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

[Berniece]

I know that in the long run it's probably not the best idea, but I do hope he tries to take the yellow jersey today.

It's obviously not a career-defining feat (at least not for him) but it's still a nice achievement to have worn all of the red, pink and yellow leader jerseys. Who knows when the next opportunity might present itself.

It doesn't mean they should control the Galibier stage, leave that to the top favorite teams.

Since both Pog and Vingegaard won't want to keep/take yellow, I think Carapaz might be the biggest 'danger' to take over yellow. It's probably a big goal for him/EF and EF doesn't really have a top sprinter to look after so they might use Bettiol/Van Den Berg to place Carapaz as high as possible.

I agree, get the jersey, it's nice to have. He'll probably lose it tomorrow anyway, and I expect UAE to go hard on Galibier, so they don't have to do anything.

 

[Didinho]

I know that in the long run it's probably not the best idea, but I do hope he tries to take the yellow jersey today.

It's obviously not a career-defining feat (at least not for him) but it's still a nice achievement to have worn all of the red, pink and yellow leader jerseys. Who knows when the next opportunity might present itself.

It doesn't mean they should control the Galibier stage, leave that to the top favorite teams.

Since both Pog and Vingegaard won't want to keep/take yellow, I think Carapaz might be the biggest 'danger' to take over yellow. It's probably a big goal for him/EF and EF doesn't really have a top sprinter to look after so they might use Bettiol/Van Den Berg to place Carapaz as high as possible.

I also think he will want to get yellow. Even for a day. It will give the team and yourself a little boost and you can give it away the next day.
He should also think to give the white jersey away before the TT. Or can he start in his rainbow jersey instead of white?

 

[Berflamand]

I also think he will want to get yellow. Even for a day. It will give the team and yourself a little boost and you can give it away the next day.
He should also think to give the white jersey away before the TT. Or can he start in his rainbow jersey instead of white?

I don't think so, not if he's leading the BYR competition, only if he's wearing it as a hand-off from the actual leader.

But yes I agree, either ride the TT in yellow (that jersey always gives you more watts) or give away the white jersey so you can use the rainbow jersey.

 

[kn0s]

I saw on social yesterday people making fun of vingegaard and Carapaz that both just wheelsuck and if they ever was in a break together who would pull sorta thing got me cracked up, was wild

Yeah it's funny when the idiots run amok with things they don't understand.

 

[Berflamand]

Has there been any reaction from Carapaz about yesterday? I'd like to hear if him not pulling with Remco was a case of not wanting to or simply not being able to.

 

[Berniece]

Has there been any reaction from Carapaz about yesterday? I'd like to hear if him not pulling with Remco was a case of not wanting to or simply not being able to.

Not being able to would be silly since they came from a descent. He should be able to do a single pull. It’s not wanting to and winning that sprint against the others with the hope of getting yellow.

 

[OJRvE]

If I recall correctly Carapaz seldom pulls in these situations. I remember that he drove Pinot mad (not that’s very difficult) in Froomes Finestre-stage.

 

[houtdffan]

Anyone know where he broke free from the others? Good show to put 20s into all those guys. Don't think he could have gotten more out of today. Fantastic result, and he learned something. Stay calm, Remco. Stay patient.

On the climb. He was always ahead of Rog

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

Not being able to would be silly since they came from a descent. He should be able to do a single pull. It’s not wanting to and winning that sprint against the others with the hope of getting yellow.

Carapaz did give him a single pull (Remco said so himself). I think he was simply cooked and sitting in Remcos wheel isn't giving you massive draft as well.

 

[shadowrider]

Well what do you know, he lost 2.5kg since the Dauphiné. Seems like the team finally did understand the importance of his weight, and it wasn't just 1 last kg that he had to lose. If only people would listen to the sane posters here and not the local quacks. Here's hoping the impact of sudden weight loss won't come back to bite him in the ass.


Pog might not have gotten help anymore from Vingegaard, but Evenepoel also didn't get any help from Carapaz.

