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

[SHAD0W93]

Unless he was head and shoulders above the rest it would have been almost impossible for him to win, even if the tactics went as they planned and he was led out. No one wants to bring him to the finish, no one. He’s Cancellara and Sagan rolled into one. He’ll have to start attacking more if he wants to win any of the other monuments.

 

[Riek s]

Unless he was head and shoulders above the rest it would have been almost impossible for him to win, even if the tactics went as they planned and he was led out. No one wants to bring him to the finish, no one. He’s Cancellara and Sagan rolled into one. He’ll have to start attacking more if he wants to win any of the other monuments.

He needs Remco just as much as Remco needs him in such races.

Remco in the attack forces the other favorites to follow and drag WVA along so he should have the power to either attack himself or follow.
WVA in the back forces the others to take him along, making them less savvy to work, giving Remco the seconds he needs to stay away.

 

[BlueRoads]

Aaaand... I'm on Wout's side again. My, these soaps that make you like a character, than make him the villain, only for it to turn out he wasn't the bad guy after all...
How many seasons do they think they can do this to us?

 

[Sciatic]

It comes from a Flemish podcast so it's translated. The translation is pretty accurate though. Van Aert said it bothered him quite a lot.

Thanks!

 

[SHAD0W93]

He needs Remco just as much as Remco needs him in such races.

Remco in the attack forces the other favorites to follow and drag WVA along so he should have the power to either attack himself or follow.
WVA in the back forces the others to take him along, making them less savvy to work, giving Remco the seconds he needs to stay away.

Now hopefully they can do better then Purito and Valverde racing together.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

It comes from a Flemish podcast so it's translated. The translation is pretty accurate though. Van Aert said it bothered him quite a lot.

Especially interesting that Evenepoel was not supposed to counter any moves that early in the race, according to Van Aert. Seems much more believable to me then the story we first got and apparently was confirmed or "confirmed" in the docu. Because if so, those tactics were hilariously bad.

I don't think WVA is lying, so if you take that as a given either Evenepoel countering those early moves wasn't planned, or it was and WVA was not made aware of those (changed?) plans.

 

[Riek s]

Aaaand... I'm on Wout's side again. My, these soaps that make you like a character, than make him the villain, only for it to turn out he wasn't the bad guy after all...
How many seasons do they think they can do this to us?

Not sure what changed though.

"Or Remco could have done it later, but I don't think a TV studio is the right place. And substantively I thought it was a bit strange that he knew what the tactics were, but that afterwards he claimed that it was not all that clear and that he still wanted to ride for himself. However, the national coach had been very clear when he selected Remco.”

Van Aert is pretty clear here, that the tactics were clear and that Remco couldn't ride for himself, no matter what. An let this be the biggest point of contention between all analyzers.

Also Remco never said it was unclear after the race, he went to verify before the race and he got confirmation --> nothing for him. Also Remco wasn't complaining, they asked him some questions.
So i think WVA never listened to the interview and just saw some out of context one liner and bad journalist pieces.. without really getting the story straight.

 

[Billie]

The director of the Belgian Cycling Union in a discussion/meeting with the NT coach when they were deciding who to select for the Worlds: "If I understood correctly he did not do what was requested of him (Remco) at the Olympics". So they were already problems/doubts before the Worlds.

He also said after the Olympics that he was not going to do the TT at the Worlds and that Lampaert would ride in his place but then that idea dissapeared was reversed. Would be interesting to know by whom (Remco himself or the NT/cycling union) this decision was made.

 

[BlueRoads]

Not sure what changed though.

"Or Remco could have done it later, but I don't think a TV studio is the right place. And substantively I thought it was a bit strange that he knew what the tactics were, but that afterwards he claimed that it was not all that clear and that he still wanted to ride for himself. However, the national coach had been very clear when he selected Remco.”

Van Aert is pretty clear here, that the tactics were clear and that Remco couldn't ride for himself, no matter what. An let this be the biggest point of contention between all analyzers.

Also Remco never said it was unclear after the race, he went to verify before the race and he got confirmation --> nothing for him. Also Remco wasn't complaining, they asked him some questions.
So i think WVA never listened to the interview and just saw some out of context one liner and bad journalist pieces.. without really getting the story straight.

