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

[Berflamand]

Well in GTs it's a lot more important to be an elite climber than to be an elite TTist. So if he has to sacrifice some TT seconds to gain minutes in the mountains that's a no brainer. I think he focuses too much on TTing

As red_flanders has pointed out, one does not exclude the other imo.

If he has to sacrifice TT seconds for better climbing that will come down (mostly) to his weight and has nothing to do with his TT position which was the purpose of this trip.

It's also at a perfect time right at the end of the season and before his holidays. It wasn't this week that he had to train his climbing skills to try to come closer to Pog/Vinge.

Also, he's not 'only' a GT rider, he's the current Olympic and triple World Champion TT and I like that he tries to further improve his main strength (which imo definitely doesn't come at the cost of neglecting other areas) as he can build an impressive legacy there.

 

[Berflamand]

Amazing work ethic. A bit surprised Lipowitz didn’t join them, he might go at a later time.

4 weeks of holiday and the build up for next season will start

IIRC Lipowitz just had nose surgery so it probably wasn't possible to do the trip right now.

 

[AmRacer]

As red_flanders has pointed out, one does not exclude the other imo.

If he has to sacrifice TT seconds for better climbing that will come down (mostly) to his weight and has nothing to do with his TT position which was the purpose of this trip.

It's also at a perfect time right at the end of the season and before his holidays. It wasn't this week that he had to train his climbing skills to try to come closer to Pog/Vinge.

Also, he's not 'only' a GT rider, he's the current Olympic and triple World Champion TT and I like that he tries to further improve his main strength (which imo definitely doesn't come at the cost of neglecting other areas) as he can build an impressive legacy there.

He could've started his holiday earlier and getting a few more days in the mountains. But a few mountain days extra wouldn't mean anything in the long run, so it was probably the right decision testing ITT positions.

 

[red_flanders]

He could've started his holiday earlier and getting a few more days in the mountains. But a few mountain days extra wouldn't mean anything in the long run, so it was probably the right decision testing ITT positions.

Also, plenty of mountains near and around Morgan Hill if he wants the training, and the weather couldn't be any better right now. Days in the mid-lower 70's, cool evenings in the upper 50's.

I just don't think this has any bearing on his training for climbs going into next season.

 

[peterfin]

Spending 2 days in windtunnels to reap the benefits in every TT next year is definitely time well spend. And who knows, maybe he tries the hour record next autumn?

 

[Berniece]

Spending 2 days in windtunnels to reap the benefits in every TT next year is definitely time well spend. And who knows, maybe he tries the hour record next autumn?

Not to mention it always comes in handy to win a bigger WT stage race, which is long overdue

 

[AlpRaid]

Everyone, specialized is legally not allowed to share tests and results with Bora that were previously accomplished for QS.

This is likely the main reason for the two days of testing, so Bora themselves have the data and can suggest tweaks etc. if they think they have any.

Not sure we should be expecting massive or even important changes in terms of his TT position. Maybe Dan Bingham might have some thoughts, but I think many here are reading too much into tests that literally HAD to be done so Bora had data to work with.

 

[red_flanders]

Everyone, specialized is legally not allowed to share tests and results with Bora that were previously accomplished for QS.

This is likely the main reason for the two days of testing, so Bora themselves have the data and can suggest tweaks etc. if they think they have any.

Not sure we should be expecting massive or even important changes in terms of his TT position. Maybe Dan Bingham might have some thoughts, but I think many here are reading too much into tests that literally HAD to be done so Bora had data to work with.

Really interesting and insightful point. Never would have occurred to me.

Curious if that's coming from inside information you have about the particulars, or just and informed guess? Thanks.

 

[AlpRaid]

Really interesting and insightful point. Never would have occurred to me.

Curious if that's coming from inside information you have about the particulars, or just and informed guess? Thanks.

neither. but thank you for even intimating that I might have "inside info".

it was an article (I am sorry, I forget where) that explained how this type of thing happens -- a little bit ago when it was formally announced he was going to Bora.

 

[Berniece]

Everyone, specialized is legally not allowed to share tests and results with Bora that were previously accomplished for QS.

Seems very weird to me. The rider starts the same, it’s data about him, can’t imagine this being kept a secret. I would also not accept this if I was Evenepoel. Why would he waste his time doing the same thing over again

 

[vappaxbipmv]

Spending 2 days in windtunnels to reap the benefits in every TT next year is definitely time well spend. And who knows, maybe he tries the hour record next autumn?

“Yes, I will do it, but you’ll have to wait a few more years,” Evenepoel told L'Équipe. “I think there’s a way to beat it.”

