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

[KoopaCycling]

I think 75% of the posters here are people who dislike Remco.
25% are people who want him to do well, and are genuine fans.

I know Remco is polarising, but this says something. So many people don't like him for various reasons.
Yet strangely i'm starting to think the biggest reason is that despite their complete and utter belief he could never be a true rival for their favourite (possible true GT wise if Pogacar remains an alien, his level can always drop a bit though), remco is seen as a possible threat to them.

I know people will laugh away this comment and make fun of me for saying this. But it's the feeling i'm starting to get from people posting here.

 

[Unchained]

A few things are very encouraging about Bora, ditched the doper Aldag,... immediately set things straight in the media with meaning what they say..
previously they had mutiny and insubordination with Cian situation, this time teams can learn lots from media.. When media started speculation about where Roglic fits, making huge assumption that with the arrival of Remco, Roglic was unnecessary clutter... Not..
maybe he will go but it will be on the terms of the team in conjunction with existing contract. No fire sale..And TDF taught some serious management lessons, with plenty of examples, one that sticks in my mind was Quinn Simmons passive aggressive calling his boss an idiot. Whoever Bora gets they better know what they are doing because bus can get pretty tight and small if they let egos get out of control.
Remco will show up with train cars full of disappointment and dreams unrealized so far..Roglic will have to be in clear communication mode.. Don't need a Kuss, Vingegaard love triangle , but this time with Lipowitz and Remco..Going to be interesting to see what direction they go in..

 

[James M]

I think 75% of the posters here are people who dislike Remco.

Whats interesting is that stating facts isn’t the same as hating, just to be clear. Not saying Remco doesn’t have haters im sure he has and who you refer to I dont know, but some people also just point out the obvious also. Thats not hate, it’s reality.

It’s going to be interesting to see next season. Remco is coming off a terrible year, with honestly more question marks than the latest round of excuses served by him and his team. Ironically, these are the same people who, before the Dauphine, Tour, and Liege, claimed he was in top form and better than ever(last year), same people who along with Remco forced him into the classics with a lesser base for whatever reason, and which directly contradicts their latest statement of excuses..

Remco definitely has something to prove next season cause its becoming a meme, first of all I want him to consisently prove he can climb on a top tier level, lets all hope for that and move from there.

 

[red_flanders]

I think 75% of the posters here are people who dislike Remco.
25% are people who want him to do well, and are genuine fans.

I know Remco is polarising, but this says something. So many people don't like him for various reasons.
Yet strangely i'm starting to think the biggest reason is that despite their complete and utter belief he could never be a true rival for their favourite (possible true GT wise if Pogacar remains an alien, his level can always drop a bit though), remco is seen as a possible threat to them.

I know people will laugh away this comment and make fun of me for saying this. But it's the feeling i'm starting to get from people posting here.

I think it's been interesting watching the tone change in this thread a bit in the last several days. I think it's somewhat normal as a top rider moves from one team to another. Some folks who are fans of the new team react to the change, some folks who are fans of the old team might feel a bit put off by a big rider leaving, and fans of particular riders seem to have reactions to how this change will impact their favorite rider.

All to say it'll blow over to some degree and we'll get back to the normal level of Evenepoel love/hate soon enough. 😂

 

[Unchained]

Whats interesting is that stating facts isn’t the same as hating, just to be clear. Not saying Remco doesn’t have haters im sure he has and who you refer to I dont know, but some people also just point out the obvious also. Thats not hate, it’s reality.

It’s going to be interesting to see next season. Remco is coming off a terrible year, with honestly more question marks than the latest round of excuses served by him and his team. Ironically, these are the same people who, before the Dauphine, Tour, and Liege, claimed he was in top form and better than ever(last year), same people who along with Remco forced him into the classics with a lesser base for whatever reason, and which directly contradicts their latest statement of excuses..

Remco definitely has something to prove next season cause its becoming a meme, first of all I want him to consisently prove he can climb on a top tier level, lets all hope for that and move from there.

Koopa and Red Flanders make good points but sooner or later all the extenuating circumstances are for not..bad team, bad luck, incomplete recovery, Remco list is endless for underachieving and potential that petered out.. Pro sports is filled with stories about athletes who were predicted to be great, greatest and instead came up short. Bora already will need to make structural decisions for 2026 Giro..send anyone or save everyone, everything for TDF if that is what is on Remco's radar..

He probably has many years of possibility for grand tours but nobody involved talks or acts like it.. Remco acts like his career is ice cream sitting out in August sun!!!

