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

[dutchdescent]

I don't think you know what the word 'fact' means . It can be your believe, but absolutely not a fact... unless we are 2040. and if it came to pass, it was your personal predication that became truth, but it would still not have been a fact now (even looking back from 2040)

No I have no clue. Thank you for taking the time to expound on it!

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

We must not forget that even Bjarne Riis in 1996 and Carlos Sastre in 2008 won the biggest GT, the TdF.

If even Riis and Sastre can achieve this, then - potentially - ca. 30 riders of the current pro peloton can win a GT and even the TdF.

Even if Remco would have won the TdS, we wouldn‘t have known if he is one of these 30. The TdS only has eight stages, and a GT has 21.

We have to see how Remco rides in the third week of a GT. Stages 15-21 of a GT have nothing to do with stage 1-8 of a race like TdS.

It‘s all about recovery, then. And that only really becomes an issue after stage 10 of a GT.

 

[Bolder]

We must not forget that even Bjarne Riis in 1996 and Carlos Sastre in 2008 won the biggest GT, the TdF.

If even Riis and Sastre can achieve this, then - potentially - ca. 30 riders of the current pro peloton can win a GT and even the TdF.

Even if Remco would have won the TdS, we wouldn‘t have known if he is one of these 30. The TdS only has eight stages, and a GT has 21.

We have to see how Remco rides in the third week of a GT. Stages 15-21 of a GT have nothing to do with stage 1-8 of a race like TdS.

It‘s all about recovery, then. And that only really becomes an issue after stage 10 of a GT.

I would like to forget that Bjarne Riis won a TdF

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Much better today than the last two days. Much worse than you would have expected before the race.

 

[Skalman]

Is he still sick or just exhausted? Anyone heard anything?

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Is he still sick or just exhausted? Anyone heard anything?

Supposedly he is not sick, only his roommate, Vervaeke, has been tested positive for covid. The team will look elsewhere for explanations (dixit Lefevere).
What i have heard from a source i trust, is that he felt fatigued after Norway, which was unexpected.

 

[Riek s]

Supposedly he is not sick, only his roommate, Vervaeke, has been tested positive for covid. The team will look elsewhere for explanations (dixit Lefevere).
What i have heard from a source i trust, is that he felt fatigued after Norway, which was unexpected.

Which doesn't make sense as he rode Gullegem in the front whole day.
Would maybe point more to already being sick back then and still recovering. But also that wouldn't explain why his feeling is getting better now at the end of TDS. As his fatigue should keep increasing instead of improving.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Well if it was indeed a heat issue that requires at least 48hours to fully recover as said by devil, him being slighlty better today than yesterday makes sense. Doubt he will be top tomorrow. Think he is still far from pushing 400W for 30minutes so doubt he has a shot tomorrow.
But at least if his feeling is improving, we can for sure exclude tiredness/peaked to early from the list.

He's relatively much better on (false) flat roads when not in monster shape. Always has been. His form is pretty decent, IMO. I'm sure he will own the ITT.

I think he can beat Küng.

 

[Extinction]

One needs to know his actual state of form to draw conclusions. Those preparing for the Tour, like Thomas, will be very close to an undercooked 100 percent, those coming out of the Giro, like Pozzovivo, will be very close to an overcooked 100 percent looking for the last benefits of top condition. Remco is likely neither of these. It would be interesting to hear what team management has to say when it's all said and done. Indeed TdS is a strange choice to do if not as last prep for Tour or coming out of Giro on the residuals of top form and, most of all, I would not want to do it as a "let's see how it goes" after Tour of Norway. It does seem like the team sometimes makes rather peculiar decisions.

 

[Salvarani]

One needs to know his actual state of form to draw conclusions. Those preparing for the Tour, like Thomas, will be very close to an undercooked 100 percent, those coming out of the Giro, like Pozzovivo, will be very close to an overcooked 100 percent looking for the last benefits of top condition. Remco is likely neither of these. It would be interesting to hear what team management has to say when it's all said and done. Indeed TdS is a strange choice to do if not as last prep for Tour or coming out of Giro on the residuals of top form and, most of all, I would not want to do it as a "let's see how it goes" after Tour of Norway. It does seem like the team sometimes makes rather peculiar decisions.

Or it is Remco insisting on doing certain races, because he is ambitious and wants to test himself. It can be good to have that attitude, but it can also be to your detriment. Sometimes I think we have seen just that. Important that him and those around him manages that.

Im not saying thats what happened here. Sometimes a rider just have a "bad" race. It is okay. It is how he bounces back that is important. I am assuming he will have some rest after this race and then some training. Could San Sebastian followed by Burgos be the races he does before the Vuelta? We will see, I guess.

 

[Extinction]

Or it is Remco insisting on doing certain races, because he is ambitious and wants to test himself. It can be good to have that attitude, but it can also be to your detriment. Sometimes I think we have seen just that. Important that him and those around him manages that.

Im not saying thats what happened here. Sometimes a rider just have a "bad" race. It is okay. It is how he bounces back that is important. I am assuming he will have some rest after this race and then some training. Could San Sebastian followed by Burgos be the races he does before the Vuelta? We will see, I guess.

