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

[Peyroteo94]

Almeida showed podium this year. so what.
That just showed he rode on what i consider his level. a top 5 GT rider who somehow can't seem to bring it all together.
And fall short time and again.

Should i now think Remco would no be able to beat him cause of that. Let's be real. If i need to choose Remco at his bets versus Almeida at his best, it's an easy choice.

Obviously this year Remco would be nowhere. People remember Remco's low points and never the highlights.
Never seen Almeida do some of the things Remco did. Never seen him in the trenches. Closest he got is this year Vuelta, and his fighting spirit when it comes down to it seems limited. Consistent and bullish but nothing more. he lost time on a stage mostly not on legs but on positioning and willpower. but people don't care when that happens to someone not named remco. I have not seen Almeida do anything Remco can't do, But i have seen the reverse.

I have seen Almeida perform once before during a giro. now a relative okay performance during this vuelta.
I'm sorry but that's not enough to put him ahead of remco. especially when Pidcock is that close on third.

I'll say he does have the offchance of winning hist first GT today, if Jonas crashes. but that's unlikely. Almieda biggest strength is his consistency. Consistency is important. But more often than not, that alone won't put you over the top.

If there is anyone i would put ahead of remco in the next few years it's Del Toro. I think that kid will just get stronger and stronger.

Who said that?

1 - I already saw Almeida doing things Remco never did. Almeida won the queen stage of a GT. He won on a mythical climb against Vingegaard. I never saw Remco doing anything similar to this in a GT.

2 - I think a lot of people (including myself) agree that Remco's ceilling is higher than Almeida's ceilling. I don't think this is debatable. But how many times do we see Remco's ceilling? GTs is all about consistency and Remco is way more unreliable than Almeida and this year we didn't see Remco's ceilling (not even close to) so it is fair to say Almeida is better than Remco in GTs. In The Present, he is better. Again, right now (2025) he is better. This is also not debatable.

 

[AmRacer]

You said that?

1 - I already saw Almeida doing things Remco never did. Almeida won the queen stage of a GT. He won on a mythical climb against Vingegaard. I never saw Remco doing anything similar to this in a GT.

2 - I think a lot of people (including myself) agree that Remco's ceilling is higher than Almeida's ceilling. I don't think this is debatable. But how many times do we see Remco's ceilling? GTs is all about consistency and Remco is way more unreliable than Almeida and this year we didn't see Remco's ceilling (not even close to) so it is fair to say Almeida is better than Remco in GTs. In The Present, he is better. Again, right now (2025) he is better. This is also not debatable.

And Almeida is better in one week races too, especially big 7 one weeks.

 

[Rou]

Almeida showed podium this year. so what.
That just showed he rode on what i consider his level. a top 5 GT rider who somehow can't seem to bring it all together.
And fall short time and again.

Should i now think Remco would no be able to beat him cause of that. Let's be real. If i need to choose Remco at his bets versus Almeida at his best, it's an easy choice.

Obviously this year Remco would be nowhere. People remember Remco's low points and never the highlights.
Never seen Almeida do some of the things Remco did. Never seen him in the trenches. Closest he got is this year Vuelta, and his fighting spirit when it comes down to it seems limited. Consistent and bullish but nothing more. he lost time on a stage mostly not on legs but on positioning and willpower. but people don't care when that happens to someone not named remco. I have not seen Almeida do anything Remco can't do, But i have seen the reverse.

I have seen Almeida perform once before during a giro. now a relative okay performance during this vuelta.
I'm sorry but that's not enough to put him ahead of remco. especially when Pidcock is that close on third.

I'll say he does have the offchance of winning hist first GT today, if Jonas crashes. but that's unlikely. Almeida biggest strength is his consistency. Consistency is important. But more often than not, that alone won't put you over the top.

If there is anyone i would put ahead of remco in the next few years it's Del Toro. I think that kid will just get stronger and stronger.

I have good memories from Remco giving up on the Tourmalet 2 years ago in the Vuelta while Almeida fought through his illness and still finished in the top 10 of GC.
This year again Remco capitulated like a coward in the Tour.
So instead of bringing up his imaginary 'highest ceiling' face reality.
Remco is currently not in the top 5 best GC riders.

 

[Berniece]

I have good memories from Remco giving up on the Tourmalet 2 years ago in the Vuelta while Almeida fought through his illness and still finished in the top 10 of GC.
This year again Remco capitulated like a coward in the Tour.
So instead of bringing up his imaginary 'highest ceiling' face reality.
Remco is currently not in the top 5 best GC riders.

And Evenepoel won 4 stages and KOM jersey… Which is much more interesting than random top 10 place.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

And Evenepoel won 3 stages and KOM jersey… Which is much more interesting than random top 10 place.

