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

[Red Rick]

. Seems like he is saying they don't want to do the vuelta because of expectations? really? If he wants his year to be up there he will need to do something other then tour of Britain, tour of belgium, ... at least to TDS and all the classics.

It's probably the clearest way Lefevere has said he cares more about Evenepoels myth than winning as much as possible with him.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

I also didn't blow 2 TDFs because of truly terrible time trials

I'm also not an elite cyclist

Andy Schleck was awarded the 2010 Tour so he can‘t have blown it. Also, he would have needed third place in the TT to win the 2011 Tour. I think this is a grave exaggeration. Anyway, I approve of the notion that @Andy schleck is actually Andy Schleck, just like how the guy who is called Eddy Mazzoleni on this forum is actually Eddy Mazzoleni. Someone needs to create an account called Danilo di Luca to trump the two of them.

 

[Frobisher Bay]

Even as a keen supporter of Evenepoel, the constant talks of planning and intense preparation annoy me. Why would the Vuelta be off the table? Why the implicit threats to the Tour to 'make a Tour for Remco'? Just go along with it and see where the ship strands.

 

[Andy schleck]

Andy Schleck was awarded the 2010 Tour so he can‘t have blown it. Also, he would have needed third place in the TT to win the 2011 Tour. I think this is a grave exaggeration. Anyway, I approve of the notion that @Andy schleck is actually Andy Schleck, just like how the guy who is called Eddy Mazzoleni on this forum is actually Eddy Mazzoleni. Someone needs to create an account called Danilo di Luca to trump the two of them.

I'm not andy schleck, and i'm not even luxembourgish. I'm portuguese. I can be joao almeida or antonio morgado.....

 

[Red Rick]

Some posters have such an obsession with the amount of ITTs in a GT. 1 extra ITT may move the needle by a minute for Evenepoel, and that's probably even quite generous seeing as generally if there's 2 ITTs one of them is hilly.

The difficulty of the mountain stages and strength of competition in the mountains are simply more important variables.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

I'm not andy schleck, and i'm not even luxembourgish. I'm portuguese. I can be joao almeida or antonio morgado.....

Do you have a mustache?

 

[Riek s]

Some posters have such an obsession with the amount of ITTs in a GT. 1 extra ITT may move the needle by a minute for Evenepoel, and that's probably even quite generous seeing as generally if there's 2 ITTs one of them is hilly.

The difficulty of the mountain stages and strength of competition in the mountains are simply more important variables.

Don't really care for who it is good, i just like TT's The race of truth. (Don't mind a few more MTT)

 

[KZD]

So according to PL: no TDF and probably no Vuelta..

Spoiler: Translation by google

The world champion could do it in mid-June at the Tour of Belgium but "it's not a priority". On the other hand, it is certain that Evenepoel will participate in the national championships, as good at the time trial (June 22 in Herzele) as in the road race (June 25 in Izegem).

And after ? “We had thought of the Critérium du Dauphiné but it will come too soon”, specifies Lefevere, who advocates more a new course at altitude to prepare for future deadlines. When the boss of the Wolfpack is asked if his protege could then participate in the Vuelta, he is inclined to answer in the negative. “Remco has already won the Tour of Spain. So no one would accept any other outcome from him. But the course is not the same as last year. In addition, it would again require a fairly heavy and very specific preparation. He has already lived as a monk for several months. It's probably a good time for him to do some more racing." Understand by this that Remco Evenepoel's year could be centered around one-day races.

“There are still a few one-week events, such as the Tour of Britain (Editor’s note: from September 3 to 10), which we think of, but it is true that Remco could concentrate on classics after the world championships .”

After the Clasica San Sebastian (July 29) and the planetary meetings of Glasgow (August 5 to 13), he could thus discover the two Canadian classics, namely the GP of Quebec (September 8) and the GP of Montreal (September 10) before completing this special year at the Tour of Lombardy (October 7). “But we will first focus on the Belgian championships and those of the World before establishing its final program”, concludes Patrick Lefevere

Weiterleitungshinweis

So basically not a single stage race with proper mountains until the end of the season according to this interview.

I really hope Lefevere reconsiders because this is basically the second half of his 2019 calendar + Lombardia. Remco deserves better than this...

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I'm not andy schleck, and i'm not even luxembourgish. I'm portuguese. I can be joao almeida or antonio morgado.....

lol you wish, we know who you are, Ivo Oliveira.

 

[Rackham]

Patrick Lefevere behaves like he's Remco Evenepoel's dad.

