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

[Ricco']

Ahh, fathers and other relatives managing the future of world superstars, what could go wrong...

 

[Red Rick]

Ahh, fathers and other relatives managing the future of world superstars, what could go wrong...

Didn't Lefevere mock Contador for being managed by his brother? Pretty sure Lefevere only hates it when they don't put up with his ***.

 

[Big Doopie]

It's about peak Remco only. If he is in peak shape it counts. The condition of other riders is irrelevant. Logical, no? Remco is the best, so he wins. His opponents shape doesn't matter. If he doesn't win, can't have been peak. Yes, that's not what Big Doopie meant I guess, but well, in the end for many seems to be how it is.

That is never what I said. Never.

My only point is that no one would extrapolate from Pog’s San Sebastián 2022 that we should conclude that is the best that he can do.

All I am saying, is that the same should be true of Remco. Don’t extrapolate from Covid Remco what he might be able to achieve. That is it.

So, a totally fair question would be: can Remco hold Vuelta 2022 pre-crash form for three weeks at the TDF? Does that form enable him to compete with the likes of Vingo and Pog over multiple mountains at higher altitude?

Those are totally fair questions/doubts to have without having to act as if Covid Remco is his ceiling.

I myself have doubts btw.

Cheers.

 

[Rackham]

Evenepoel's dad/manager can't confirm that Remco will be at Soudal-QuickStep next year:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1687702140716728320

View: https://twitter.com/cyclingtakes/status/1687702140716728320

Reportedly Remco would like to stay, but on the condition that the team can be competitive. And that condition has apparently not yet been met.

I really don't get the sense in saying this just before the world championships, or even before the Vuelta.

Is it football style transfer mentality creeping into pro cycling? And if his dad is his agent, was he the person who got him to sign such a long contract with Quick Step?

It all seem unnecessarily messy.

 

[Netserk]

Can't remember ever reading something like "Remco didn't win, rider xyz was just better" here...

Case in point:

More like Remco lost it there. I think both of them were equals in strength, Roglic was just the smarter one.

 

[magliaroz]

But didn't Remco himself say that rumour about him going to Ineos where "bull***t"? Seems like he and his father/manager are not on the same page.

 

[Panda Claws]

If he goes to Ineos I will suddenly become a massive B. Wiggins and C.Froome fan. Might even be slightly less mean to T. Pidcock.

 

[Red Rick]

This really looks a lot like football agent stuff yeah.

All we can do is wait for the Communicado Official

 

[Monte Serra]

And if his dad is his agent, was he the person who got him to sign such a long contract with Quick Step?

Yes, he was quite chummy with Lefevere, and he is probably to blame that Remco signed a relatively bad deal. There have been reports that the contract doesn't include an escape clause, but that's unconfirmed. If I was Remco, the obvious lesson from this episode would be to get a proper manager, who's well versed in contract law.

 

[Riek s]

But didn't Remco himself say that rumour about him going to Ineos where "bull***t"? Seems like he and his father/manager are not on the same page.

his father wants to keep the pressure up for some reason. He wants his son to be able to contend in the TDF and whatever Lefevre is doing isn't working. The team is getting worse atm not better.

Not that I agree with this way of working, but as was mentionned many times on this forum. We want Remco to ride the tour, the classics etc. But his current team besides a few individuals is so lacking it doesn't allow him to compete with those other teams that only consist of top10 candidates (so to speak).

 

[Big Doopie]

I really don't get the sense in saying this just before the world championships, or even before the Vuelta.

Is it football style transfer mentality creeping into pro cycling? And if his dad is his agent, was he the person who got him to sign such a long contract with Quick Step?

It all seem unnecessarily messy.

Maybe just encouraging prospective teammates to work for him at the Worlds.

 

[Samamba]

His dad just admitting he's a horrible agent as he made his son sign a super long contract till 2026 at a team that supposedly isn't the best for him.

 

[magliaroz]

His dad just admitting he's a horrible agent as he made his son sign a super long contract till 2026 at a team that supposedly isn't the best for him.

I think at that time his reasoning was that since they still didn't know for sure if Remco was going back to the level he had before the Lombardia crash, it was better to secure a long contract.

 

[theyoungest]

I really don't get the sense in saying this just before the world championships, or even before the Vuelta.

Is it football style transfer mentality creeping into pro cycling? And if his dad is his agent, was he the person who got him to sign such a long contract with Quick Step?

It all seem unnecessarily messy.

It could also be an orchestrated move by the two Patricks (Lefevere and Evenepoel) to pressure Lefevere's sponsors to pay up. Right now Lefevere simply doesn't have the means to give Evenepoel a Tour-winning team. He needs more money (at least that's what we're being led to believe).

Although Ineos buying up Quickstep really makes the most sense to me, right now. Lefevere has admitted they want to. Quickstep has a potential Tour contender but no team, Ineos has a team but no Tour contender. And bucketloads of money. It's really quite simple.

 

[Volderke]

I don't understand any of this.
Yes, Remco probably has a bad contract. His dad's fault (and ofcourse that sneaky don Patrick's responsability: he knew very well what he was doing). I didn't remember anymore how long his contract was, but 2026 is a mighty long time. But let's not forget Remco got injured for quite some time and more-or-less lost (or at least performed sub-par) 2021 due to that crash.
Yes, Remco can get a much better contract. But not at the moment unless there is an agreement between Soudal and another team, and money involved.
No, Remco doesn't have the best team for the Tour. But what team is Remco worth in the Tour, at the moment? There is way too much pressure on the team now to get up to the level of a GC team that can compete (if only on the important stages) with UAE and Jumbo, but face it, they won't get there. But is that a bad thing, and is it crucial? It will be Remco's first Tour. You can't expect to have him win that Tour, even with the best team, I feel he first has to prove he's worth a team like Jumbo / Ineos for the Tour. The thing is, if he goes to the Tour and doesn't win, his market value will probably lower than at this moment when nobody knows how good he will be in the Tour.

