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

[Berniece]

I think he shouldn't start his season before P-N. He's already attempting a difficult season, either way, there's no need to add a month of racing in February in a race that's adding nothing to his palmares and has 0 sponsorship influence

I think he feels he need some race hardness before trying to win PN/TA

 

[vappaxbipmv]

I think he feels he need some race hardness before trying to win PN/TA

Ardeche and Drome? It's 2 one day races that won't take any preparation and bother the schedule

 

[Berniece]

Ardeche and Drome? It's 2 one day races that won't take any preparation and bother the schedule

I agree, but he'll probably want to do a stage race. A bit like MVDP doing TA before MSR.

 

[vappaxbipmv]

I agree, but he'll probably want to do a stage race. A bit like MVDP doing TA before MSR.

I don't see a benefit of doing a stage race before a stage race that's only a preparation for another stage race. Be it the Giro or the Tour

 

[Berniece]

I don't see a benefit of doing a stage race before a stage race that's only a preparation for another stage race. Be it the Giro or the Tour

If PN/TA is a big goal of the spring season for him, I understand he wants to be well prepared for it. It's been a while since he has won a big 1-week stage race. He knows this too.

You could wonder though, that if you don't need to be ready until stage 4, why it matters that you first ride Algarve.

 

[AmRacer]

If PN/TA is a big goal of the spring season for him, I understand he wants to be well prepared for it. It's been a while since he has won a big 1-week stage race. He knows this too.

You could wonder though, that if you don't need to be ready until stage 4, why it matters that you first ride Algarve.

He hasn't won a big 1-week stage race yet.

 

[hayneplane]

Do you think that his Giro/Tour/Worlds option might be heavily influenced by the Pogacar 2024 schedule although with Remco it would be unlikely for him to do Strade. This would allow him to still ride LBL but would have to avoid the temptation to peak too early given the need to maintain form for another 5/6 weeks for the end of the Giro.

 

[vappaxbipmv]

If PN/TA is a big goal of the spring season for him, I understand he wants to be well prepared for it. It's been a while since he has won a big 1-week stage race. He knows this too.

You could wonder though, that if you don't need to be ready until stage 4, why it matters that you first ride Algarve.

Or he could ride T-A, last year Ganna was 2nd and Remco is a better TTist and a better climber. Usually it's all decided in a TT and 1 or maybe 2 climbs

Also, I don't see how a 1 week race would be a big goal if you're on that level, only monuments, GTs and WC

 

[Berniece]

Or he could ride T-A, last year Ganna was 2nd and Remco is a better TTist and a better climber. Usually it's all decided in a TT and 1 or maybe 2 climbs

Also, I don't see how a 1 week race would be a big goal if you're on that level, only monuments, GTs and WC

I think he cares about winning those type of races too. I think he should decide between PN/TA based on the route. Which is easiest to win, and then go to MSR and try to win that too.

 

[vappaxbipmv]

I think he cares about winning those type of races too. I think he should decide between PN/TA based on the route. Which is easiest to win, and then go to MSR and try to win that too.

I think if he cared much he would actually come well prepared to some of them, not as an afterthought

 

[Berniece]

I think if he cared much he would actually come well prepared to some of them, not as an afterthought

I think he came well prepared to PN 2024, it's just tactically that they made a mistake.

 

[vappaxbipmv]

I think he came well prepared to PN 2024, it's just tactically that they made a mistake.

I mean, if he couldn't drop Jorgenson he wasn't well prepared enough

 

[Berniece]

I mean, if he couldn't drop Jorgenson he wasn't well prepared enough

He dropped everyone else though. Jorgenson was very well prepared, and Evenepoel was at his classics weight.

 

[vappaxbipmv]

He dropped everyone else though. Jorgenson was very well prepared, and Evenepoel was at his classics weight.

If he has to be at his GT weight and 100% prepared he can forget about ever beating Pogacar in any stage race

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

Have a hard time imagining him doing well in a Giro/Tour double. He has never done 2 GTs in a year in his life, closest was half 10 days Giro and then Vuelta in 2023 where he dropped out GC halfway through. Now obviously there are multiple reasons to why that hasn't happen so far (injuries, sickness, missing base in the Vuelta 2023) etc. but it also points to a bigger picture:
a) he has a tendency to pick up something during a GT (injuries, illness, I also think he heavily dislikes the constant mental stress)
b) Unlike in one-day races where he still can perform well being only at like 90% he tends to completely collaps in GTs where his preperation wasn't 100% perfect. Big difference to the likes of Pogacar or Vingegaard.

I'm very doubtful that Giro/Tour doesn't collide with these issues. I think it would be quite likely that if he gets to the Giro well (e.g. podiums) he'll be subpar in the Tour. And if he crashes in the Giro and withdraws I also don't think that will help his Tour prep.
But maybe it's the opposite and if he gets healthy through the spring he has the base for both and (similar to Pogacar in 2024) actually benefits from the mileage.

 

[Berniece]

If he has to be at his GT weight and 100% prepared he can forget about ever beating Pogacar in any stage race

Just being at GT weight would already help a lot. At the moment he doesn't come close to beating Pogacar anyway... I don't expect that to happen until 2027.

 

[vappaxbipmv]

Just being at GT weight would already help a lot. At the moment he doesn't come close to beating Pogacar anyway... I don't expect that to happen until 2027.

I don't think he's winning that P-N at 2 or 3kgs less

 

[Karl Merckx]

with Remco it would be unlikely for him to do Strade.

Strade is one of his favorite races.

 

[Berniece]

I don't think he's winning that P-N at 2 or 3kgs less

Then I don't think you understand how big a difference that is. But it doesn't matter he lost, so that's that.

 

[vappaxbipmv]

Then I don't think you understand how big a difference that is. But it doesn't matter he lost, so that's that.

He is good enough that he should be winning those races even when he's a bit heavy or not at 100% shape

 

[James M]

Strade is one of his favorite races.

If Remco showed up at Strade, I would respect it regardless of the results he achieved. Same goes for RVV. Would love to see it.

 

[dobrien]

If Remco showed up at Strade, I would respect it regardless of the results he achieved. Same goes for RVV. Would love to see it.

Part of me would love to see him show up at Strade, and part of me would fear it as the race that would once again derail his season prep.

 

[red_flanders]

Part of me would love to see him show up at Strade, and part of me would fear it as the race that would once again derail his season prep.

Fair point. That said, I think crashing on gravel, while it gives a lot of road rash and hurts like a mo-fo, tends to be less harmful than crashing on pavement.

I feel like his bike-handling looked better this year. At least on the descents. I'd like to see him take on a race like Strade. A big rider like him shouldn't be missing a race like that.

 

[Berniece]

Fair point. That said, I think crashing on gravel, while it gives a lot of road rash and hurts like a mo-fo, tends to be less harmful than crashing on pavement.

I feel like his bike-handling looked better this year. At least on the descents. I'd like to see him take on a race like Strade. A big rider like him shouldn't be missing a race like that.

He is not going to race it. Too much of a risk for his TDF focus. He just wants an actual shot without hiccups

 

[AmRacer]

He is not going to race it. Too much of a risk for his TDF focus. He just wants an actual shot without hiccups

But Remco got third once, best he can do.