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

[Berflamand]

Now that he's posting these big rides, I'm actually wondering even more why he went dark for a few days last week and didn't post his training rides.

Test days?

 

[Riek s]

I'm more afraid that Remco is getting hungry after seeing Roglic and Pogacar last week and that there will be a prestige duel during Catalunya that would cost him too much in preparation for the Giro.
Hope SQS can calm down Remco.

I think that is a very realistic take, and that is probably also the reason why Pog is already so good. He was hungry to prove himself against Vingegaard. Same goes for Vingegaardn but he pulled to smaller straw. Might also be the reason why Roglic did TA and rode to win.

I'm not really worried about Catalunya, since it is still far out for the Giro, but he might peak a bit for LBL (or at least mentally) and that can shift him in two ways for the Giro.

The giro 3rd week is also 2nd hell. Very very hard last stages, with a climbing TT at the end. Seems like a giro that will need to be ridden with a very well placed peak.

 

[Big Doopie]

So finally we are getting Almeida, Evenepoel and Roglič on the menu. Looking forward to that.

Can we merge all three threads now?

no. this is the only one anyone should post in.

this thread must be king of all threads.

having it reign supreme is the only thing on my bucket list.

 

[CyclistAbi]

@Big Doopie

Too bad. I was under the impression we will get reasonable now. When Almeida, Evenepoel and Roglič will finally be racing in the same race.

 

[Big Doopie]

@Big Doopie

Too bad. I was under the impression we will get reasonable now. When Almeida, Evenepoel and Roglič will finally be racing in the same race.

Reasonable!?

On an internet discussion forum!?

…huh…

 

[red_flanders]

Remco smash: https://www.cyclingweekly.com/racing/remco-evenepoel-obliterates-tenerifes-mont-teide-strava-kom

 

[Nick2413]

I think that is a very realistic take, and that is probably also the reason why Pog is already so good. He was hungry to prove himself against Vingegaard. Same goes for Vingegaardn but he pulled to smaller straw. Might also be the reason why Roglic did TA and rode to win.

I'm not really worried about Catalunya, since it is still far out for the Giro, but he might peak a bit for LBL (or at least mentally) and that can shift him in two ways for the Giro.

The giro 3rd week is also 2nd hell. Very very hard last stages, with a climbing TT at the end. Seems like a giro that will need to be ridden with a very well placed peak.

I think the Giro will be a hard race for him to win. The 3 TTs are a bit overrated imo as the mountain TT is less of a “free” time gain for him and the amount of climbing in a Giro is extreme enough to outweigh the TTs. That last week is rough with around 3 stages of over 5k vert and at altitude. He’s proven his climbing ability just fine but I still rate this as more of a pure climber’s parcours.

 

[Extinction]

I think the Giro will be a hard race for him to win. The 3 TTs are a bit overrated imo as the mountain TT is less of a “free” time gain for him and the amount of climbing in a Giro is extreme enough to outweigh the TTs. That last week is rough with around 3 stages of over 5k vert and at altitude. He’s proven his climbing ability just fine but I still rate this as more of a pure climber’s parcours.

To the bolded, well that's just it isn't it? Another step into the unknown, to see how Remco fairs. Because if he wins this Giro, with all the terrifying mountains in week 3, he shall prove he's got the motor to win the Tour. Doubtless that's why he's doing the Giro this year in the first place. If it were in any other era but that in which you have to beat the likes of Pog and Vingo, he'd go to the Tour already this year. However, with a fish like Roglic to fry and the brutal parcours, the Giro is the perfect stepping stone to see what he's further capable of handling. Now the big question is how much margin for improvement does Remco have in the high mountains. If his recent performance on Tiede is any indication, we could be in for fireworks from him.

 

[Lequack]

So by how much will he win Catalunya you reckon?

 

[Berniece]

So by how much will he win Catalunya you reckon?

Will he win? Roglic was pretty good at Tirreno, although there wasn't a really really hard stage for him, and he mostly relied on his sprint. And Catalunya has some decent climbs where you can make it hard enough. UAE also brought their A-team besides Pogacar, and they have something to make up for after the UAE Tour.

 

[Netserk]

Will he win?

Given how Yates looked in Tirreno, yes. He is certainly the favourite.

