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

Page 63 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.

Should we change the thread title?


  • Total voters
    111
Yes, but then again... I don't think all of them big guns are focussing on this WC ITT. Dumoulin, Dennis, Van Aert, Froome, Thomas, Castroviejo, Martin and Campenaerts all seem to have other priority's or 'troubles' to be at their best. He's is still pretty far from being the best time trialist, but this might be his best opportunity.
I posted exactly 5 posts higher, that both Campenaerts and Thomas are focusing on the WC ITT. :p Campenaerts has been resting and building up to it since the Belgian Nationals which were held prior to the TDF. He only raced 1 criterium since and is not going to race anything until the WC to be in top shape when he gets there. He also knows this is a once in a lifetime chance for him.

Main question marks imho are Dennis and Roglic. Are they riding? How will their form be, or their mental state.
 
My sincere apologies

The biggest favorites for me, if they are somewhat near their best shape at the start.
No need to apologize, it was just that it was posted a few hours earlier so it was a bit funny.

On paper i would agree that Roglic and Dennis are the biggest favorites... but i have a feeling Campenaerts is being overlooked by many. He was faster than Roglic in both Giro ITT's when both were in top shape, he only lost one of those to him, due to a mechanical (remember the slapstick bikechange). His imploding at the Belgian nationals was just due to being exhausted. If he can find his form of May again, he'll be very close). Roglic will have ridden the Vuelta, so the question is how fit he'll be (how deep he'll have to go). Dennis isn't on the best bike and gear, and his confidence won't be as high. I think this might be up for grabs actually.
 
Is Knox an indicator what Evenepoel would be able to do in a GC? Knox climbed a bit better the whole season but Evenepoel for sure overall is the better rider. Knox currently 18th in the Vuelta.

I don't think it is that easy to compare. We just don't know how he would have ridden the race. For GC, for stages, as a helper or a bit of all. His climbing level could be similar to Knox's but he could still be anywhere else in GC, behind or ahead of Knox, because we just don't know how he would have raced and handled the race.
 
Is Knox an indicator what Evenepoel would be able to do in a GC? Knox climbed a bit better the whole season but Evenepoel for sure overall is the better rider. Knox currently 18th in the Vuelta.
The main thing would be to keep Evenepoel calm and have him conserve energy. I have little doubt that Evenepoel could climb as well as Knox if not better, at this moment. But Knox is 4 or 5 years older and knows his own limits. Knox knows he isn't a worldbeater and needs to bleed as little energy as possible if he wants to do well. Where as Evenepoel is still figuring out his limits, and is often the victim of hubris. Like the final climb in Adriatica Ionica, he attacked too soon, went solo for 7k iirc, got caught and got dropped. Had he waited for the final 2k, i'm sure he could have dropped Knox there.
 
Somewhat surprising, especially since Verbruggen's comments one or two weeks ago. But former national coach De Cauwer and Freire and some others had publicly stated they would bring Remco... I'm curious who the last 3 riders will be. Personnally, i hope Lampaert doesn't make the cut. He'll ride for Quickstep, not for Belgium.
 
Somewhat surprising, especially since Verbruggen's comments one or two weeks ago. But former national coach De Cauwer and Freire and some others had publicly stated they would bring Remco...
I guess Verbrugghe wants to keep his position and was pressured to do so. He should have selected Evenepoel for the Euro road race as well.

Does he have an issue with Remco or is it more of a generational thing? That he favors older riders or whatever?
 
If he indeed did that in the Euros (I didn't watch the race) and couldn't explain himself very well, I don't think there's any chance at all he'll be selected.
Haha, he claims he didn't see Philipsen about to bridge... yet he was looking behind the entire time. Anyway, what happened was, that at the time the Italians went to war, only a small group of maybe 25 riders got into the front group. Lampaert was the only Belgian. Philipsen was closing the gap, only needed to bridge another 10 meters or so. Lampaert was looking back the entire time, so claiming he didn't know Philipsen was coming was pure comedy. I think the only person ending up believing it, may have be him. So, he's the only Belgian in a group filled with Italians (with a certain Italian DQS sprinter). Even if he didn't see Philipsen (again, which he did) there was no reason for him to start pulling in this bunch, because he's the only Belgian and it's not his responsability with all his teammates in the next bunch. So, he sees Philipsen (the only Belgian that can do a decent sprint) is about to close and this mtherfcker goes to the head of the bunch and starts pulling balls out :laughing::laughing::laughing:

Belgium's team will be a problem. Too many worthy of leadership or a free role. They need to add some Meurisse's to the party, rather than another Stuyven or Vanmarcke. They might end up with a squad full of riders who think they can win.
Don't agree. Leave the domestiques at home and make sure there is someone in each break so you don't have to work in the peloton. If you do need to work, guys like Vanmarcke, Naesen, Stuyven, Evenepoel, Teuns are all loyal enough to do the work if needed.
 

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