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

[AlpRaid]

He has no chance on any parcours either way against an on form Evenepoel. Only on a technical course in the rain. Not kidding.

or a true MTT, to be fair, remco ain't touching Pog.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

or a true MTT, to be fair, remco ain't touching Pog.

We were talking about Tarling, and a WCC in september being a MTT I'm still not putting my money on Pogacar.

 

[Red Rick]

merckx, to my knowledge, was never overtaken in an ITT.

pog has now been caught twice (Ganna in 23?).

GOAT debate is over.

You cannot be GOAT without being great at every discipline. Pog comes close, but I think he benefits hugely in people's estimation because today's routes almost uniformly prioritize watts/kg over anything else. And, before anyone gets their panties in a twist, Pog is the best at that for sure.

Debate is over.

Abolish TTs.

 

[Peyroteo94]

merckx, to my knowledge, was never overtaken in an ITT.

pog has now been caught twice (Ganna in 23?).

GOAT debate is over.

You cannot be GOAT without being great at every discipline. Pog comes close, but I think he benefits hugely in people's estimation because today's routes almost uniformly prioritize watts/kg over anything else. And, before anyone gets their panties in a twist, Pog is the best at that for sure.

Lol.
It's just a big curiosity this talk always comes from belgian fans. Pogacar is better in TTs than Merckx was in pure climbing.

Edit: And again, I will expect some diehard Remco fan to say Pogacar fans are always bringing the Goat talking to other threads.

 

[KoopaCycling]

In hindsight I should have known than when it comes TT (outside of mountain TT), remco will show up.
I must confess i though pogacar would take this after seeing the parcours. Though last few days people were saying that it was not as hard as advertised. Ad that remco would still reach the speeds necessary for aero benefit.

This win alone makes going to Rwanda worth it. Even though i still care more about EC RR.
I just think remco winning EC RR, and completing his bingo card would be truly special.
I genuinely hope he manages it before the end of his career, if he fails at it this year.

 

[AlpRaid]

Lol.
It's just a big curiosity this talk always comes from belgian fans. Pogacar is better in TTs than Merckx was in pure climbing.

No.

Pre-Blois crash Merckx dropped his TDF competition by 8 mins in the Pyrenees over the Tourmalet.

Helpful to actually know some history.

 

[KoopaCycling]

I still have Merckx on top, but Pogacar is getting closer every year.
The fact that Pogacar rode podium in all of his GT he started is something else as well.

Even merckx did not do that. mind you merckx won 11 outta 16. whereas pogacar is sitting at 5 outta 8

 

[Pantani_lives]

If Remco wins again next year, he'll have world titles in four different continents.
[Edited]

 

[Netserk]

If Remco wins again next year, he'd have four world titles ITT in four different continents.

No.

 

[Netserk]

As a curiosity, childhood prodigy Remco Evenepoel has a worse stage race record now than late-bloomer Jonas Vingegaard had at the same age.

 

[KoopaCycling]

Positioning will matter next week. Hopefully Remco got that memo.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Positioning will matter next week. Hopefully Remco got that memo.

Shouldn’t it in theory be a lot easier with the positioning in a race with national teams as there are not 170 world tour quality riders here?

 

[KoopaCycling]

Shouldn’t it in theory be a lot easier with the positioning in a race with national teams as there are not 170 world tour quality riders here?

Did not help much in Glasgow. Mind you that was a different parcours entirely.

 

[Berniece]

Beautiful and majestic performance by Evenepoel. A masterclass of combining raw power and aerodynamics. When he caught and passed Tadej Pogačar, he showed everyone, what we already knew, Pogi is only human. The symbolism was brutal: one champion humiliated, another elevated to legend.

When Evenepoel crossed the finish line he sealed his place as the undisputed master of the discipline. Showing that he doesn’t just beat opponents, he overwhelms them

And now we can focus on the road race. Pogačar remains the top favourite, and he will surely be sharper and more dangerous than he was in the time trial. But after witnessing Evenepoel’s display of power and confidence, it’s impossible not to imagine him carrying that form onto the road and completing the double.

