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

[red_flanders]

For sure it was me that talked about Rogla in this thread extensively in recent past. I just expressed my amazement, considering they are not rivals any more and considering their schedules don't seem to mix at all. It's like they live in parallel universe yet still the fandom has them matched together.

Don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone concede a point (progress, thank you!) and miss it entirely, at the very same time.

 

[CyclistAbi]

@red_flanders

That was my point exactly and you worded it perfectly in your second attempt. When we work together on something we truly do get better results.

 

[Berniece]

Evenepoel is getting ready for the new season, and did an end of year interview with Sporza. He thinks he can improve and win TDF. With a proper base he can do different training methods and increase the intensity which will improve his vo2 max. We’ll know if it’s working in Catalunya

Remco Evenepoel brandt van ambitie in 2026: "Ik kan de Tour winnen en ik wil beter zijn dan Tadej Pogacar" | sporza

2025 loopt op zijn laatste benen, 2026 staat in de gang te wachten. Sporza gaat tijdens de kerstvakantie op bezoek bij Belgische topsporters en Remco Evenepoel bijt de spits af. Komend seizoen staat nagenoeg volledig in het teken van de Tour de France en het geloof in zijn kansen lijkt bij...

sporza.be

 

[Cycling111]

What he says about the Giro is very bold. The entire high mountain stages still had to be contested. where he has always struggled


It's a risky assumption. If Pogacar had withdrawn in the first week of the 2022 Tour, he could also say he would have already won

Precisely, a GT is a race where you have to deal with problems like illness or crashes. And if you don't suffer those, then they´ve to be the best in the mountains, and we definitely can't be sure that Remco would have been the best in the high mountains in 2023.

The most ironic thing is that Remco has won 2 Liège races without Pogacar, so we could say that Pogacar would have won them like Remco did that Giro

https://twitter.com/x/status/2002985265954971805

View: https://x.com/lucasaganronald/status/2002985265954971805?s=20

 

[Berflamand]

Evenepoel is getting ready for the new season, and did an end of year interview with Sporza. He thinks he can improve and win TDF. With a proper base he can do different training methods and increase the intensity which will improve his vo2 max. We’ll know if it’s working in Catalunya

Remco Evenepoel brandt van ambitie in 2026: "Ik kan de Tour winnen en ik wil beter zijn dan Tadej Pogacar" | sporza

2025 loopt op zijn laatste benen, 2026 staat in de gang te wachten. Sporza gaat tijdens de kerstvakantie op bezoek bij Belgische topsporters en Remco Evenepoel bijt de spits af. Komend seizoen staat nagenoeg volledig in het teken van de Tour de France en het geloof in zijn kansen lijkt bij...

sporza.be

The bold statements (to which the detractors will surely object) aside, there's a lot of good news to take away from this interview:

• He sounds very confident that he can take another significant step and 'break through' his ceiling of these past few years.
• He can 'suffer' again on training and can go over his limit which he says was missing the past few years.
• His shoulder is finally properly healing the last couple of weeks where he previously thought it would stay a limiting factor.

 

[vappaxbipmv]

The bold statements (to which the detractors will surely object) aside, there's a lot of good news to take away from this interview:

• He sounds very confident that he can take another significant step and 'break through' his ceiling of these past few years.
• He can 'suffer' again on training and can go over his limit which he says was missing the past few years.
• His shoulder is finally properly healing the last couple of weeks where he previously thought it would stay a limiting factor.

Nobody, by definition, can go beyond their limit, it's literally the best you can possibly do. I do, however, realize that's a sport lingo and should not be taken literally

 

[KoopaCycling]

His detractors will use this interview to bring him down. I would say it's a healthy mindset as an athlete that wants to compete. I actually think last year will prove great for WVA for example. I mean i'm not sure if he still has what it takes to compete with the very best but Van Aert realised he hated just being a guy in the peloton. Maybe he'll finally develop that winning mentality instead of the not wanting to lose mentality he had so far in his career. In any case i lowkey have some actual hope for Van Aert next year. Whereas that's been a while and i felt he could only podium at best in the races he said he wanted to win.

 

[Berflamand]

Nobody, by definition, can go beyond their limit, it's literally the best you can possibly do. I do, however, realize that's a sport lingo and should not be taken literally

Yeah ok but I do seem to remember some races the past few years where he got dropped while not looking completely spent but where he was looking a lot at his power meter. I remember thinking like 'come on, at least just try to go into the red and follow' but it looked like he had a mental barrier to go over certain numbers (I guess his 'theoretical' limit).

I could be completely wrong about this but I guess he's referring to moments like that.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Him saying the opposite would be far worse.

 

[KoopaCycling]

As to the shoulder, he said during testing days we look at it. If that means during the Red Bull test days and it only got better since then, that's a damning statement for soudal. I mean i understand nerve damage takes time to heal. So perhaps there is only so much they could do at certain times. But for it needing to take Red Bull test days before new additional training movements to help that shoulder been done despite it not healing properly just looks bad imo. Unless i'm interpreting that wrong. And the doctors could do little more before now. That seems weird though. Surely they could have analysed the shoulder sooner than before Red Bull get together. And started additional specific treatment sooner.

He says this winter specific movements to trigger the nerve damage. so not before. And that's it only is getting truly better recently the last few weeks.

That alone validates (with my current understanding) the red bull move. This is your main guy and soudal seems to drop the ball this big. mindboggling.

 

[Red Rick]

In similar news, Evenepoel also hopes to make a lot of gains by improving his diet. His diet previously had been based around the fact that his team chefs had not discovered fire before.

