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

[Big Doopie]

Those ITT's might be hard fought between Remco, Wout, Ganna and home riders Küng and Bissegger.

It could give some indication for the WC TT although the first TT is probably too short for that.

Agreed.

Looks like the line up for TDS is pretty stellar overall (and better than Dauphine - a rarity).

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

“We have Remco back on the team and we are looking forward to it. The two individual time trials suit him, but also guys like Kasper, Mauro and Mattia can do something nice on those stages. As Remco returns after illness, we’ll just take it day by day and see what he can do in the mountains, where he’ll also have James to help him, in addition to the other guys. For the flat stages, our man is Tim, who can count on Bert to guide him, so we’re confident in our chances of getting some good results”, said sports director Geert Van Bondt.

Soudal Quick-Step to the Tour de Suisse | Soudal Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team

Remco Evenepoel will be pinning on a number again at the end of this week.

www.soudal-quickstepteam.com

 

[Ilmaestro99]

If he can go in le Suisse, he can go to a trainingcamp for 2 weeks in livigno or somewhere to prepare le tour. He can go to the Tour without pressure. To ride the tour in the world championship jersey could be a once in a lifetime opportunity , he can try a gc but if he doesn't have it he can get a great stage win or two in the rainbow jersey. And this would set him up perfectly to defend his title in Scotland.

I don't really understand the plan to do Suisse instead

 

[red_flanders]

If he can go in le Suisse, he can go to a trainingcamp for 2 weeks in livigno or somewhere to prepare le tour. He can go to the Tour without pressure. To ride the tour in the world championship jersey could be a once in a lifetime opportunity , he can try a gc but if he doesn't have it he can get a great stage win or two in the rainbow jersey. And this would set him up perfectly to defend his title in Scotland.

I don't really understand the plan to do Suisse instead

I very much agree with your first paragraph. But I think Suisse fits in fine with all that.

 

[Valv.Piti]

If he can go in le Suisse, he can go to a trainingcamp for 2 weeks in livigno or somewhere to prepare le tour. He can go to the Tour without pressure. To ride the tour in the world championship jersey could be a once in a lifetime opportunity , he can try a gc but if he doesn't have it he can get a great stage win or two in the rainbow jersey. And this would set him up perfectly to defend his title in Scotland.

I don't really understand the plan to do Suisse instead

Im no expert on training, but that plan seems a bit cramped. I think you at least want a few days rest before TdF, and you also have some logistical things when riding that race - team presentation etc., so realistically its closer to 1 week proper training before TdF when you also wanna recover a bit after Suisse.

 

[Oldermanish]

If he can go in le Suisse, he can go to a trainingcamp for 2 weeks in livigno or somewhere to prepare le tour. He can go to the Tour without pressure. To ride the tour in the world championship jersey could be a once in a lifetime opportunity , he can try a gc but if he doesn't have it he can get a great stage win or two in the rainbow jersey. And this would set him up perfectly to defend his title in Scotland.

I don't really understand the plan to do Suisse instead

Suisse is lower key, lower pressure. It may be a good test of form before other decisions are made. Nothing to lose there?

 

[Bonimenier]

If he can go in le Suisse, he can go to a trainingcamp for 2 weeks in livigno or somewhere to prepare le tour. He can go to the Tour without pressure. To ride the tour in the world championship jersey could be a once in a lifetime opportunity , he can try a gc but if he doesn't have it he can get a great stage win or two in the rainbow jersey. And this would set him up perfectly to defend his title in Scotland.

I don't really understand the plan to do Suisse instead

Hard to imagine it would be a once in a lifetime chance for him to ride the Tour in the WC jersey. He's no Belgian Pozzato who can't deliver in big 1 day races.

 

[theyoungest]

Hard to imagine it would be a once in a lifetime chance for him to ride the Tour in the WC jersey. He's no Belgian Pozzato who can't deliver in big 1 day races.

He won't have it as easy as he did last year anymore, but sure, he'll probably be one of the favourites for the Worlds every year.

 

[red_flanders]

Hard to imagine it would be a once in a lifetime chance for him to ride the Tour in the WC jersey. He's no Belgian Pozzato who can't deliver in big 1 day races.

Agreed that it might well happen again, but one can't count on such things. Make hay while the sun shines, as they say. Injuries happen, team politics get tricky, courses change, freaks of nature emerge...

