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

[Berniece]

Looks like bets are coming from the heart, not the head.

How so? What would you change?

 

[MJR]

Strange to see those trade rumors surface. Does QS want out now that they realize Remco isn't going to really challenge Pogi at the Tour?

 

[Berniece]

Strange to see those trade rumors surface. Does QS want out now that they realize Remco isn't going to really challenge Pogi at the Tour?

They resurface every year, over and over again, all year long. Nothing weird about it really.

 

[Oldman]

How so? What would you change?

Nothing. People are betting on cycling. Odds this early are pretty much irrelevant and usually skew to national favorites. Check back after the Dauphine and some other races.

 

[red_flanders]

They resurface every year, over and over again, all year long. Nothing weird about it really.

It happens more for Remco because his team isn't dominant (like UAE and Visma recently) and it's natural for fans to wish he were on a better GC team with more firepower.

 

[Berniece]

It happens more for Remco because his team isn't dominant (like UAE and Visma recently) and it's natural for fans to wish he were on a better GC team with more firepower.

I agree, but it has nothing to do with: "QS want out now that they realize Remco isn't going to really challenge Pogi at the Tour"

 

[red_flanders]

I agree, but it has nothing to do with: "QS want out now that they realize Remco isn't going to really challenge Pogi at the Tour"

I have seen no evidence of that.

That said, I don't know that it's a completely unreasonable bit of speculation given the change in management post-Lefevere. Or rather not an unreasonable question to ask. Maybe they have different priorities now? No idea personally.

 

[AmRacer]

I have seen no evidence of that.

That said, I don't know that it's a completely unreasonable bit of speculation given the change in management post-Lefevere. Or rather not an unreasonable question to ask. Maybe they have different priorities now? No idea personally.

The Wolfpack never went for GT GC?

 

[red_flanders]

The Wolfpack never went for GT GC?

Not sure I follow.

 

[AmRacer]

Not sure I follow.

I mean, Remco transformed the team. Remco is a great one day racer.

 

[red_flanders]

I mean, Remco transformed the team. Remco is a great one day racer.

And a Grand Tour champion.

 

[AmRacer]

And a Grand Tour champion.

Lots of them in this Giro.

 

[Oldman]

I agree, but it has nothing to do with: "QS want out now that they realize Remco isn't going to really challenge Pogi at the Tour"

It is the same rumor from the last two seasons. It has more relevance as Remco is aging and constantly going from great feat to great wreck. If sponsors want a GC guy he'd be best served to go to a fully committed contract that doesn't insist he wins immediately. He's not built for a high pressure timetable and he's got so many other races he is exceptionally suited to win. Red Bull doesn't care if it's a classic or a GT. They bring the hype and self-promote with all of their sports. The events they sponsor help define their athletes so it's not a losing relationship compared to a traditional, worn Euro-centric routine. Watch the Kitzbühel Downhill support promotions and festival. RedBull had a serious stunt plane flying down that course, under banners at 200mph. Remco could go intergalactic on the PR side....that's what a new management team would be selling.

 

[Berniece]

I have seen no evidence of that.

That said, I don't know that it's a completely unreasonable bit of speculation given the change in management post-Lefevere. Or rather not an unreasonable question to ask. Maybe they have different priorities now? No idea personally.

You still have sponsors interest who invested in GT’s, not classics. I can imagine that if Evenepoel leaves they go back to their roots though, but I don’t think they want to.

 

[KoopaCycling]

I'm not sure about that. Isn't is the same sponsor group that's been behind lefevre for decades. Maybe with lefevre gone they might be considering leaving as well. I always felt it was more about backing (belgian) talent. Than a particular area of cycling. Museeuw, Boonen, Gilbert, Evenepoel. If Evenepoel leaves, and they unearth the next belgian talent, they'd roll with that methinks. I always felt like they just build around their belgian leader. Maybe i'm wrong in thinking that.

I mean they also have an italian connection methinks.

 

[Berniece]

I'm not sure about that. Isn't is the same sponsor group that's been behind lefevre for decades. Maybe with lefevre gone they might be considering leaving as well. I always felt it was more about backing (belgian) talent. Than a particular area of cycling. Museeuw, Boonen, Gilbert, Evenepoel. If Evenepoel leaves, and they unearth the next belgian talent, they'd roll with that methinks. I always felt like they just build around their belgian leader. Maybe i'm wrong in thinking that.

