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

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Evenepoel isn't bad on technical corners on a TT bike.

Not bad per se, but he loses valuable seconds. (And I know Ganna is no Cancellara either)

 

[Red Rick]

Didn't Wout's coach once say that a flat TT is good for him because Pippo is pretty much the only one with an even bigger engine?

Don't know what he said, but I wouldn't be surprised if WvA actually has better W/kg on but just has a worse position on the TT bike than Ganna.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Don't know what he said, but I wouldn't be surprised if WvA actually has better W/kg on but just has a worse position on the TT bike than Ganna.

This seems like a given. But on a flat-ish course that's not the most important factor. I think in the entire peloton only Ganna pushes more watts than van Aert (just a guess, can't think of anyone). Ganna has been trained for that position for years, while van Aert had only picked it up since 2019 and only per occasion.

Would like to know their CdA.

 

[Angelo1985]

...40 seconds to Gana is a bit too much...must still improve

Evenepoel pushed the highest W/Kg from the entire field, he couldn't have done any more. I calculated from his strava page and he pushed about 6.3 W/kg average. https://www.strava.com/activities/5988214852

 

[TomBonnen2005]

Evenepoel pushed the highest W/Kg from the entire field, he couldn't have done any more. I calculated from his strava page and he pushed about 6.3 W/kg average. https://www.strava.com/activities/5988214852

6.3w/kg best of the field? Do you know what the rest of the top 10 did? It does not seems huge for a 40min effort

 

[Krzysztof_O]

6.3w/kg best of the field? Do you know what the rest of the top 10 did? It does not seems huge for a 40min effort

Almost 50-minute effort so 6.3 w/kg is a lot, especially in TT position (a small fraction of power is lost compared to normal position). You will have a hard time finding in recent years efforts greater than 6.3 w/kg when duration is approaching an hour (maybe legendary PDBF TT but no powermeter ). We've seen 6.5-6.6 w/kg by Pogi on climbs but duration was 20-25 minutes: twice shorter, which enables cyclists to go a few percent beyond FPT.

BTW I'm certain that most of other guys had between 5.5 and 6 w/kg (typical long effort for good but heavy TT-ists)

 

[Jungle Cycle]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1439992841653014528

View: https://twitter.com/Vaughters/status/1439992841653014528

 

[Angelo1985]

Hahahaha Partick Lefevere: about Evenepoel, Lefevere said in the HLN Sportcast that he is confident that after this year of trial and error in 2022 he will be the old one again: "In all honesty: if Remco can finish the season without any problems until the last race - that will be Lombardy - and has a good winter, then I expect that he will be at least ten percent better next year."

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Hahahaha Partick Lefevere: about Evenepoel, Lefevere said in the HLN Sportcast that he is confident that after this year of trial and error in 2022 he will be the old one again: "In all honesty: if Remco can finish the season without any problems until the last race - that will be Lombardy - and has a good winter, then I expect that he will be at least ten percent better next year."

10 percent. Lmao

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Hahahaha Partick Lefevere: about Evenepoel, Lefevere said in the HLN Sportcast that he is confident that after this year of trial and error in 2022 he will be the old one again: "In all honesty: if Remco can finish the season without any problems until the last race - that will be Lombardy - and has a good winter, then I expect that he will be at least ten percent better next year."

If that's the case Pog & Rog may as well start commentator careers.

 

[Froome]

If that's the case Pog & Rog may as well start commentator careers.

More 10 percent? And it will not be enough to follow pogacar.

 

[Angelo1985]

If that's the case Pog & Rog may as well start commentator careers.

Tom Boonen was also at the table with Patrick Lefevere and he agreed with the 10 percent so WOW.

 

[Oldermanish]

If that's the case Pog & Rog may as well start commentator careers.

They should just quit now. The pressure already is too great!

 

[Baldinger]

What does 10 percent even mean? 10 percent more watts?

A 10 percent increase in speed? If that's the case, Remco Evenepoel would have been just shy of 59 km/h in the TT.

 

[Red Rick]

Tom Boonen was also at the table with Patrick Lefevere and he agreed with the 10 percent so WOW.

Boonen has decided he also wants to make a career out of talking out of his ass?

