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

[spalco]

yeah I know he is Evenepoel and such, but winning with no racing and at his age seems unlikely.

Pogacar was third in his first Vuelta, but that was a totally different story.

But I am curious to see how he will do in the mountain stages. His numbers might be impressive now on training, but you cannot simulate a 3-week course. He has never done this kind of race. The pressure is high and will his recovery be good enough during the race?

Of course, but that's an open question regardless even with perfect preparation, no injury and no time off though.

But that question should finally (!) get an answer, either fully, or partially. Even if he's not yet able to compete for the maglia rosa, I think we should get a better picture of his regeneration/consistency in a 3 week race.

I would say best case scenario: Domination from stage 1 to stage 21, no really bad days, winning the TTs and another 2-3 wins on regular stages
still good: clear improvements from week to week, losing a little time on some mountain stages, but generally hanging on, top10 result in the end, wins stage21 TT, maybe another stage somewhere, no terrible day and no more than one or two bad ones, some good long range solo breakaways win or lose
not good: several terrible days, not even close to winning a stage, worse in week 3 than week 1/2, struggling to hold onto the gruppetto in the mountains

 

[hayneplane]

Week 3 endurance over a long stage race and single day in race endurance in a monument length classic with the ability to make repeated deep efforts and recover are in a similar category but subtly different and a rider like Pogacar appears to have both in spades. MVDP and peak Gilbert are great examples of in race endurance whereas Contador at his best was someone for whom ongoing recovery during a Grand Tour was a big factor in his success. An even more extreme example would be Kruijswijk who would be as strong in week 4 if it existed as week 1 but has a much lower peak level than most GC top 5 contenders.

We know from San Sebastian, the break in Germany and the epic solo win in Poland that Remco has outstanding endurance during a single day and the Giro will be our (and his) first chance to see whether his engine is also compatible with 3 week stage race endurance.

 

[BigCoward]

Even if he had won last year and showed he has what it takes to be a grand tour Champ and everything everyone hopes/expects from him, I still wouldn't be confident this year. You just can't jump into a Giro with so little meaningful prep.

 

[remcredo]

Week 3 endurance over a long stage race and single day in race endurance in a monument length classic with the ability to make repeated deep efforts and recover are in a similar category but subtly different and a rider like Pogacar appears to have both in spades. MVDP and peak Gilbert are great examples of in race endurance whereas Contador at his best was someone for whom ongoing recovery during a Grand Tour was a big factor in his success. An even more extreme example would be Kruijswijk who would be as strong in week 4 if it existed as week 1 but has a much lower peak level than most GC top 5 contenders.

We know from San Sebastian, the break in Germany and the epic solo win in Poland that Remco has outstanding endurance during a single day and the Giro will be our (and his) first chance to see whether his engine is also compatible with 3 week stage race endurance.

Maybe Algarve could learn us something: stage 2 win, stage 4 deep effort and becoming third, and the day after he won the ITT before Rohan Dennis. Not much but something that could indicate his daily recovery ...

 

[Tinnekeisabella]

Of course, but that's an open question regardless even with perfect preparation, no injury and no time off though.

But that question should finally (!) get an answer, either fully, or partially. Even if he's not yet able to compete for the maglia rosa, I think we should get a better picture of his regeneration/consistency in a 3 week race.

I would say best case scenario: Domination from stage 1 to stage 21, no really bad days, winning the TTs and another 2-3 wins on regular stages
still good: clear improvements from week to week, losing a little time on some mountain stages, but generally hanging on, top10 result in the end, wins stage21 TT, maybe another stage somewhere, no terrible day and no more than one or two bad ones, some good long range solo breakaways win or lose
not good: several terrible days, not even close to winning a stage, worse in week 3 than week 1/2, struggling to hold onto the gruppetto in the mountains

Cannot wait what the answer will be...

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Maybe Algarve could learn us something: stage 2 win, stage 4 deep effort and becoming third, and the day after he won the ITT before Rohan Dennis. Not much but something that could indicate his daily recovery ...

