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

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Dec 9, 2019
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“I don't know that climb, but I'm not scared either. I didn't know Tuesday's course either. And apart from the time trial, I haven't explored a single stage, so there are still a lot of presents waiting for me."

On his Strava it kinda checks out. He was a lot in Livigno, then he trained only in the region of the ITT. I'm guessing the ITT is his main objective and it feels like he is trying not to put a lot of pressure on himself. His form is good tho,
 
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Feb 20, 2012
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Pretty sure Roglic did recon for the 2019 Vuelta. I'd say Vuelta recon is pretty normal if you don't do the Tour.

I'd also say if I would recon 5 stages for this Vuelta, tomorrow wouldn't be one of them
 
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Mar 4, 2011
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Pretty sure Roglic did recon for the 2019 Vuelta. I'd say Vuelta recon is pretty normal if you don't do the Tour.

I'd also say if I would recon 5 stages for this Vuelta, tomorrow wouldn't be one of them
?? Tomorrow is a great stage for an attack (if he’s thinking in those terms) with the steeper penultimate climb starting with about 40 km to go and then the longer but irregular final climb and summit finish.
 
Apr 3, 2009
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?? Tomorrow is a great stage for an attack (if he’s thinking in those terms) with the steeper penultimate climb starting with about 40 km to go and then the longer but irregular final climb and summit finish.
Said in an interview he was saving energy for Thursday. Makes sense. Should be the first real battle!
:openmouth: Disappointing if true. Disrespectful? Or boastful?
Oh, FFS…
 
Jan 8, 2020
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Of course, why waste energy today when tomorrow is a MTF? It's elementary my dear Watson and that is exactly what Jumbo thinks.
 
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Feb 1, 2020
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I am hoping that towards the end of tomorrow's stage becomes a launching pad for Remco to do what he does best and what just about what nobody else can do. Go Remco Go!!!
 
Apr 3, 2009
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OK, I know this is getting ahead of things, and I not predicting this is going to happen, but say he does go for it on Pico Jano and gains 30 seconds +. It's possible.

Are QS ready to defend the jersey? Is that what they want? Would it be better to defend on Pico Jano and hope to take time later? I guess it's a game-time decision, and you have to see how others are going. Jumbo is certainly going to set a blistering pace on the first real mountain stage.

If I'm QS management, I'm not sure we want the jersey at this point. Of course this could all be moot and Jumbo could drop everyone, including Remco.
 
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May 29, 2019
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I don't feel they could defend the jersey successfully for two weeks. I wouldn't recommend that to a team such as JV. In regards to time. If they can take the time then they should. Any opportunity. Considering the bath ritual they likely feel week 3 will be crucial and are planning to attack then. Likely to lose more time till then. But then again i guess the plan A is to hold on and as long as that is working. Mission accomplished.
 
Sep 4, 2017
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OK, I know this is getting ahead of things, and I not predicting this is going to happen, but say he does go for it on Pico Jano and gains 30 seconds +. It's possible.

Are QS ready to defend the jersey? Is that what they want? Would it be better to defend on Pico Jano and hope to take time later? I guess it's a game-time decision, and you have to see how others are going. Jumbo is certainly going to set a blistering pace on the first real mountain stage.

If I'm QS management, I'm not sure we want the jersey at this point. Of course this could all be moot and Jumbo could drop everyone, including Remco.
I don’t think that would matter just yet as unless the stage is total carnage I would expect Molard to hold onto red by at least a minute no matter what the GC guys throw at each other.
 
He should not take initiative until it's clear he has good legs and thinks he can drop whoever remains at that point. That begins by not getting dropped himself. Then if only a small group of elite rivals remains and he's still with them, he should know soon enough if he has what it takes. If he hasn't or if he's unsure, just stay passive and try to hang on. But in case somebody attacks, and (almost) everybody gets dropped but him, and he feels he can match and raise that attack, only then should he go for it. He doesn't want to get suckerpunched by a counter.

