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

[shadowrider]

It was in no shape or form comparable to his offdays in '22. Not only was it after a crash, but also the bad moments in that Vuelta were at the end of the stage, when attacks came. He couldn't respond, needed a minute to get his pace back, and lost minimal time in the end. In the '23 Vuelta, he completely bonked when the stage had only just begon, and even after half an hour, there was no recovering. Anybody thinking both cases are related is completely bonkers.


Believe what you want.

No arguments left ?

During the many reactions, also with others, I just stated that that one slump (that there actually was none) has nothing to do with the small setbacks that we regularly see at Evenepoel. He, his trainer and doctors will probably already know what the right reason was. But the reason or reasons were certainly not the ones you and a few others put forward.

 

[Berniece]

That's exactly how it's works. After a small overload and no major breakdown. You never recover from a serious breakdown in a grand tour. Unless it was a one-time hunger collapse.
If the rider recovers well afterwards and eats well and sensibly, he will be even stronger than normal the day after the hunger pang. Because his body has been able to absorb more glycogen than would normally be possible. I don't think that Evenepoel's limited moments of weakness are linked to a deficiency or incorrect nutrition. However, it depends on his physique and relationship with his weight. Also his way of racing. That can still be tinkered with a bit. But reducing his weight (too) much (59 or 60 kg) might result in a great performance during one or two mountain stages.... but also to a serious breakdown from which he will not recover during that GT.

I mean for me it's quite clear. Evenepoel can't beat Ganna at the WCTT when he's at his GT weight. Which means he needed to lose weight to be competitive at the Vuelta. How much he needed to lose, I'll even disregard at the moment. But losing an amount of weight on such a small amount of time, and even during the Vuelta, when your body is extremely easy to be brought out of balance. In an age where people say that Visma was able to get so much ahead due to proper food and nutrition. This definitely raises a red flag for me. Even more so when professional cyclists say that this is the most logical conclusion, instead of "he sometimes has a bad day".

We can just agree to disagree. If Remco has no issues before the Tour and during the Tour (crash) we'll know more.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

No arguments left ?

My arguments are clear and valid, they make sense and are backed up by what someone like Dumoulin (who has also faced the same issues, searching for his ideal weight for GT/GC) has said. There is nothing left to say to you. You believe he beats Ganna in a long flat TT with 1kg over his climbing weight. You believe your eyes are fine and you don't see the elephant staring you in the face when you compare how he looked in the two past Vuelta's. So, no problem, you are free to think whatever. I'm not going to waste my time any further.

 

[shadowrider]

This - Almeida dropped similarly but battled on and limited his losses to the extent that he was able to finish top 10 overall which worked for him as a rider less suited to winning stages from breaks than Remco.

I don’t think he tanked the day but I do think there was a conscious decision once the gap got to a minute and a half to pull the pin entirely and reset the goals far enough down not be chased constantly by Jumbo Visma.

Agree. Almeida had to fight till the end. He doesn't (isn't able to) win stages. So, the only goal was to struggle and fight for a top 10. Evenepoel, once it was clear that the podium was gone, wasn't interested in finishing at 4 minutes. To end in the general top 6 or 7. But not being able to recover and winning stages. Evenepoel proved to have made the proper choice, even suffering from that one bad and disappointing day. Evenepoel even could have won a extra stage (by not being surprised by Poels before a sprint and ending second with a tyre)). Then he would have won 4 stages, the points jersey and the mountains jersey.

 

[shadowrider]

I mean for me it's quite clear. Evenepoel can't beat Ganna at the WCTT when he's at his GT weight. Which means he needed to lose weight to be competitive at the Vuelta. How much he needed to lose, I'll even disregard at the moment. But losing an amount of weight on such a small amount of time, and even during the Vuelta, when your body is extremely easy to be brought out of balance. In an age where people say that Visma was able to get so much ahead due to proper food and nutrition. This definitely raises a red flag for me. Even more so when professional cyclists say that this is the most logical conclusion, instead of "he sometimes has a bad day".

We can just agree to disagree. If Remco has no issues before the Tour and during the Tour (crash) we'll know more.

 

[shadowrider]

But that is precisely my point. Evenepoel is disadvantaged in both a Worlds TT and a Grand Tour. Combining both. Vingegaard, Pogacar, Roglic do not combine those GT's and the worlds TT, or don't have the ambition to perform in that worlds TT at the highest level. The same with Ganna. He sometimes participates to a GT. But only to try to win a stage or the TT. And or helping the leader of his team in some stages. Not having to loose weight or training for long and steep climbs.

