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

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Extinction

Extinction

Jan 8, 2020
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peterfin said:
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).
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I'm curious, however, how Remco handles the Giro, which, course wise, is often the most brutal of GTs. He'll be facing a Roglic who should be stratospheric. If Evenepoel gains considerably in the first two TTs, then his chances look good, but if not I think Roglic becomes the favorite. It's week three, however, that's going to be the big test.
 
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houtdffan

Jul 20, 2019
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Andy schleck said:
@houtdffan please stop. Pogacar is the best in the world. When remco wins something, people here lose their minds...and i'm not even a pogacar fan. I just care about van der poel and the fisherman.
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How about go get dropped again on a freeway overpass, like you did at the end of your career

Saying Pog is best in the world, while a reasonable take, ignores what happened last year when Remco was best in the world. This year, he is at an even higher form.

So to outright dismiss that Remco may be better than Pog, that is a bad take
 
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Extinction

Extinction

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houtdffan said:
How about go get dropped again on a freeway overpass, like you did at the end of your career

Saying Pog is best in the world, while a reasonable take, ignores what happened last year when Remco was best in the world. This year, he is at an even higher form.

So to outright dismiss that Remco may be better than Pog, that is a bad take
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He just doesn't agree with Valverde.
 
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Cookster15

Cookster15

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houtdffan said:
How about go get dropped again on a freeway overpass, like you did at the end of your career

Saying Pog is best in the world, while a reasonable take, ignores what happened last year when Remco was best in the world. This year, he is at an even higher form.

So to outright dismiss that Remco may be better than Pog, that is a bad take
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I think you are all a little premature and simply conjecturing, so both views are valid at this time.

Sure Remco is young but so is Pog. There is only 1 year and 4 months age difference.

We should resume the discussion after the TdF. Then we know if Remco wins the Giro and if Pog can wrest back the TdF title.
 
wheresmybrakes

wheresmybrakes

Sep 11, 2016
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Extinction

Extinction

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houtdffan said:
One thing about Pog and Remco

When Pog goes solo, he usually ends up winning by 30-40 seconds. Remco is winning by minutes when he goes solo. Had it not been for him descending like a scared poodle in the rain today, he wins by 2-3 minutes, like at San Sebastien or the worlds
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Or his tire slipping when he initially tried to attack. Had he jumped then, I don't think Pidcock would have temporarily come back and the gap would have been greater.
 
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ppanther92

May 3, 2015
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houtdffan said:
One thing about Pog and Remco

When Pog goes solo, he usually ends up winning by 30-40 seconds. Remco is winning by minutes when he goes solo. Had it not been for him descending like a scared poodle in the rain today, he wins by 2-3 minutes, like at San Sebastien or the worlds
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That I agree with. Evenepoel is unmatched in keeping an insanely high pace,e specially on hilly terrain. But meaning that he can go faster solo on hilly terrain does not mean, he would beat Pogacar in LBL for example, when the later has the better sprint and considering you have to be not only a little bit better but a lot to drop a direct competitor who is drafting. Unfrotunately we were robbed of that yesterday. But yes, would say Evenpoel is the even more impressive hilly classics rider than Pogacar, later I would still favour in GTs (or obviously cobbles for that matter).
 
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Elos Anjos

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One thing Remco fans can call for is that with the current business model of Grand Tours, design and drawing big names is a must. So in reality they helped their idol securing both proper taylor-made GTs in a row: first a meagre hilly Vuelta and then a monstruous TT in this year's Giro. So congratulations for joining a self-fullfiling prophecy.
 
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Extinction

Extinction

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Elos Anjos said:
One thing Remco fans can call for is that with the current business model of Grand Tours, design and drawing big names is a must. So in reality they helped their idol securing both proper taylor-made GTs in a row: first a meagre hilly Vuelta and then a monstruous TT in this year's Giro. So congratulations for joining a self-fullfiling prophecy.
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Monstrous tt in the Giro? Weak argument. I remember when itts were 60 km long.
 
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Salvarani

Oct 15, 2017
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Elos Anjos said:
One thing Remco fans can call for is that with the current business model of Grand Tours, design and drawing big names is a must. So in reality they helped their idol securing both proper taylor-made GTs in a row: first a meagre hilly Vuelta and then a monstruous TT in this year's Giro. So congratulations for joining a self-fullfiling prophecy.
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Good point, it is a big advantage getting every race tailor-made for you when you decide you wanna race them.
 
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Extinction

Extinction

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It's merely laughable that some take umbrage with GT course design as "tailor-made" for a certain rider, especially this Giro, which has a horrific third week in the Dolomites with, compared to past decades, really only moderate TT km. And besides a GT should test a rider's overall ability, with heavy high mountain climbing and sufficient TTing. That's what makes a GT conquest only for a very select few riders. Moreover, Roglic should not be bad in the TTs, so the route is good for him.
 
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Carrick-On-Seine

Carrick-On-Seine

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Extinction said:
It's merely laughable that some take umbrage with GT course design as "tailor-made" for a certain rider, especially this Giro, which has a horrific third week in the Dolomites with, compared to past decades really only moderate TT km. And besides a GT should test a rider's overall ability, with heavy high mountain climbing and sufficient TTing. That's what makes a GT conquest only for a very select few riders. Moreover, Roglic should not be bad in the TTs, so the route is good for him.
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And Almeida too ;)
 
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