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

[QueenStagiaire]

i already knew what happened: he's not a great climber

How many GT winners are there that are not great climbers and do you just take that as the reason when they get dropped at over 100 k to go?

 

[Berniece]

"Leaving the Tour was the hardest decision I've made in a long time. But it was the right one. For once, I truly listened to my body. And I hope that moment sends a message, especially to the young riders watching: It's okay to stop. It's okay to feel tired. It's okay to be human. Sometimes stepping back is the strongest thing to do."

What more could he have said?

That he will learn from it? Maybe he implied it

 

[Berniece]

didn't say he was a bad climber. i said he wasn't a great one.

So there are 2 great climbers in the peloton, then you just "good" climbers?

 

[KoopaCycling]

Guess Remco crashed during BK. Already forget. I disagree with all the posters now saying he should not have ridden BK.
I understand Tour is bigger and all that jazz. most importance race and all that. But at the end of the day when healthy, riders need to ride. If you start avoiding races out of fear, it gets unhealthy quick imo; But i understand i'm by far the minority on this, and that 99% of the people will agree it's better not to ride BK.

In any case i don't think the rib changed the overall outcome. The tank was not getting any refuel. And running empty before the tour even properly began at stage 12. Call it excuses. but from what we've seen, it seems to be true.

Further confirmation he needs to stop blindly setting goals, and take a realistic healthy approach. It's not cause the Tour is the biggest race and your biggest goal that you should not stop and think about what is possible and good. Now he got 1 TT win out of it and a lot of people questioning his GT prowess... Not a good trade if you ask me.

Take your time remco, get healthy, build, and only when ready race. Forget about goals. Set your goals once you're body is ready to go.

 

[zlev11]

How many GT winners are there that are not great climbers and do you just take that as the reason when they get dropped at over 100 k to go?

he got dropped in the same spot 2 grand tours ago

 

[Cycling111]

Almeida couldn't even continue on the flat, and Remco was able to finish mountain stages and a mountain time trial?

 

[zlev11]

So there are 2 great climbers in the peloton, then you just "good" climbers?

last year in the GC he beat: his own domestique, two of Pogacars domestiques and then Carlos Rodriguez and Matteo Jorgenson, who both got big time dropped this year again and again.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

last year in the GC he beat: his own domestique, two of Pogacars domestiques and then Carlos Rodriguez and Matteo Jorgenson, who both got big time dropped this year again and again.

Well ok, he could have also beaten those imaginary GC greats that aren‘t domestiques at UAE at the moment but they hardly even exist.

 

[Red Rick]

Here we go again.

 

[Flamin]

Or ... he does everything not to let his team down, wins a stage, helps his sprinter and only quits when the team asks it, not to hurt his later goals. Remco is a 100% team player.

They won 3 more stages. I don't think the team *needed* a semi-fit Remco to have a succesful Tour.

Not that he has to do it, but since you mention it, when did he help Merlier?

 

[bah]

So there are 2 great climbers in the peloton, then you just "good" climbers?

This is the issue with what passes as discussion in this thread. There are several posters who frequent this thread who cannot wait to tell everyone how Remco doesn't have the climbing ability of Pogacar and Vingegaard etc, etc, and not only that, he's just not a very good climber in general. People will counter with his Vuelta win, third in his first TDF but what difference does it make?

He drops super early on a climb in this TDF and those people who love doing him down are the first to jump in here and claim their views have been vindicated, as if dropping before tens of other riders is just Remco's level. If someone points out that this is clearly not his level, well, everyone is just coming up with excuses.

For the record, I doubt many Remco fans feel he can be on a par with Pogacar and Vingegaard; with better preparation maybe he could close the gap somewhat. Probably most feel he needs a change of team. And yes, the inconsistency (for various reasons) is an issue but it's just silly to argue that when at his best he is not one of the best climbers in the world. It's like people saying he's not a GT rider when he's won a bloody GT.

 

[AmRacer]

Chris @Froome is a great natural climber.

 

[AmRacer]

This is the issue with what passes as discussion in this thread. There are several posters who frequent this thread who cannot wait to tell everyone how Remco doesn't have the climbing ability of Pogacar and Vingegaard etc, etc, and not only that, he's just not a very good climber in general. People will counter with his Vuelta win, third in his first TDF but what difference does it make?

He drops super early on a climb in this TDF and those people who love doing him down are the first to jump in here and claim their views have been vindicated, as if dropping before tens of other riders is just Remco's level. If someone points out that this is clearly not his level, well, everyone is just coming up with excuses.

For the record, I doubt many Remco fans feel he can be on a par with Pogacar and Vingegaard; with better preparation maybe he could close the gap somewhat. Probably most feel he needs a change of team. And yes, the inconsistency (for various reasons) is an issue but it's just silly to argue that when at his best he is not one of the best climbers in the world. It's like people saying he's not a GT rider when he's won a bloody GT.

Jai Hindley is a GT rider.

 

[bah]

Jay Hindley is a GT rider.

Agreed.

 

[Peyroteo94]

He said he broke a rib before the Tour. There are 2 ways to see it:
- He really is a beast and suffers like no one. A broken rib and he was still strong in the first week. Comparing his performance to Almeida is laughable.
- Or he is lying.