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

He won't have it as easy as he did last year anymore

hasnt this been said after every single big victory in his career?

 

[Extinction]

I've already stated my opinion on this, but I think he will need more than one go at the Tour before he and his team (a big concern) are realistically capable of winning it. If there weren't the likes of Vingo and Pog to defeat, I'd say he could, like Hinault and Fignon, win on his first attempt. This not being the case, however, they should get started now to gain experience. He's at the right age, been a pro long enough (even already won a GT), etc., and to go with the least possible pressure is not without it's advantages.

 

[Berniece]

He won't have it as easy as he did last year anymore, but sure, he'll probably be one of the favourites for the Worlds every year.

Easy? I don’t think you understand how impressive that victory was. Solo win with 2min ahead

 

[DNP-Old]

hasnt this been said after every single big victory in his career?

Copium is a helluva drug.

 

[theyoungest]

hasnt this been said after every single big victory in his career?

I don't know about that, but even his staunchest fans would have to agree that from the moment he went in that break, the race was already pretty much decided. If there's no Pogacar, Van Aert, Van der Poel you just know who's going to win.

This is no disrespect to Evenepoel, I would argue it's the opposite. It's the same when you see Pogi in a breakaway in Amstel, for instance. You know: this race is over.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I don't know about that, but even his staunchest fans would have to agree that from the moment he went in that break, the race was already pretty much decided. If there's no Pogacar, Van Aert, Van der Poel you just know who's going to win.

This is no disrespect to Evenepoel, I would argue it's the opposite. It's the same when you see Pogi in a breakaway in Amstel, for instance. You know: this race is over.

And yet Pogi got in the break in Amstel. You think next time they will not let that happen? Because they didn't know who Pogi was or what he was capable of? He hadn't won enough yet for them not to let that happen? Maybe next time... Or maybe not. Yes, i knew the WCC was decided the moment they rode off, i also knew Pogi was going to win Amstel, if need be in a sprint, when they were ahead. But guess what, so did everybody in that peloton, and yet it happened.

 

[kingjr]

This is life in professional now. Why is this different for Remco than anyone else at the top of this or any sport? Or is it?

Don't know, I was speculating about what some of his fans might be thinking.

 

[theyoungest]

And yet Pogi got in the break in Amstel. You think next time they will not let that happen? Because they didn't know who Pogi was or what he was capable of? He hadn't won enough yet for them not to let that happen? Maybe next time... Or maybe not. Yes, i knew the WCC was decided the moment they rode off, i also knew Pogi was going to win Amstel, if need be in a sprint, when they were ahead. But guess what, so did everybody in that peloton, and yet it happened.

The Amstel break was still different, there was quite a concerted chase going on which got interrupted by a crash, among other things. But there was nothing inevitable about that break at the Worlds staying away. So I'm just guessing that if in Glasgow he jumps in a break at 70 k to go, other countries won't let that happen. Just like with a Van der Poel or a Pogacar.

And this is because I like to see an exciting race. If he drops all the favourites, fair play to him.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

The Amstel break was still different, there was quite a concerted chase going on which got interrupted by a crash, among other things. But there was nothing inevitable about that break at the Worlds staying away. So I'm just guessing that if in Glasgow he jumps in a break at 70 k to go, other countries won't let that happen. Just like with a Van der Poel or a Pogacar.

And this is because I like to see an exciting race. If he drops all the favourites, fair play to him.

The thing is that it happens all the time. Amstel, Strade... (Pogacar), WCC, San Sebastian, Liège... (Evenepoel), Tirreno, Benelux Tour (van der Poel)... Everytime it's the same story "next time he will not get away that easily!". I'm sure similar things have been said of Sagan at the WCC and yet without a team of his own, other countries took him to the line 3 times in a row.

 

[theyoungest]

The thing is that it happens all the time. Amstel, Strade... (Pogacar), WCC, San Sebastian, Liège... (Evenepoel), Tirreno, Benelux Tour (van der Poel)... Everytime it's the same story "next time he will not get away that easily!". I'm sure similar things have been said of Sagan at the WCC and yet without a team of his own, other countries took him to the line 3 times in a row.

I'm just curious to see a race with the big 5, 6 or whatever they are battling it out. Not one where all but one are eliminated already 2 hours before the finish. In Flanders you could see, there was nothing to be done about Pogacar, he was far and away the strongest. At last year's Worlds you just didn't know, there was never a real race.