 

[Oldman]

What happens if Remco struggles like this year and/or Lipowitz emerges as a better tour rider?
Could be some dissension in the red bull ranks

Both Remco and Lipowitz would have to know that, if they're not up to the demands of being featured at a race that acknowledging the team's analysis of who is featured will rule. Better than kicking up an issue before a race and then proving everybody right by sucking during the featured race. These guys are smarter than that.
My hope is Remco's management team has grown up, too.

 

[red_flanders]

He probably has many years of possibility for grand tours but nobody involved talks or acts like it.. Remco acts like his career is ice cream sitting out in August sun!!!

That's interesting, I would very much agree he's got a lot of time left. He's been around so long coming from the juniors that it's easy to forget the guy is 25 and if he wants, has a long career ahead of him. He has an impressive palmares already.

Personally I think the timing is good, as to my view another year at SQS was another year wondering if he is maximizing his level. I do think it was overdue if anything.

The sport is better with Remco winning, love him or hate him. More rivalries is a good thing. I hope he and Lipo can both thrive in this environment, and I hope Roglic finds whatever he's looking for at this point. Would love to see the snap back in his finish. More winners battling it out is a very good thing.

 

[burning]

Given the recent trend of GC riders being younger and younger, I am actually not sure whether he has a lot of time left in terms of winning (additional) GTs. Tbh, I think it's far more likely that he will not win a GT in the future and will have a similar GT career like Valverde did.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

It's kind of a cliché to think Quickstep are that far behind the times. In fact it was Bora who were quite oldschool until recently, and Evenepoel's new coach already worked there. His current performance coach Koen Pelgrim is quite young, and has of course guided him to a grand tour win. I don't think the training philosophy has been the problem until now.

I for one don't expect any miracles like Pogi's new coach managed to do.

What exactly has Pelgrim ever proven? He got lucky he got to work with Evenepoel. Which riders has Pelgrim improved? If anything, since he came, level at SQS has dropped like a brick.

 

[Vinther1991]

The thing with Remco is that, while his top level is exceptional, he so seldomly reaches it in stage races. His breakthrough performance was in Clasica San Sebastian 2019; if we look at stage races it was Pologne 2020. Fast forward to 2025 and he has only managed to win one Vuelta, which was front-loaded, had a relatively underwhelming field, where the top competitor crashed out. Then he has a podium spot in the Tour, where he was distant third, although way ahead of number four. He has not managed to win a single one of the seven major stage races. He has abandoned three Grand Tours and collapsed out of GC in a fourth. Sure he has been sick and has had crashes and injuries, but that is the thing isn't it? If 70 % of the time there is something wrong with you, and you seemingly take a half to a full season to recover each time, then you are just not gonna be a force in Grand Tours. Roglic also has had countless crashes and injuries, but he is usually already ready to race for the win in the next race.
Remco is still young, but based on cycling history, the norm is 7-9 seasons at peak level no matter how early you start performing.

 

[AmRacer]

The thing with Remco is that, while his top level is exceptional, he so seldomly reaches it in stage races. His breakthrough performance was in Clasica San Sebastian 2019; if we look at stage races it was Pologne 2020. Fast forward to 2025 and he has only managed to win one Vuelta, which was front-loaded, had a relatively underwhelming field, where the top competitor crashed out. Then he has a podium spot in the Tour, where he was distant third, although way ahead of number four. He has not managed to win a single one of the seven major stage races. He has abandoned three Grand Tours and collapsed out of GC in a fourth. Sure he has been sick and has had crashes and injuries, but that is the thing isn't it? If 70 % of the time there is something wrong with you, and you seemingly take a half to a full season to recover each time, then you are just not gonna be a force in Grand Tours. Roglic also has had countless crashes and injuries, but he is usually already ready to race for the win in the next race.
Remco is still young, but based on cycling history, the norm is 7-9 seasons at peak level no matter how early you start performing.

7-9 seasons at peak level? Good for Remco, he has only had 1 peak level season so far. 😁

 

[Berniece]

Partly Im sure for some people, but for others, what actually happens on the road matters just as much, if not more and just focusing on the fundamentals. Lets not pretend Remco didnt rush into the classics fully aware of the variables at play. My point is that for some, real world performance carries more weight than wishful thinking. Obviously, I can only speak for myself but yeah, that’s how I see it.

And to be clear, I’m not saying he had a good winter or that how the season unfolded as a whole it didnt affect him, especially in the Tour etc, but realistically aknowledging Remco climbing is sus in general (currently his 24 tour climbing is more an outliner than the norm factually), aknowledging these fundamentals and some other questionsmarks regarding him imo isnt hate at all but just realistic imo at this point, but again can only speak for myself im sure theres people hating.

