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

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Should we change the thread title?


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The ITT is one race where you can perform well with limited race miles - Word of warning regarding Evanepoel - The European ITT was on a flat as a pancake course over 22km's and in effect the top end was an under 23's race - The world's is 54km over an undulating course and much tougher - I remember few claiming that Van Aert was a certainty for the TDF ITT without taking into consideration he was completing an ITT after 12 race days - Evanepoel gets a top five and it's an outstanding result.
 
The ITT is one race where you can perform well with limited race miles - Word of warning regarding Evanepoel - The European ITT was on a flat as a pancake course over 22km's and in effect the top end was an under 23's race - The world's is 54km over an undulating course and much tougher - I remember few claiming that Van Aert was a certainty for the TDF ITT without taking into consideration he was completing an ITT after 12 race days - Evanepoel gets a top five and it's an outstanding result.

The difference here is that the short pancake flat course doesn’t suit Evenepoel as much as a hilly longer course.

Van Aert struggled a bit with the TDF profile but he’s an extremely strong flat stage rider.

I think that a longer course suits Remco as does the hilly profile.
 
The ITT is one race where you can perform well with limited race miles - Word of warning regarding Evanepoel - The European ITT was on a flat as a pancake course over 22km's and in effect the top end was an under 23's race - The world's is 54km over an undulating course and much tougher - I remember few claiming that Van Aert was a certainty for the TDF ITT without taking into consideration he was completing an ITT after 12 race days - Evanepoel gets a top five and it's an outstanding result.
You are actually making a case for Evenepoel to do better, not worse, since nobody thought he would be able to compete with powerhouses like Asgreen, Küng, Dowsett... on the flat windy course in Alkmaar. It didn't suit him, yet he blew them all away. Alkmaar was too short and too flat for him to really shine.

Other than that, i agree with you, it remains to be seen how he will perform on a really long course, more than double of Alkmaar. I agree (and have always said so) that a top 5 would still be an amazing result. Even that it's completely possible that he blows after 40k and comes in 15th or worse. On the other hand, his solo in Germany (100k) with a motorized peloton chasing him down, gives me confidence to say the length of the WC ITT will not be a problem per se. Pacing and experience however, might be.
 
The difference here is that the short pancake flat course doesn’t suit Evenepoel as much as a hilly longer course.

Van Aert struggled a bit with the TDF profile but he’s an extremely strong flat stage rider.

I think that a longer course suits Remco as does the hilly profile.

Evenepoel was impressive in the back half of the ITT into the headwind where he took chunks of time out of everyone, except for Affini - You don't have to be big to produce big power in an ITT, but I expected Remco to lose time into the headwind and he was even stronger - He's facing a tougher course and more quality opposition in the world's.
 
No move planned to Monaco anymore. No mention of Andorra anymore, either. Calpe seems to be an option...


Google translated

Father Evenepoel: "Monaco was too chic, we put cards on the table immediately after the World Cup"

Fri September 13, 2019
9:38

The story that Remco Evenepoel would move to Monaco recently went round. Now that idea is gone. Radio 2 called father Patrick Evenepoel for an explanation of the entire case. "Immediately after the World Cup we put everything on the table."
"Monaco was too sophisticated, too chic, too big"

At the beginning of August, some newspapers reported that Remco Evenepoel would be moving to Monaco. For Evenepoel itself, the knot had not been taken yet. "Monaco and Andorra: 2 great options to move to," the rider then said.



Today, Het Laatste Nieuws reported that it would not be Monaco for Evenepoel. Radio 2 called father Patrick for additional explanation. "The whole story Monaco has actually been enormously enlarged in recent weeks by certain people from the press."



"What was true is that Remco was able to get an apartment available through a friend to be able to start the winter period in good conditions. With good weather and an environment where he could ride well uphill, he could prepare well for the coming season. That was the reason why Monaco was mentioned ", father Evenepoel explains.



