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

[Krzysztof_O]

Why trying to follow the mutants at all costs? To release his fury maybe it's better to lose a lot of GC time and win a few stages instead?

 

[CyclistAbi]

Why trying to follow the mutants at all costs? To release his fury maybe it's better to lose a lot of GC time and win a few stages instead?

Like Pogi and Jonas will really let you win a stage?

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Like Pogi and Jonas will really let you win a stage?

There will be some breakaway stages, right? Remco can be the hero of them.

 

[Berniece]

So i assume that sending Remco and one climber in support of his GC ambitions plus six other team members not focused on the GC but on stage hunting. Out of the picture?

P.S. As some seem to suggest that is the best strategy, over in the Red Bull - Bora - Hansgroh thread.

SOQ will send Remco and Merlier. Van Lerberghe for sprint support, all the rest is in support of Evenepoel. Can go from climbers to rouleurs. Evenepoel won’t lack support and neither will Merlier

 

[KoopaCycling]

A podium in the tour is nothing to scoff at. Worth more than a 'measly' stage win.

 

[Unchained]

Lets say you travel late in the day on the 26th. You race on 27th. Maybe take a rest day in between or light training on the 28th. Race again on the 29th, travel back later that night. day of rest maybe afterwards. That's 4 days, and you raced and possible trained a bit. just not on altitude.

Also if you skip races out of fear of crashing... Then why bother with the TdF. Most hectic race of them all.

If you ride 3-6 hours and travel trains, planes and automobiles are not good recovery. Many riders say sleeping in a big stable bus or caravan while driving is not the equivalent of showering, sleeping in a bed..
As far as shying away from danger when you have the choice, that's just smart life and racing choices!!
Why take a risk that you don't absolutely have to?
With very little reward? Wear Belgian colors instead of the rainbow? Easy easy choice.
Textbook example:
Pick your battles.

 

[Unchained]

Why trying to follow the mutants at all costs? To release his fury maybe it's better to lose a lot of GC time and win a few stages instead?

I think it's something internal, he can't talk,train and act like he knows that they are better extended climbers than him..at least in public, out in the open.
Remco could divide the race to suit him, which in my opinion is his only real option. Just plan to only race half the tour and divide his energy accordingly, drop out after drilling it for stage wins.
Roglic ,if he shows up, hasn't finished in years.. And given his age gotta think this will be one of his last opportunities.. When picking top 3, Remco instead of Roglic is factored in, which is sort of strange given each rider's record.
Roglic will really need a year of good luck, that said he and Remco both went to Dauphine for easier tour tune up and ended up crashing out in different forms. I really don't think that 3 weeks of perfect racing are in the stars for Remco..
for years for Roglic, Roglic running out of time to break the cycle.. Remco plenty of time..

 

[CyclistAbi]

There will be some breakaway stages, right? Remco can be the hero of them.

It would be disrespectful, to not chase down the former world champion and current Olympic champion.

SOQ will send Remco and Merlier. Van Lerberghe for sprint support, all the rest is in support of Evenepoel. Can go from climbers to rouleurs. Evenepoel won’t lack support and neither will Merlier

I see, so division:

Pogi: 8 rider roster all GC orientated and under serious social media pressure for all to perform, or else.
Jonas: 7,5 rider roster GC orientated and a hefty 0,5 rider having some personal freedom. Jonas basically already confirming he will be training at the Tour for taking on Vuelta.
Remco: 6 rider roster GC orientated and a small team of 2 sprinting orientated. I assume the memo got in and Remco fuming at altitude over it.

Rogla a bit of unknown for now, all sorts of theories circulating. Anywhere from 2 to 8 riders GC orientated roster. I must say that i would like for Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe to replicate what Pogi is doing, without all the social media crap, as too old for that ***. We'll see.

 

[KoopaCycling]

If you ride 3-6 hours and travel trains, planes and automobiles are not good recovery. Many riders say sleeping in a big stable bus or caravan while driving is not the equivalent of showering, sleeping in a bed..
As far as shying away from danger when you have the choice, that's just smart life and racing choices!!
Why take a risk that you don't absolutely have to?
With very little reward? Wear Belgian colors instead of the rainbow? Easy easy choice.
Textbook example:
Pick your battles.

