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

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I find that quite difficult to arrange, they do most stuff by car. So by driving to and from you already lost 1-2 days. Then do recon and immediately go back?

I agree that there is time to do recon between December and start TDF, just not sure it should’ve happened in January-February when there was so much physio. Then again I don’t know his calendar, maybe there was time. Just tells you how unprofessional or unserious they are at SOQ.

It doesn't really matter when, but he should have had more time than riders who were actually racing before April. And I don't see why that should have been difficult to arrange. Take a plane, rent a car for stages too far south. We used to ride to Disney land in the morning, spend the day there, come back after dark, all on the same day. Not every stage needs to be reconned, not the entire route of the stages that do, need to be reconned. Not all stages need to be reconned on one day. It's pure laziness and amateurish to go to the TDF with the ambition to at least podium and not knowing the route

 

[hayneplane]

Landa, Roglic, Ayuso (iirc)...
Edit: the Yateseses, Hindley, Arensman, Tiberi...

Derek Gee, Carapaz (maybe), Rubio, Storer.

 

[red_flanders]

Lrcp beats horner

Anything beats Horner...

 

[jmdirt]

I find that quite difficult to arrange, they do most stuff by car. So by driving to and from you already lost 1-2 days. Then do recon and immediately go back?

I agree that there is time to do recon between December and start TDF, just not sure it should’ve happened in January-February when there was so much physio. Then again I don’t know his calendar, maybe there was time. Just tells you how unprofessional or unserious they are at SOQ.

I'm thinking that during recovery is by far the best time to recon via car because he isn't doing anything for weeks (his words). This is a top level team they should take the physio with them, not schedule to go back and forth.

 

[Ripper]

I'm thinking that during recovery is by far the best time to recon via car because he isn't doing anything for weeks (his words). This is a top level team they should take the physio with them, not schedule to go back and forth.

To the bolded - you are correct, but I don't know if they actually do it that way. They play it pretty close so it is hard to say whether they act like a tope level team or a bunch of bozos who follow rehab and prep from the 70's

 

[Ripper]

Anything beats Horner...

Truth!

Although Horner is funny if you are in the mood ...

 

[Ripper]

Yeah... so what has he and the team been doing the past months when he wasn't able to train due to his injury? Wasn't that the ideal moment to do extensive recons and analysis of the TDF route?

Yes it was.

Perhaps it was an extensive self pity party

 

[Berniece]

I'm thinking that during recovery is by far the best time to recon via car because he isn't doing anything for weeks (his words). This is a top level team they should take the physio with them, not schedule to go back and forth.

It’s not the teams physio, he’s an independent and the best in Belgium with a huge clientele. He can’t just leave. But I agree that there must have been time to go already

 

[KoopaCycling]

Lets be real, aside from a few crucial stages recon is overrated. A flat stage, you just need to know the danger zones to avoid crashing.

Uphill is nice to have points of reference, but the legs are the legs. Downhill finals (&TT) are the most crucial imo for recon. But what do i know. nothing really. just my own thoughts on the matter.

 

[Berniece]

Article in Het Nieuwsblad with Evenepoel and his director Lodewyck. Apparently SOQ staff thought it was a bad idea to ride Fleche Wallone, but Evenepoel wanted to... I get that after sitting on the sidelines for so long, and seeing everyone else start the season you want so too, but sometimes you need to do what's best for your results. And maybe listen to the staff, who's the boss in that team really?

 

[KenFiamingo]

Article in Het Nieuwsblad with Evenepoel and his director Lodewyck. Apparently SOQ staff thought it was a bad idea to ride Fleche Wallone, but Evenepoel wanted to... I get that after sitting on the sidelines for so long, and seeing everyone else start the season you want so too, but sometimes you need to do what's best for your results. And maybe listen to the staff, who's the boss in that team really?

Why did they think it would be a bad idea?

 

[houtdffan]

Article in Het Nieuwsblad with Evenepoel and his director Lodewyck. Apparently SOQ staff thought it was a bad idea to ride Fleche Wallone, but Evenepoel wanted to... I get that after sitting on the sidelines for so long, and seeing everyone else start the season you want so too, but sometimes you need to do what's best for your results. And maybe listen to the staff, who's the boss in that team really?

the bad idea was letting him take off his rain jacket so early