"But then my wife and I went to Monaco with team leader Patrick Lefevere. That was very nice, nice, but we came to the conclusion:" This is not us. "Monaco is too mundane, too chic, too big. Remco really doesn't belong at the moment, because he's not like that either. "
"Immediately after the World Cup we put all the cards on the table"

For riders it is often better to go abroad during the winter period in order to train optimally in good weather and with the necessary climbing kilometers. What is the plan for Remco then?



"For the type Remco, a rider who works towards laps, it is very interesting to be able to ride mainly uphill in the winter. Then you have to look for a region where this is possible. Together with the team - Deceuninck-Quick Step - we go in the month of October, immediately after the World Cup, put everything on the table and discuss the best options for Remco, and of course see what he wants the most. "



What options are we talking about? What does Evenepoel himself like? "At Deceuninck-Quick Step they always do an internship in Calpe in their regular hotel. That is certainly an option that Remco could stay there for a long time in good conditions."



"This preparation is very important. It is not just for next season, he must now start working to be where he wants to be in 3 to 4 years. That is also the team's idea. That is why we should not make hasty decisions and say that we are just going somewhere. It must be a well-considered choice, a vision together with the team and then it will be fine ", says Patrick Evenepoel.

At Deceuninck-Quick Step they always do an internship in Calpe in their regular hotel. That is certainly an option that Remco could stay there for a long time in good conditions.
Patrick Evenepoel (father Remco) on Radio 2

"Québec and Montreal benefit the World Time Trial World Championship"

Evenepoel is also at the start of the Québec GP in Canada today. 2 days later also in the GP of Montreal. What are his plans there?



"We expect nothing more. The whole season is already above expectations. What is added now is a plus. Let's say that these 2 games will benefit the World Championship time trial."



"Next week, he and his trainer are going to the Ardennes for another week to get the finishing touches in the run-up to the World Cup."


 
Translated with DeepL

Evenepoel about the World Cup plan: 'Have read that Van der Poel is not going to wait either'.

Remco Evenepoel is happy that his season is almost over. The 19-year-old all-rounder still rides in Quebec and Montreal, before riding the World Time Trial and World Championships on the road. In Het Nieuwsblad he looks back on his great debut season, but also looks ahead.

Evenepoel won the Tour of Belgium, the Clasica San Sebastian and the European Championship time trial. Especially the European Championship is important to him. I'm a European champion, so I have to dream. My goal is the podium. If I'm wrong, that's the way it is. My season is already fantastic. But let's say: top five is good, top three is top and winning magnificently. Roglic will be the biggest opponent. But there is also Thomas, title defender Dennis and teammate Asgreen. And Campenaerts of course. But I'll be good too, you know.

Evenepoel has fewer ambitions in the road race, so an early attack doesn't come out of the blue. I don't have a sprint. If I want to do something, I have to attack. But I've read that Mathieu van der Poel isn't going to wait either. That's good, I know who to follow', he says laughingly. We don't have to control the race either. The teams of Sagan, Alaphilippe, Valverde and Van der Poel have to do that. We can get them into trouble.

Evenepoel: 'Lampaert saw that I was losing the feeling of winning'.

The youngster is grateful to teammate Yves Lampaert for suddenly winning in the last few months. He told me to race like last year's juniors. He saw that I was losing the feeling of winning. So I started attacking and rode to win. With the known result. I told Yves in the Tour of Germany: "You launched my successful season.
 
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Lefevere's take (and decision, most likely...) :

Google translate

Remco Evenepoel will not move to Monaco for the time being. Earlier, his father Patrick hinted that the young Belgian was planning to settle in the dwarf state, but that seems to have disappeared for the time being. Team boss Patrick Lefevere thinks a good decision.


Evenepoel initially seemed to want to settle in Monaco, because the dwarf state is known as a training paradise for many cyclists. He would like to become a better cyclist there. However, definitive moving was out of the question, as he was not yet earning enough. The intention was to regularly visit his place in the south.