 

[red_flanders]

I still have Merckx on top, but Pogacar is getting closer every year.
The fact that Pogacar rode podium in all of his GT he started is something else as well.

Even merckx did not do that. mind you merckx won 11 outta 16. whereas pogacar is sitting at 5 outta 8

Pog is on a somewhat Merckx-like trajectory.

Anyone (not you obviously) saying he's equal to Merckx at this point didn't see Merckx. Full stop.

 

[red_flanders]

Positioning will matter next week. Hopefully Remco got that memo.

I think that memo needs to take the form of an in-depth, season-long, PhD level course.

 

[Jan the Man]

Shouldn’t it in theory be a lot easier with the positioning in a race with national teams as there are not 170 world tour quality riders here?

Yes it will be - but i am not really convinced it will be down to positioning. His shape is good but he will need to be able to follow Pogs seated accelerations - whereas Pog unlikely to get as good a lead out as when with UAE and Belgium team is much stronger than Slovenia- Pog will probably repeatedly surge assuming his shape is good. Obviously the race will dictate because of breakaways etc but I am expecting a good fight.

 

[red_flanders]

Yes it will be - but i am not really convinced it will be down to positioning. His shape is good but he will need to be able to follow Pogs seated accelerations - whereas Pog unlikely to get as good a lead out as when with UAE and Belgium team is much stronger than Slovenia- Pog will probably repeatedly surge assuming his shape is good. Obviously the race will dictate because of breakaways etc but I am expecting a good fight.

Feel ya. Seems like the tactics for Belgium are to hold their powder until late in the race. I hope I don't see them going hard from the gun trying to make it hard.

 

[Extinction]

Lol.
It's just a big curiosity this talk always comes from belgian fans. Pogacar is better in TTs than Merckx was in pure climbing.

Edit: And again, I will expect some diehard Remco fan to say Pogacar fans are always bringing the Goat talking to other threads.

I don't know, Merckx in pure climbing was tops before his devastating crash on the track, the effects of which he said never left him the same again. And let's not forget Merckx was also a track champion.

 

[Extinction]

As a curiosity, childhood prodigy Remco Evenepoel has a worse stage race record now than late-bloomer Jonas Vingegaard had at the same age.

Um, Remco started riding a bike with intention at 17 years-old.🤔

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

As a curiosity, childhood prodigy Remco Evenepoel has a worse stage race record now than late-bloomer Jonas Vingegaard had at the same age.

And when mythical VO2max wonder Vingegaard turns 99, he will still be nowhere near the classics record of 19 year old Evenepoel.

 

[HashRouge]

Feel ya. Seems like the tactics for Belgium are to hold their powder until late in the race. I hope I don't see them going hard from the gun trying to make it hard.

It feels like it will be really chaotic. There are quite a few guys who could be dangerous and might want to go along to catch out Pogacar/ Remco. Ayuso and del Toro could both be hard to bring back.

 

[houtdffan]

merckx, to my knowledge, was never overtaken in an ITT.

pog has now been caught twice (Ganna in 23?).

GOAT debate is over.

You cannot be GOAT without being great at every discipline. Pog comes close, but I think he benefits hugely in people's estimation because today's routes almost uniformly prioritize watts/kg over anything else. And, before anyone gets their panties in a twist, Pog is the best at that for sure.

Pantani today also would be unbeatable in any stage race because of the same reasons

 

[AlpRaid]

Pantani today also would be unbeatable in any stage race because of the same reasons

sure. but that era was also arguably different.

 

[KoopaCycling]

Completely unimportant. But whilst i did not 'dig' the look of remco's kit this year. His kit looked good today.
Black bike, belgian themed socks, black pants, sky blue belgian, shirt, golden helmet (that works in this setup) with some nice little touches (some earthlike map).