Fixed it for you.

 

[Red Rick]

And Evenepoel won 4 stages and KOM jersey… Which is much more interesting than random top 10 place.

It's still polishing a turd of a GC bid. I don't think anyone ever questioned he could be a world class stagehunter.

 

[dercuforever]

Only time Remco had better performance in mountains than 25' Almeida was in TDF 24'.
Every other versions of Remco would have been 3rd in this Vuelta.
People calling this Vuelta poor competition ... I'm not sure anyone from the Giro would have been close to Almeida.
Hindley was close to his peak level (except for one stage) - like TDF 23 before the fall or his victorius Giro. And to me that level is equal or better than peak Carapaz.
Remco with TTs is clearly 3rd best GT rider, but on climbing only it is not that clear anymore, let's see first if Remco can repeat / improve his 24'TDF level.

 

[HashRouge]

Only time Remco had better performance in mountains than 25' Almeida was in TDF 24'.
Every other versions of Remco would have been 3rd in this Vuelta.

I honestly don't know if I believe this. It's been a funny old Vuelta, with both Almedia and Vingegaard suffering with sickness and Vingegaard in particular not seeming in top shape. The Remco we saw at the 2024 Tour might have had a shot here. Although, like others have said, the big issue for Remco is consistency, so who knows when he'll find that form again.

 

[Charlyghoul]

I also think he probably would finish 3rd in this Vuelta even if he was climbing at his best

 

[Netserk]

I mean it's still a GT and all that. But to say Remco would barely crack top 5 in this vuelta on his best form?
That just sound like a joke if i check out the standings.

2022 was not his best form. Ask yourself where Mas from that year would have finished here. I think 3rd or 4th.

He'd only gain 30 seconds in the ITT this year.

 

[Charlyghoul]

Remco of 22 Vuelta would finish 3rd in this one I’m sure, Remco of 24 Tour would finish 2nd or 3rd, not much time trialling for him

 

[KoopaCycling]

You saw Almeida win a stage where his biggest opponent was a sick dude. And this is what you never seen Remco do?
Sure Almeida is better this year, only cause Remco been nowhere this year. Does not make him a better cyclist. So Remco barely cracking top 5 in what i can assume was a low level GT is a joke.

I would not say it's fair to say Almeida is better at GT's. a more reliable helper, probably. Better potential winner of a GT? no. I'll grant that remco is less reliable, sure circumstances were always there, but the picture right now is a lot of DNF's.
Beyond that it's all recency bias.

I don't need to bring up imaginery things. Remco has better results in every GT safe for the Giro.
There is no world in which Almeida is ahead of Remco in the pecking order going off the results of the start of their career till now. If remco recovers, almeida is behind him. That remains a big If. But i believe remco will heal and come good. I don't see him becoming another Beloki, ... .

 

[KoopaCycling]

2022 was not his best form. Ask yourself where Mas from that year would have finished here. I think 3rd or 4th.

He'd only gain 30 seconds in the ITT this year.

Says who? Mas in the Vuelta been good.

He finished second behind Roglic. Roglic whom i rate higher than Almeida in 21 . Second behind Remco and in front of Almeida by 5 minutes in 22. 5th and 6 minutes ahead of Almeida in 23. third behind Roglic (and a ben oc that got a lot of free time) in 24.

Why would you assume a healthy in shape Mas would be behind Almeida in the Vuelta. When Mas like heras is at his best seemingly only in the Vuelta.

 

[Vinther1991]

I don’t even know why this is a question. Last two years GC results in major races:

Evenepoel:
2024
Paris-Nice - 2nd
Dauphine - 7th
Tour - 3rd
2025
Romandie - 5th
Dauphine - 4th

Almeida:
2024
Catalunya - 9th
Suisse - 2nd
Tour de France - 4th
2025
Paris-Nice - 6th
Basque Country - 1st
Romandie - 1st
Suisse - 1st
Vuelta - 2nd

Evenepoel may have a high ceiling, but consistency matters, and Evenepoel apparently only comes close to that high level in stage races in one race every two years, while Almeida has at least come very close to his ceiling four times just this year.

There is a reason Pidcock or Padun aren’t viewed as one of the very best of their generation. Same reason Hindley isn’t considered top five GC rider, his ceiling is honestly quite close to Evenepoel’s.

 

[AmRacer]

Says who? Mas in the Vuelta been good.

He finished second behind Roglic. Roglic whom i rate higher than Almeida in 21 . Second behind Remco and in front of Almeida by 5 minutes in 22. 5th and 6 minutes ahead of Almeida in 23. third behind Roglic (and a ben oc that got a lot of free time) in 24.

