2021. There are a few of very specific skills he would have to train probably, but other than that, if he can win Liège, he can cope with distance, hardness, twisting and turning. As we could see in Brabantse Pijl 2022, his technique for cobbled climbs is probably the one thing he would need to focus on.

I'm not sure if that's really the case. He lost out in Brabantse Pijl because he couldn't/didn't dare to ride in the gutter where others did. But in RVV the gutters are usually fenced off, forcing everybody to ride on the cobbles.

We don't have a big sample size but in the past he didn't do too bad on climbs like the Muur van Geraardsbergen and the Moskesstraat.

 

[Didinho]

I'm not sure if that's really the case. He lost out in Brabantse Pijl because he couldn't/didn't dare to ride in the gutter where others did. But in RVV the gutters are usually fenced off, forcing everybody to ride on the cobbles.

We don't have a big sample size but in the past he didn't do too bad on climbs like the Muur van Geraardsbergen and the Moskesstraat.

He lost time because he was the only one riding on the wet cobbles and the others dared to ride the gutter indeed. I’ve done the Hertstraat like 50+ times myself and it’s a huge difference riding in the gutter or left on the pedestrian side like they used to ride in the earlier editions, compared with on the cobbles even when dry.
And as you said he had the KOM on the Muur and have the endurance for the Ronde. Would like to see him try it already next year.

 

[Berflamand]

This is wrong. He did the same in 2022. Where he did a long camp in Livigno, went to San Sebastian, and then did another 11 days before the start of the Vuelta in the hotel of Kolobnev.

I guess that means he's going to crush the Dauphiné, win Le Tour by impressing in the first weeks and holding on in the last week, get a podium at the Olympics TT and absolutely dominate the Olympics Road Race.

I think I could live with that.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I guess that means he's going to crush the Dauphiné, win Le Tour by impressing in the first weeks and holding on in the last week, get a podium at the Olympics TT and absolutely dominate the Olympics Road Race.

I think I could live with that.

Are you Lefevere?

 

[Berflamand]

Are you Lefevere?

I fear I'm too much into beer and too little into wine to be Lefevere.

 

[Froome]

Remco evenepoel doing TT.(it's just a joke). He has a great position.

 

[velaso montador]

If the race was made hard from the start, i could see him win RVV. Before Van Aert, because i don't see Van Aert win it as long as either Pogacar or Van der Poel are there. Evenepoel has been successful on Flemish roads before. He won Baloise Belgium Tour twice, he won Brussels Cycling classic, he won the Belgian NC and he was good at the WCC 2021. There are a few of very specific skills he would have to train probably, but other than that, if he can win Liège, he can cope with distance, hardness, twisting and turning. As we could see in Brabantse Pijl 2022, his technique for cobbled climbs is probably the one thing he would need to focus on.

He should give a a go if not anything else than to get a feeling how good he would be there then go from there. hard to see him beating or competing with Van der Poel or Pogacar indeed but at the same time you never know before youve tried either and by trying he would have gained experience which would be valueable for years to come later eventually. Van der Poel wont be this Van der Poel forever either

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

He should give a a go if not anything else than to get a feeling how good he would be there then go from there. hard to see him beating or competing with Van der Poel or Pogacar indeed but at the same time you never know before youve tried either and by trying he would have gained experience which would be valueable for years to come later eventually. Van der Poel wont be this Van der Poel forever either

I was talking about Van Aert not beating Pogacar or Van der Poel.

 

[peterfin]

Exactly. And he comes down from altitude the day before the NC RR, so he probably plans to DNF pretty fast.

He has not the attitude to DNF. In his career, he did it only once (except for the few crashes he had): the 2019 WC RR. He was in a losing position after supporting his leader Gilbert (who crashed I believe).

 

[houtdffan]

This is wrong. He did the same in 2022. Where he did a long camp in Livigno, went to San Sebastian, and then did another 11 days before the start of the Vuelta in the hotel of Kolobnev.

and he was dropping everyone like lead balloons until the crash on stage 12

 

[Karl Merckx]

Just fake an illness like Wout does every other year.

He has not the attitude to DNF. In his career, he did it only once (except for the few crashes he had): the 2019 WC RR. He was in a losing position after supporting his leader Gilbert (who crashed I believe).

I'm just reporting what he said. If you ride the day after coming back from altitude, it could be that you end up with very bad legs.

 

[velaso montador]

I was talking about Van Aert not beating Pogacar or Van der Poel.

Yeah i understood maby i was not clear in my post but i meant evenpoel should give it a go for no other reasons than to atleast know where he is there for future references if not anything else

 

[Andre]

He has not the attitude to DNF. In his career, he did it only once (except for the few crashes he had): the 2019 WC RR. He was in a losing position after supporting his leader Gilbert (who crashed I believe).

Yes, I remember that race. When Gilbert crashed Remco, I believe, still had a chance to win, but he stopped alongside Gilbert.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Yes, I remember that race. When Gilbert crashed Remco, I believe, still had a chance to win, but he stopped alongside Gilbert.

A chance to win... If he hadn't stopped, he would still have been in the group of favorites, yes.

 

[Berniece]

A chance to win... If he hadn't stopped, he would still have been in the group of favorites, yes.

I think it’s clear to everyone that Remco would have already been a 3 time WC if he didn’t have to ride for the team

 

[AmRacer]

I think it’s clear to everyone that Remco would have already been a 3 time WC if he didn’t have to ride for the team

Maybe not if MVDP didn't had his issues down under and or if Poggi hadn't let Remco go.
Many ifs.

 

[Berniece]

Maybe not if MVDP didn't had his issues down under and or if Poggi hadn't let Remco go.
Many ifs.

Yeah that’s how Remco wins all his races, basically because others didn’t act properly. He’s never the strongest, just lucky