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

[tobydawq]

Nobody mentions 6 GT stage wins fot Pogi. Which is insane for a GC rider in his first two participations.

To be fair Remco didn't even have the chance to take those, because he has yet to debut in a GT. But if you are listing wins and comparing palmares between the two, you have to mention those 6 stage wins.

He doesn't mention the Vuelta podium either, as if that is something trivial now that he has a Tour victory.

 

[Lequack]

The new thin Remco posted this

 

[JosefK]

The new thin Remco posted this

This is the first time I have seen him this lean.

 

[red_flanders]

I don't know how y'all can discern rider weights so closely! I wouldn't have noticed a difference.

 

[Big Doopie]

I don't know how y'all can discern rider weights so closely! I wouldn't have noticed a difference.

we’re the CN forum. We r all knowing. Didn't u know?

 

[Panda Claws]

Looks a little like Chris Horner.

 

[Publiuszam]

Used to be that "just losing the fat" was important ingredients to bossing a GT win so Remco is going to be outta this world.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Used to be that "just losing the fat" was important ingredients to bossing a GT win so Remco is going to be outta this world.

His baby fat improved his aerodynamics so now he'll become a grupetto guy.

 

[red_flanders]

Used to be that "just losing the fat" was important ingredients to bossing a GT win so Remco is going to be outta this world.

This. Plus, his injury will have changed the geometry of his legs, conferring upon him a mechanical advantage heretofore unknown in the sport. This will unlock his sprint, and hurtle him past Merckx status into the greatest of all time.

 

[wheresmybrakes]

WAKEY WAKEY!! You can all wake up now.

 

[Berflamand]

He's leaving Belgium today for his last altitude training camp before the Giro at Centro de Alto Rendimiento on Sierra Nevada together with Almeida and coach Koen Pelgrim. He's staying there untill the 21st of April. After that there will be some last training in the Ardennes and possibly a recon of some Giro stages before the start of the Giro.

 

[hayneplane]

He's leaving Belgium today for his last altitude training camp before the Giro at Centro de Alto Rendimiento on Sierra Nevada together with Almeida and coach Koen Pelgrim. He's staying there untill the 21st of April. After that there will be some last training in the Ardennes and possibly a recon of some Giro stages before the start of the Giro.

Training with Almeida should be a very good gauge of where his recovery is at given that Almeida has been a consistent top 5-10 GC guy this season and clearly in good form.

 

[Eeslliw]

I don't know about you guys, but I have feeling he will come stronger as ever and just demolished everyone at Giro. Can't wait to witness this historic moment. One of many to come.

 

[red_flanders]

I don't know about you guys, but I have feeling he will come stronger as ever and just demolished everyone at Giro. Can't wait to witness this historic moment. One of many to come.

I dunno. Sounds great, and would be fantastic to watch, but I just don't see how a guy that young can get to the depth of form needed to win a GT with such limited prep. Even if he comes in guns blazing, I feel like he's gonna have a bad day. Or get gapped on some technical terrain. But both things could be true, that could all happen and he could still find a way, which would be even more epic...

 

[hayneplane]

I dunno. Sounds great, and would be fantastic to watch, but I just don't see how a guy that young can get to the depth of form needed to win a GT with such limited prep. Even if he comes in guns blazing, I feel like he's gonna have a bad day. Or get gapped on some technical terrain. But both things could be true, that could all happen and he could still find a way, which would be even more epic...

I fully feel like it will be a rollercoaster ride where he could get exposed and lose a couple of minutes on a stage with some tricky descents especially if it rains but is just as likely to recreate the TdP ride and spank the entire field for 2-3 minutes on a hilly stage.

The beauty of it is that we know he won’t hold back and be tentative. If he thinks he has the legs he will attack from long range.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I guess Lefevere found a new sponsor, since Evenepoel signed a massive 5-year deal, extending his recently extended contract even further.

I also assume this means the team is confident in his recovery.

