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

[Tricycle Rider]

When you’re doored there is zero reaction time. No vigilance is possible

True. But I think with enough experience you learn to anticipate what stupid shite drivers will pull next, so if possible you give them super-duper extra space.

 

[scribers]

It’s literally every car parked and in the road is an eligible swinging door. Ideally you stay 4’ from each car but that’s not possible in traffic. You’re best bet to anticipate is watching heads swinging because they are grabbing their handle and preparing to push the door, but even that’s a low percentage strategy.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

It’s literally every car parked and in the road is an eligible swinging door. Ideally you stay 4’ from each car but that’s not possible in traffic. You’re best bet to anticipate is watching heads swinging because they are grabbing their handle and preparing to push the door, but even that’s a low percentage strategy.

City riding or sharing the road with drivers anywhere just sucks.

 

[Karl Merckx]

on the left side, not the same as in itzulia.

HLN is wrong, it's the right side

Remco Evenepoel Update | Soudal Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team

The double Olympic Champion was involved in an incident during training, on Tuesday.

www.soudal-quickstepteam.com

 

[ingsve]

Rib, shoulder blade and hand fractures. A bit worse than just a collarbone. Will certanly impact the start of the season.

 

[red_flanders]

I saw an accident like this with my own eyes... I was walking on a sidewalk and a car driver opened his door without checking first and a cyclist rammed right into the door and flipped over onto the street. It was horrifying how the cyclist was just writhing in pain... we didn't have cellphones back then, so I had to go find a phone so I could call an ambulance.

It's unfortunate you can't just ride in peace and quiet minding your own business, but as cyclists we always have to be vigilant when around cars.

You gotta be vigilant anytime you're vulnerable. Which is about 100% of the time as a road cyclist. Any dream that your safety is someone else's responsibility is a recipe for disaster.

When you’re doored there is zero reaction time. No vigilance is possible

Well...yeah...but...the only answer is not to ride within door length distance of parked cars. Which of course isn't always possible. But as soon as it is again possible, you have to move a meter or more away. It's just roulette if you're within door distance.

Sucks, but such is road riding.

Which is why I don't do it anymore. Not leaving my personal safety in the hands of people distracted with kids, screens, and driving multi-ton vehicles. If I crash on my MTB, it's my own damn fault.

I've been lucky and was never doored, but it was just luck. I've certainly put myself in situations where it could have happened. I just won the roulette game every time. Not blaming Remco at all. Just is what it is.

 

[theyoungest]

Almost zero people will look before opening a car door. Sometimes you can’t give enough room and you takes your chances.

Gotta protect yourself as a cyclist, not hope people are expecting you out there.

There's something us Dutch people get taught to do which apparently is even known in international traffic safety circles as "the Dutch reach", which is: open the car door with your right hand, i.e. the hand furthest from the door. That way you automatically check your blind spot.

 

[red_flanders]

There's something us Dutch people get taught to do which apparently is even known in international traffic safety circles as "the Dutch reach", which is: open the car door with your right hand, i.e. the hand furthest from the door. That way you automatically check your blind spot.

That's great! Y'all have a different culture around cyclists than...literally the entire rest of the world. Kudos to your country, seriously.

I still wouldn't be counting on people watching out for me.

 

[red_flanders]

Gotta be incredibly disheartening to get mangled like this before the season even starts. Don't know how these guys do it.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Gotta be incredibly disheartening to get mangled like this before the season even starts. Don't know how these guys do it.

I think it would certainly take a lot of mental stamina to keep having to come back from an injury season after season, kudos to the pros for being able to handle it.

 

[theyoungest]

That's great! Y'all have a different culture around cyclists than...literally the entire rest of the world. Kudos to your country, seriously.

I still wouldn't be counting on people watching out for me.

I'm not looking for compliments for the Dutch, in fact as far actual racing cyclists go, the attitude of the Dutch toward them is terrible. But regular people cycling to the shops, everyone does that, including most drivers themselves. So you automatically pay more attention to them.

 

[Extinction]

He's down till mid/late-January, better now than April. He can race into form before Liege. In any case, never ride too close to car doors, unless you see there is no driver in the car.

 

[Extinction]

Don't forget December and January are very important to build a base level. I just hope they don't rush him back like in 2021.
He will need January and February to build his base level. It won't be that easy.

Feb., March are compromised and will be painful, but April onward shouldn't be a problem. For him it will be more the mental setback, getting off on the wrong foot.

 

[Salvarani]

Gonna be even harder to manage his weight now, as he wont be able to train properly.

 

[proffate]

When you’re doored there is zero reaction time. No vigilance is possible

You could just, y'know, ride outside of the door zone at all times... it's worked for me so far and I've been riding a lot longer than Remco.

 

[Rob5091]

Hope it can get well soon - better now then in the Spring though.

 

[Cookster15]

Bad news of course. But in April this year he suffered a fracture to his right collarbone and his right scapula after the big crash in Itzulia. Despite that much later setback Remco was the best grand tour level we ever saw in July and had an amazing Olympics and Worlds TT. Its only December. I think he will be fine?

 

[KoopaCycling]

He is definitely a top belgian cyclist. top belgian cyclists always suffer terrible injuries during their career.

Lets hope the recovery goes well. and there aren't complications during the road back

 

[Bolder]

I feel for him. This is 3 bad injuries already. Guy can't catch a break. Hopefully this is early enough that it won't set him back too much. On the plus side, he's come back stronger than ever from his two major crashes, although the first one took a while.

 

[stekelegel]

Does this mean the giro / tour double is already off the table

 

[scribers]

Don't top riders usually ride in front of or behind a car while training?

 

[scribers]

Does this mean the giro / tour double is already off the table

I think a build up to Ardennes as race days with an emphasis on Suisse or Dauphene prior to the tour is more realistic. And hope for a stellar end of the season.

 

[Didinho]

Don't top riders usually ride in front of or behind a car while training?

I guess only on training camps or planned team rides. Most of the time they ride with some local pro's or elite level riders, but sometimes Remco rides alone here in Belgium when he needs to focus on his program or no one else available. With 30 riders you can't have a team car with everyone. And if the car was behind him it would've been the same outcome.

 

[jmdirt]

RE, don't crash in the off season! Get well!

 

[jmdirt]

It's unfortunate you can't just ride in peace and quiet minding your own business, but as cyclists we always have to be vigilant when around cars.

There are no cars on the trails with me.