First one is TT. Sure it's a long day of prep but Remco only needs to be at around 80% to win that one cause he's that good at TT. RR comes later and any fatigue from travelling should be gone.

I disagree with these picking your battles thing. That is what WVA did, and in picking his battles he lost so many important races simply by not bothering to show up. When hey could have easily added some races without really losing out. Obviously i don't mean to say you should ride everything. But there is no reason at all to skip certain races if you can factor them in around your bigger goals. Also the belgian National championship ain't nothing to scoff at. Belgian, Italian, French, Spanish National championships matter imo. I'll grant you other national championships may fall under a more personal desire to be champion of your country. But those 4 national titles are worth more than other national titles imo.

 

[Berniece]

Jonas: 7,5 rider roster GC orientated and a hefty 0,5 rider having some personal freedom. Jonas basically already confirming he will be training at the Tour for taking on Vuelta.
Remco: 6 rider roster GC orientated and a small team of 2 sprinting orientated. I assume the memo got in and Remco fuming at altitude over it.

Where did you see Vingegaard saying TDF is training for Vuelta?

Remco and Merlier went to Specialized in off season and it was already decided both would go to the TDF. No one is fuming.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Where did you see Vingegaard saying TDF is training for Vuelta?

AFAIK Jonas mentioned Vuelta on multiple occasions at Dauphiné (pre and post race interviews).

Remco and Merlier went to Specialized in off season and it was already decided both would go to the TDF. No one is fuming.

“He is furious” – Remco Evenepoel reportedly training angry ahead of the Tour de France

Remco Evenepoel’s performance at the 2025 Critérium du Dauphiné has raised alarm bells inside and outside his camp. Despite a brilliant time trial, he finished fourth place, over four minutes down on...

cyclinguptodate.com

 

[KoopaCycling]

First part of TDF is keeping Remco safe. Rouleurs can do that better than climbers. later part in the mountains, they would be in trouble anyways cause of their roster limitations even if full team was selected in favour of Remco. Not saying Soudal has no climber domestiques at all, but the more important ones have crashed out.

Also no one is expecting Soudal to carry the weight of the peloton.
despite Landa's importance, i actually think their vuelta roster in 2022 was the best they managed around remco so far.
I'm not saying that cause he won there. I'm saying that cause i think it's true.

 

[houtdffan]

I've learned in Het Nieuwsblad today, that according to Dirk De Wolf, who called with father Patrick, who read between the lines - you see where I'm going ... but still - that Remco is quite angry at himself for his performance in the Dauphiné.

Least you can say is that he's got a champion's mentality.

GOOD!

He should be pissed at himself.

He also needs to in one of these prep races, actually find what his true limit is. Go until he blows up entirely. That way he knows exactly what he is capable of

 

[Berniece]

AFAIK Jonas mentioned Vuelta on multiple occasions at Dauphiné (pre and post race interviews).

“He is furious” – Remco Evenepoel reportedly training angry ahead of the Tour de France

Remco Evenepoel’s performance at the 2025 Critérium du Dauphiné has raised alarm bells inside and outside his camp. Despite a brilliant time trial, he finished fourth place, over four minutes down on...

cyclinguptodate.com

Yeah he’s riding the Vuelta, just like Pogacar is riding WC. Is he using TDF to train for WC?

Remco is furious because of his result in Dauphine, not because Merlier is riding TDF…

 

[Tim Cahill]

He is angry
Training alone on the mountain
Things have taken a dark turn
Word from the camp is that he's refusing to come out of his room when called for his dinner
He just sits in there all day listening to old My Chemical Romance tapes
His new look is just who he is now, phonies like you wouldn't understand.

 

[AmRacer]

First one is TT. Sure it's a long day of prep but Remco only needs to be at around 80% to win that one cause he's that good at TT. RR comes later and any fatigue from travelling should be gone.