Domestique article

 

[Berflamand]

Everyone, specialized is legally not allowed to share tests and results with Bora that were previously accomplished for QS.

This is likely the main reason for the two days of testing, so Bora themselves have the data and can suggest tweaks etc. if they think they have any.

Not sure we should be expecting massive or even important changes in terms of his TT position. Maybe Dan Bingham might have some thoughts, but I think many here are reading too much into tests that literally HAD to be done so Bora had data to work with.

Thanks for the info, I didn't know that.

But I do think in this case there would probably have been an agreement between all parties to share the data because it just doesn't make sense to me that one of the parties involved would object to sharing the data considering Remco left QS in good faith and the good relationship between Specialized and both QS and RB-Bora. But yeah, RB-Bora probably wanted to do their own tests as well.

But even if that would be one of the reasons for the trip, I'm sure it's not the only reason. It's Remco's fifth or sixth trip to the Specialized Headquarters which means he has made the trip almost every year. I think it's just something he likes to do as he wants to keep looking for every possible gain. In the article he's described as being as meticulous as an F1 driver regarding the tests.

I do agree that any changes in his TT position will likely be minimal as it doesn't seem there's much more room for improvement but I guess we'll have to wait for the first TT's in the new season to judge that.

 

[KoopaCycling]

On that point, sporza just released an article in which they go a little bit deeper on the subject.

"We delen de data niet met een nieuw team": waarom het bezoek van Remco Evenepoel in de VS deze keer geen routineklus was | sporza

Home sweet home. Remco Evenepoel vertoefde de voorbije dagen in de VS, waar hij met zijn nieuwe staf van Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe aan de slag ging in de windtunnel van fietsconstructeur Specialized. Niet alleen om zijn aerodynamische setup nog wat meer te verfijnen, wél omdat het door zijn...

sporza.be

Seems the biggest thing to discover is how his new suit affects stuff, as well as 're-discover data' in different race conditions, how climb percentages affect his aerodynamics, ...

 

[Berniece]

On that point, sporza just released an article in which they go a little bit deeper on the subject.

"We delen de data niet met een nieuw team": waarom het bezoek van Remco Evenepoel in de VS deze keer geen routineklus was | sporza

Home sweet home. Remco Evenepoel vertoefde de voorbije dagen in de VS, waar hij met zijn nieuwe staf van Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe aan de slag ging in de windtunnel van fietsconstructeur Specialized. Niet alleen om zijn aerodynamische setup nog wat meer te verfijnen, wél omdat het door zijn...

sporza.be

Seems the biggest thing to discover is how his new suit affects stuff, as well as 're-discover data' in different race conditions, how climb percentages affect his aerodynamics, ...

I find it weird that SOQ wouldn't just share that data with RBH... Data on Evenepoel that is.

 

[KoopaCycling]

I find it weird that SOQ wouldn't just share that data with RBH... Data on Evenepoel that is.

Standard practice i guess. Still they have no GT/GC ambitions in the foreseeable future but for Landa and Van Wilder. Nor any TT riders coming up that will be able to compete with the very best methinks (except maybe Hayter). they are mostly going back to the classics. So they would lose little by sharing them. Honestly i would not be surprised (if Red Bull even bothered to ask for the data), that it would be Jurgen Foré to say no. But that's all just speculation. But from the outside looking in, they (at first glance) do not seem to have any real reason not to share his data with his new team. So Jurgen Foré is what I would land on, if Red Bull asked and Soudal had refused. Could be entirely wrong ofc.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

My guess would have been that Evenepoel would have a right to data that is about him: in UK law there is a thing called a Subject Access Request, which can only be refused in fairly limited circumstances. I'd be surprised if there is not something similar in EU/Belgian law.

 

[KoopaCycling]

My guess would have been that Evenepoel would have a right to data that is about him: in UK law there is a thing called a Subject Access Request, which can only be refused in fairly limited circumstances. I'd be surprised if there is not something similar in EU/Belgian law.

Sports and law don't mix well though. If an employee wants to quit his job and start work somewhere else, by law, that should not be a problem. So long as you don't tell secrets, complete your notice period. If you try that in sports...

And it's understandable what with sponsors, ... .

I was actually surprised at the WVA verdict against his former team. I was expecting a mini cycling version of the Bosman arrest. Well I understand his freedom of movement was not actually restricted, and he needed to pay up cause of breaching a private contract.

It was still a case that was situated at the edge of EU law and Sports law. In any case, what i'm trying to say is, sport law and regular law seem to work slightly different.