It's not just about today, Evenepoel always gives these elaborate explanations when things don't quite go his way. I mean, it's good to analyze and see where you can improve, but you also have to accept your limitations. Sure, he could probably have done a little better, but Pogi was simply on another level today (like most days).
- Sep 12, 2022
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I agree that Evenepoel always gives an explanation on why something didn’t go as planned. I just don’t see it as an excuse, but just as an explanation. It’s not like he said he would’ve won today. He’s just saying that he underperformed and what the reason for it was.
Better like that than that we have to guess.
- Jan 29, 2021
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Van der poel can't have an excuse for the fact he was sick before Tour Flandres.
Evenepoel can't have any excuses when he came back 5 days ago from a serious crash.
Vingegaard can't have a excuse after the Tour when in April he almost died.
Pogacar can have all the excuses he wants. He lost the Tour because of the wrist, he loses Amstel because he was "tired".
- Dec 22, 2019
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Everything he has shown since his return is a (mental) bonus IMO. I did not expect him to pull this off already.
Sunday definitely suits him better, but he needs attrition and some chaos to have a shot at winning. Shapewise he has a decent foundation, he's able to push the watts, dig deep and recover. But in the climbing department alone, he doesn't stand a chance against Pogacar.
Because of that I'm also not sure with what intent he participates in Romandie, but a "5 minutes of bad legs"-moment when aiming at the GC is very likely IMO. But if it helps to put on the GT mindset and start focussing on weight and climbing, then I'm happy with it.
Sunday definitely suits him better, but he needs attrition and some chaos to have a shot at winning. Shapewise he has a decent foundation, he's able to push the watts, dig deep and recover. But in the climbing department alone, he doesn't stand a chance against Pogacar.
Because of that I'm also not sure with what intent he participates in Romandie, but a "5 minutes of bad legs"-moment when aiming at the GC is very likely IMO. But if it helps to put on the GT mindset and start focussing on weight and climbing, then I'm happy with it.
I just think he’s very transparent about what he’s thinking and feeling.
- Apr 3, 2009
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Despite the need for excuses, the mentioned races and results are still better than anything Remco has ever achieved in those two races (second at Amstel and the Tour de France, while Remco has never done better than third in either of them).
So, the standard of Pogacar is so much higher than Remco’s that he needs an excuse for a “disastrous result,” which would, in fact, be the best result of Remco’s career.
- Jun 7, 2011
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I get where TheYoungest is coming from (and i don't mean north of the border). And yes, it becomes tiresome especially when -if true- these are indeed rookie mistakes. The thing is, how long and how often should he still be making those? I said earlier that the team still seems to be scratching their heads when it comes to his abilities (and i mean both ways). And yet somehow they allow him to make these mistakes, in between crashes, recovery, being off-weight... Missed opportunities one after another.
They are always very quick with a "so obvious" explanation after the facts but somehow it's never obvious enough that he either already knows not to make the mistake, or the car tells him not to make it. As if "yeah, it's so obvious he was cold" and yet it wasn't obvious enough that he was still making the mistake to begin with or that somebody with experience in the team car who knows him through and through could tell him to wait to take it off. This is also what i was talking about earlier. It was so obvious last year in Paris Nice that he should have closed the gap to Jorgenson, McNulty and Skjelmose himself instead of look at Roglic for help when it was all flat roads to the finish. But he didn't think of it and the team car didn't tell him. It's so obvious you don't lead out a sprint into a headwind for the last 3km and especially don't open up the sprint with 2 guys in your wheel with 250m from the finish into that headwind. It's all so obvious, but somehow he doesn't know all that and somehow whoever is in the teamcar can't remind him. How long do they expect him to keep racing if at 25 he's still making mistakes you shouldn't make as U23 anymore.
Of course he's not the only one making stupid mistakes, Van der Poel has also made his fair share ( WCC 2019, WCC 2022, Olympics MTB), even Pogacar (Amstel, TDF 2024 hungerknock...) but i can't shake the impression that it happens far more frequently with Evenepoel. I mean, there is a point where it doesn't matter anymore whether it's true or whether it's an excuse (or both).
- Jan 8, 2020
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Not sure if this is a joke thread about Remco or what, going by the odd title, but regardless, I just thought I'd share this photo I took of him on the podium in Nice last year (Paris-Nice race). First time I've seen him but I'm sure it won't be the last. I love watching him race. I love going to watch races anyway. Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriactico are two of my favourites to go and watch stages of but also really love Strade-Bianche and Milano-Sanrremo. They're the easiest to attend abroad for me too, for various reasons. It's so great to watch these races. I just wish I could go to more throughout the year!
View: https://imgur.com/JDx7by3
View: https://imgur.com/GudDiMu
View: https://imgur.com/JDx7by3
View: https://imgur.com/GudDiMu
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- Jun 7, 2011
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He threw it away on the side of the road. I can understand he didn't go back and ask for a new one at the team car, because the final had started, it was wet and slippery and everybody was fighting for position. He probably also didn't know he needed it until he faced the consequences on Mur de Huy. It's not so much a problem that it's an excuse, it's far more infuriating that it's plain stupid. If in fact this was the issue.
It is not a joke thread, the thread was created in 2018 when Remco was already a phenomenon, winning the junior European championship road race by 10 minutes and lapping over half of the peloton (forcing them to leave the race). Winning the worldchampionship after a crash (he also had to turn back to get his bikecomputer) and needing to chase down a gap of over 2 minutes and finishing solo. The reference to Merckx was obviously tongue in cheek since he was only a junior, but his results where already stellar and he is still known as the best junior in history. This was even before Pogacar turned pro.
