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

[red_flanders]

btw, yesterday OG Eddy said he didn't think Evenepoel could win the Giro considering the circumstances (soon after his recovery without prep races).

Merckx or Planckaert?

It seems pretty darn unlikely.

 

[pastronef]

so no race at all before the Giro? not even Romandie?

 

[tobydawq]

No, this has been known a long time by now.

 

[Big Doopie]

btw, yesterday OG Eddy said he didn't think Evenepoel could win the Giro considering the circumstances (soon after his recovery without prep races).

the odds are against that happening.

then again they just got better. Merckx is about THE worst prognosticator ever. I have literally never known him to be right. He famously picked Lemond in 1992. And just recently had Ala as the hot favorite to win the Ronde. In between, I have literally never known him to be right.

 

[remcredo]

From what i read, it doesn't differ that much from what had been said before. Obviously he wants to win if he can and he is leaving nothing to chance to increase his chances. But he doesn't know if/how he'll cope with the third week, even if he seems to be recovered fully. In case he cracks, the team will work for Almeida.

Masnada said 'Remco is a big champion ... he's fully recovered ... he's thinner and more motivated then ever ... he's super focust ... He will be strong at the start of the Giro ... '

He is right now on altitude stage with Remco and Almeida, so maybe he knows ...
Just fun to hear such news.

 

[kingjr]

Masnada said 'Remco is a big champion ... he's fully recovered ... he's thinner and more motivated then ever ... he's super focust ... He will be strong at the start of the Giro ... '

He is right now on altitude stage with Remco and Almeida, so maybe he knows ...
Just fun to hear such news.

Waiting for this year's Giro feels like waiting for Christmas when I was a kid.... seems to take forever....

 

[Bonimenier]

Another domestique joined them on their altitude stage.

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[johnymax]

Another domestique joined them on their altitude stage.

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I see Masnada is already in training at his favourite position, 5-10m behind his captain.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I see Masnada is already in training at his favourite position, 5-10m behind his captain.

His purpose is to give a wheel or his bike in case his captain has a mechanical. He rides behind him to make sure not to miss him!
There are other riders in the race to shield his captain from the wind. They're called Jumbo Visma.

 

[johnymax]

His purpose is to give a wheel or his bike in case his captain has a mechanical. He rides behind him to make sure not to miss him!
There are other riders in the race to shield his captain from the wind. They're called Jumbo Visma.

Hmm, I know Remco is coming from a terrible injury, but I still expect him to do better than following the Chris Harpers in the gruppetto in the Giro. You have low expectations I see, but at least you are being realistic and don't have unreasonable expectations for the kid. I can respect that. I still think at least one captain, Almeida, won't settle for riding behind Koen Bouwman and will aim for a top5.

 

[Escarabajo]

I'd love to see Remco back in the fight at the Giro and then taking the fight to the Slovenians.

Having said that they are making a big mistake taking him to Giro this year. I think that's crazy unless he is just putting miles on his legs.

 

[Oldermanish]

I'd love to see Remco back in the fight at the Giro and then taking the fight to the Slovenians.

Having said that they are making a big mistake taking him to Giro this year. I think that's crazy unless he is just putting miles on his legs.

One of the most clear-eyed assessments I've read. Although I would change the prescription to many, many race/prep miles. If this kid is the second Coming you'd better hope he and his handlers guide his recovery accordingly. I've never seen this sort of adoring pressure applied to any athlete and I'm US born where people believed Johnny Manziel was going to win the Superbowl. Give the guy some space...

 

[Krzysztof_O]

His purpose is to give a wheel or his bike in case his captain has a mechanical. He rides behind him to make sure not to miss him!
There are other riders in the race to shield his captain from the wind. They're called Jumbo Visma.

Remco attacks alone like Fausto Coppi albeit without a spare inner tube (that's domestiques role).

 

[Gregor_Slovenia]

The reason I am worried about "fully" recovery about Remco is Chris Froome. I always trusted Chris 100 %. And after his injury, before the season 2021 he said I am back at my best, I can win TDF. I was okay, let's see. He goes on a race and gets dropped when the peloton is 100 riders big (Catalonya). The injury of Remco has been as bad as Chris's one, and it was planned that he will race much before Giro. What is happening now, they are just post-poning his start to the races. I just do not see him at the level he used to be. Hopefully I am very wrong. But this hip injuries must be hell for a cyclist. And being able to beat Slovenians. Ugh, not quite sure, do not put such a pressure on him. I think the fact is if he would be fit and ready to race-he would already race. But they are just post-poning races to him, like "he still needs some time to recovery and train".

 

[Salvarani]

So he was too eager in his recovery, which prolonged it and now the team think it is good to send him to the Giro as his first race back? Yes, I know he has been training a lot and reports seem good but still? You send him to GT? His first one, mind you. I hope he rides for stages only if he goes. Take it easy on some days. It will be a real test either way. Both on him and with the injury.

 

[Tinnekeisabella]

I just hope his hip injury is properly healed this time. He still had pain 6 months post-op. I think it would maybe have been better to test this in some races before the giro. 3 weeks of hard racing might bring the hip injury back.

 

[kingjr]

I just hope his hip injury is properly healed this time. He still had pain 6 months post-op. I think it would maybe have been better to test this in some races before the giro. 3 weeks of hard racing might bring the hip injury back.