Whatever the message, the timing is the worst part of it. Just before the World's... If Evenepoel has a contract for 3 (!) more years and Evenepoel's father and Lefevere start fighting in the media (Lefevere just called his actions 'dumb'), it will be all peace and harmony in the team...(not)

 

[Samamba]

I think at that time his reasoning was that since they still didn't know for sure if Remco was going back to the level he had before the Lombardia crash, it was better to secure a long contract.

Ok, so he gambled and lost. It was their own decision.

 

[bNator]

Case in point:

To be fair - race intelligence should count as a rider quality attribute just as anything else. One might have a feeling the lack of it is easier to overcome than weaknesses in other areas but we have many examples of riders (not Remco) where it turned out not to be the case…

 

[magliaroz]

Going with a weak team will also put less preassure on him to get a great result ( I know, I know... Wishful thinking).

Lefevere put himself in a corner, saying they were sending Remco to the Tour next year to have time to build a better team, for two years in a row. Next year they MUST send Remco to the Tour, strong team or not.
It was already bad enough that he skipped 2022/23. TdF is the most important race in the world, Sponsors can't be too happy about Remco skipping it.

 

[theyoungest]

Just watched this interview with Lefevere where he's already threatening to sue the Evenepoels. It doesn't seem that orchestrated after all "This is going to end badly for Remco, if he continues like this". Typical Lefevere talk, but Evenepoel senior is learning that you do not want to get on Patlef's bad side. Sounds like a wonderful basis for a continuing relationship....

Patrick Lefevere over “domme uitspraken” papa Evenepoel: “Gevolgen van eventueel vertrek Remco zijn niet te overzien”

Rijdt Remco Evenepoel (23) volgend jaar nog voor Soudal Quick-Step? Evenepoel zelf lachte de interesse van Ineos onlangs nog weg, maar vader Patrick (54) vertelt in La Dernière Heure een ander verhaal. Hij garandeert niet dat zijn zoon in 2024 bij de Belgische formatie blijft. Hij spreekt over...

www.hln.be

 

[Andy schleck]

His father is being a jerk. Remco already told last week that he is fine in quick step. He's got a contract until 2027, that's some bullsh** by his father.
Remco should stay at quick step, and quick step should renew is contract with a better salary to remco. Quick step is the best team for him. He will continue to improve there. It would be a mistake changing team.
Quick step can make a proper team to remco for the tour 2024. They have van wilder, alaphillipe, hirt, they will buy provably landa and de plus. He will have help for the mountains, and he also have cavagna, asgreen, cattaneo, lampaert for the flat.

 

[laarsland]

His dad just admitting he's a horrible agent as he made his son sign a super long contract till 2026 at a team that supposedly isn't the best for him.

….or perhaps made under promises around team strength and domestiques which they now are feeling aren’t being kept?

 

[peterfin]

It could also be an orchestrated move by the two Patricks (Lefevere and Evenepoel) to pressure Lefevere's sponsors to pay up. Right now Lefevere simply doesn't have the means to give Evenepoel a Tour-winning team. He needs more money (at least that's what we're being led to believe).

Although Ineos buying up Quickstep really makes the most sense to me, right now. Lefevere has admitted they want to. Quickstep has a potential Tour contender but no team, Ineos has a team but no Tour contender. And bucketloads of money. It's really quite simple.

Anyone who likes conspiracy theories must believe that something is going on between SQS and Ineos: both teams are shedding riders but keep their core and somehow fail to sign up other key forces, De Plus was motivated to help Remco but stays at Ineos, Landa might sign-up with SQS but it's his own move and it apparantly takes time to close, the comments of Remco's father and Lefevre not denying that it's not an option to merge with Ineos, the bromance between G and little bastard Remco ...

 

[Salvarani]

….or perhaps made under promises around team strength and domestiques which they now are feeling aren’t being kept?

Complaining about it publicly is making it so much easier to negotiate deals for new/better support and on top of that there are rumors that he wants out or is trying to move/be bought by another team.

They are not renewing Jakobsen, as well as a few others who have already found new teams. It is doesnt feel like Soudal is doing nothing... and that there is a lot happening behind closed doors, but distractions in the media and just the overall hysteria is probably what is creating the most problems.

 

[peterfin]

Lefevre is furious and calls Remco's fathers words about his possible leave in 2024 stupid. Things are heating up.

 

[Volderke]

Anyone who likes conspiracy theories must believe that something is going on between SQS and Ineos: both teams are shedding riders but keep their core and somehow fail to sign up other key forces, De Plus was motivated to help Remco but stays at Ineos, Landa might sign-up with SQS but it's his own move and it apparantly takes time to close, the comments of Remco's father and Lefevre not denying that it's not an option to merge with Ineos, the bromance between G and little bastard Remco ...

and don't forget sir Ratcliffe going to build a new factory in the Antwerp harbour, an investment of billions
The only reason Ratcliffe is investing so much into Belgium, is because the government promised they would hand over Remco as a favour for him investing and creating jobs!