In case he should take red, just let a break go the next days. Either Jumbo can chase it if they want, or they hand the jersey to someone who is 5 minutes down in GC and not a threat.
 
Aug 13, 2011
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All teams should make TJV work as much as possible. They’re the big favorites again, no matter if they have the jersey or not.
 
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Jan 8, 2020
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I'm curious to see his actual state of form compared to the top climbers. The only inkling thus far has been the stage Roglic won and, despite not being a MTF, but essentially an uphill sprint, Remco was decidedly on the back foot. Perhaps that means nothing, as it may have only been due to bad positioning in the final. Still, Roglic showed stellar form, for which I can't see the Slovenian loosing time today. To the contrary. Hope Remco prooves me wrong, but I fear his best result will be to just hang on and not lose significant time ahead of the TT.

PS. Looking at the stage profiles again after today there are two more MTFs before the TT. Well, if after the TT he's still in contention, his GC bid becomes legitimately serious. But it aint gonna be easy, that's for sure.
 
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Jul 28, 2010
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I'm curious to see his actual state of form compared to the top climbers. The only inkling thus far has been the stage Roglic won and, despite not being a MTF, but essentially an uphill sprint, Remco was decidedly on the back foot. Perhaps that means nothing, as it may have only been due to bad positioning in the final. Still, Roglic showed stellar form, for which I can't see the Slovenian loosing time today. To the contrary. Hope Remco prooves me wrong, but I fear his best result will be to just hang on and not loose significant time ahead of the TT.

PS. Looking at the stage profiles again after today there are two more MTFs before the TT. Well, if after the TT he's still in contention, his GC bid becomes legitimately serious. But it aint gonna be easy, that's for sure.

I think he did well on that finish honestly. There is no version of him that would excel on a finish like that. He still managed to place himself quite well considering where he came from. He could have been better positioned, that's true. But he's never going to contest the win on a finish like that, not against guys like Roglic. No one can, other than Pogacar and maybe 2 or 3 other guys on their best day.
 
OK, I know this is getting ahead of things, and I not predicting this is going to happen, but say he does go for it on Pico Jano and gains 30 seconds +. It's possible.

Are QS ready to defend the jersey? Is that what they want? Would it be better to defend on Pico Jano and hope to take time later? I guess it's a game-time decision, and you have to see how others are going. Jumbo is certainly going to set a blistering pace on the first real mountain stage.

If I'm QS management, I'm not sure we want the jersey at this point. Of course this could all be moot and Jumbo could drop everyone, including Remco.


with what we have seen from QS at this point in the race... the only part they can control is a flat stage, and i'm not even sure about that atm.
 
Jan 8, 2020
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I think he did well on that finish honestly. There is no version of him that would excel on a finish like that. He still managed to place himself quite well considering where he came from. He could have been better positioned, that's true. But he's never going to contest the win on a finish like that, not against guys like Roglic. No one can, other than Pogacar and maybe 2 or 3 other guys on their best day.
Yea, that's true. I still would have liked to see him better positioned, been more aggressive to be top 10 when they really started lightning it up. Instead he had to react to avoid being with the 7secs down group.
 
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Sep 14, 2020
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He probably rode one of the fastest final 200 meters in that stage. Look back at the footage, he was nowhere to be seen until right at the end.

It looked like Quickstep had decided it was Van Wilder to set up Ala for the win so Remco had no protection from the team which is a wild choice.
And now Masada in the break again today; surely he'll be too shattered to help if the break gets caught?
 
Apr 12, 2017
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For what it's worth, the Strava comparison of the ones that uploaded it:

Screenshot-from-2022-08-25-13-25-44.png


He was badly positioned, but not that bad.
He was fast, faster than Hindley, Kelderman, ... but, from this Strava data and from the footage, comparable to Sivakov, Hayter, O'Conner.
From the little we could see, he started the last 200 meters close behind them and finished close behind them.
Which is good for Remco imho.