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

[Oldermanish]

Indeed. The team has no margin. They can't pull 3 other guys out of the Giro, in order to support him at the Tour. Who else is there? Masnada, who hasn't shown top form for 2 years, Knox, Vansevenant, Bagioli... Those guys are gone when the peloton is still 50 guys.

He and SQS should and will stay on track for 2024. His training isn't known for the time being but even if it was ideal he hasn't shown the Tour would be much more than a preparation race for WC. As it should be.

 

[Oldermanish]

Boomers will go to work with any cold , flu, Covid or gastro virus because of their old school can’t miss a day at work mantra. My dad the dud went back to work two days after a pace maker was attached. I understand they were raised in a different time but that’s why it spreads

Yeah, raised in a time where you worked 80 hours a week straight time to pay the bills. There was no medical insurance or sick leave and if you missed too many days your job was gone.
Yes...the era raised a bunch of inconsiderate, greedy as*holes. You're welcome.

 

[Extinction]

why wouldn't he be able to be in shape for the tour? e see this all the time at the Vuelta on even less rest between the tours

The Vuelta is the Vuelta, where one can come out of the Tour and enter a race of less intensity and pressure. The Tour is a whole different game, where no improvising is possible. Of course he can go, but I wouldn't think for GC and then there is his team. Remco prepared exclusively for the Vuelta last year and won, but it was not always smooth going against main rivals who had not based their season on the race. Forget about the Tour as an improvised Plan B, with sub-optimal team.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Guys, I cannot believe it. Just read the news.

My first thoughts:

2.) This is exactly 1999 Madonna di Campiglio. Race leader (Pantani, Evenepoel) has to leave the race, wearing Pink. Overall GC success seemed 100% certain. Suddenly, everything is over. Pantani and Evenepoel thinking, „Why me?“… (Just like Sinkewitz thought in July 2007.

I agree it's like the 2007 Tour, where a rider with a cult following wins his second stage, despite having crashed earlier in the race, but then has to leave on the following rest day. But their reasons for leaving are of course not similar at all.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

I agree it's like the 2007 Tour, where a rider with a cult following wins his second stage, despite having crashed earlier in the race, but then has to leave on the following rest day. But their reasons for leaving are of course not similar at all.

What about the other guy who had to leave after winning his second stage of the race in the 2007 Tour? He was in the leader‘s jersey like Remco, but that‘s where the similarities end.

 

[LookProGoSlow]

..is he losing peak form? It looks a bit like it.

Well he was clearly sick already.

 

[Salvarani]

Not getting sick or be able to push through has always been one of the challenges when it comes to GT-racing. It is probably one of the most common reasons riders drop out or crack completely towards the end of a race. Fatigue weakens the body and the immune system. It is easier to catch something. Not to mention all the people you meet and traveling each day to new places.

Of course it comes to a point where you have to put your health first. Not much you can do about it, if him and the team didnt think he could not continue.

Still I cant help feeling a bit puzzled about the timing of all of this, but it is what it is. Unfortunate for him and the race. I would be very surprised if he starts the Tour... he first needs to recover and get some rest. He cant have been home many days so far this year. Racing across the world and spending a lot of time at altitude camps to prepare for this. Have it end like this must be a huge disappointment.

 

[peterfin]

He looked so worn out after the finish. It must have been a very hard race for him. I assume he felt it already during the first section where he still was following a pacing plan that he must have tested before and knew was possible. Next up was a 30 min battle with himself, the virus and possibly the crash as well. It must have been his mental strength that pushed him to that narrow win. His determination is incredible. I have such a big respect for this young man!

 

[Rackham]

The Vuelta is the Vuelta, where one can come out of the Tour and enter a race of less intensity and pressure. The Tour is a whole different game, where no improvising is possible. Of course he can go, but I wouldn't think for GC and then there is his team. Remco prepared exclusively for the Vuelta last year and won, but it was not always smooth going against main rivals who had not based their season on the race. Forget about the Tour as an improvised Plan B, with sub-optimal team.

Remco Evenepoel's "problem" (which is mainly Quick-Step's problem) is they're attempting to implement a 'plan' in which Evenepoel wins the TdF after a process of building up towards that goal. But life isn't a picnic. There's no perfect route mapped out towards TdF glory. So he just needs to go & do the Tour, end of.

Sooner or later everyone needs their first Tour de France 'baptism', i.e. if he's recovered from his current problems & has regained full fitness, it would almost be dereliction of resources to not send him to France in July. I mean what's the problem? No one in the history of this sport has ever been guaranteed any result, certainly not Evenepoel, not Vingegaard, not Pogacar, nor Roglič.

