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

[Eddy Evenepoel]

The pelvis is what killed Belokis career isn’t it? Depending on how big the fracture is, and where in the pelvis it is, it could possibly mean he will never reach top level again...

But if it’s a small fracture and in the right place I guess it could also go pretty well and he could be back to normal next year.

 

[Jspear]

Crap I’m made. Really hoping he recovers well.

 

[Carols]

He may need few weeks off the bike. Needless to say it will heavily impact his performance for the rest of the season, even without any serious complications and with full recovery.

CN article says: "Team manager Patrick Lefevere told media at the Como hospital that Evenepoel is unlikely to race again in 2020. "

 

[Boes]

At this point my guess is he'll make a full recovery.
Unpopular opinion, but it might be good in the long run. Things were running very smoothly for him this year and this type of bad luck might encourage him to get even better next years and might prevent him from being saturated of success.

There's always a bright side. Now he needs to recover and plan for 2021. The recent success of WVA might help him to get some perspective.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Disappointing to hear. Hopefully he makes a full recovery as soon as possible

 

[Panda Claws]

I really doubt this is as bad as Beloki's injury. Beloki broke his femur in two places and it was obvious from the get-go it was crazy serious. Evenepoel had lots of rumours that he did not even have fractures.

Mentally it is also different. You have a 30 year old Beloki who already reached his peak and may not have been as prepared to go through the whole slow revalidation. Evenepoel is much younger. Even if it leaves damage theoretically it is even possible that he returns stronger than he was now without being quite as alien as he otherwise would have been. That would still be plenty and does not sound equally difficult mentally as a beloki who knows what his peak is and Sees himself falling painfully short.

Anyway let's not get pessimistic. Most People I know who watch cycling but don't frequent forums are not even worried about it.

Also Andy Schleck was declining even before the injury. And surely our medical practices have improved since 2003.

 

[SantiBotero]

Well, Beloki crushed his femur. Much harder to recover from that injury, since the muscle can be really affected. But even so, look at Woods... he was in front today and broke the leg earlier in the season. WVA also cameback from a really tricky muscle damage. Hopefully Remco will recover!

 

[hayneplane]

Glad that things are far better than the initial thoughts were.

Gutting in the immediate that he looked so easy and strong and had schooled today’s winner just 1 week ago so it feels like he would have won today but in overall context that doesn’t matter.

Feels annoying that it happened in part due to a full bore descent from Nibali that led to nothing for Trek but cost us the greatest young talent in ages. That though is bike racing and you have to be good uphill, on the flat and downhill to win the big prizes.

I also attribute some blame in a way to the DS for DQS in the lead car as they should have been on the radio over the top of the Sormano reminding him how strong he looked and not to panic if a gap opened on the descent and to trust his legs to come back on the flat before the next climb.

 

[Carols]

Glad that things are far better than the initial thoughts were.

Feels annoying that it happened in part due to a full bore descent from Nibali that led to nothing for Trek but cost us the greatest young talent in ages. That though is bike racing and you have to be good uphill, on the flat and downhill to win the big prizes.

I also attribute some blame in a way to the DS for DQS in the lead car as they should have been on the radio over the top of the Sormano reminding him how strong he looked and not to panic if a gap opened on the descent and to trust his legs to come back on the flat before the next climb.

Nibali taking advantage of attacking downhill is an expected move. People shouldn't go over their limit trying to stay with him, there may be consequences. Many others have fallen chasing Nibali downhill.

Best to Remco but it sure isn't kosher to be annoyed at Nibali for doing what he is great at!

 

[Jagartrott]

That narrowing bridge would've been a place that should've had some hay stacks or something similar at exactly that place. There's got to be lessons learned here. Sure, accidents can always happens, but a bridge after a tricky corner, with a 10 m drop into rocky terrain. I really, really hope he makes a full recovery, but landing on your feet after a fall of perhaps 8 m, imagine that - it's crazy. Impact fractures like this can be bad. Bah.

 

[hayneplane]

Nibali taking advantage of attacking downhill is an expected move. People shouldn't go over their limit trying to stay with him, there may be consequences. Many others have fallen chasing Nibali downhill.

Best to Remco but it sure isn't kosher to be annoyed at Nibali for doing what he is great at!

It’s a natural human reaction but it’s not particularly rational or proportionate and I do accept that pushing to create a gap on a descent is a legitimate racing tactic.

 

[Red Rick]

Nibali taking advantage of attacking downhill is an expected move. People shouldn't go over their limit trying to stay with him, there may be consequences. Many others have fallen chasing Nibali downhill.

Best to Remco but it sure isn't kosher to be annoyed at Nibali for doing what he is great at!

It's just entitlement really

 

[Panda Claws]

I think the reaction is fine in the Sense that it yielded Trek nothing.

It is like what Pozzato did in MSR 2011. Pulling Gilbert back is fine in itself but if you then Cant win yourself it leaves a sour taste.