Why would you assume a healthy in shape Mas would be behind Almeida in the Vuelta. When Mas like heras is at his best seemingly only in the Vuelta.

Magic words, 'healthy in shape'

 

[KoopaCycling]

I don’t even know why this is a question. Last two years GC results in major races:

Evenepoel:
2024
Paris-Nice - 2nd
Dauphine - 7th
Tour - 3rd
2025
Romandie - 5th
Dauphine - 4th

Almeida:
2024
Catalunya - 9th
Suisse - 2nd
Tour de France - 4th
2025
Paris-Nice - 6th
Basque Country - 1st
Romandie - 1st
Suisse - 1st
Vuelta - 2nd

Evenepoel may have a high ceiling, but consistency matters, and Evenepoel apparently only comes close to that high level in stage races in one race every two years, while Almeida has at least come very close to his ceiling four times just this year.

There is a reason Pidcock or Padun aren’t viewed as one of the very best of their generation. Same reason Hindley isn’t considered top five GC rider, his ceiling is honestly quite close to Evenepoel’s.

This does not speak in Almeida favour at all though.
Remco results in 24 when he was healthy are better, and in 25 it's actually surprising he still managed two Top 5 given his health.

 

[Peyroteo94]

You saw Almeida win a stage where his biggest opponent was a sick dude. And this is what you never seen Remco do?
Sure Almeida is better this year, only cause Remco been nowhere this year. Does not make him a better cyclist. So Remco barely cracking top 5 in what i can assume was a low level GT is a joke.

I would not say it's fair to say Almeida is better at GT's. a more reliable helper, probably. Better potential winner of a GT? no. I'll grant that remco is less reliable, sure circumstances were always there, but the picture right now is a lot of DNF's.
Beyond that it's all recency bias.

I don't need to bring up imaginery things. Remco has better results in every GT safe for the Giro.
There is no world in which Almeida is ahead of Remco in the pecking order going off the results of the start of their career till now. If remco recovers, almeida is behind him. That remains a big If. But i believe remco will heal and come good. I don't see him becoming another Beloki, ... .

Ok, end of this discussion. I came here avoiding to discuss rider x crashed out, rider y was sick but you are already using this excuse.

 

[Berniece]

It's still polishing a turd of a GC bid. I don't think anyone ever questioned he could be a world class stagehunter.

Sure, that wasn’t the goal when he started. But when he collapsed should he have kept going like Almeida and finished 8th in GC without stage wins or let it go and go for stages and KOM?

 

[KoopaCycling]

Ok, end of this discussion. I came here avoiding to discuss rider x crashed out, rider y was sick but you are already using this excuse.

Reality is, if Almeida is the rider you all make him out to be, he would have won this vuelta.
He did not. In the end he barely finished ahead of Pidcock.

What excuse, you said you saw something Evenepoel never did. I think Evenepoel Sierra Nevada stage was just as impressive. That took grit. Never seen Almeida in the trenches truly fight for it. He settled for second this vuelta as well. Remco would have at least tried.

 

[AmRacer]

Reality is, if Almeida is the rider you all make him out to be, he would have won this vuelta.
He did not.

Only Tadej is better than Jonas.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Same reason Hindley isn’t considered top five GC rider, his ceiling is honestly quite close to Evenepoel’s.

lol

 

[Netserk]

Reality is, if Almeida is the rider you all make him out to be, he would have won this vuelta.
He did not. In the end he barely finished ahead of Pidcock.

What excuse, you said you saw something Evenepoel never did. I think Evenepoel Sierra Nevada stage was just as impressive. That took grit. Never seen Almeida in the trenches truly fight for it. He settled for second this vuelta as well. Remco would have at least tried.

I think it's insane to say that Evenepoel was just as impressive on Sierra Nevada as Almeida was on Angliru.

 

[KoopaCycling]

I think it's insane to say that Evenepoel was just as impressive on Sierra Nevada as Almeida was on Angliru.

I don't. That was a lonely battle against the odds against an in form Mas and a returning Roglic. Whom i rate higher than Almeida. Meanwhile Almeida did his usual TT up a mountain. Did not drop Vingegaard. And Hindley and Kuss were not far behind.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I dunno how Remco would've fared in this Vuelta but I'm certain of one thing: Remco would've won the Giro*

*any year

 

[KoopaCycling]

The logic is that Remco is not a GT rider cause he could not win a GT against a healthy Vingegaard and healthy Pogacar.

Meanwhile Almeida, Pidcock and company are GT riders cause they could not beat a sick Vingegaard.
And Almeida is therefore also a better GT rider than Remco. And a healthy Remco would barely crack the Top 5 in this year Vuelta.

Solid logic.

Can't wait to see a healthy Remco next year.