I am quite critical of a lot of journalists' work, but I think blaming the journalists here is wrong. I think they reported quite adequately what Evenepoel said and I think van Aert got pretty well what Evenepoel said and intended.
Although I'd say van Aert doesn't handle this in the best way himself (and anyway there may be big doubts about whether Evenepoel should not have gotten more freedom), I can understand his anger when Evenepoel behaves sneakily... would really upset me too and it must be difficult to handle this situation well when you want to set things clear but you cannot throw some people completely under the bus and you know you will probably be in the same national team as Evenepoel for many years to come.

Either Evenepoel did as he was told at worlds or Olympics, or he didn't, or it was a misunderstanding. If there was no misunderstanding and it was actually quite clear and he just behaved like it was unclear and didn't do what he was told, that's quite bad in my opinion. If the team has a plan, even if it's not the one you think is the correct one, you can either stick to it or you can refuse your selection and let your place go to someone else.

Either Evenepoel or van Aert is lying, or, to not get too dramatic, let's say bending the truth, this is not just a misunderstanding.

 

[Extinction]

Aaaand... I'm on Wout's side again. My, these soaps that make you like a character, than make him the villain, only for it to turn out he wasn't the bad guy after all...
How many seasons do they think they can do this to us?

Why didn't Wout just admit he didn't have the legs, before the team strategy was broken? He could have said he didn't have the legs before Remco spent himself. And he only admited he didn't have the legs after Remco's work was done and had sat up. It just reaks of not wanting under no circumstances that Remco could race for the win.

 

[Red Rick]

Why didn't Wout just admit he didn't have the legs.

He admitted that, doesn't mean Evenepoel didn't *** up tactically either.

 

[Extinction]

He admitted that, doesn't mean Evenepoel didn't *** up tactically either.

See my further queries. I think Wout didn't want Remco to know he was off, let him run himself into the ground and then blame Evenepoel for not sticking to plan to deflect attention away from his own shortcomings.

 

[johnymax]

Why didn't Wout just admit he didn't have the legs, before the team strategy was broken? He could have said he didn't have the legs before Remco spent himself. And he only admited he didn't have the legs after Remco's work was done and had sat up. It just reaks of not wanting under no circumstances that Remco could race for the win.

I have never raced so I wouldn't know...but can riders really tell after 150km of a 260km race: "Guys, I have only legs for a 5th place today, but not for the win." I imagine it would be almost impossible to tell at that point.

 

[hayneplane]

Wout is coming across as a hypocrite using a newspaper interview to whinge about Remco talking about the race on a TV show

 

[topcat]

I have never raced so I wouldn't know...but can riders really tell after 150km of a 260km race: "Guys, I have only legs for a 5th place today, but not for the win." I imagine it would be almost impossible to tell at that point.

I'll know after 1 km that I only have legs for 4 km more, but then I'm 52 and a middle distance runner.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

The director of the Belgian Cycling Union in a discussion/meeting with the NT coach when they were deciding who to select for the Worlds: "If I understood correctly he did not do what was requested of him (Remco) at the Olympics". So they were already problems/doubts before the Worlds.

He also said after the Olympics that he was not going to do the TT at the Worlds and that Lampaert would ride in his place but then that idea dissapeared was reversed. Would be interesting to know by whom (Remco himself or the NT/cycling union) this decision was made.

I remember Lampaert at one point hinting he wasn't really waiting for that spot. I assume due to his prep for Paris Roubaix.

 

[Riek s]

Imagine the feedback if they left Remco at home for the WC... WVA still wouldn't have won the WC.

Followed by Remco winning Coppa Bernocchi in a strong way and also riding strong (+ for his teammate) in Giro dell'Emilia 2021.

I'm 100% sure the feedback would have been the same. Why the *** didn't we take Remco to the WC, what were we thinking by using WVA as our main and only guy.

 

[red_flanders]

Weird that this isn't in the WVA thread.