 

[Red Rick]

Almost 50-minute effort so 6.3 w/kg is a lot, especially in TT position (a small fraction of power is lost compared to normal position). You will have a hard time finding in recent years efforts greater than 6.3 w/kg when duration is approaching an hour (maybe legendary PDBF TT but no powermeter ). We've seen 6.5-6.6 w/kg by Pogi on climbs but duration was 20-25 minutes: twice shorter, which enables cyclists to go a few percent beyond FPT.

BTW I'm certain that most of other guys had between 5.5 and 6 w/kg (typical long effort for good but heavy TT-ists)

MAL did Col de La Loze at 6W/kg for an a full hour finishing at 2300m at the end of a 5 hour stage.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

MAL did Col de La Loze at 6W/kg for an a full hour finishing at 2300m at the end of a 5 hour stage.

Yes and I think his Mt Ventoux denivele challenge was close to 6.3 w/kg (for nearly an hour). Can't recall better than than for efforts in 50-60 minute range in recent years.

 

[Angelo1985]

Yes and I think his Mt Ventoux denivele challenge was close to 6.3 w/kg (for nearly an hour). Can't recall better than than for efforts in 50-60 minute range in recent years.

The only one better than that was Contador i think.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

The only one better than that was Contador i think.

Iban Mayo's Mt Ventoux record in 2004 was the best uphill performance in 50-60 minute category I can recall. A long time ago though and not that much competition in this category (intensely raced climbs are usually 45 minutes long or less).

 

[Angelo1985]

Iban Mayo's Mt Ventoux record in 2004 was the best uphill performance in 50-60 minute category I can recall. A long time ago though and not that much competition in this category (intensely raced climbs are usually 45 minutes long or less).

I read somewhere that Contador has the best 20 minute effort of 7.4 w/kg, that's crazy.

 

[Valanga]

I read somewhere that Contador has the best 20 minute effort of 7.4 w/kg, that's crazy.

7.400000000005 probably

 

[Red Rick]

I read somewhere that Contador has the best 20 minute effort of 7.4 w/kg, that's crazy.

I think he showed some pick of doing 440-460 or something for 20 minutes before the 2009 Tour? I don't remember which.

But I think those tests are completely fresh, which makes a considerable difference.

 

[Volderke]

b

Yes and I think his Mt Ventoux denivele challenge was close to 6.3 w/kg (for nearly an hour). Can't recall better than than for efforts in 50-60 minute range in recent years.

But both of these efforts are not done in a (suboptimal) TT position.

 

[geisterhome]

He said he pushed some of his best numbers ever at Druivenkoers and i can imagine. He was able to hold off a chasing peloton and increase his lead. In terms of being chased, i think this may have been the time where he successfully distanced the most organized chase with constantly 4-6 guys working hard to bring him back, over the longest distance. There were almost always more than one lotto, more than one Alpecin and one or two UAE's working, one of which was Bjerg.

His attack at the euro's was also quite punchy. And i imagined his sprint would have been much worse to be honest.

But i can not understand where you guys get that he's improved his bikehandling. First of all, i think his bikehandling is mostly off in specific scenario's, such as riding gravel or descends. Most of the "common" scenario's were already less of an issue before his crash. Remember 2019, where not a week went by or he hit the deck. In 2020 he only crashed once iirc. But it was more severe than his previous crashes combined.

But my point is, where and when do you guys think he improved his bikehandling all of a sudden? Compared to / since when?

I would say he is just not very talented when it comes to bike handling I mean although he is young and all the guy has raced and ridden his bike long enough at least not to stand out negatively. The bike handling skills needed to be an unrecognizble average roadcyclist dont really take that long to aquire. We usually dont see neopros crashing way more than experienced riders. Its smth in the category easy to learn (being able to coast in a peloton without causing damage to yourself and others), hard to master (Sagan, Nibalis decending).

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I read somewhere that Contador has the best 20 minute effort of 7.4 w/kg, that's crazy.

Doubtful. During racing peak Pogacar can produce about 6.5-6.6 w/kg for 20 minutes, which results in about 1850 m/h of VAM on moderately steep climbs (8%). This climbing speed is among highest achieved in modern cycling for regular non-murito climbs. Contador's best climb (Verbier) was even a bit faster than that but 6.6-6.7 w/kg is a more realistic estimate of his 20-minute peak performance. Hypothetically (in a 20-minute standalone uphill TT) they could produce a bit more but 7.4 w/kg looks alien.