On the one hand you say that his crash clearly affected his performance this Tour and then call last year’s Tour a fluke. All his “bad” performances can be explained by things like a crash, so don’t you think it makes sense that performances like TDF ‘24 is normal when everything goes fine?

 

[CyclistAbi]

I mean if you look at number of wins and type of it you can conclude SOQ was good at it. It's just that the prism for whatever reasons involved is/was stage racing and especially GT racing or more specifically the Tour. So basically the construct is Remco is leaving SOQ due to them suck at stage racing. Now interestingly when i said that this same people went on the opposite and suddenly SOQ became a great stage racing team.

So i guess we can conclude some of it is purely made up fandom and what happens at RBH remains to be seen. Will Remco become better stage racer, or not. What will he transform RBH into, at least for his part. A classics & Co. powerhouse? Remains to be seen.

 

[AlpRaid]

7-9 seasons at peak level? Good for Remco, he has only had 1 peak level season so far. 😁

half a season actually.

I find it pretty humorous all the posting about having underachieved and not having much of a palmares.

AFAIK, over the last 3-5 seasons he is second only to Pog in PCS points (despite the many months he has ended up away from competition). He is ranked 45th all-time. And he is 25.

Sure crashes, illness and rushed prep have dented what could have been a general palmares that was even better. But to say that his career has basically been a failure is absolutely ludicrous.

First step is to have 1-2 full seasons with no (bad) crashes. See if he can get back to fall of 22 form. I am not convinced that is a sure thing.

No matter what he will never compete with the 24-25 Pog. So why is that the only comparison repeated ad nauseam by Pog fans (who spend most of their time in this thread for some very odd reason)?

 

[Vinther1991]

7-9 seasons at peak level? Good for Remco, he has only had 1 peak level season so far. 😁

Haha true Lets be nice to him and say two, 2022 and 2024. I should have been more precise though, riders usually do not have a great season more than 8 years after they first reach their peak level (or close). Take Sagan, Alaphillippe, Froome, Contador, Rodriguez. The list is long with very few exceptions, like Valverde. There are actually only three riders who have managed to win a Grand Tour more than 8 years after their first. If we say Remco hadn't quite reached his potential pre-2022, then this should be his fourth year at prime age/level, he won't do the Vuelta this year, which means he has burned through about half of his prime with only a single GT win.

 

[AlpRaid]

Haha true Lets be nice to him and say two, 2022 and 2024. I should have been more precise though, riders usually do not have a great season more than 8 years after they first reach their peak level (or close). Take Sagan, Alaphillippe, Froome, Contador, Rodriguez. The list is long with very few exceptions, like Valverde. There are actually only three riders who have managed to win a Grand Tour more than 8 years after their first. If we say Remco hadn't quite reached his potential pre-2022, then this should be his fourth year at prime age/level, he won't do the Vuelta this year, which means he has burned through about half of his prime with only a single GT win.

actually -- never a full season other than his first at age 19.

2022, he only was peak from May-Sep (early part of that year he was still coming back and finding consistency after the Lombardy crash and a rushed and inconsistent 2021)
2024, christ the guy came back from a pretty bad crash that ruined his spring...he was really only "peak" at the TDF, and I -- for one -- do not think he was as good as 2022 (and Remco, himself, intimated that fall of 2022 was his best).

 

[AmRacer]

First step is to have 1-2 full seasons with no (bad) crashes. See if he can get back to fall of 22 form. I am not convinced that is a sure thing.

But isn't TdF 2024 better than fall 2022?

 

[Vinther1991]

half a season actually.

I find it pretty humorous all the posting about having underachieved and not having much of a palmares.

AFAIK, over the last 3-5 seasons he is second only to Pog in PCS points (despite the many months he has ended up away from competition). He is ranked 45th all-time. And he is 25.

Sure crashes, illness and rushed prep have dented what could have been a general palmares that was even better. But to say that his career has basically been a failure is absolutely ludicrous.

First step is to have 1-2 full seasons with no (bad) crashes. See if he can get back to fall of 22 form. I am not convinced that is a sure thing.

No matter what he will never compete with the 24-25 Pog. So why is that the only comparison repeated ad nauseam by Pog fans (who spend most of their time in this thread for some very odd reason)?