Well when he still had pain, the bone wasn't fully healed yet, but it is now.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

The reason I am worried about "fully" recovery about Remco is Chris Froome. I always trusted Chris 100 %. And after his injury, before the season 2021 he said I am back at my best, I can win TDF. I was okay, let's see. He goes on a race and gets dropped when the peloton is 100 riders big (Catalonya). The injury of Remco has been as bad as Chris's one, and it was planned that he will race much before Giro. What is happening now, they are just post-poning his start to the races. I just do not see him at the level he used to be. Hopefully I am very wrong. But this hip injuries must be hell for a cyclist. And being able to beat Slovenians. Ugh, not quite sure, do not put such a pressure on him. I think the fact is if he would be fit and ready to race-he would already race. But they are just post-poning races to him, like "he still needs some time to recovery and train".

I appreciate your concern, but unless you're a surgeon or a specialist who has treated both cyclists or seen the scans, there is no way you can make that assessment. Froome is nearly twice Remco's age, and it's been stated by many that if Remco would have faced this injury late in his career, he might not have recovered.
He never had an actual schedule to begin with. They screwed up by not monitoring him closely enough, and that has set everything back. Obviously he was originally supposed to come back sooner, but so far you could only argue they postponed it once. Since january, the moment he said he needed more time, the plan was to get ready for the Giro.

Whether that is smart or not is a different matter.

 

[red_flanders]

The reason I am worried about "fully" recovery about Remco is Chris Froome. I always trusted Chris 100 %. And after his injury, before the season 2021 he said I am back at my best, I can win TDF. I was okay, let's see. He goes on a race and gets dropped when the peloton is 100 riders big (Catalonya). The injury of Remco has been as bad as Chris's one, and it was planned that he will race much before Giro. What is happening now, they are just post-poning his start to the races. I just do not see him at the level he used to be. Hopefully I am very wrong. But this hip injuries must be hell for a cyclist. And being able to beat Slovenians. Ugh, not quite sure, do not put such a pressure on him. I think the fact is if he would be fit and ready to race-he would already race. But they are just post-poning races to him, like "he still needs some time to recovery and train".

Apologies in advance for a blunt comment, but I think the fact that you “always trusted Chris [Froome] 100% ” suggests you’re not thinking clearly. I don’t think there’s much in common between these two riders.

 

[johnymax]

I'd love to see Remco back in the fight at the Giro and then taking the fight to the Slovenians.

Having said that they are making a big mistake taking him to Giro this year. I think that's crazy unless he is just putting miles on his legs.

If he's fully recovered, I don't think riding the Giro is a mistake. Like you suggested, he needs to put miles on his legs and what a better way to do it than to ride a GT. It also coincides with his goal of being in top shape for the Olympics. Another option would be doing the Tour and quit after 2 weeks but I think it's far from ideal to do the Tour as your first GT.

I was joking above about him riding in the gruppetto, but that would be a realistic strategy for him to do on some stages. Ride without pressure, maybe try to be a protagonist in a stage or two, help Almeida, etc.

There's of course another scenario. Just dominate the Giro.

What I don't see is the comparison with Froome. Chris is almost twice his age and nobody expected him to be back in his peak form (bar ISN). At Remco's age injuries heal three times as fast. I, and many, fully expect him to be back.

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

As I’ve mentioned a few times one of the bigger differences between Evenepoel and Froome is that Froome had a surgical repair and Evenepoel did not. Froome also a a femur break and of course the differences in ages.

I posted a link to an medical research paper that not undergoing surgery for a hip fracture usually much better recovery.

 

[BigCoward]

Apologies in advance for a blunt comment, but I think the fact that you “always trusted Chris [Froome] 100% ” suggests you’re not thinking clearly. I don’t think there’s much in common between these two riders.

Yeah, one has won loads, and the other nothing of consequence just for starters.

 

[Gregor_Slovenia]

Luckily Remco is super young, and when I start seeing bright sides I have in front of my eyes recovery of Valverde after 2017 Tour crash, where his knee cap was just awful. So, let's hope Remco goes back to his old winning ways. We all love him winning. I remember watching live in Innsbruck 2018 WC race of Juniors. We were on a main climb where the party was, with big screen. Remco was caught behind a crash 2 minutes down on leaders, and it was not so much until the finish. I think 2 main laps on a climb and in the city. With friends we said, this will be tough for him to catch. Well, he not just caught everyone, he went immediately on the attack and won a race with lead of 2 minutes I think. So, hopefully he can build magic also after injury in this strong Elite field.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Luckily Remco is super young, and when I start seeing bright sides I have in front of my eyes recovery of Valverde after 2017 Tour crash, where his knee cap was just awful. So, let's hope Remco goes back to his old winning ways. We all love him winning. I remember watching live in Innsbruck 2018 WC race of Juniors. We were on a main climb where the party was, with big screen. Remco was caught behind a crash 2 minutes down on leaders, and it was not so much until the finish. I think 2 main laps on a climb and in the city. With friends we said, this will be tough for him to catch. Well, he not just caught everyone, he went immediately on the attack and won a race with lead of 2 minutes I think. So, hopefully he can build magic also after injury in this strong Elite field.

I think the crash was still far, nearly 70km from the finish. He initially lost +/-1m30s, but then he went back to search for his bikecomputer and lost 2m10s in total.
He won with little under 1m30s, but it was the ride of Mayrhofer's life, since he is not a climber and was able to follow Remco and Vacek so long and outlast the Italians.

 

[red_flanders]

Yeah, one has won loads, and the other nothing of consequence just for starters.

Aw, that's cute. I guess winning multiple pro stage races, becoming the European TT champion, getting 2nd in the Worlds TT, and winning San Sebastian in one's first attempt at a classic is "nothing of consequence". Remind me where Froome was at age 21? I forget with all the great stories, was he a miner? Working on a farm? Never heard of bikes? Recovering from one of his many bouts of Bilharzia?