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

[ManicJack]

Remco is a better flat sprinter than Rog. Rog isn't taking bonus seconds off Remco

Remco isn't taking any bonus seconds on flat stages.

 

[theyoungest]

Remco is a better flat sprinter than Rog. Rog isn't taking bonus seconds off Remco

Is he? You mean on the basis of that stage in Catalunya where Roglic clearly let him win?

 

[Riek s]

Only 5 days until San Sebastian demolition.

If what Logic says is true, then wave goodbye to the Vuelta.

We still don't really know. He was doing very well in catalunya with his more TT weight prepped for the Giro. We don't know how he will do heavier mountain stages. Maybe the weight he had in the Vuelta was ok to start, but not ok to end with (although he looked just as strong). Maybe they want this higher weight intentionally. (that was the case for the Giro).

Thing is, we don't know that effect. I also don't want his face to look like that of froome and ving, straight out of a zombie movie where even the face muscles were gained away. (Not only because of the looks, but also because those 'nutrition' knowledge is not available in SQS).


Remco, just like last year, won't let his team ride for 'boni' seconds. Not as long as Roglic is in contention. And since the new vingie can follow Pog for a very long time in the sprint... i don't think Remco is faster than it. Maybe in a pure sprint, but not in those 1K uphill sprints.

Poor kid is gonna be ganged up on at the Vuelta by Rog and Vingo. He better hope Vingo is exhausted and drops minutes before the Tourmalet stage.
And then there is the strength of the teams. He had a chance mano a mano vs Roglic, but a half decent Jonas and he's toast.

If they are both good enough so they can play it out like in the tour 2022, yeah it will be a remdesaster ... But that is in the assumption that its 2 vs 1. (and the one being Remco).
UAE also has 2 contenders, Ineos ?, Bora?.
What if Roglic goes and remco follows. Will ving close the gap? when the others are on his wheel? So i think it can be a lot more complex in the vuelta. But it will depend on a lot of factors.( ving being weaker than in the tour, Remco can contend and the others can contend so it does't become a 1 vs 2)

 

[Valv.Piti]

What did i say?

The Vuelta being an afterthought and Worlds the real goal.

 

[Berniece]

He had a chance mano a mano vs Roglic, but a half decent Jonas and he's toast.

Is he though? I would assume he was half decent in Paris-Nice, and that wasn’t that impressive. I think Vingegaard is amazing when he’s at 100%, but that his performance declines quickly when he isn’t. A bit like Remco really.

 

[Andy schleck]

Poor kid is gonna be ganged up on at the Vuelta by Rog and Vingo. He better hope Vingo is exhausted and drops minutes before the Tourmalet stage.
And then there is the strength of the teams. He had a chance mano a mano vs Roglic, but a half decent Jonas and he's toast.

Vingo will be tired. I think he will help roglic, so remco just needs to care about roglic and ayuso.

 

[Riek s]

Do we know what Remco's plan is in between?

29/07 Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa
(waiting?)
06/08 World Championships ME - Road Race
11/08 World Championships ME - ITT

altitude camp?
26/08 La Vuelta Ciclista a España

 

[Red Rick]

Do we know what Remco's plan is in between?

29/07 Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa
(waiting?)
06/08 World Championships ME - Road Race
11/08 World Championships ME - ITT

altitude camp?
26/08 La Vuelta Ciclista a España

I don't think super short altitude camps are much of a thing?

 

[Peter von]

I don't think super short altitude camps are much of a thing?

yeah seems too short. Then again, a big part of the camp is to get away from distractions and really focus at the task ahead.

 

[ManicJack]

yeah seems too short. Then again, a big part of the camp is to get away from distractions and really focus at the task ahead.

That's one way to frame it.

 

[Riek s]

I don't think super short altitude camps are much of a thing?

Maybe, but if his last altitude camp is ending now, it won't be that helpfull anymore for the Vuelta.
I assume they will have a simulated chamber, but is that enough to keep the adaptations alive?

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

The Vuelta being an afterthought and Worlds the real goal.

That wasn't a claim, it was a concern. With the super WCC this year, both disciplines initially were a season goal. Only since last month was the Vuelta added to his roster. So i would be delighted to hear him say that the Vuelta is priority nr1.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Remco isn't taking any bonus seconds on flat stages.

He means bonus seconds on top of the 3 minutes solo gap. Tsssk.