I can read here you are changing subtle your opinion. By "establishing" that his entourage finally did understand the importance of his weight. What "they" already did in the past. Evenepoel is a type of athlete who cannot stay at his lowest weight all the time. Especially due to his physique and rapid development of muscles in the upper body. So he and his team have to finetune his weight in the last period for a GT. More than other athletes. So, nothing to do with "a sudden weight loss". What could "bite him in the ass" is his lower climbing ability, especially in stages with several long, tough climbs. Compared to real climbers and top GC-riders as Poga and Roglic.
Nobody appreciated you, demonizing his trainer, nutritionist and teamleader present or not during his altitudetraining. If they would have been incompetent, how can that Evenepoel was the third strongest rider in the stage yesterday ? What about the trainers, nutritionists etc of Almeida, Ayuso, Roglic... ? They did a great job, as we could see yesterday.

 

[shadowrider]

I rewatched the climb yesterday and you can see it after the corners where Pogi attacked. (With the big white jersey balloon in the background). Remco goes at the left side on tv.
Carapaz was the first to try and follow and then Remco bridged to him.

Than, Evenepoel took the lead of the 4 or 5 other riders, with Carapaz in his wheel, and made a gap with Carapaz on the short uphill in the descent. The other guys were caught by the group of Roglic and Bardet.

 

[Medvind]

Remember Remco saying in one of the videos he released last year before the Worlds ITT that he needed to carry a little bit more muscles to be able to push the watts necessary to win the relatively flat TT. Think this made it hard for him to reach an optimal climbing weight to the Vuelta.

Now he seems very lean and maybe has less muscles than last year before worlds ITT. Question is if this will hurt him in the Olympics ITT where he goes up against Tarling and Ganna on a flat ITT.

 

[shadowrider]

What Evenpoel has to do to achieve a good result during this TDF, is doing what he did yesterday (probably involuntary). Not react as a fool on attacks of Poga/Vingegaard, not even trying to follow all the time Rodriguez, Bernal, Roglic and other GC-riders. But ride at his own pace. Coming back, not necessarily on time but on positions. Every GC-ride will have a bad day at some point. In this way, Evenepoel must ultimately finish in the top five.

 

[shadowrider]

Remember Remco saying in one of the videos he released last year before the Worlds ITT that he needed to carry a little bit more muscles to be able to push the watts necessary to win the relatively flat TT. Think this made it hard for him to reach an optimal climbing weight to the Vuelta.

Now he seems very lean and maybe has less muscles than last year before worlds ITT. Question is if this will hurt him in the Olympics ITT where he goes up against Tarling and Ganna on a flat ITT.

Well, himself and his staff have exactly 5 days to upgrade his body after the Tour. No more long training sessions, but short stimuli.The first days, protein-rich food. Enough to gain muscles, so weight, to be ready for the time trial. This time, Evenepoel will be in favor of the way he gains weight quite quickly.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I can read here you are changing subtle your opinion. By "establishing" that his entourage finally did understand the importance of his weight. What "they" already did in the past. Evenepoel is a type of athlete who cannot stay at his lowest weight all the time. Especially due to his physique and rapid development of muscles in the upper body. So he and his team have to finetune his weight in the last period for a GT. More than other athletes. So, nothing to do with "a sudden weight loss". What could "bite him in the ass" is his lower climbing ability, especially in stages with several long, tough climbs. Compared to real climbers and top GC-riders as Poga and Roglic.
Nobody appreciated you, demonizing his trainer, nutritionist and teamleader present or not during his altitudetraining. If they would have been incompetent, how can that Evenepoel was the third strongest rider in the stage yesterday ? What about the trainers, nutritionists etc of Almeida, Ayuso, Roglic... ? They did a great job, as we could see yesterday.