Remco Evenepoel verlengt contract bij Deceuninck - Quick Step met 5 jaar | sporza

Remco Evenepoel blijft de ploeg van Patrick Lefevere tot eind 2026 trouw. Evenepoel heeft zijn aflopende contract bij Deceuninck - Quick Step verlengd met 5 jaar. Daarmee lijkt er ook duidelijkheid over de toekomst van de ploeg van Patrick Lefevere.

sporza.be

https://twitter.com/x/status/1379420627900239878

View: https://twitter.com/deceuninck_qst/status/1379420627900239878

 

[red_flanders]

Had the same reaction, this bodes well for his recovery. His numbers and health must be looking like they were pre-injury, or at least trending hard that way. Didn't read any details on the numbers, would be fascinated to see where that nets out.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Had the same reaction, this bodes well for his recovery. His numbers and health must be looking like they were pre-injury, or at least trending hard that way. Didn't read any details on the numbers, would be fascinated to see where that nets out.

Remco cracked the wattometer to show 7 w/kg and the old dog had no choice

 

[Extinction]

Let's hope so, because it's odd the old dog has decided to send him to the Giro without any prior racing this season.

 

[houtdffan]

He may have one amazing domestique in Sagan

Peter Sagan linked with move to Deceuninck-QuickStep for 2022

Bike brand Specialized could be the key to move away from Bora-Hansgrohe

www.cyclingnews.com

Sagan actually was an OUTSTANDING dom for Contador in 2015. Too bad Conta decided to get close with the French road on the Allos. Sagan was still more useful than Majka was though after the crash

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Let's hope so, because it's odd the old dog has decided to send him to the Giro without any prior racing this season.

Agreed. Throwing your superstar straight into a GT when his last experience of a competitive bike race was falling 20 feet from a bridge doesn't seem sensible

 

[red_flanders]

Agreed. Throwing your superstar straight into a GT when his last experience of a competitive bike race was falling 20 feet from a bridge doesn't seem sensible

It’s hard to understand what the thinking is here. Participating in a couple of warmup races seems prudent versus the tension and stakes of a race like the Giro where bike handling in a pack is at a premium. I definitely would be concerned about over reach here, there’s just no way to diffuse expectations completely here, those of Remco or the fans.

I wonder why not focus on the Tour and do all the great warmup races like Suisse, Romandie, and others to get his legs and skills back under him. Sure there’s more pressure at the Tour, but I would think it’s better to get the pack time and fitness back in smaller races before getting into a GT.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Let's hope so, because it's odd the old dog has decided to send him to the Giro without any prior racing this season.

That's why they chose a 3-week race: to maintain his winning streak:

Week 1: Remco learns again how to ride in the peleton
Week 2: Remco steadily improves from a grupetto guy to a contender
Week 3: Well...

 

[Extinction]

I get that, in other words the thinking seems to be that he will regain his racing craft over the course of the Giro, although I doubt he'll still be in contention by the time that he does. Still, it is odd that he will not have at least ridden say the Tour of the Alps before. I just can't see, even for someone as talented as Remco, going into the Giro cold turkey and coming out on top (or even nearly so). The team apparently doesn't hold illussions of victory, so why not give him the opportunity to get prepared with some racing beforehand? What harm would that do? Would it benefit him? Why not? But evidently they know what they are doing, thus who am I to complain?

To address Red's point about skipping the Giro and heading right for the Tour with the usual prep races, principally I'd think the Dauphine. It's an interesting proposition, as past winners have almost entirely skipped the Classics season and built up their Tour preparation with altitude camps and then the Dauphine essentially. On the other hand, it would be Remco's debut GT and the prevailing thought seems to be that you don't send a rider (let alone one as young as Remco) to the Tour as his first GT with any hopes of finishing it. Well Pogacar won the first Tour he rode, you say? True, but he already had a third place Vuelta in his legs. So I guess they want Remco to do a GT before making his Tour debut. Well in that case, would not the Vuelta with racing beforehand be the better option than going into the Giro with no racing at all in the legs first? Only time will tell, apparently.

 

[BlueRoads]

It could also be a motivational thing. If he's very ambitious and feels he has already lost so much time when he wants to make a step forward his first three week race could mean he's immensely motivated and looks forward to that, while the Tour de Romandie is just another smaller race...