• We wish each and every one of you an absolutely spectacular 2026!

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

Page 1446 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
May 6, 2021
12,909
23,967
22,180
I saw “Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes” on Evenepoel’s schedule and thought ahh great stuff he’s finally challenging himself in an esoteric French cup race against Guillaume Martin and some local Patisserie chefs but apparently that’s just what they’re calling the Dauphine Libere nowadays.
 
Sep 12, 2022
8,593
10,004
17,180
I saw “Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes” on Evenepoel’s schedule and thought ahh great stuff he’s finally challenging himself in an esoteric French cup race against Guillaume Martin and some local Patisserie chefs but apparently that’s just what they’re calling the Dauphine Libere nowadays.
When we copy/paste from other websites that use official terms it'll be that, but most forum members will probably just say Dauphine.
 
Sep 12, 2022
8,593
10,004
17,180
What is that, 46 racedays? I hate modern cycling man.

Respect to guys like Onley or Almeida who just keep hammering it all season long.
44 racedays up until the TDF, and excluding a stage race they plan to do between Valencia and Catalunya, and excluding NC. If he does for example UAE Tour, which seems the most likely, he's at 51 days.

Then he'll do Quebec, Montreal, WC ITT, WC RR, Lombardia, which makes 56 days. I don't know if he will race before Quebec though. Maybe Maryland for some extra racing efforts? That's another 3 days, and that's assuming he does nothing between WC RR and Lombardia.

All in all he'll be close to 60 days. Which is fine for a stage racer that also does a spring classics campaign. Right?
 
May 10, 2015
13,673
12,995
28,180
44 racedays up until the TDF, and excluding a stage race they plan to do between Valencia and Catalunya, and excluding NC. If he does for example UAE Tour, which seems the most likely, he's at 51 days.

Then he'll do Quebec, Montreal, WC ITT, WC RR, Lombardia, which makes 56 days. I don't know if he will race before Quebec though. Maybe Maryland for some extra racing efforts? That's another 3 days, and that's assuming he does nothing between WC RR and Lombardia.

All in all he'll be close to 60 days. Which is fine for a stage racer that also does a spring classics campaign. Right?

So what I've seen isn't complete then? Cause I have no idea how you are making it to 44. He does max 3 in Mallorca (like everyone there) btw.

Oh you mean with the TDF.

If he does an extra stage race then sure it's fine I guess, cause that changes a lot. I just thought it was very boring to not do anything properly before Catalunya.

And yeah for the record, I still think 60 is meeh. I want more Almeida's or Onley's.
 
Sep 12, 2022
8,593
10,004
17,180
So what I've seen isn't complete then? Cause I have no idea how you are making it to 44. He does max 3 in Mallorca (like everyone there) btw.

Oh you mean with the TDF.

If he does an extra stage race then sure it's fine I guess, cause that changes a lot. I just thought it was very boring to not do anything properly before Catalunya.

And yeah for the record, I still think 60 is meeh. I want more Almeida's or Onley's.
Yeah, including TDF. I agree that only doing Valencia, Catalunya, AGR and LBL would be a boring spring season. But even if he includes UAE Tour, which is by far one of the most boring WT stage races, it's still quite ***. Hope ASO, RCS or Flanders Classics wants to persuade him by paying a starting fee for his attendance at Paris-Nice/Tirreno/MSR/Flanders. But it'll probably be UAE that pays him to join UAE Tour.
 
Sep 1, 2023
5,041
5,162
16,180
From PCS

 
Last edited:
May 10, 2015
13,673
12,995
28,180
Yeah, including TDF. I agree that only doing Valencia, Catalunya, AGR and LBL would be a boring spring season. But even if he includes UAE Tour, which is by far one of the most boring WT stage races, it's still quite ***. Hope ASO, RCS or Flanders Classics wants to persuade him by paying a starting fee for his attendance at Paris-Nice/Tirreno/MSR/Flanders. But it'll probably be UAE that pays him to join UAE Tour.