It means Evenepoel could prepare exclusively for the Tour de France & disaster could strike again. So go to France in July without the pressure of being favorite & ride with some 'freedom'. Win some stages, stay close in GC & see what he's got versus a monster like Vingegaard. He won't even really need a strong team because Jumbo & UAE have their armadas anyway, i.e. he could just ride on their coattails before attempting to ride them off his wheel.

I think some of his fans are afraid of him losing the Tour tbh, so they'd rather kick that can down the road for now. But nothing ventured, nothing gained, i.e. Evenepoel has no valid reason not to do the Tour if he's fit & healthy next month. Just do it.

 

[Kwaremonster]

I also don't see him do the tour. I think he can be good enough to win it one day, but without ideal preparation and no team backup it is not going to work.

Ofcourse he could go to the tour with lower goals but I think the Belgian media will still put a lot of pressure around him and it could end up being a negative experience.

Very sad that he had to leave, for the viewers, but mostly for him.

 

[Gargamel35]

What i don't understand with all this is if they knew he's sick for couple days or at least yesterday, why did he still kiss his girlfriend and never used a mask to protect others around him? I would think he felt something is happening, but you refuse to admit to yourself, trying to cope with it. Then a random Covid test shows what it is.

 

[Gargamel35]

Remco Evenepoel's "problem" (which is mainly Quick-Step's problem) is they're attempting to implement a 'plan' in which Evenepoel wins the TdF after a process of building up towards that goal. But life isn't a picnic. There's no perfect route mapped out towards TdF glory. So he just needs to go & do the Tour, end of.

Sooner or later everyone needs their first Tour de France 'baptism', i.e. if he's recovered from his current problems & has regained full fitness, it would almost be dereliction of resources to not send him to France in July. I mean what's the problem? No one in the history of this sport has ever been guaranteed any result, certainly not Evenepoel, not Vingegaard, not Pogacar, nor Roglič.

It means Evenepoel could prepare exclusively for the Tour de France & disaster could strike again. So go to France in July without the pressure of being favorite & ride with some 'freedom'. Win some stages, stay close in GC & see what he's got versus a monster like Vingegaard. He won't even really need a strong team because Jumbo & UAE have their armadas anyway, i.e. he could just ride on their coattails before attempting to ride them off his wheel.

I think some of his fans are afraid of him losing the Tour tbh, so they'd rather kick that can down the road for now. But nothing ventured, nothing gained, i.e. Evenepoel has no valid reason not to do the Tour if he's fit & healthy next month. Just do it.

Not with his fanbase and press.

 

[Extinction]

Remco Evenepoel's "problem" (which is mainly Quick-Step's problem) is they're attempting to implement a 'plan' in which Evenepoel wins the TdF after a process of building up towards that goal. But life isn't a picnic. There's no perfect route mapped out towards TdF glory. So he just needs to go & do the Tour, end of.

Sooner or later everyone needs their first Tour de France 'baptism', i.e. if he's recovered from his current problems & has regained full fitness, it would almost be dereliction of resources to not send him to France in July. I mean what's the problem? No one in the history of this sport has ever been guaranteed any result, certainly not Evenepoel, not Vingegaard, not Pogacar, nor Roglič.

It means Evenepoel could prepare exclusively for the Tour de France & disaster could strike again. So go to France in July without the pressure of being favorite & ride with some 'freedom'. Win some stages, stay close in GC & see what he's got versus a monster like Vingegaard. He won't even really need a strong team because Jumbo & UAE have their armadas anyway, i.e. he could just ride on their coattails before attempting to ride them off his wheel.

I think some of his fans are afraid of him losing the Tour tbh, so they'd rather kick that can down the road for now. But nothing ventured, nothing gained, i.e. Evenepoel has no valid reason not to do the Tour if he's fit & health next month. Just do it.

Oh, wait now, personally I'd have no problem with him going to the Tour in an improvised way, just with no illusions of riding for GC. Even when Pog shocked the world in 2020, he entered that race with the entire season planned around it. My point is that you can't start the Tour without everything in place, unlike the Vuelta, and expect to do a high GC. And I don't think Soudal would send him anyway, but now he does need to do another GT to keep his development on track. Certainly the Vuelta would be a disappointment, but it seems the more likely.

PS. On the other hand, if he were to show up with the form he showed in the opening Giro TT, then I'd have him start the Tour and ride with a "free spirit." Nothing to lose, much to gain. It's time.

