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

[Berniece]

'Win all three' – Remco Evenepoel already dreaming of Tour de France and Giro d’Italia after Vuelta triumph

La Vuelta: check. Giro d’Italia and Tour de France: to follow?

www.eurosport.com

Now we’re going to rewatch everything that we did before this Vuelta and then we can take this into the future and use it as preparation for the Giro and Vuelta

Looks like a Giro/Vuelta double next year

Only Merckx, Battaglin and Contador were able to successfully win both races in the same year. But the dates used to be different in the past, the Vuelta wasn't at the end of the year, so not sure how that actually worked. Nonetheless, it's going to be very difficult to win both.

 

[houtdffan]

Only Merckx, Battaglin and Contador were able to successfully win both races in the same year. But the dates used to be different in the past, the Vuelta wasn't at the end of the year, so not sure how that actually worked. Nonetheless, it's going to be very difficult to win both.

Vuelta was a ~17 day race in the Merckx era. Not sure they climbed the highest mountains either

 

[Didinho]

Big Remco fan here, but I disagree. Guys like Pogacar won't let him ride away that easily.

I agree. I was still thinking in the field of this year

 

[Bonimenier]

Big Remco fan here, but I disagree. Guys like Pogacar won't let him ride away that easily.

What a poor time for riders to be pro when there are multiple guys like Pogacar in the peloton.

 

[memyselfandI]

'Win all three' – Remco Evenepoel already dreaming of Tour de France and Giro d’Italia after Vuelta triumph

La Vuelta: check. Giro d’Italia and Tour de France: to follow?

www.eurosport.com

Now we’re going to rewatch everything that we did before this Vuelta and then we can take this into the future and use it as preparation for the Giro and Vuelta

Looks like a Giro/Vuelta double next year

Well like nobody never found out this after Big Bang? Age old engineering stuff: If it works, don't do/touch/change anything.

And then comes Pogi (or new Pogi) to the last long tt in and we see those long faces again, back to the square one.

 

[Big Doopie]

Rohan Dennis says he realizes the difficulty for Remco being prepped etc. for the worlds ITT coming off the Vuelta, but he still said that would be his pick for the win…

 

[Big Doopie]

I really do not think Remco should do two GTs. Why? At 23. And it seems clearer and clearer that it it is almost impossible to be at your best for both. He should just focus on one. Follow the same plan that seems to have worked with adjustments from things they learned.

it seems a waste for a rider like Remco to spend the entire season on two GTs when there are so many other great races he can contend at.

different for Vingo. His strength so far is really GT racing. I can totally see him doing TDF and Vuelta next year. But for a rider like Remco, I feel it would be a bit of a waste.

 

[Berniece]

I really do not think Remco should do two GTs. Why? At 23. And it seems clearer and clearer that it it is almost impossible to be at your best for both. He should just focus on one. Follow the same plan that seems to have worked with adjustments from things they learned.

Why do you think it's almost impossible to do both? There's more than enough time between them to give you time to rest and then build up again. That other's weren't able to do this has more to do with decompression and their mental state I think.

 

[Big Doopie]

Why do you think it's almost impossible to do both? There's more than enough time between them to give you time to rest and then build up again. That other's weren't able to do this has more to do with decompression and their mental state I think.

two points:

1. Wasted for Remco, specifically, because he can win lots of other races (than simply repeating his Vuelta win which frankly would add little right now to his palmares). And I do not think the mental state is an issue with him if you see the interview he gave on GCN. He had finished the Vuelta and he said he was already thinking of the Worlds. It’s more that he has so many other races he could do/win instead. Remember it is not just the race itself, it’s the 6+ weeks before that he would not/hardly compete and the eventual exhaustion which would not allow him to perform much after (notice how he will not do Lombardia this year). The whole season would really just be about the two GTs and for what ultimately? For the outside chance that he manages to win both? Big Woop! Much prefer that he win other races and give himself the best chance at the one GT he targets.

2. How many double GT winners have we seen in the last few decades?

 

[Berniece]

two points:

1. Wasted for Remco, specifically, because he can win lots of other races (than simply repeating his Vuelta win which frankly would add little right now to his palmares). And I do not think the mental state is an issue with him if you see the interview he gave on GCN. He had finished the Vuelta and he said he was already thinking of the Worlds. It’s more that he has so many other races he could do/win instead. Remember it is not just the race itself, it’s the 6+ weeks before that he would not/hardly compete and the eventual exhaustion which would not allow him to perform much after (notice how he will not do Lombardia this year). The whole season would really just be about the two GTs and for what ultimately? For the outside chance that he manages to win both? Big Woop! Much prefer that he win other races and give himself the best chance at the one GT he targets.

