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

[QueenStagiaire]

By the way, since Logic isn‘t there to refer me back to the poll, can we rename this thread to ‚Remco Evenepoel is the new Mario Cipollini’ for his recent fashion extravagance?

 

[Panda Claws]

Mods have to stop banning Logic before the end of every important race. We miss out on more hype posts.

 

[Berniece]

Would be amazing! Wouldn't count WC TT though.

Why doesn’t the WC TT count?

 

[Panda Claws]

Why doesn’t the WC TT count?

Personally I don't think it is quite on the same level when it comes to prestige. Of course a TDF is also 'worth more' than a monument, but I consider a TT tile quite the step down.
It also didn't exist until the '90s IIRC.

 

[Netserk]

Van Aert skipped it last year to better prepare for the road race. Quite telling.

 

[Valv.Piti]

WC ITT isn't even close to WC RR or, say, Tour of Flanders. Don't know what I'd really rate it, Strande Bianche? Personally I don't give that much for it, and Foss winning the race doesn't mean anything to me really.

 

[Red Rick]

Isn't the ITT after the RR this time? Also I think the road race route is just too easy for Evenepoel to really thrive.

 

[Bertram Wooster]

By the way, since Logic isn‘t there to refer me back to the poll, can we rename this thread to ‚Remco Evenepoel is the new Mario Cipollini’ for his recent fashion extravagance?

I agree.
Comparing Remco to Merckx is an insult to Remco.

 

[peterfin]

The WC TT title is high on Remco's personal goals list so expect him to put in effort to win it the coming years.

 

[peterfin]

I agree.
Comparing Remco to Merckx is an insult to Remco.

At least Merckx has changed his attitude regarding Remco and expected Remco to win LBL. If there is one rider that can challenge Merckx record 5 wins at LBL it's definitely Remco.

 

[Netserk]

Isn't the ITT after the RR this time?

Yes.

 

[Berniece]

Van Aert skipped it last year to better prepare for the road race. Quite telling.

I think afterwards he probably thought that was a mistake

 

[Peyroteo94]

At least Merckx has changed his attitude regarding Remco and expected Remco to win LBL. If there is one rider that can challenge Merckx record 5 wins at LBL it's definitely Remco.

Pogacar can too.

 

[Big Doopie]

Daniel Friebe. Absolutely not a Remco fan. Said the following:

“The feeling you get when Pog wins is that he rides like every rider. He is just better at it in almost every facet. When Remco wins, it feels like he is doing a different sport than the others.“

I agree.

 

[Blanco]

Not the way you want to see him win.

While he may not be exactly on Pogacar's level there is no longer room to doubt that he is on the general level of the 'big 3'

He's not on the level of big 3, he is the part of the big 3, together with Pogacar and Van Der Poel. Others are behind...

 

[Didinho]

At the end of last week they had a really long hard training and his readings were better than ever, so he knew he would be ready for today.

 

[tobydawq]

1x UAE Tour
2x Clásica San Sebastián
1x Vuelta
1x World Champion
Multiple times LBL

Congratulations to the Belgian Valverde!

 

[Andy schleck]

1x UAE Tour
2x Clásica San Sebastián
1x Vuelta
1x World Champion
Multiple times LBL

Congratulations to the Belgian Valverde!

2 LBL. You don't need to put "multiple times".

 

[xREv]

At the end of last week they had a really long hard training and his readings were better than ever, so he knew he would be ready for today.

According to Rodrigo Beenkens (top tier source) he pushed more than 6,8 w/kg for 24 minutes on test day

 

[tobydawq]

2 LBL. You don't need to put "multiple times".

For my joke to work, yes, I do.

 

[Panda Claws]

He's not on the level of big 3, he is the part of the big 3, together with Pogacar and Van Der Poel. Others are behind...

You really thought I meant to say something else lol?

If you are going to be all semantic then by definition he cannot be a part of The Big Three

 

[peterfin]

I am going to make a really bold statement here. A statement that belongs in Remco's fan thread because it's partly subjective and based on a gut feeling but there is also sufficient evidence sofar to support my claim so it's not ridiculous.

It's basically this: the Remco we see today is the 'pro version' of the one that completely demolished the competition as a teenager. It's a better version of the Remco that, after less than a year at the pro's, started to win (or at least podium) every race he marked as a goal until that disastrous crash crippled his physical and mental progress.

LBL last year was the moment that set him free again. Since then he won every major goal (apart from the WC TT where he was third). I think this will continue and any perceived weakness of the past such as climbing at high altitude and decending is also a thing of the past. His success rate will remain very high and, barring injuries, I predict it will be the highest of "the big 6" the coming years. This is because the main driver behind his success is winning with a significant 'margin of safety', basically by making a gap of minute(s) in hard races or a large gap in TTs that allows him to defend a GC. It's amazing how successful he is knowing that until recently he never won a sprint! Is there actually a historical precedent of somebody with +40 wins with barely a sprint victory at the age of 23? He is a better sprinter now but it won't be a strategy he relies on when he really goes all in for the win.

To be clear: I am not claiming that he wins more GT's or TdF's than Pogacar, Vingegaard or Roglic in his career. Winning a 3-week race remains one of the most difficult things to control and the team is a big factor as well. However, I think he will have the highest success rate in the bigger one-day and 1-week races at the end of his career (barring injuries).

 

[Blanco]

He's good, really good. But the others are good too. Just look at what Pogacar and Van Der Poel did in two months. It's really exciting time for following cycling, many future (and already current) all time greats are riding at the moment, writing history from day to day.

 

[houtdffan]

Remco likely goes above 4,000 cq points after the giro

The talk of Pog getting to that level proved to just be talk

 

[Panda Claws]

Remco likely goes above 4,000 cq points after the giro

The talk of Pog getting to that level proved to just be talk

Pog reached 4,000 points Last year already

And more importantly that is a very awful comment to make seeing how he literally crashed out of Liège while sitting at 3933 points.

He was all but guaranteed to reach 4000 there even if he didn't win.