A move now seems to be off the track and Patrick Lefevere, team boss at Deceuninck-Quick Step thinks that is a wise decision. “What would Remco do in Monaco?” Lefevere wonders aloud in Het Nieuwsblad. “He's nineteen. Is he going to cook his own meals twice a day and go to the restaurant in the evening? "

"There is nothing to do in Monaco"
The team boss spoke with Philippe Gilbert about it in the Vuelta and came to the conclusion that you can move to Monaco once you have a family. “As a boy of nineteen that is difficult. In Monaco there is nothing to do. It is not a good idea to sit on an apartment of a stamp large every night. ”

According to Lefevere, Evenepoel should wait a few more years before he decides where he will live. “Does he want to go to Livigno? No problem, we have a hotel there that sponsors us. We also have that in Calpe, so he can always arrange a training internship there. And possibly continue on to the Sierra Nevada where there is almost always someone on the team. "

 
His DQS trainer about Evenepoel, on Sporza: https://sporza.be/nl/2019/09/15/koen-pelgrim-over-remco-evenepoel/

Translated by Deepl

"Give Remco 100 yards and you've got to ride seriously."

After his European title in time trial, Remco Evenepoel was already sure that he could ride the time trial at the World Championships. Last week the road race was added. "The time trial was always a goal for Remco", says Koen Pelgrim. "The road race will also be a great experience, also towards next year. That course should suit him even better, although you never know with him."

"I think that's also the reason why Rik Verbrugghe has selected Remco. Give him 100 meters and you have to ride seriously behind him. If it's been a tough race and the organisation isn't 100%, you never know."

What are Evenepoel's ambitions in the time trial? "Top 10 would be a good result, but if you can win a European Championship on a course that is not 100% your thing, you can also finish close on a World Championship. Of course there will be new names at the start that weren't there at the European Championships, like Campenaerts and Dennis. We also have to wait and see how good they will be."

"He does things you wouldn't expect from a 62 kg guy".

Despite his youth, Remco Evenepoel was already overloaded with all possible superlatives. Is he really that exceptional? "If you compare him to other professionals who win important races, you don't see much difference. But what he does at his age is of course exceptional", says Pilgrim.

"We've had riders who win classics before, but I've never seen a 19-year-old who can do what Remco can do. So what's the deal? That's a combination of many factors. Physically he is very talented. He can ride very fast on the flat, you don't often see that in a rider of his weight class."

"He is also flexible and can sit fairly deep. He is very aerodynamic, both on a time trial bike and on a regular bike. This means that he can ride very fast on the flat. It does things you wouldn't expect from a 62-kilogram guy."

"Moreover, he doesn't break down when riding very fast. At the end of a race he can cycle almost as fast as in the beginning. Just look at San Sebastian and how he rode uphill on that last climb. There was little wear and tear on the efforts he had made before. That's a great quality, while that's often something that has to grow over the years. It's a combination of good genes, talent and hard work."

We've had riders who win classics before, but I've never seen a 19-year-old who can do what Remco can do.

"Remco's still taking steps forward"

"In the long term, Remco wants to evolve towards stageracing", Koen Pelgrim continues. "He can do that too, because he has a good time trial and rides very well uphill. The Tour is of course the dream of every young rider. For a touring cyclist, the Tour de France is the highest goal of all."

"A logical step in that direction is to first try a classification in a stage race like Paris-Nice or the Tirreno. It was always the idea to not let him do a big lap in his first two years."

As a junior Evenepoel already had a large training volume. "But he is still taking steps forward. There's still some room for improvement", says Pilgrim. "He is exceptionally driven and sometimes you have to slow him down. A quiet day means an hour of cycling, not 3 hours. You have to insist on that with him."