In the final analysis he did not completely blow up, but didn't have the legs to go with the best. Now, was it do to not being in top form against riders at or nearing their peak? If so, the TdS is no race to enter with GC ambitions. Was it due to being near top form, but still doesn't have the legs to climb with the best? If so then I'm affraid his Vuelta prospects will have to be rethought. Only time will tell.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Supposedly he is not sick, only his roommate, Vervaeke, has been tested positive for covid. The team will look elsewhere for explanations (dixit Lefevere).
What i have heard from a source i trust, is that he felt fatigued after Norway, which was unexpected.

Something clearly went wrong, otherwise he doesn't loose 2min on hilly terrain, where he has been at his best vs top level opposition.
Maybe heat exaustion is really the reason, even if I get the feeling that one would collapse the following days if that was true.

That said, Belgian media and the team always hyping him to the moon after he wins a smaller stage race doesn't do him any favours...

 

[ice&fire]

We must not forget that even Bjarne Riis in 1996 and Carlos Sastre in 2008 won the biggest GT, the TdF.

If even Riis and Sastre can achieve this, then - potentially - ca. 30 riders of the current pro peloton can win a GT and even the TdF.

Even if Remco would have won the TdS, we wouldn‘t have known if he is one of these 30. The TdS only has eight stages, and a GT has 21.

We have to see how Remco rides in the third week of a GT. Stages 15-21 of a GT have nothing to do with stage 1-8 of a race like TdS.

It‘s all about recovery, then. And that only really becomes an issue after stage 10 of a GT.

I can only see Remco winning a GT Pereiro style, but he has to prove he can be top 10 first.

 

[hayneplane]

One needs to know his actual state of form to draw conclusions. Those preparing for the Tour, like Thomas, will be very close to an undercooked 100 percent, those coming out of the Giro, like Pozzovivo, will be very close to an overcooked 100 percent looking for the last benefits of top condition. Remco is likely neither of these. It would be interesting to hear what team management has to say when it's all said and done. Indeed TdS is a strange choice to do if not as last prep for Tour or coming out of Giro on the residuals of top form and, most of all, I would not want to do it as a "let's see how it goes" after Tour of Norway. It does seem like the team sometimes makes rather peculiar decisions.

That is not so unusual as it is the route also being taken by Sergio Higuita of Ardennes/TDS/Vuelta without doing Giro before or Tour after the Tour de Suisse. Seems to working out well for him this week.

 

[yaco]

Remco should be the favorite for the ITT - He's set a high standard in this discipline in 2022.

 

[Extinction]

That is not so unusual as it is the route also being taken by Sergio Higuita of Ardennes/TDS/Vuelta without doing Giro before or Tour after the Tour de Suisse. Seems to working out well for him this week.

I still think those going to the Tour with GC ambitions, which means the crème de la crème of the sport being neccessariliy at or nearly so the top of their game, will be difficult to stay with for someone looking to have a super peak down the road for the Vuelta. Now I don't know about Higuiya's case specifically, but he either has timed things right or not. Only time will tell, which is the same for Remco of course. Whatever the case, the Vuelta will answer this crucial question.

 

[Red Rick]

Remco should be the favorite for the ITT - He's set a high standard in this discipline in 2022.

His ITT should help estimate the form a bit. Kungs ITTs have been off, so he should normally still win.

Hard to see Thomas be in the mix for the win.

 

[roundabout]

Küng's W/kg have been close to Evenepoel this week and the weight difference is pretty major

would be a surprise for me if Evenepoel can beat Küng based on that

 

[greyclouds]

Or it is Remco insisting on doing certain races, because he is ambitious and wants to test himself. It can be good to have that attitude, but it can also be to your detriment. Sometimes I think we have seen just that. Important that him and those around him manages that.

Im not saying thats what happened here. Sometimes a rider just have a "bad" race. It is okay. It is how he bounces back that is important. I am assuming he will have some rest after this race and then some training. Could San Sebastian followed by Burgos be the races he does before the Vuelta? We will see, I guess.

He is surely off form, coming out of a spring peak, which I think he hit between Itzulia and LBL. Precisely because of that, and unless he got sick, if he was serious about TdS he should have gone easier in Norway, the same way he “soft peddled” LFW before LBL. He had a great spring, and I think that he is much more mature than last year, but he still needs to learn better to manage his efforts, targets and expectations.

 

[Blobs]

Unfortunately an enigma that cannot be pondered silently

So do you go onto a cycling forum, open a thread about a rider and then hope no one is talking about him, in that thread?

 

[Red Rick]

You can be do okay in Switserland if your peak is in the Vuelta.

Otherwise why would anyone do Switserland or the Dauphine coming off the Giro?

 

[HelloDolly]

So do you go onto a cycling forum, open a thread about a rider and then hope no one is talking about him, in that thread?

I was referring to the race threads where we get an overload on Remco ...but hey thanks for the ridiculous sarcastic post reply to what was a bit of fun

 

[dutchdescent]

Pretty good TT today

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

19 seconds off top 10 in Suisse
17 seconds off top 10 in Tirreno

 

[wheresmybrakes]

Maybe he needs to have a word with Valverde, he's the master at those top 10's. Nice ride today, regardless if his numbers were good or not. Onto the next ride.