 

[Big Doopie]

I'm just curious to see a race with the big 5, 6 or whatever they are battling it out. Not one where all but one are eliminated already 2 hours before the finish. In Flanders you could see, there was nothing to be done about Pogacar, he was far and away the strongest. At last year's Worlds you just didn't know, there was never a real race.

Again. The same boring narrative.

When Pog or any other rider wins, they were obviously the “strongest”. When Remco wins by 2+ mins dropping riders off his wheel whether at WC, San Sebastián or LBL, well, “there was never a real race”, “No one chased”, “No one was trying”, “it wasn’t a race they had targeted”.

The “haters” are truly cult-like. No amount of reason can sway them. So much invested in this one rider failing. It’s really odd. Meanwhile most Remco fans often point out weaknesses or doubts.

 

[theyoungest]

Again. The same boring narrative.

When Pog or any other rider wins, they were obviously the “strongest”. When Remco wins by 2+ mins dropping riders off his wheel whether at WC, San Sebastián or LBL, well, “there was never a real race”, “No one chased”, “No one was trying”, “it wasn’t a race they had targeted”.

The “haters” are truly cult-like. No amount of reason can sway them. So much invested in this one rider failing. It’s really odd. Meanwhile most Remco fans often point out weaknesses or doubts.

Seriously dude, I don't mind an Evenepoel win. The only thing I pointed out is that probably (!) in future Worlds he might have a harder time getting in the break. Talk about a cult...

 

[SHAD0W93]

Seriously dude, I don't mind an Evenepoel win. The only thing I pointed out is that probably (!) in future Worlds he might have a harder time getting in the break. Talk about a cult...

Honestly, he should have had a harder time than too. It’s not like all he hadn’t raced like that and won or finished second previously. In fact everyone knew he’d attack at some point.

 

[Berniece]

In Flanders you could see, there was nothing to be done about Pogacar, he was far and away the strongest.

we saw a different race then. He won by 15s, in a very hard race. He was only able to ride away on the oude kwaremont which is his specialty. If MVDP was in his wheel on paterberg he wouldn’t have dropped him.

Pogacar was the strongest, but not comparable to when he won Strade for example.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Seriously dude, I don't mind an Evenepoel win. The only thing I pointed out is that probably (!) in future Worlds he might have a harder time getting in the break. Talk about a cult...

No problem. And i agree they let him go in the break at the WCC as if nobody even cared. But let me remind you, Pedersen didn't even bother going to the WCC, because - this is what he thought - Evenepoel was on another level and there would be nothing you could do about him. I think a lot of people here on the forum still don't understand what it is to face a top-shape Evenepoel. And i think a lot of people in the actual peloton, do know all too well. This guy beats Ganna in a flat TT. But unlike Ganna, he is tiny. So if you go head to head against him in a battle of attrition you are going to lose badly, because every time you are in his wheel, you are eating almost as much wind as he is, and when he is in your wheel, he is freewheeling. On the other hand, uphill only a select few can beat him. So on a course like in Australia, as soon as the race is made hard, i think he was always at an advantage and i assume not a lot of people felt motivated to go with Evenepoel 72km from the line. Hoping someone else would do the work for them. Plus there was the factor Van Aert.

 

[Big Doopie]

Seriously dude, I don't mind an Evenepoel win. The only thing I pointed out is that probably (!) in future Worlds he might have a harder time getting in the break. Talk about a cult...

hey "dude", you said much more than that and you know it. i even quoted you "dude".

no matter what, you have to realize that you just added yourself to the long list of hater cultists who find every conspiracy possible to lessen each and every one of his wins. That is not done for any other rider. only Remco. Why is that? There are people here who are unhealthily invested in his failure.

he is the second-best all-around cyclist in the world at present (and has been basically since LBL last year). please note that i am a Remco fan, but I do not say he is the best (despite him winning the Velo d'Or last season). He has not gone up against Vingo or Pog at the TDF and so those wins, I completely agree, mean more. However, I find the way he wins, when he wins, more exciting, more amazing, and more dominant than any other rider, yes, even Pog.

as Daniel Friebe said (and I paraphrase): "When Pog races, he seems like a cyclist, just better than everyone else in almost every aspect. When Remco races, it's as if he is doing a different sport from everyone else."