I bet in option number 2. I don't believe Soudal would let him race the Tour and despite his subpar performance, he still rode a good first week (was very hard and intense).
This kid really needs to heal his head, way more than his legs.

 

[peterfin]

They won 3 more stages. I don't think the team *needed* a semi-fit Remco to have a succesful Tour.

Not that he has to do it, but since you mention it, when did he help Merlier?

He was helping in front beyond the 5 km mark when Merlier won his first (stage 3), a risk most GC guys don't take (rightfully because Remco crashed in to the usual sprinters crash). He was crucial in catching MVDP when Merlier won his 2nd stage (stage 9).

 

[Berniece]

last year in the GC he beat: his own domestique, two of Pogacars domestiques and then Carlos Rodriguez and Matteo Jorgenson, who both got big time dropped this year again and again.

He also dropped Onley who might finish on the podium this year. So what's your point?

 

[Berniece]

He said he broke a rib before the Tour. There are 2 ways to see it:
- He really is a beast and suffers like no one. A broken rib and he was still strong in the first week. Comparing his performance to Almeida is laughable.
- Or he is lying.

I bet in option number 2. I don't believe Soudal would let him race the Tour and despite his subpar performance, he still rode a good first week (was very hard and intense).
This kid really needs to heal his head, way more than his legs.

Makes no sense to lie. More than enough riders that have ridden a race with broken bones, also broken ribs.

 

[peterfin]

He said he broke a rib before the Tour. There are 2 ways to see it:
- He really is a beast and suffers like no one. A broken rib and he was still strong in the first week. Comparing his performance to Almeida is laughable.
- Or he is lying.

I bet in option number 2. I don't believe Soudal would let him race the Tour and despite his subpar performance, he still rode a good first week (was very hard and intense).
This kid really needs to heal his head, way more than his legs.

So what you are asking for is a CT scan?

 

[AmRacer]

Makes no sense to lie. More than enough riders that have ridden a race with broken bones, also broken ribs.

Riding a GT for GC?

 

[Peyroteo94]

Makes no sense to lie. More than enough riders that have ridden a race with broken bones, also broken ribs.

Again, another incoherence. "Makes no sense to lie". How many times did he lie this year? Wasn't Remco who said he was racing the Nationals to get that little spark to be at his best in the Tour? Today he is writing a post saying he never felt good this season and was always in a rush.
This year, he lied on multiple occasions and he is very incoherent in what he says before a race and after a race.
You can believe in what you want. I just don't buy it specially when facts show he already lied to us (fans).

 

[KoopaCycling]

We did see photos of Remco with bandage on his ribs.

And i don't think that quote about a spark prior the tdf is wrong. He was probably not were he wanted to be.
And was maybe hoping a tough BK could jumpstart him.

I do believe he purposely glosses over problems prior to a race. Maybe cause he does not want his competition to know or cause he is hopeful. At the end of the day, you can't hide your form in the TdF.

 

[AlpRaid]

For the record, I doubt many Remco fans feel he can be on a par with Pogacar and Vingegaard..

great post.

one caveat, however. I actually think remco could totally be on par with pog, the pre-2024 version, that had bad days and would get dropped once in a while.

it is what happened since then that makes it impossible -- pog's crazy-a$$ improvement.

vingo is a different beast - historically/naturally high VO2 and light as a feather -- he was always to climb better than remco. so it would depend on remco coming in in 2022 Vuelta shape and having a fair amount of flat ITT. I still think vingo would have him by a couple of minutes, but it would be good traditional fight between the TTer who can climb and the climber who can TT.

pog just makes it all ridiculous now.

interesting that Netflix showed pog being pretty devastated by the trouncing at Combloux ITT. and since then the strange transformation has taken place.

 

[Mayomaniac]

He said he broke a rib before the Tour. There are 2 ways to see it:
- He really is a beast and suffers like no one. A broken rib and he was still strong in the first week. Comparing his performance to Almeida is laughable.
- Or he is lying.

I bet in option number 2. I don't believe Soudal would let him race the Tour and despite his subpar performance, he still rode a good first week (was very hard and intense).
This kid really needs to heal his head, way more than his legs.

Might also just be a small hairline fracture that messed with his training and recovery, because winning an ITT with a broken rib sounds pretty much impossible to me.

 

[Cycling111]

Again, another incoherence. "Makes no sense to lie". How many times did he lie this year? Wasn't Remco who said he was racing the Nationals to get that little spark to be at his best in the Tour? Today he is writing a post saying he never felt good this season and was always in a rush.
This year, he lied on multiple occasions and he is very incoherent in what he says before a race and after a race.
You can believe in what you want. I just don't buy it specially when facts show he already lied to us (fans).

Remco said after Hautacam that he didn't have anything physical. If he's not lying now, he lied then.

What surprises me most is that he had a crash on the stage Merlier won and nothing happened. With a broken rib, any accident is a risk and it hurts a lot.

Besides, being able to ride a bike is one thing, but walking is worse, and it didn't seens anything strange.