 

[Andre]

We still don't really know. He was doing very well in catalunya with his more TT weight prepped for the Giro. We don't know how he will do heavier mountain stages. Maybe the weight he had in the Vuelta was ok to start, but not ok to end with (although he looked just as strong). Maybe they want this higher weight intentionally. (that was the case for the Giro).

Thing is, we don't know that effect. I also don't want his face to look like that of froome and ving, straight out of a zombie movie where even the face muscles were gained away. (Not only because of the looks, but also because those 'nutrition' knowledge is not available in SQS).


Remco, just like last year, won't let his team ride for 'boni' seconds. Not as long as Roglic is in contention. And since the new vingie can follow Pog for a very long time in the sprint... i don't think Remco is faster than it. Maybe in a pure sprint, but not in those 1K uphill sprints.


If they are both good enough so they can play it out like in the tour 2022, yeah it will be a remdesaster ... But that is in the assumption that its 2 vs 1. (and the one being Remco).
UAE also has 2 contenders, Ineos ?, Bora?.
What if Roglic goes and remco follows. Will ving close the gap? when the others are on his wheel? So i think it can be a lot more complex in the vuelta. But it will depend on a lot of factors.( ving being weaker than in the tour, Remco can contend and the others can contend so it does't become a 1 vs 2)

"What if Roglic goes"
Roglic never goes

 

[hayneplane]

some of them don't change depending on win or loose.
1, 2 and 4 are likely though

And actually related to 2: Remco focus for the WC ITT might compromise his absolute climbing peak. (e.g. he chooses a higher weight, also for the Giro, to be better in the TT).
We don't know how it affects him since he never completed the Giro. I think one of Remcos biggest fans (Logic) was rediculing Remco for this choice leading in the Giro.

He should go with Vuelta in mind and peak his weight/fitness for that and use the worlds TT as ideal practice.

 

[Big Doopie]

He should focus on Worlds and Lombardia.

 

[Ulle97]

I was looking through Remco's results in 2022 and obviously he had an outstanding finish to the year.

He was also ultra competitive in the early season stage races.
However, we seemed to perform very poorly in the 2022 Tour de Suisse apart from his TT win.

Was there a particular reason for this??? Injury/Illness?

 

[Peter von]

I was looking through Remco's results in 2022 and obviously he had an outstanding finish to the year.

He was also ultra competitive in the early season stage races.
However, we seemed to perform very poorly in the 2022 Tour de Suisse apart from his TT win.

Was there a particular reason for this??? Injury/Illness?

I just assumed it was because he didn't have any big goals in that time around and therefore didn't have a big peak. TdS was done to gain some race fitness ahead of nationals.

 

[Berniece]

I was looking through Remco's results in 2022 and obviously he had an outstanding finish to the year.

He was also ultra competitive in the early season stage races.
However, we seemed to perform very poorly in the 2022 Tour de Suisse apart from his TT win.

Was there a particular reason for this??? Injury/Illness?

First race after decompression

 

[peterfin]

First race after decompression

And the heat stroke he suffered.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Remco ~= 95% Vintageguard as per Stijn Steels. What is your %

 

[peterfin]

Remco ~= 95% Vintageguard as per Stijn Steels. What is your %

105%

 

[Oldermanish]

I don't think super short altitude camps are much of a thing?

That would be a good way to lose form, not gain it.

 

[Ulle97]

So guys, Remco is back in competition in San Sebastian this weekend.

Do we envisage another watt bomb from the world champ?

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

So guys, Remco is back in competition in San Sebastian this weekend.

Do we envisage another watt bomb from the world champ?

Apparently only riders coming out of the TDF who did not ride for GC, have been good in CSS. I don't see any from those, capable of following him if he is in form. The only rider on the preliminary startlist that should be able to, is also on a trajectory towards the Vuelta. That's Ayuso. So far Ayuso has not shown he has the same top level talent in 1 day races (best ever placing in a 220+k one day race was here, in San Sebastian 2 years ago, 18th), but i don't think we can rule it out either. I don't see the likes of Healy or Hirschi following Evenepoel on the climbs.

The main thing is that they moved Erlaitz, where he attacked last year, to 80 km from the finish this year. So he either has to go earlier than he did last year, or he has to do it on a climb less steep (Mendizorrotz) or less long (Murgil Tontorra). I think expecting him to go 80k from the line might be too presumptuous, so maybe his team will try and make the race as hard as possible there, so he can go from a select group of survivors on one of the two last climbs and try to go solo from there.