His effort in Poland is probably more telling. Only one week after Burgos i believe, and on the penultimate stage he destroyed the competition with a huge solo effort.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

All kinds of twitterfeeds are reporting he is 100% not going to ride the Giro to win, and 100% certain to be a domestique to Almeida. Some are even claiming "he promised", probably to be able to call him an ungrateful, backstabbing liar, when it turns out differently. All based on an article in ProCycling (which i haven't read, so i can't comment on the exact context and his wording), which was apparently an interview of nearly 2 months ago, right after his first altitude training, after having been back on the bike only a bit longer than a month.

In more recent news though, VeloNews talked to Sports Director Klaas Lodewijck, who basically confirms what most of us here have been thinking/saying/assuming:

“He’s going to have a free role,” Lodewyck said. “If we see after maybe 10 days that he’s growing into the race, and if he’s strong like we saw last year with Ineos and Tao Geoghegan Hart, he definitely could have that role as well. So we just have to keep him quiet and easy and see day by day.”

Remco Evenepoel at the Giro d'Italia? 'We hope he is able to finish' | VeloNews.com

Deceuninck-Quick-Step plays down expectations ahead of Remco Evenepoel's highly anticipated grand tour debut without discounting anything.

www.velonews.com

Furthermore, if Almeida is really aiming to leave the team, there is no doubt in my mind, the team will pick Remco over João in case it would come down to it. They'd be fools not to.

 

[Panda Claws]

People's expectations will be low after the prologue anyway. Because he will most likely be 'disappointing' there because it is simply not his forte.

 

[remcredo]

The media keeps saying that the expectations of remco are too high, and maybe they are but isn't that kind of 'part of the game'? I will simply be happy just to see Remco back in the peloton! Results well we'll see, but just his presence makes me happy already.

 

[Bonimenier]

The media keeps saying that the expectations of remco are too high, and maybe they are but isn't that kind of 'part of the game'? I will simply be happy just to see Remco back in the peloton! Results well we'll see, but just his presence makes me happy already.

They are less high than last year when he was expected to win the Giro with atleast 10 mins.

 

[SHAD0W93]

They are less high than last year when he was expected to win the Giro with atleast 10 mins.

While riding backwards.

 

[gregrowlerson]

While riding backwards.

Wrong thread

 

[SHAD0W93]

Wrong thread

Nah, it was going to happen and we were robbed.

 

[Lequack]

 

[RedheadDane]

Aah, I see they have started charging him. Batteries should be up and running by next Saturday.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Aah, I see they have started charging him. Batteries should be up and running by next Saturday.

They know that they only check the bikes for engines and not the riders.

 

[ciranda]

Would it be possible to hold a world's course in Stavelot? Start in the city, go up Stockeu + Haute Levee and around again like fourteen times.

 

[roundabout]

'We all hope that he’s able to finish '

And then

'He is going to have a free role'

he can try to repeat the biggest form turnaround in GT from the first MTF in all the years that I have been watching (paraphrased)

not sure if confused statements like that make for an actual news item

 

[MTV]

Not really confused statements as I see: they hope for the best, but they don't really know - nobody knows - in any case they have his back.

 

[Walter1234]

Would it be possible to hold a world's course in Stavelot? Start in the city, go up Stockeu + Haute Levee and around again like fourteen times.

I think you just named the parcours of next weeks race 'La Flèche Ardennaise'....

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Aah, I see they have started charging him. Batteries should be up and running by next Saturday.

Eve-1000 confirmed.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Eve-1000 confirmed.

More like T-1000

 

[Panda Claws]

I'll just be happy if he is good enough by the third week to take away the doubts that he may not return to form.

 

[Red Rick]

Not really confused statements as I see: they hope for the best, but they don't really know - nobody knows - in any case they have his back.

"They" including or excluding Masnada?

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

"They" including or excluding Masnada?

Masnada said Evenepoel wants to win the Giro. I'm sure that statement is correct. He'll want to win the Giro. Whether or not that'll turn out to be realistic is a different matter.