I can read here you are subtly changing your opinion. Suddenly it was possible all along for Evenepoel to be at lower weight, which time and again you have refuted and said that he couldn't (at least while keeping his power) because of his metabolism. He was like Indurain and would not be able to get his weight down enough because of his metabolism, remember? Your claims. I couldn't care less if he weighs 75kg during Thanks Giving, as long as he is at optimal weight when he needs to be. Unlike in 2023 during the Giro and Vuelta. The only issue is the weightloss has to be managed carefully, as i always said (and which you agreed to, and now are acting as if it is a trivial affair once again, which it is not).
I know the team already considered it in the past (because he was below 62kg during the Vuelta of '22 and even below 60kg in the Giro '21 which i have repeated ad nauseam.) The point is that he wasn't in either '23 GT's he rode, and again they were blowing smoke during Dauphiné as if he only needed to lose 1kg, which he didn't. I called that out and rightfully so, as it turns out. He didn't lose 1kg, he lost 2.5 times more. Funny that you believe how things unfolded, prove your point rather than mine, lol.
I have said numerous times in this topic, that he could lose a lot more upper body muscle when you compare him to other riders, and that he would not need to lose fat to make serious gains in that regard. Please don't think you are teaching me anything new.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Seven years ago today he won his first race as a Junior.

 

[Berflamand]

Seven years ago today he won his first race as a Junior.

Another reason to go for that yellow jersey today!

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Another reason to go for that yellow jersey today!

Carapaz also wants it. EF wants to go for a good placement in the sprint. That means he might really have to try to get a good placement right behind the real sprinters, and for that needs to take risks.

 

[Berflamand]

Carapaz also wants it. EF wants to go for a good placement in the sprint. That means he might really have to try to get a good placement right behind the real sprinters, and for that needs to take risks.

I know it's probably not the most sensible thing to do, especially with EF fully going for it. I just want to see him in yellow.

But yes, I'd absolutely hate it if he crashes because he is taking risks in the sprint.

 

[houtdffan]

Remember Remco saying in one of the videos he released last year before the Worlds ITT that he needed to carry a little bit more muscles to be able to push the watts necessary to win the relatively flat TT. Think this made it hard for him to reach an optimal climbing weight to the Vuelta.

Now he seems very lean and maybe has less muscles than last year before worlds ITT. Question is if this will hurt him in the Olympics ITT where he goes up against Tarling and Ganna on a flat ITT.

a few strudels after the TDF should take care of that

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I also think he will want to get yellow. Even for a day. It will give the team and yourself a little boost and you can give it away the next day.
He should also think to give the white jersey away before the TT. Or can he start in his rainbow jersey instead of white?

I don't think so, not if he's leading the BYR competition, only if he's wearing it as a hand-off from the actual leader.

But yes I agree, either ride the TT in yellow (that jersey always gives you more watts) or give away the white jersey so you can use the rainbow jersey.

Like Berflamand says. If the jersey is a hand-over from another rider who is leading two classifications but can only wear one jersey at a time, and you are not actually leading the classification of which you are wearing the jersey. Like Van Gils was wearing white because Van den Broeck had points + white, and Van Gils was 2nd in that classification while Van den Broeck was wearing green. If Van Gils were national or world champion, he could chose to hand the white jersey down to the next guy, and wear his personal national/worlds jersey.

 

[Berniece]

What Evenpoel has to do to achieve a good result during this TDF, is doing what he did yesterday (probably involuntary). Not react as a fool on attacks of Poga/Vingegaard, not even trying to follow all the time Rodriguez, Bernal, Roglic and other GC-riders. But ride at his own pace. Coming back, not necessarily on time but on positions. Every GC-ride will have a bad day at some point. In this way, Evenepoel must ultimately finish in the top five.

Evenepoel should be able to drop Rodriguez, Bernal and Roglic. Riding at his own pace and coming back? If he's able to drop them on a climb that isn't perfectly suited for him like yesterday, then he'll definitely be able to do it on long climbs on which he can diesel forward.

 

[Nick2413]

Armageddon will happen if there’s any incidents but he should go for it.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Evenepoel should be able to drop Rodriguez, Bernal and Roglic. Riding at his own pace and coming back? If he's able to drop them on a climb that isn't perfectly suited for him like yesterday, then he'll definitely be able to do it on long climbs on which he can diesel forward.

Short and steep climbs are good for Remco, he's a multiple champion of San Sebastian and Liege.

 

[Berniece]

Short and steep climbs are good for Remco, he's a multiple champion of San Sebastian and Liege.

I don't think that has to do with the steepness of the climb but how hard the race can be made. For example, I would be surprised if he wins Fleche Wallone in his career.