2. How many double GT winners have we seen in the last few decades?

I'll answer your two points with 1 argument. Evenepoel is the type of rider that loves to do stuff that no one else can do. So winning 2 GT's in the same year, is something barely anyone does, only the greats, so he'll definitely go for that. He doesn't want to be added to a list of riders that can achieve a win here and there. That's too easy in his mind. Do stuff that only a hand full of people were able to achieve.

He's still very young, he can win whatever he puts his mind too, so doing a season of 1 GT, and just a lot of other wins, why would he? He already got a lot of other wins in 2020.

Personally I hope he aims for the moon, just try to get yourself in the history books as one of the greats. More fun to see as a spectator too.

 

[IndianCyclist]

If he does the double, he should follow Contador's blueprint from 2008

start the season later, maybe as late as Catalyunia and then go to Itzulia

But first he should go to the beach...
as per the blueprint

 

[Big Doopie]

I'll answer your two points with 1 argument. Evenepoel is the type of rider that loves to do stuff that no one else can do. So winning 2 GT's in the same year, is something barely anyone does, only the greats, so he'll definitely go for that. He doesn't want to be added to a list of riders that can achieve a win here and there. That's too easy in his mind. Do stuff that only a hand full of people were able to achieve.

He's still very young, he can win whatever he puts his mind too, so doing a season of 1 GT, and just a lot of other wins, why would he? He already got a lot of other wins in 2020.

Personally I hope he aims for the moon, just try to get yourself in the history books as one of the greats. More fun to see as a spectator too.

i think we may just be two ships passing in the dark…

i didn’t say he should never try it.

I just don’t want him to do it next year. Particularly if it just means winning another Vuelta.

he shouldn’t be just a GT rider. If he trains for and rides two GTs there is little else he can do the rest of the year. There are lots of other great races yet to win: specifically Worlds and Lombardia.

he could, with some luck, win several of these major prestigious one day races without it taking up most of his season.

if u only care about GTs, then yes you and I will not agree on this.

 

[Extinction]

i think we may just be two ships passing in the dark…

i didn’t say he should never try it.

I just don’t want him to do it next year. Particularly if it just means winning another Vuelta.

he shouldn’t be just a GT rider. If he trains for and rides two GTs there is little else he can do the rest of the year. There are lots of other great races yet to win: specifically Worlds and Lombardia.

he could, with some luck, win several of these major prestigious one day races without it taking up most of his season.

if u only care about GTs, then yes you and I will not agree on this.

The real problem is that cycling has evolved beyond the gung-ho romanticism of yore (and I miss it). Once upon a time everybody was "overextended," whereas now each rider's season is programed scientifically and the level has risen to such a degree that even the greats can't hope to win a classic and say the Giro-Tour double (or even just the Giro-Tour double) in one season. It's not that the huge talents are any less, but just that the level of everybody else has risen uncompromisingly higher. So you have to pick your battles.

 

[Red Rick]

With Evenepoels underwhelming performance in the WT stage races earlier and his obvious advantage of Vuelta specific prep with slow buildup, I'm very sceptical about a double. Doesn't make a lot of sense.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

I agree with some previous poster saying that Remco is “too good of a rider” to only go for Grand Tours.

A season aiming for Liege + Giro and then San Sebastián + WC + Lombardia as the main target does look very good to me.

 

[houtdffan]

i think we may just be two ships passing in the dark…

i didn’t say he should never try it.

I just don’t want him to do it next year. Particularly if it just means winning another Vuelta.

he shouldn’t be just a GT rider. If he trains for and rides two GTs there is little else he can do the rest of the year. There are lots of other great races yet to win: specifically Worlds and Lombardia.

he could, with some luck, win several of these major prestigious one day races without it taking up most of his season.

if u only care about GTs, then yes you and I will not agree on this.

He'd be able to do other races if he does 2 GTs. He'd just have to cut out the small races like Murcia/Algarve. He'd still do PN/TA/Catalyunia, Itzulia, the ardennes, followed by giro. He could come back for San Sebastien then the vuelta, leaving something in the tank for the end of the year

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

I really do not think Remco should do two GTs. Why? At 23. And it seems clearer and clearer that it it is almost impossible to be at your best for both. He should just focus on one. Follow the same plan that seems to have worked with adjustments from things they learned.

it seems a waste for a rider like Remco to spend the entire season on two GTs when there are so many other great races he can contend at.

different for Vingo. His strength so far is really GT racing. I can totally see him doing TDF and Vuelta next year. But for a rider like Remco, I feel it would be a bit of a waste.