What does Evenepoel still do in the run-up to the World Cup? "Monday he returns from Canada, Tuesday is a recovery day. Wednesday we have planned a quiet training, Thursday or Friday we do a big training in the Ardennes. A lap of about 180 kilometers with 3,500 altimeters. For a time trial of more than an hour such a solid training is good."
 
i expect him to do well. The hilly course won't hurt him. The length probably will be a challenge, in terms of managing his effort. He'll be going against Pro's that just have more experience there. Top 10 should be no issue. Top 5 certainly possible. Podium - he should be very happy. Win = this thread title might not actually be hyperbole.
 
i expect him to do well. The hilly course won't hurt him. The length probably will be a challenge, in terms of managing his effort. He'll be going against Pro's that just have more experience there. Top 10 should be no issue. Top 5 certainly possible. Podium - he should be very happy. Win = this thread title might not actually be hyperbole.
There are two major questions:
  1. Did he maintain his summer form? If he did, I see a top five spot as a certainty, a podium spot as a probability and a win as a significant possibility.
  2. The opposition:
If I look at the results at the WC ITT in 2018, most of the better performers will either not be there (Dumoulin, Kwiatkowski - Thomas doubtful), are in decline (Martin, Kirienka) or have been beaten by him recently (Küng, Barta). The current shape of the main competitors (Dennis and Campenaerts) is unknown. If we look at this year, three additional names surface. Van Aert (absent), Lampaert (easily beaten during EC ITT) and of course Roglic. Maybe we have to look at the other top spots in the ITT in the Vuelta. Bevin, Craddock and Cavagna. To be honest: I don't even know whether they take part and can be considered competition for the podium. Another name that leaps to mind: Chad Haga. What about him?

Without a firm favourite, this could be a weird ITT with unexpected names.
 
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Remco Evenepoel (Belgium)

Drawing towards the end of his first professional season, 19-year-old Remco Evenepoel has already confounded expectations with five victories, including the WorldTour one-day Clásica San Sebástian and the Baloise Belgium Tour.

His ride at the European Championships in August earns him a spot on our favourites list.

In Alkmaar he became European time trial champion after beating Deceuninck-QuickStep teammate Kasper Asgreen by 18 seconds on the 22.4km course, just days after winning in San Sebástian.

Evenepoel has previous too, winning junior TT titles at national, European and world level last season. He also built a reputation for long solo rides, something he's carried over in the pro ranks. At Adriatica Ionica Race he won stage 3 with a 30km solo ride and raced over 100km on his own on stage 2 at the Deutschland Tour.

Still, at just 19 years old, the 54km time trial in Yorkshire might be a bridge too far at the end of a long season. Evenepoel started racing at the Vuelta San Juan back in January and has 51 race days in his legs. Still, after what he's achieved so far this season it's tough to rule anything out.

---

Dowsett on Evenepoel (16 minutes in): https://open.spotify.com/episode/5OzmAIOOEf4MRq3DEzBewN

---

Lefevre thinks he has a chance to be world champion: www.indeleiderstrui.nl/algemeen-nieuws/250125/lefevere-verbaasd-over-evenepoel-we-hoopten-op-wat-flitsen-van-klasse
 
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Lefevere: 'Can't stop Evenepoel if he wants to ride a GT'.

Remco Evenepoel wouldn't appear at the start of a Grand Tour until 2021 at the earliest. Due to the stormy development of Belgian talent, a Giro, Tour or Vuelta start could perhaps be brought forward by a year.

That's what team manager Patrick Lefevere of the Deceuninck-Quick Step team, for which Evenepoel is responsible, thinks. "I wouldn't do it yet in 2020, but we're not going to be able to stop him. When Remco 's got something in his head, it's not in his ass, as we say" explains Lefevere in Het Nieuwsblad.

According to Lefevere, Evenepoel was hinting at a big round when he signed his contract. That contract was on the table in quadruplicate and Remco started to browse through it', remembers Lefevere. He asked: "Patrick, do you know how old I am?" I knew that, of course: Twenty in January. Remco replied: "And why are there no bonuses for the youth jersey? I can win it four more times."

Grand Tour for Evenepoel too early'.

However, the experienced manager thinks that next year will be a little early for his pupil. Try the Dauphiné before you think about the Tour, but he sees it differently. He is already busy with the courses of next year. Where do you have the most time trial kilometers? However, there seems to be one GT that falls off in advance. The Tour won't be next year, but I'm not going to say anymore that won't ride a GT. If Remco were a horse, I 'd put an iron in his mouth and I'd pull the reins, but I can't do that now.
 
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