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- Sep 12, 2022
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Is the team who thinks Evenepoel knows what he is doing, and doesn’t second guess him. Which is an issue in itself, and won’t change ever. No matter where he rides. He’s too sure of himself, too good a rider, that he can do what he want.
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Ah cool, good to read. It's just that some people seem to have a thing against Remco, for some reason, and tend mock him a lot or are just generally negative about him, so I wasn't sure if this thread was going to be just mocking him,or whayever. I do like Remco, I think he's a phenomenal rider and he makes me laugh with his antics too. I like how he says what he thinks about things that annoy him. He's not afraid to speak up, perhaps too much at times but thats just him. Part of his charm, I guess, lol. I have many favourite riders but Remco's in my Top Ten for sure!
- Aug 30, 2010
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Remco is still not 100% fit either. He has much room for improvement and he will. He kinda went from the IL to the meatgrinder in racing. He has performed very well in my opinion.
- Jun 7, 2011
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I told him. Maybe his team should designate one of the guys in the car to just scroll through the cyclingnews forum to get the latest advice?
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forum.cyclingnews.com
- Jun 7, 2011
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It must be funny for them. They must be laughing their asses off, hearing about people here, while they know they are so much smarter and never making dumb-ass mistakes. And by never i mean at least until the next race.I told him. Maybe his team should designate one of the guys in the car to just scroll through the cyclingnews forum to get the latest advice?
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Ah okay. I admit to listening to it at 2x times the speed whilst doing something else cause of lack of time yesterday. Guess i misheard that bit.
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- Sep 12, 2022
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No worries, just heard a podcast that also misheard it and said Evenepoel removed his jacket with 35km's to go. Which made the rest of the analysis moot based on that.
There are two TT's (well, one TT and a very short prologue) so even if he's not on the level to fight for a good GC, it will be a good test to see how his shoulder holds up in the TT position and if he's still at his top TT level.
- Sep 12, 2022
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Why do you think he might have 5 minutes of bad legs when climbing in Romandie? I have a feeling he's in similar "climbing" shape as he was in Paris-Nice last year. Wouldn't that be enough to win Romandie knowing there is a prologue and ITT?
In paris nice last year there wasn´t 20km @ 7%
- Sep 12, 2022
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Sure, but he also showed that he was equal with Jorgenson and better than anyone else in the race uphill. He might not be at his needed GT weight, but not sure that is necessary to defeat Almeida.
What I don't understand is the rainjacket 'management' and choice:
About choice:
I still see some flappy designs or designs that seem to be no stretch and some jackets with a shiny fabric. I would expect that the flappy (catches wind) / non-stretch (hinders racing) / shiny (not very breathable) jackets are a no-go. What works when it's pooring rain is either a small rainjacket without sleeves (I saw Ineos ride in those) and I know Gabba is a pretty good design (non-flappy, stretch, breathable and still relatively rain-resistant) and I would expect most teams ride with that or something with similar function.
That's for the choice, and I honestly don't know if all teams do that well.
The other thing is the rainjacket management:
When to wear a jacket and when not, is imho mostly determined by someone in the car having a good app predicting chance for more rainshowers, and a look around to see if competitors are still wearing or not.
Next, there is something to be said about how to put it on / take it off. If it's on at the start and off halfway the race, it should be fine to do it on the bike. But if it has to be on in the race, a non-sleeve jacket will generally work, but most jackets with sleeves are very hard to put on while racing. You could as well plan to put one one by having a controlled stop (like in a bike change) with some team mates. That would probably save more energy than to risk it to do it on the bike, or not dare to put one one and get cold.
Last, there is something to be said about changing a wet jacket for a dry one. I hardly ever see someone doing this, but I would assume it could be beneficial. I thought Nys did this in the race?
What's for sure is that Evenepoel not only made the (rookie) mistake to take it off too soon, but there was no plan at all what to do when it would start raining again. The team could either decide to ease up and allow Evenepoel to put on a new jacket, or they could have provided him or some of his helpers with small sleeveless jackets that fit in the back pockets, or they could at least have warned him through the radio that it was a big gamble to take it off with 75K to go.
About choice:
I still see some flappy designs or designs that seem to be no stretch and some jackets with a shiny fabric. I would expect that the flappy (catches wind) / non-stretch (hinders racing) / shiny (not very breathable) jackets are a no-go. What works when it's pooring rain is either a small rainjacket without sleeves (I saw Ineos ride in those) and I know Gabba is a pretty good design (non-flappy, stretch, breathable and still relatively rain-resistant) and I would expect most teams ride with that or something with similar function.
That's for the choice, and I honestly don't know if all teams do that well.
The other thing is the rainjacket management:
When to wear a jacket and when not, is imho mostly determined by someone in the car having a good app predicting chance for more rainshowers, and a look around to see if competitors are still wearing or not.
Next, there is something to be said about how to put it on / take it off. If it's on at the start and off halfway the race, it should be fine to do it on the bike. But if it has to be on in the race, a non-sleeve jacket will generally work, but most jackets with sleeves are very hard to put on while racing. You could as well plan to put one one by having a controlled stop (like in a bike change) with some team mates. That would probably save more energy than to risk it to do it on the bike, or not dare to put one one and get cold.
Last, there is something to be said about changing a wet jacket for a dry one. I hardly ever see someone doing this, but I would assume it could be beneficial. I thought Nys did this in the race?
What's for sure is that Evenepoel not only made the (rookie) mistake to take it off too soon, but there was no plan at all what to do when it would start raining again. The team could either decide to ease up and allow Evenepoel to put on a new jacket, or they could have provided him or some of his helpers with small sleeveless jackets that fit in the back pockets, or they could at least have warned him through the radio that it was a big gamble to take it off with 75K to go.
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