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

[Netserk]

Not the longevity, but the gap between them now.

That's a fair point. I hope next season will allow a test of that.

 

[Berniece]

That's a fair point. I hope next season will allow a test of that.

I think the gap will get smaller, doubt Evenepoel will be able to match him. Maybe in 2027, around the same time Pogacar gets tired of winning

 

[Andre]

Remco
Lipo
Roglič
Hindley
Pellizzari
Martinez
Vlasov
Lazkano

....all in for Le Tour

 

[KoopaCycling]

Remco
Lipo
Roglič
Hindley
Pellizzari
Martinez
Vlasov
Lazkano

....all in for Le Tour

Finn Fischer Black swap for Lazkano

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I think the gap will get smaller, doubt Evenepoel will be able to match him. Maybe in 2027, around the same time Pogacar gets tired of winning

To me it's the most likely scenario: Evenepoel can win the Tour when Pogi (and Vingo) are declined. However, in 2-3 years the landscape will be different and other strong GC guys can appear filling up the void left by the most profilic Tour rivalry ever.

 

[Red Rick]

Climbing wise Evenepoel is much closer to being like 7th best climber int he world than he is to Pogacar.

 

[Andre]

Finn Fischer Black swap for Lazkano

ok...ummm, I can envision that

 

[HashRouge]

Not the longevity, but the gap between them now.

This is a fair point. Hopefully Remco can now have a solid run with no crashes, so we can see how much he is able to close the gap. I'm optimistic for races like Liege, which suit Remco really well. Not to say that I think he'll beat Pogacar, but that it could be a really entertaining match-up similar to Pogacar v MdvP at RvV and MSR.

 

[James M]

Is everyone here assuming hes the third best GT rider next year, is that not a bit premature if so? Im not sure hes better than Lipo, Almeida next year etc and even if he prove he is, what about closing the gap to Jonas first. Thoughts?

 

[HashRouge]

Is everyone here assuming hes the third best GT rider next year, is that not a bit premature if so? Im not sure hes better than Lipo, Almeida next year etc and even if he prove he is, what about closing the gap to Jonas first. Thoughts?

I think this debate has come up a lot and to be honest it's really difficult to answer. I think if he can find (or beat) the form he found in 2024, then he's probably the third best GT rider. But it's also true that we don't know how well riders like Lipo, Onley and del Toro are going to develop, plus Almeida has been in excellent shape this year.

 

[hayneplane]

Is everyone here assuming hes the third best GT rider next year, is that not a bit premature if so? Im not sure hes better than Lipo, Almeida next year etc and even if he prove he is, what about closing the gap to Jonas first. Thoughts?

I am assuming that his ceiling is the highest of any rider outside Tadej and Jonas but I don’t see him as being as reliable as several other riders in terms of getting a placement.

If I was drafting someone with my primary aim being to win or nothing then I am taking Remco but if I am aiming for podium then I am taking Almeida.

 

[jmdirt]

The bad thing about ignoring someone is if they create a thread. You can't find that thread 😂.

I've had to unmute some of them because of this.

This is true.

My remote work security doesn't play nice with several features of the forum so I have to be 'creative' when I'm out of the office. Actually, I haven't even tried to be creative lately, I just don't come here when I'm out of the office.

 

[jmdirt]

There is another big difference though that you can add on top of the age difference. Evenepoel has been off the bike for more than 450 days already in his career due to injuries.

That may actually be a negative for RE. The injuries could have long term physical consequences, but maybe more damaging is the mental/emotional consequences of fighting through injuries and recoveries.

EDIT: I see from your other posts after this, that this wasn't your point.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Is everyone here assuming hes the third best GT rider next year, is that not a bit premature if so? Im not sure hes better than Lipo, Almeida next year etc and even if he prove he is, what about closing the gap to Jonas first. Thoughts?

I think he can be the third best (based on his Tour 2024 performance) but as you said Almeida and Lipo should also be candidates for this. BTW Roglic has been my third best GT rider for a few years now and I'm not sure if it's time to change it or not yet (and give him one more clean shot at a GT).

 

[Cycling111]

I think he can be the third best (based on his Tour 2024 performance) but as you said Almeida and Lipo should also be candidates for this. BTW Roglic has been my third best GT rider for a few years now and I'm not sure if it's time to change it or not yet.

I think they've overestimated Almeida's options in the GT this year. Keep in mind that the Tour was very tough, and yet Almeida was never superior to Vingegaard at the Vuelta.

Last year, Almeida's level in Switzerland was similar to this year'sc far superior to the rest. Look at the differences with riders like Skjelmose, and that's despite him letting win Adam Yates. The feeling is that Almeida would have won Switzerland 2024 by a wide margin. And then in the Tour, he was far behind Vingegaard.

I always thought it was exaggerated when they said he could have finished second in this Tour. For me, he would have been at a similar level to last year, or let's say a little better, yes, but in any case closer to fourth place than second.

I think Almeida, if he returns to the Tour, will fight Remco for third place. It will depend more on Remco's inconsistency in the GT. If Remco is at a similar level to 2024, Almeida will be fourth. If Remco shows inconsistency in the mountains, then he could be third, but far from second.

 

[James M]

I think this debate has come up a lot and to be honest it's really difficult to answer. I think if he can find (or beat) the form he found in 2024, then he's probably the third best GT rider. But it's also true that we don't know how well riders like Lipo, Onley and del Toro are going to develop, plus Almeida has been in excellent shape this year.

I agree that one is not easy to answer at all and thats kinda my point. Im not saying he isnt better than those but certaintly not anything suggesting he is either, so really hard to claim he is too is my point.

Improving is relative imo so even if he improves and other names improve more he declines in reality towards them. Lets see he got alot to prove in GT, with team swap one can hope for the best im just not sold.

 

[Berniece]

Climbing wise Evenepoel is much closer to being like 7th best climber int he world than he is to Pogacar.

He was literally closer to Pogacar at TDF ‘24 than #4 Almeida was to Evenepoel

 

[KoopaCycling]

Except for the young riders coming up, remco beaten everyone save Pogacar, Vingegaard & Roglic on a regular basis when close to form of in actual form. So i'm not sure how that's even a debate if we exclude recency bias. Remco coming back from a hard injury (similar to 2021) and Almeida at his best. Add in that roglic is clearly fading and Remco slots in at third.

Del Toro and the new blood will prove more interesting. But it's hard to put them over Remco atm.
I think Del Toro still needs a few more steps before he is better than Remco.

In any case so many people be doubting Remco he's become underrated imo. That and remco seems to be held to different standards than most other riders.

 

[Red Rick]

He was literally closer to Pogacar at TDF ‘24 than #4 Almeida was to Evenepoel

Not in the high mountains he was not.