 

[Bolder]

Oh, wait now, personally I'd have no problem with him going to the Tour in an improvised way, just with no illusione of riding for GC. Even when Pog shocked the world in 2020, he entered that race with the entire season planned around it. My point is that you can't start the Tour without everything in place, unlike the Vuelta, and expect to do a high GC. And I don't think Soudal would send him anyway, but now he does need to do another GT to keep his development on track. Certainly the Vuelta would be a disappointment, but it seems the more likely.

Honestly, if he's up for it, I would send him to the Tour. The route is not bad, and throwing in another contender could really upset the Pog/Vingegaard narrative. Worst case, he loses time and goes for stages -- and he can always drop out to prepare for worlds. He looked to me in phenomenal shape to start the Giro.

Otherwise, the alternative is...? Recover, then build slowly up to the worlds?

 

[Offline]

My guess on his program for rest of the season.
- Don't see him go to the Tour. But Vuelta is very likely instead of my guess.

Tour de Wallonie / 22.07 - 26.07
San Sebastian Klasikoa / 29.07
World Championships RC / 06.08
World Championships TT / 11.08
Benelux Tour / 23.08 - 27.08
Bretagne Classic / 03.09
Grand Prix de Québec / 08.09
Grand Prix de Montréal / 10.09
European Championships ITT /19.09
European Championships RC / 24.09
Coppa Bernocchi / 02.10
Tre Valli Varesine / 03.10
Il Lombardia / 07.10

 

[Riek s]

What i don't understand with all this is if they knew he's sick for couple days or at least yesterday, why did he still kiss his girlfriend and never used a mask to protect others around him? I would think he felt something is happening, but you refuse to admit to yourself, trying to cope with it. Then a random Covid test shows what it is.

I think he was not good for a few days, but i'm assuming most of his symptoms were probably consistent or could be attributed to his crashes as well. (Soar/ increase heart rate /muscle pain / ..).

So either he got additional symptoms and therefor tested, or they tested him out of a fluke and discovered that besides the crashes there is also something else raging in his body.

 

[Gargamel35]

I think he was not good for a few days, but i'm assuming most of his symptoms were probably consistent or could be attributed to his crashes as well. (Soar/ increase heart rate /muscle pain / ..)

And with all the rain and cold one can have sore throat and other flu like simptoms without thinking it's Covid. All in all sucks but that's a GT racer reality. Crashes, illness, fatigue,..a marathon.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

I always dispised COVID
but now it's really the pits.
REMCO and all of us merited more

 

[Mayomaniac]

He looked so worn out after the finish. It must have been a very hard race for him. I assume he felt it already during the first section where he still was following a pacing plan that he must have tested before and knew was possible. Next up was a 30 min battle with himself, the virus and possibly the crash as well. It must have been his mental strength that pushed him to that narrow win. His determination is incredible. I have such a big respect for this young man!

This, he looked totally done after the TT.

 

[Mayomaniac]

And with all the rain and cold one can have sore throat and other flu like simptoms without thinking it's Covid. All in all sucks but that's a GT racer reality. Crashes, illness, fatigue,..a marathon.

Yeah, I guess it probably got really bad after the TT, because someone having a bit of a cold after such a rainy opening week wouldn't be that much of a surprise.

 

[OlavEH]

why did he still kiss his girlfriend and never used a mask to protect others around him?

Maybe his girlfriend didn't mind anyway. It's past the point that they need to treat this like it was really serious and dangerous for every single case.

 

[Tour de Berghem]

It's hard to understand the decision because if he has symptoms, these ones are sure very light or win the ITT had been impossible.

Now there's a rest day: maybe tomorrow these very light symptoms were already gone....so why not to wait ?

Why decide so fast to retire?

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

It's hard to understand the decision because if he has symptoms, these ones are sure very light or win the ITT had been impossible.

Now there's a rest day: maybe tomorrow these very light symptoms were already gone....so why not to wait ?

Why decide so fast to retire?

Maybe because it is not so easy to predict the progression of an illness. People I know had less symtoms the second day of the infection and then it got really worse around the 4 th day. Just as an example.

Also long covid is still a thing and the best way to avoid it afaik is to rest. Not exactly ideal he did the time trial with this in mind, but a pretty solid reason not take a higher risk of long covid with completly unknown consequences for his life as a pro.

I mean I get it, covid is "over", but that has not magically made it into something to totally write of as a cold.

 

[staubsauger]

Guess his condition must have worsened significantly. Like the exhaustion from the TT not going away 5 hours later. That's when they test him, decided do pull him from the race respectively since it became apparent not doing so would harm his health!

 

[Jagartrott]

He apparently told his father straight after the TT: "Dad, I don't feel well". Looking at the images, this was very obvious. Compare with how he looked like after the opening TT, where he smashed everyone and looked like he had just come back from a picnic. Day and night.