I mean they also have an italian connection methinks.

Who is the next Belgian talent? They would need to get De Lie, who said no already to them, although in a different situation. Or Widar? Who I doubt would go to SOQ if he can go for bigger money, and has a contract until end of 2027.

 

[AmRacer]

Who is the next Belgian talent? They would need to get De Lie, who said no already to them, although in a different situation. Or Widar? Who I doubt would go to SOQ if he can go for bigger money, and has a contract until end of 2027.

Maybe the next talent is a junior

 

[KoopaCycling]

No idea. Definitely not de Lie i think. I would not trust him. Widar might fit their current team setup, and will likely leave lotto when his contract is up. Not Nys cause he already on a good team. Won't leave Trek. But would not be surprised if there are riders in the pipeline we don't know yet. Or have heard from but are slower in their development. Not everyone is a champion at 18. Belgium remains a cycling country.

Plus things can change quickly. I would not have expected Boonen to leave Us Postal the year after his breakthrough. But he did. Soudal remains a big team. Not on the same level as UAE, Lidl but one of the bigger teams around.
I'd say they are right behind the Top 5 when it comes to budget. Somewhere in the Top 10.

 

[KoopaCycling]

If the Tour is similar to the giro so far, Red Bull might want to go for Remco after all.

 

[Extinction]

If the Tour is similar to the giro so far, Red Bull might want to go for Remco after all.

My thoughts exactly. But you need a Tour with 2x50 +, basically flat, km TTs, as of yore.

 

[AlpRaid]

I don't want remco going to Red Bull. I used to think it could be good, but there is really no evidence that they know how to prepare riders for GTs any better than QS. Last year at the TDF, rog was fairly isolated and after he dropped out, the remaining team was awful. Largely the same in this year's Giro, apart from the fabulous 21-year old Pellizzari, who will likely want a shot at leading the team in the future. But Hindley has been nowhere and so too Martinez. they are really not top tier as I thought they were going to be with the huge influx of money.

 

[red_flanders]

I don't want remco going to Red Bull. I used to think it could be good, but there is really no evidence that they know how to prepare riders for GTs any better than QS. Last year at the TDF, rog was fairly isolated and after he dropped out, the remaining team was awful. Largely the same in this year's Giro, apart from the fabulous 21-year old Pellizzari, who will likely want a shot at leading the team in the future. But Hindley has been nowhere and so too Martinez. they are really not top tier as I thought they were going to be with the huge influx of money.

Same feels here. INEOS gets more interesting again, with some real talent around him, and they seem to have potentially righted the ship. But the bikes...blocker right now...

 

[Berniece]

I don't want remco going to Red Bull. I used to think it could be good, but there is really no evidence that they know how to prepare riders for GTs any better than QS. Last year at the TDF, rog was fairly isolated and after he dropped out, the remaining team was awful. Largely the same in this year's Giro, apart from the fabulous 21-year old Pellizzari, who will likely want a shot at leading the team in the future. But Hindley has been nowhere and so too Martinez. they are really not top tier as I thought they were going to be with the huge influx of money.

You need to give Red Bull time to get better at it. Look at Visma and UAE, they weren't GC power houses from the start. They probably already learned a lot from this Giro alone, which they'll take with them when trying to improve as a team.

 

[Netserk]

I don't want remco going to Red Bull. I used to think it could be good, but there is really no evidence that they know how to prepare riders for GTs any better than QS. Last year at the TDF, rog was fairly isolated and after he dropped out, the remaining team was awful. Largely the same in this year's Giro, apart from the fabulous 21-year old Pellizzari, who will likely want a shot at leading the team in the future. But Hindley has been nowhere and so too Martinez. they are really not top tier as I thought they were going to be with the huge influx of money.

Hindley was perfectly on track before he crashed out. Martínez had severe pre-season setbacks, and it was already clear in March that he wouldn't be at his best.

 

[KoopaCycling]

I would go to Ineos at this point. But i'm not sure. Aside from them needing to have the expertise and the team, they also need to have the right atmosphere. I don't know which team has the better atmosphere. You want a positive, yet demanding enough atmosphere. But not that the demands become a burden, but that the demands remain a boost.

Also just staying at Soudal is always an option. Cyclist talk. If it's clear that soudal expertise for GT has become up-to-date with the top teams, the incentive to leave is not that great imo.