 

[repre]

I think the Giro will be a hard race for him to win. The 3 TTs are a bit overrated imo as the mountain TT is less of a “free” time gain for him and the amount of climbing in a Giro is extreme enough to outweigh the TTs. That last week is rough with around 3 stages of over 5k vert and at altitude. He’s proven his climbing ability just fine but I still rate this as more of a pure climber’s parcours.

Yep, but it's Giro and some of this hard stages may be replaced with so so stages due to the weather. And with ITT you at least know what you get

 

[Berniece]

Given how Yates looked in Tirreno, yes. He is certainly the favourite.

I would call him one of the favourites, and should be able to ride podium. I always find it difficult to say if a rider will definitely win. Before Tirreno I wouldn't have said Roglic would win that with ease.

 

[Lequack]

 

[Netserk]

I would call him one of the favourites, and should be able to ride podium. I always find it difficult to say if a rider will definitely win. Before Tirreno I wouldn't have said Roglic would win that with ease.

If it wasn't for the wind, he probably wouldn't. The Catalunya route and field make it more straightforward to rank favourites.

 

[Venge 82]

Whether he wins or not will depend not only on his form, but also on factors that may or may not be in your control. To state with certainty that you will win, tends towards arrogance. However, you can say that Remco is definitely 1 of the favourites (together with Roglic the top favourite).

Actually, I don't care if he wins in Catalunya. I just want confirmation that he is in good form. Only 1 thing counts for the first half of the year and that is the Giro (to a lesser extent LBL). After that still the world championships. And that's it.

Remco will not be judged on Catalunya, he will be judged on the Giro. Who does still speak of the Tour of Switzerland of last year?

 

[Berflamand]

Soudal QuickStep team for Catalunya:

Cattaneo
Evenepoel
Hirt
Masnada
Serry
Van Wilder
Vervaeke

I think that could be the Giro team as well (+ Ballerini, or maybe one of Cavagna/Cerny?).

 

[Lequack]

Actually, I don't care if he wins in Catalunya. I just want confirmation that he is in good form.

Are his volcano rides not good enough?

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Soudal QuickStep team for Catalunya:

Cattaneo
Evenepoel
Hirt
Masnada
Serry
Van Wilder
Vervaeke

I think that could be the Giro team as well (+ Ballerini, or maybe one of Cavagna/Cerny?).

Remco Teide training camp is with Masnada, Hirt, Vervaecke and Van Welder. It look like that are all going to Cataluña together and then another training camp. Maybe Masnada, Vervacke or Van Welder goes to Romandie or Liege. They are the core group for the Giro, the climbing group, its good they are trainings a lot together and getting to know each other.

Looks also like Cattaneo, Ballerini and Serry are the other member of Giro team.

 

[Extinction]

Yep, but it's Giro and some of this hard stages may be replaced with so so stages due to the weather. And with ITT you at least know what you get

Not likely, as there is little or no snow in the mountains, owing to a warm, dry winter. It should be all go in May.

 

[Extinction]

He already looks like he's dropped 2 kilos and there is a method to the madness:

"It's a lot of training, a lot of altitude camps, but we saw last year that it works for me, so there's no need to change anything or try any different approaches," he said back in January at the Soudal-QuickStep team presentation.

"For me, it works well to have a period that's pretty calm, then blocks of racing which are more stressful. When I go to races, I go with the pressure to win or perform. Combining that with the camps, where there's no pressure, just a job to be done, that's what helps me deal with the stress. It helps me throw myself at my objectives."

 

[Venge 82]

Are his volcano rides not good enough?

Of course it is. More than good enough. Just curious to see this in a race against an in-form Roglic ;-)

 

[Venge 82]

Soudal QuickStep team for Catalunya:

Cattaneo
Evenepoel
Hirt
Masnada
Serry
Van Wilder
Vervaeke

I think that could be the Giro team as well (+ Ballerini, or maybe one of Cavagna/Cerny?).

Nice line-up for the Giro! And as IlMaestro99 says, good they are training together (Jumbo approach).

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

His schedule has probably been posted but what does him doing the Giro mean for the Ardennes? Will he do them?

 

[Ilmaestro99]

His schedule has probably been posted but what does him doing the Giro mean for the Ardennes? Will he do them?

He target Liege before Giro and after Catalunya. He likely won't do Fleche and definitely no Amstel