Well he is certainly among the top top tier of riders, just not stage race or Grand Tour riders. His success in championships is unprecedented. 2 X Liege and 3X San Sebastian is also nothing to scoff at. But eventually you also have to ask yourself why crashes, illness and rushed prep is so much a problem for Remco compared to other riders, and why should we believe it won't be a problem in the remainder of his career?
Most other champs have had their set-backs, Roglic (most years), Pogacar (2023), Vingegaard (2024+2025), Contador (2014), even prime Froome (2014), where they managed to pretty easily snap back in to domination mode when they came back.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Half broken, he was still good enough to screw Pog out of Amstel, lol, so let's just agree to disagree. Top form Evenepoel has plenty of races where he can bring the fight to Pog.

Amstel..., no I'm struggling after that.

 

[Red Rick]

Very clearly Evenepoel has underachieved in GTs and other stage races, and overachieved at the big championship road races. TTs are just his quality. Monuments probably about par, though arguably with how little he's raced them winning LBL twice in years Pogacar crashed and DNS'd is overachieving as well.

 

[peterfin]

I think 75% of the posters here are people who dislike Remco.
25% are people who want him to do well, and are genuine fans.

I know Remco is polarising, but this says something. So many people don't like him for various reasons.
Yet strangely i'm starting to think the biggest reason is that despite their complete and utter belief he could never be a true rival for their favourite (possible true GT wise if Pogacar remains an alien, his level can always drop a bit though), remco is seen as a possible threat to them.

I know people will laugh away this comment and make fun of me for saying this. But it's the feeling i'm starting to get from people posting here.

I think it's not so much about him being a potential threat to other riders. That may partially be true but many are here to point out daily why he isn't good enough to be a threat. I think it all comes down to the level of attention he gets. Many feel its "hype" or just not warranted, even accounting for his wins. What they forget is that by posting here, they are just part of the buzz.

Remco somehow has that mix of features to attract both the fans and the anti-fans and give them a good time because arguing is fun. Not just his results but also personality and background is part of the reason. He is a Belgian but with the attitude of an extroverted dutch soccer player (unlike the 'ideal son-in-law' Wout Van Aert), which makes him easy to be either liked or disliked. And he has a huge natural pool of potential fans and anti-fans. His home-country is cycling crazy, leading the UCI-ranking for so many years (which also shows how small the sport still is), so you will find them everywhere online.

 

[Berniece]

Very clearly Evenepoel has underachieved in GTs and other stage races, and overachieved at the big championship road races. TTs are just his quality. Monuments probably about par, though arguably with how little he's raced them winning LBL twice in years Pogacar crashed and DNS'd is overachieving as well.

He won LBL in 2022 and 2023. I'm not so sure Pogacar would've beaten him then. That wasn't Pogacar 2024 yet.

 

[Valv.Piti]

He won LBL in 2022 and 2023. I'm not so sure Pogacar would've beaten him then. That wasn't Pogacar 2024 yet.

Remco just doesnt drop Pogacar on Redoute and rides off into the sunset in either of these races if Pogacar is present like he did to the rest of the field. That much is obvious. He wins one of these races if we are being generous.

 

[AlpRaid]

But isn't TdF 2024 better than fall 2022?

Personally, as I said, I don’t think so. And according to him as well. You have to remember that in the space of a few months he won LBL by dropping everyone 30+ kilometers from the finish on a climb. He then won San Sebastián dropping everyone again on a 10% climb. Then won the Vuelta, destroying the one time trial, but also destroying his rivals on two mountain top finishes before his crash. He did not win those stages, but he finished second in both, and the second finish was a percentages that we have not seen him do necessarily well at since. He then went on to drop everyone, or at least all the contenders, over 70 km from the finish of the worlds. All at age 22. To me that is better than third at the TDF after a rushed prep. Particularly, since he has never duplicated his performance, I think it was in stage nine or 10 of that Vuelta on incredibly steep gradients.

 

[AmRacer]

Personally, as I said, I don’t think so. And according to him as well. You have to remember that in the space of a few months he won LBL by dropping everyone 30+ kilometers from the finish on a climb. He then won San Sebastián dropping everyone again on a 10% climb. Then won the Vuelta, destroying the one time trial, but also destroying his rivals on two mountain top finishes before his crash. He did not win those stages, but he finished second in both, and the second finish was a percentages that we have not seen him do necessarily well at since. He then went on to drop everyone, or at least all the contenders, over 70 km from the finish of the worlds. All at age 22. To me that is better than third at the TDF after a rushed prep. Particularly, since he has never duplicated his performance, I think it was in stage nine or 10 of that Vuelta on incredibly steep gradients.

Too long to answer
Age has not much to do with it.
Worlds, Mathieu had his issues and Pogi made a fatal tactical mistake letting Remco go. Pogi was supposed to race LBL. Rogla should've won the Vuelta, it isn't Wright.

TdF 2024, he climbed better than 2022.