Also weird that WVA thinks it's up to Remco to come to him to solve this. Possibly a good part of the reason why this relationship doesn't seem to be working. Wout gives a bit of the impression here and elsewhere that it's his way or the highway. Remco gives a bit of the impression he doesn't give a flying...

 

[Ricco']

Is Wout (or Remco) the boss of the Belgian team?

Shouldn't be the work of the national coach to put them both together in a room (now or due to conflicts of agenda, schedule for the next possible opportunity) to get the situation clear with both of them, instead of dragging the whole thing through the mud of the media?

 

[noob]

I keep thinking about something else completely. Anyone else have thought about that without Remco nearly killing himself last year Almeida would be nowhere. Thanks to Remco crashing Almeida got his breakthrough much faster, just as Vingegaard with Roglič on TdF. But Roglič sees Vingegaard as his younger brother.

No way does Remco feel that way about Almeida. It must feel seriously weird being Remco riding for Almeida. (I would be resentful myself Was I Remco) And yet he did it so well.

Then afterwards on instagram

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

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The devil is in the details.

 

[BlueRoads]

Imagine the feedback if they left Remco at home for the WC... WVA still wouldn't have won the WC.

Followed by Remco winning Coppa Bernocchi in a strong way and also riding strong (+ for his teammate) in Giro dell'Emilia 2021.

I'm 100% sure the feedback would have been the same. Why the *** didn't we take Remco to the WC, what were we thinking by using WVA as our main and only guy.

It's one thing to say this was probably not the right strategy, but something else if the strategy was Wout, with you working later and you just pretend the strategy is not clear. When there is a team leader and you think you are stronger, it's still common in cycling to accept that hierarchy. And if it already was like that in the Olympics it would make sense for van Aert to state so openly before the worlds there should be one leader this time.
Maybe Wout is lying. But then he must be outright lying, and some of the other Belgian riders should speak out (and I would at least expect the QS-team mates of Remco to do so).

 

[SHAD0W93]

Imagine the feedback if they left Remco at home for the WC... WVA still wouldn't have won the WC.

Followed by Remco winning Coppa Bernocchi in a strong way and also riding strong (+ for his teammate) in Giro dell'Emilia 2021.

I'm 100% sure the feedback would have been the same. Why the *** didn't we take Remco to the WC, what were we thinking by using WVA as our main and only guy.

This. At some point WVA told them he wasn’t feeling well. Remco doing what he did made the race more selective. WVA had another teammate. While not knowing at the start he won’t have the legs at the finish you can still tell if it will be a good or bad day. Remco being on the team drastically increased their chances of success compared to them doing a HTC and WVA being caught out because no one wants to work. WVA and Remco honestly need the other under the Wolf Pack. Or if he raced with MvdP.

 

[noob]

It's one thing to say this was probably not the right strategy, but something else if the strategy was Wout, with you working later and you just pretend the strategy is not clear. When there is a team leader and you think you are stronger, it's still common in cycling to accept that hierarchy. And if it already was like that in the Olympics it would make sense for van Aert to state so openly before the worlds there should be one leader this time.
Maybe Wout is lying. But then he must be outright lying, and some of the other Belgian riders should speak out (and I would at least expect the QS-team mates of Remco to do so).

The best lies are those we tell ourselves imo. I believe in due time we should know their characters better. Agree about the teammates. If they shut up it's logically because their teammate did wrong. Not the opposite.

 

[noob]

Question: Was Remco always angry? I never saw him before giro 2021 (yes I had no idea anyone named Remco existed before giro 2021), but the first thing I learned about him was how angry he was.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

I keep thinking about something else completely. Anyone else have thought about that without Remco nearly killing himself last year Almeida would be nowhere. Thanks to Remco crashing Almeida got his breakthrough much faster, just as Vingegaard with Roglič on TdF. But Roglič sees Vingegaard as his younger brother.

No way does Remco feel that way about Almeida. It must feel seriously weird being Remco riding for Almeida. (I would be resentful myself Was I Remco) And yet he did it so well.

Then afterwards on instagram

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

The devil is in the details.

Meanwhile after copppa Bernocchi Remco was very complimentary of the work of Fausto Masnada in helping him to victory. Interesting.