But I think that's the strength and merit of Evenepoel. That he tries anyway. Real cycling enthusiasts ( not the haters and critics) like to see that. As a result, he often loses a worlds TT or a GT. Despite that handicap, Evenepoel has already won a GT, a worlds TT and a world road championship. Roglic, Vingegaard, Pogacar, Thomas, Bernal, Wiggins, Froome.... didn't. And Ganna didn't succeed in winning the worlds TT and road.
Maybe, one day, Evenepoel will focus only on a GT (the Tour ?). Not preparing the worlds TT. Or not participating to a grand Tour, but only performing at his best (ideal weight) in the worlds TT. Combined with another spring (Milano-San Remo, Flanders... ?).

 

[AmRacer]

So Remco has a chance finishing ahead of G. But since G won't contest for GC. It comes with an *.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

This - Almeida dropped similarly but battled on and limited his losses to the extent that he was able to finish top 10 overall which worked for him as a rider less suited to winning stages from breaks than Remco.

I don’t think he tanked the day but I do think there was a conscious decision once the gap got to a minute and a half to pull the pin entirely and reset the goals far enough down not be chased constantly by Jumbo Visma.

Man, the stage hadn't even started yet, they were only just starting the climb, f*cking Jimi Janssens was still in the peloton. If that's not tanking i don't know what it. And they certainly tried for longer than up to the point the gap was 90s because that point had passed for a long while, when suddenly the gap skyrocketed (meaning, that was the moment they decided to pull the plug). Obviously he'd never lose half an hour had he kept fighting, but it would still have been easily 10 minutes, maybe more. So Almeida finished 9th in GC, Evenepoel finished 12th with 3 stagewins.

So Remco has a chance finishing ahead of G. But since G won't contest for GC. It comes with an *.

Remco Evenepoel versus Geraint Thomas | Same race results

Comparison of results between Remco Evenepoel and Geraint Thomas in races where they both started.

www.procyclingstats.com

 

[houtdffan]

Agree. Almeida had to fight till the end. He doesn't (isn't able to) win stages. So, the only goal was to struggle and fight for a top 10. Evenepoel, once it was clear that the podium was gone, wasn't interested in finishing at 4 minutes. To end in the general top 6 or 7. But not being able to recover and winning stages. Evenepoel proved to have made the proper choice, even suffering from that one bad and disappointing day. Evenepoel even could have won a extra stage (by not being surprised by Poels before a sprint and ending second with a tyre)). Then he would have won 4 stages, the points jersey and the mountains jersey.

wonder if Remco would have fought for a high GC had he won stage 8 (had he known the sprint was for the stage win) and the TT? Had he had 3 stage wins heading into the Tourmalet, maybe battling to only lose 3-4 minutes would have been more palatable for him

 

[Berniece]

wonder if Remco would have fought for a high GC had he won stage 8 (had he known the sprint was for the stage win) and the TT? Had he had 3 stage wins heading into the Tourmalet, maybe battling to only lose 3-4 minutes would have been more palatable for him

Doubt it, he would've went for the KOM jersey and more stages

 

[jmdirt]

Solid ride today RE!

 

[Berniece]

Indeed a good ride from him, you can’t win them all, and at least now we have a race for GC too. As long as Martinez doesn’t lose more than 20s in the TT, it’ll be exciting.

 

[Netserk]

I think Remco evenepoel just had a bad day in the Vuelta 2023, just like Pogacar just had a bad day in the Tour 2023.

Remco showed good shape in the climbs, when was in the breakaways and in the first mountain stages of the race. Certainly he would be climbing with the top 10 GC guys in all the mountain stages of the Vuelta, except for the fateful day in the Tourmalet.

He didn't have a single elite performance on any of the mountains. He was good in breakaways, the Arinsal sprint and the short climbs. Before his bonk, he was already dropped on Javalambre.

Pogi on the other hand, had several of his best performances in the Tour.

 

[Froome]

He didn't have a single elite performance on any of the mountains. He was good in breakaways, the Arinsal sprint and the short climbs. Before his bonk, he was already dropped on Javalambre.

Pogi on the other hand, had several of his best performances in the Tour.

I didn't said he did some elite perfomances, but i think he did some solid perfomances.
We can all agree that he is not yet at the level of Vingegaard and pogacar in terms of Grand tours, to do some elite perfomances.