For better or for worse.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Some posters have such an obsession with the amount of ITTs in a GT. 1 extra ITT may move the needle by a minute for Evenepoel, and that's probably even quite generous seeing as generally if there's 2 ITTs one of them is hilly.

The difficulty of the mountain stages and strength of competition in the mountains are simply more important variables.

Give Remco a long, flat TT and thanks to the speed gained on this course he will have enough momentum to crush those wannabes (Pogi and Vinge) in the mountains!

 

[Andy schleck]

Do you have a mustache?

Off course.

lol you wish, we know who you are, Ivo Oliveira.

I'm ruben guerreiro. I'm a cowboy with a mustache.

 

[Nick2413]

So basically not a single stage race with proper mountains until the end of the season according to this interview.

Wow, yuck.

He shouldn’t start Vuelta because he’d be favored to win. Somebody better go call up Vingegaard and Pog and warn them never to start a GT again.

 

[peterfin]

If he doesn't do either the Tour or Vuelta then Lefevere has lost his mind.

He may have lost it long ago

 

[DNP-Old]

Wow, yuck.

He shouldn’t start Vuelta because he’d be favored to win. Somebody better go call up Vingegaard and Pog and warn them never to start a GT again.

That's not at all what it says.

 

[Nick2413]

That's not at all what it says.

Fair, but he’d have to pretty much run the table for those races to outweigh a Vuelta, which he could still pair with other single day races.

 

[Red Rick]

That's not at all what it says.

It's exactly what it says between the lines.

He's talking about racing micky mouse races rather than the Vuelta, implying there's nothing to win at the Vuelta when there's a Grand Tour to win. In other words, the cost of losing is higher than the price of winning.

 

[Prim]

As a swede I´m beyond frustrated with this over-the-top carefulness. In the long run I can´t see what good comes from not gaining experience from races even if it means not winning them.

If I was belgian I would take to the streets with a pitchfork and a torch.

 

[houtdffan]

. Seems like he is saying they don't want to do the vuelta because of expectations? really? If he wants his year to be up there he will need to do something other then tour of Britain, tour of belgium, ... at least to TDS and all the classics.

Is Lefevre on crack or something?

H is basically turning this year into a 2021

 

[Rackham]

It's exactly what it says between the lines.

He's talking about racing micky mouse races rather than the Vuelta, implying there's nothing to win at the Vuelta when there's a Grand Tour to win. In other words, the cost of losing is higher than the price of winning.

This is pretty much what Lefevere says, yes.

Hence why he makes a point of noting the Vuelta course is not the same as last year. We can only assume he's talking about fewer ITT km's (which is becoming an obsession) & probably something like the Angliru (which will most likely require weight loss).

...

How long is Evenepoel's contract with Quick-Step? I'm sure Ineos would be very, very interested.

 

[Red Rick]

This is pretty much what Lefevere says, yes.

Hence why he makes a point of noting the Vuelta course is not the same as last year. We can only assume he's talking about fewer ITT km's (which is becoming an obsession) & probably something like the Angliru (which will most likely require weight loss).

...

How long is Evenepoel's contract with Quick-Step? I'm sure Ineos would be very, very interested.

2026. He ain't leaving.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

I know I'm in the (tiny) minority but I'd be fine with him resting up til Donastia and then then ride every UWT race apart from the Vuelta as I don't think he should live like a monk twice a year.
Having said that I would like him to do the Tour but I think too many promises might have been made to other SQS riders so the team would be a bit meh.

 

[Panda Claws]

we don't know the advantage(?) since he hasn't really ridden a hilly TT in full form against either of them in the same situation.
We don't know how his climbing form compares to either of them as well. His numbers show he shouldn't be afraid, but as others point out, numbers only tell a part of the story, the race and how its raced another.
In short, we will only know how he compares when he actually races against them... (and neither of them drop out due to illness or crashes...). We have been waiting for this to happen... and are still waiting

We do know that Wout Van Aert does not seem to be that much better than Pogacar and Vingegaard in hilly TT and he is a good comparison.
Don't get me wrong. I think Evenepoel would beat them in any TT (but perhaps a MTF) but it's simply not going to be as big of a weapon.

 

[Panda Claws]

Is there a chance that Lefevre is somehow traumatized by what happened to Frank Vandenbroucke? Haven't ever seen that much talk of managing how a rider deals with a public's expectations.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

If I was belgian I would take to the streets with a pitchfork and a torch.

We don't do things like that as a civilised country. We just threaten with calling tax inspection.