I disagree with these picking your battles thing. That is what WVA did, and in picking his battles he lost so many important races simply by not bothering to show up. When hey could have easily added some races without really losing out. Obviously i don't mean to say you should ride everything. But there is no reason at all to skip certain races if you can factor them in around your bigger goals. Also the belgian National championship ain't nothing to scoff at. Belgian, Italian, French, Spanish National championships matter imo. I'll grant you other national championships may fall under a more personal desire to be champion of your country. But those 4 national titles are worth more than other national titles imo.

Is Wout riding the TT? 80 % Remco isn't enough to win then.

 

[Miss Violet Smith]

He is angry
Training alone on the mountain
Things have taken a dark turn
Word from the camp is that he's refusing to come out of his room when called for his dinner
He just sits in there all day listening to old My Chemical Romance tapes
His new look is just who he is now, phonies like you wouldn't understand.

"When Remco was a young boy
His father took him into the city
To see a cycling race
He said, "Son, when you grow up
Would you be the savior of the broken
The beaten and the chased?"
He said, "Will you defeat them?
Your demons, and all the non-believers
The plans that they have made?"
"Because one day, I'll leave you a phantom
To lead you in the summer
To join the Tour de France"

Freely after MCR's "Welcome to the Black Parade "

 

[CyclistAbi]

Remco is furious because of his result in Dauphine, not because Merlier is riding TDF…

Will Merlier riding the Tour help in regards to:

While he made clear that Evenepoel is “koleirig” (furious) primarilywith himself, the frustration also extends to the team setup.

“The team was not good in the Dauphiné: forty men in frontand no one else with him. Remco who has to get refreshments himself. That hasto improve in the Tour,”

 

[AlpRaid]

Remco is furious because of his result in Dauphine, not because Merlier is riding TDF…

he may also be furious with himself for crashing. likely hurt his real test against the two aliens the following two days.

however, the way I see it, those two are out of reach once the road goes up. remco is much more in line with Almeida. if in his best form and stays away from crashes and illness, he has a good shot at 3rd again -- though I fear a Vuelta 2023 collapse due to lack of winter foundation.

perhaps he should go all out during the flat/hilly first 9 days and see whether he can create issues for at least one of the aliens. Merckx did much the same in 1975. the second day broken up into two separate stages saw two attacks by GC riders (specifically Merckx). Merckx and Moser were in both, but the rest -- Thevenet, Van Impe, Zoetemelk, Gimondi, Pollentier, etc. all missed one of the breaks, I think. Lemond in 1991 also attacked with Breukink and a group and took two minutes on the peloton. Of course neither Merckx or Lemond won those TDFs but they lit them up.

I also get the feeling that neither pog or vingo think of him as a real threat. sure they will chase him as long as he is in contention, but I think they know he can be dropped easily (for them) in the mountains.

 

[Berniece]

Will Merlier riding the Tour help in regards to:

So nowhere does it say he’s furious Merlier is riding TDF. You are seeing ghosts

 

[Oldman]

There will be some breakaway stages, right? Remco can be the hero of them.

That reality is changing with Lidl-trek and MvP being fully trained for the Tour. He would be left chasing the suicidal long moves. How he sneaks into one of those would the question ?

 

[AmRacer]

That reality is changing with Lidl-trek and MvP being fully trained for the Tour. He would be left chasing the suicidal long moves. How he sneaks into one of those would the question ?

Just sit up with MvdP on a few stages, and there's freedom.

 

[Cycling111]

Remco doesn't need a team to attack in the mountains.
In a TDF, that's usually handled by the favorite's team and the second contender.

Right now, Remco is aiming for the podium.

His team cannot approach the Tour as if Remco were at least the second favorite to win it. We have to be realistic, and what Remco needs to do is minimize losses to the top two. Until he proves he's the second contender for the Tour, it's normal for Soudal or another team not to put seven riders at his disposal.

 

[CyclistAbi]

So nowhere does it say he’s furious Merlier is riding TDF. You are seeing ghosts

OK, if you say so. Lets see on how that one goes at the Tour.

 

[KoopaCycling]

Is Wout riding the TT? 80 % Remco isn't enough to win then.

I don't think so.
I think Segaert, Vermeersch, Lampaert his biggest adversaries in the TT i think.
So long as he don't crash, he just needs to show up and race okay.

RR is a different beast