I would agree. One tour is hard enough. Two tours seems like it could have long term consequences given Evenpoel's drive to win. Yes, I understand that racers do two tours but trying to win and defend in two GTs feels like a massive burden to shoulder along with a few other races.

I think Remco would be better off doing something like this:

Tirreno (7), MSR (1), RvV (1), Amstel (1), Fleche (1), LBL (1), Giro (21), Dauphine(8)or TDS (8), Belgian ITT (1), Belgian RR (1), San Sebastian (1), Euro TT (1), Euro RR (1), GP Quebec (1), GP Montreal (1), WC TT (1), WC RR (1), and Lombardy (1)

50 total race days so maybe a 1 week tour could be added in somewhere.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Congratulations on winning his first GT.

 

[Big Doopie]

I would agree. One tour is hard enough. Two tours seems like it could have long term consequences given Evenpoel's drive to win. Yes, I understand that racers do two tours but trying to win and defend in two GTs feels like a massive burden to shoulder along with a few other races.

I think Remco would be better off doing something like this:

Tirreno (7), MSR (1), RvV (1), Amstel (1), Fleche (1), LBL (1), Giro (21), Dauphine(8)or TDS (8), Belgian ITT (1), Belgian RR (1), San Sebastian (1), Euro TT (1), Euro RR (1), GP Quebec (1), GP Montreal (1), WC TT (1), WC RR (1), and Lombardy (1)

50 total race days so maybe a 1 week tour could be added in somewhere.

Itzulia?

said to be the best prep for the Ardennes.

 

[Oldermanish]

I'll answer your two points with 1 argument. Evenepoel is the type of rider that loves to do stuff that no one else can do. So winning 2 GT's in the same year, is something barely anyone does, only the greats, so he'll definitely go for that. He doesn't want to be added to a list of riders that can achieve a win here and there. That's too easy in his mind. Do stuff that only a hand full of people were able to achieve.

He's still very young, he can win whatever he puts his mind too, so doing a season of 1 GT, and just a lot of other wins, why would he? He already got a lot of other wins in 2020.

Personally I hope he aims for the moon, just try to get yourself in the history books as one of the greats. More fun to see as a spectator too.

You can hope. Unless he told you all of this personally you assume his ambition outstrips what I would guess is his own view of his talent. He can hope, too but winning 2 GTs may come later. This Vuelta would have made him alot wiser.

 

[Berniece]

You can hope. Unless he told you all of this personally you assume his ambition outstrips what I would guess is his own view of his talent. He can hope, too but winning 2 GTs may come later. This Vuelta would have made him alot wiser.

Based on what we've seen this past Vuelta I don't think it's too ambitious for his talent. I might be biased, because he's one of my favourite riders, but with proper preparation I think winning 2 GT's in 1 year is definitely possible for him.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Itzulia?

said to be the best prep for the Ardennes.

This is the main problem with combining Ardennes and Giro I suppose. If he is to get his peak right for Giro I think he needs to spend April up until Ardennes at altitude, and then skip Itulzia and other races in the first half of April.
Given how strong Remco was in Norway and Sebastian this year, straight from altitude, I don’t think he need racing Itulzia to be sharp at the Ardennes.

 

[Boes]

Why not try cobbles classics and leave Ardennes for Alaphippe?

 

[SHAD0W93]

Why not try cobbles classics and leave Ardennes for Alaphippe?

Since he can win the Ardennes while Evenepoel and Ala would increase the others chances.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Why not try cobbles classics and leave Ardennes for Alaphippe?

I think cobbles classic is not suitable together with Giro. If he wants to ride well in the cobble classics he needs a little bit more muscle mass and I don't think it's enough time to lose weight between cobble classics and Giro. Maybe there is time between cobble classics and Tour, but I don't think it's smart to mix it up dramatically already at this young age when it comes to race calendar.

I think QuickStep should plan next season something like this when it comes to leaders:
Cobbles: Asgreen & Senechal
Ardennes: Evenepoel & Alaphilippe
Giro: Remco (give him the best support: Hirt, Van Wilder, Masnada, Cattaneo, Vervaeke + 2 strong roleurs)
Tour: Jakobsen & Alaphilippe
Vuelta: Merlier & Van Wilder/Masnada/Hirt

Then have Remco building the second part of season around WC and Lombardia. Should be fitting well with San Sebastian, Canadian races and maybe something like Benelux Tour for the home fans.
Then all in Tour de France 2024 with a standard P-N + Itulzia + Ardennes + Dauphine preparation. Hopefully by 2024 QuickStep have been able to get in a superdom for the mountains.