 

[Netserk]

My arguments are clear and valid, they make sense and are backed up by what someone like Dumoulin (who has also faced the same issues, searching for his ideal weight for GT/GC) has said. There is nothing left to say to you. You believe he beats Ganna in a long flat TT with 1kg over his climbing weight. You believe your eyes are fine and you don't see the elephant staring you in the face when you compare how he looked in the two past Vuelta's. So, no problem, you are free to think whatever. I'm not going to waste my time any further.

Was he at his climbing weight at the start of the Giro?

 

[Netserk]

I didn't said he did some elite perfomances, but i think he did some solid perfomances.
We can all agree that he is not yet at the level of Vingegaard and pogacar in terms of Grand tours, to do some elite perfomances.

Elite like Landa on Angliru would have been enough. But he didn't show the climbing ability of a podium contender at all during the Vuelta.

 

[JosefK]

Very nice ride from Remco on stage 2 of the Algarve. Clearly it's early in the year. The signs are good.

 

[Netserk]

He didn't have a single elite performance on any of the mountains. He was good in breakaways, the Arinsal sprint and the short climbs. Before his bonk, he was already dropped on Javalambre.

Pogi on the other hand, had several of his best performances in the Tour.

It's like comparing Richie Porte and Mikel Landa. Sure, the tiny midget had the power to stomp climbs, but he never delivered on the most mythical mountains in the hardest stages like Landismo could.

 

[Extinction]

Very nice ride from Remco on stage 2 of the Algarve. Clearly it's early in the year. The signs are good.

He has not done altitude yet, has Martinez?

 

[Blanco]

I mean for me it's quite clear. Evenepoel can't beat Ganna at the WCTT when he's at his GT weight.

He beat him quite comfortably at his GT weight at the Giro...

 

[Berniece]

In a post-race interview he said there's no shame in losing to someone who's a bit faster. He expected that there would be less wind, and that he started his sprint too soon. If he doesn't run into any issues tomorrow he expects everything to go well. Which I read as winning the GC. He was also very happy with his team, which makes sense, they rode very well today.

Remco Evenepoel: "Enige fout die ik gemaakt heb, is dat ik te vroeg aanzette" | sporza

Op "zijn" Alto da Foia wilde Remco Evenepoel nog eens zijn vlag planten, maar Daniel Martinez heeft daar een stokje voor gestoken. "Ik had gehoopt op meer hulp, maar mijn jongens hebben getoond hoe sterk ze zijn. Er was er echter eentje sneller: geen schande", reageerde de Belgische kampioen.

sporza.be

 

[repre]

In a post-race interview he said there's no shame in losing to someone who's a bit faster. He expected that there would be less wind, and that he started his sprint too soon. If he doesn't run into any issues tomorrow he expects everything to go well. Which I read as winning the GC. He was also very happy with his team, which makes sense, they rode very well today.

Remco Evenepoel: "Enige fout die ik gemaakt heb, is dat ik te vroeg aanzette" | sporza

Op "zijn" Alto da Foia wilde Remco Evenepoel nog eens zijn vlag planten, maar Daniel Martinez heeft daar een stokje voor gestoken. "Ik had gehoopt op meer hulp, maar mijn jongens hebben getoond hoe sterk ze zijn. Er was er echter eentje sneller: geen schande", reageerde de Belgische kampioen.

sporza.be

No shame, it was demonic sprint by Dani, no one expected that in headwind conditions

 

[Dazed and Confused]

It's like comparing Richie Porte and Mikel Landa. Sure, the tiny midget had the power to stomp climbs, but he never delivered on the most mythical mountains in the hardest stages like Landismo could.

Very nice shot...
Now to the concept of a tiny midget. Just trying to sort of get the picture of such a person.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

He has not done altitude yet, has Martinez?

Martinez was in Colombia at height the whole January and is always strong in February.

 

[Netserk]

Very nice shot...
Now to the concept of a tiny midget. Just trying to sort of get the picture of such a person.

Sorry, my memory failed me: https://forum.cyclingnews.com/search/330083/?q=tlmrp&o=relevance

Or wait, seems it was right:

TLMRP = The Little Man Ritchie Porte

I thought it stood for Tiny Little Midget Ritchie Porte.

Technically, you are correct, but for those sensitive fans that would not accept such a "term", I had to come up with a politically correct version.

As you know, these days, especially the millennials and Aussies are a very sensitive bunch so it is better to have an alternative just to keep them happy