Evenepoel was probably the stronger by far but even he might have had a hard time if the others worked against him after the descent.

 

[Carols]

I think the reaction is fine in the Sense that it yielded Trek nothing.

It is like what Pozzato did in MSR 2011. Pulling Gilbert back is fine in itself but if you then Cant win yourself it leaves a sour taste.

Evenepoel was probably the stronger by far but even he might have had a hard time if the others worked against him after the descent.

And who knew what it would yield at the time he did it? Certainly not you or anyone else here or in the race.

Day after quarterbacking is lame.

 

[GuntherL]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1294759904851496960

View: https://twitter.com/i/status/1294759904851496960


This shows that he was a few seconds behind the other six.
He made a mistake. It happens.
Stop blaming other riders as it's ridiculous.

 

[Poursuivant]

As Lefevere said the important thing is that he’s alive.

 

[JosephK]

If he's going back home tomorrow, that seems to indicate that a surgery is not required (or am I assuming too much?). Also, it looks like he had a punctured lung, which suggests at least one broken rib. In the end, he's lucky to be alive with no spinal injury and no head trauma. Very lucky, considering that fall.

 

[Tonton]

The old Merckx had that horrific crash in late '69 that he said he never fully recovered from...and still won so much. The new Eddy will recover and win a bunch. That's why Remco is the new Merckx. He will come back strong. Let's hope he does. He will.

 

[Bonimenier]

If he's going back home tomorrow, that seems to indicate that a surgery is not required (or am I assuming too much?). Also, it looks like he had a punctured lung, which suggests at least one broken rib. In the end, he's lucky to be alive with no spinal injury and no head trauma. Very lucky, considering that fall.

It hasn't been decided yet if there should be a surgery. Lefevere said if surgery was necessary that they want to do it in Belgium.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Video from the other side of the crash (back of the bridge). Very lucky to hit so many trees/plants.

 

[clydesdale]

At this point my guess is he'll make a full recovery.
Unpopular opinion, but it might be good in the long run. Things were running very smoothly for him this year and this type of bad luck might encourage him to get even better next years and might prevent him from being saturated of success.

There's always a bright side. Now he needs to recover and plan for 2021. The recent success of WVA might help him to get some perspective.

I am not a doctor and haven’t seen the X Rays but long ago, before my addiction to cycling, I was a competitive power lifter. During that time I was hit by a car while crossing the street and broke my pelvis in 3 places. I was home from work for 2 weeks and was a bit unstable for 2 weeks after that, at which point the doctor said I could go back to lifting. I gave it another coiple weeks to be safe then eased my way back in. I was more or less back to full strength in 3 months.

It gave me 2 weeks of stress relief from a job I hated and allowed my back to finally heal (powerlifting was murder on my back). Also if you just sit still, it doesnt hurt. I realize that powerlifting is different than cycling in a myriad of ways, but Id bet serious money he will be back to his normal self for the spring classics.

 

[woodburn]

I really doubt this is as bad as Beloki's injury. Beloki broke his femur in two places and it was obvious from the get-go it was crazy serious. Evenepoel had lots of rumours that he did not even have fractures.

Mentally it is also different. You have a 30 year old Beloki who already reached his peak and may not have been as prepared to go through the whole slow revalidation. Evenepoel is much younger. Even if it leaves damage theoretically it is even possible that he returns stronger than he was now without being quite as alien as he otherwise would have been. That would still be plenty and does not sound equally difficult mentally as a beloki who knows what his peak is and Sees himself falling painfully short.

Anyway let's not get pessimistic. Most People I know who watch cycling but don't frequent forums are not even worried about it.

Also Andy Schleck was declining even before the injury. And surely our medical practices have improved since 2003.

Andy crashed in 2012 at the Daphine. He was only 26. His career was essentially over. The specifics of the injury weren't probably as big as his lack of ability to overcome the adversity. He was a natural talent that got to the top w/o having to devote his whole life to sport in the way others did.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Such a shame for everyone with any interest in this sport. None of us want a "what if?" with this kid.

Right now I'd take an entire erasing of this season and next, if he can just comeback as his normal self in 2022.

 

[Pantani_lives]

It's impossible to say how his recovery will go. He'll probably have to rest two or three months and undergo long physical therapy. Adam Yates and Marianne Vos have come back after breaking their pelvis; Geraint Thomas even continued in the Tour 2013 after breaking his pelvis. In other cases it has led to chronic disability, so there are many gradations.

Seeing those images I think the organizers could have put some cushion or something at such a dangerous place.

 

[spalco]

As Lefevere said the important thing is that he’s alive.

I was honestly terrified about him. I was watching on my phone, so not great picture and without sound, and I couldn't figure out for sure if that bike was his, but then the replay and the certainty that he fell over the bridge, which looked very high. Had tears in my eyes thinking he's probably dead. This *** sport...

Fight on Remco!