Why not just do Tirreno or PN like a real cyclist? I think he's rich enough to not cave for UAE money
 
Apr 13, 2025
3,565
3,904
10,680
With this schedule, he's unlikely to win his first major tour. Dauphiné will be the most difficult for him to win due to the rivals. The Volta might be the most accessible.
So what I've seen isn't complete then? Cause I have no idea how you are making it to 44. He does max 3 in Mallorca (like everyone there) btw.

Oh you mean with the TDF.

If he does an extra stage race then sure it's fine I guess, cause that changes a lot. I just thought it was very boring to not do anything properly before Catalunya.

And yeah for the record, I still think 60 is meeh. I want more Almeida's or Onley's.
It should also be said that Almeida avoided all major rivals until the Tour de France. And in the Tour, he wasn't under the pressure of being the leader.

Going to the Tour de Switzerland is not the same as going to the Dauphiné against the best rivals.

Pogacar's schedule, for example, was much more demanding with less days.
 
Sep 12, 2022
8,593
10,004
17,180
Why not just do Tirreno or PN like a real cyclist? I think he's rich enough to not cave for UAE money
I think they expect him to be at altitude then. UAE Tour ends at the end 22nd of February. Which means he could do 3 weeks of altitude and be back in the week of the 16th of March. Which is too late for Paris-Nice(08/03) and Tirreno (09/03) , but in time for Catalunya (23/03).

He could skip UAE Tour and go to altitude after Valencia, so he would be back in time for Paris-Nice, but I'm not sure they are able to extend the impact of an altitude camp so long until Liege. Then your question is, what's the most important? Riding for the win at Paris-Nice/Catalunya or Catalunya/AGR/LBL... I prefer the latter option personally.
 
Jul 16, 2024
283
255
1,430
Yeah, including TDF. I agree that only doing Valencia, Catalunya, AGR and LBL would be a boring spring season. But even if he includes UAE Tour, which is by far one of the most boring WT stage races, it's still quite ***. Hope ASO, RCS or Flanders Classics wants to persuade him by paying a starting fee for his attendance at Paris-Nice/Tirreno/MSR/Flanders. But it'll probably be UAE that pays him to join UAE Tour.
I think UAE would rather have Del Toro and a win than Remco as well and a potential loss
 
Apr 3, 2009
12,701
8,650
28,180
Exactly that. If the ambition is to be among Merckx, Hinault and Coppi you not only need to win the big GTs but also many (all) of the Monuments along with WCs. Only rider today that might pull this off is TP. Remco, not so very much, despite having some amazing qualities.
Remco stated back in the day when he first entered the peloton that his main goal was to win all 3 GT's. Maybe that's changed for him, no idea, but that's his starting point of view.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
Sep 1, 2023
5,041
5,162
16,180
I think they expect him to be at altitude then. UAE Tour ends at the end 22nd of February. Which means he could do 3 weeks of altitude and be back in the week of the 16th of March. Which is too late for Paris-Nice(08/03) and Tirreno (09/03) , but in time for Catalunya (23/03).

He could skip UAE Tour and go to altitude after Valencia, so he would be back in time for Paris-Nice, but I'm not sure they are able to extend the impact of an altitude camp so long until Liege. Then your question is, what's the most important? Riding for the win at Paris-Nice/Catalunya or Catalunya/AGR/LBL... I prefer the latter option personally.
UAE Tour isn't listed on his program at PCS.
 
Aug 31, 2019
3,554
6,387
14,180
From PCS
No way he would race all 5 races on Mallorca
 
Apr 13, 2025
3,565
3,904
10,680
There are a lot of riders that can beat Del Toro at UAE Tour though. I’m not sure he is the best on Jebel Hafeet

I think it's the race that suits him best. Just one climb.

Del Toro has struggled on long stages with more than one climb, especially in the Giro. UAE Tour is the oposite.
Short races with an uphill or one mountain are what he does best.