 

[vappaxbipmv]

Yeah ok but I do seem to remember some races the past few years where he got dropped while not looking completely spent but where he was looking a lot at his power meter. I remember thinking like 'come on, at least just try to go into the red and follow' but it looked like he had a mental barrier to go over certain numbers (I guess his 'theoretical' limit).

I could be completely wrong about this but I guess he's referring to moments like that.

Well, actually that would be his (wrongly) "perceived" limit. Theoretical limit will be the one nobody ever reaches because you'd literally die if you did. But I understand, it's his Almeida riding style, staying on the highest pace one can sustain without going in the red

 

[Krzysztof_O]

In similar news, Evenepoel also hopes to make a lot of gains by improving his diet. His diet previously had been based around the fact that his team chefs had not discovered fire before.

Pogi also started training and eating like a pro only recently (in 2024). According to his own words his first years in UAE were more "amateurish" (only pasta) while now it's total pro stuff (porridge, rice etc) elevating VO2max to the sky.

 

[Berniece]

What he says about the Giro is very bold. The entire high mountain stages still had to be contested. where he has always struggled


It's a risky assumption. If Pogacar had withdrawn in the first week of the 2022 Tour, he could also say he would have already won

Precisely, a GT is a race where you have to deal with problems like illness or crashes. And if you don't suffer those, then they´ve to be the best in the mountains, and we definitely can't be sure that Remco would have been the best in the high mountains in 2023.

The most ironic thing is that Remco has won 2 Liège races without Pogacar, so we could say that Pogacar would have won them like Remco did that Giro

https://twitter.com/x/status/2002985265954971805

View: https://x.com/lucasaganronald/status/2002985265954971805?s=20

You didn’t watch TDF 2024?

 

[vappaxbipmv]

Was referring to his Tdf dream, but regardless, it’s not like he could say anything else that would actually be way worse if he did imo. I’m glad he’s open about trying and trying, Im not going to start criticizing him for that.

I want to win the Tour and if possible already in 2026, that sounds ambitious
I want to beat Pogacar and win the Tour in 2026, that sounds delusional

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

What he says about the Giro is very bold. The entire high mountain stages still had to be contested. where he has always struggled


It's a risky assumption. If Pogacar had withdrawn in the first week of the 2022 Tour, he could also say he would have already won

Precisely, a GT is a race where you have to deal with problems like illness or crashes. And if you don't suffer those, then they´ve to be the best in the mountains, and we definitely can't be sure that Remco would have been the best in the high mountains in 2023.

The most ironic thing is that Remco has won 2 Liège races without Pogacar, so we could say that Pogacar would have won them like Remco did that Giro

https://twitter.com/x/status/2002985265954971805

View: https://x.com/lucasaganronald/status/2002985265954971805?s=20

The Remco quote referenced:
“Giro 2023 is the biggest disappointment of my career. I had a big lead and our plan was perfect so far. Then I would have already won the Vuelta and the Giro and there would be only 1 Grand Tour left for my career goal to win all 3 Grand Tours in my career. Now I have to win 2 more.”

He really just has no respect for Roglic. I guess he’ll never be a diplomat, but he’s really not trying to make friends here.
They had not contested any mountainous terrain when he dropped out, he’d been dropped on the only hill stage, Roglic had a bad crash on his hip and still won so if you’re going to play the counterfactual game seems fair to back that out, Roglic is now his teammate so this comment isn’t in the best taste, especially in light of the fact that he just transferred over and then prevented Roglic from riding the Tour as he would like. I guess he just likes being the villain? He also looked pretty good 9 days into the 2023 Vuelta and 2025 Tour, but it was all an illusion.

The bold statements (to which the detractors will surely object) aside, there's a lot of good news to take away from this interview:

• He sounds very confident that he can take another significant step and 'break through' his ceiling of these past few years.
• He can 'suffer' again on training and can go over his limit which he says was missing the past few years.
• His shoulder is finally properly healing the last couple of weeks where he previously thought it would stay a limiting factor.

Got on the board for you

 

[Berniece]

The Remco quote referenced:
“Giro 2023 is the biggest disappointment of my career. I had a big lead and our plan was perfect so far. Then I would have already won the Vuelta and the Giro and there would be only 1 Grand Tour left for my career goal to win all 3 Grand Tours in my career. Now I have to win 2 more.”

He really just has no respect for Roglic.

Has nothing to do with Roglic and more so with believing in himself and his plan. Like he said, he already had a huge gap, and he rode very well in the mountains at Vuelta 2022. If he reached that level it was in the bag.

Also because like you said Roglic wasn’t himself either. Compare Roglic in Vuelta 2024 with Roglic Giro 2023. When he is really good he rides away and drops everyone. Now he was struggling with aging Thomas. So yeah, if that was Roglic his form and Evenepoel didn’t get Covid, he would’ve won.

 

[AmRacer]

Has nothing to do with Roglic and more so with believing in himself and his plan. Like he said, he already had a huge gap, and he rode very well in the mountains at Vuelta 2022. If he reached that level it was in the bag.

Also because like you said Roglic wasn’t himself either. Compare Roglic in Vuelta 2024 with Roglic Giro 2023. When he is really good he rides away and drops everyone. Now he was struggling with aging Thomas. So yeah, if that was Roglic his form and Evenepoel didn’t get Covid, he would’ve won.

Remco was lucky Roglic was crashed out of the Vuelta 2022, it isn't Wright.

 

[Berflamand]

Got on the board for you

Thanks! I appreciate it

Though I don't really consider you a 'detractor' of Remco but more an avid defender of Roglic.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

They had not contested any mountainous terrain when he dropped out, he’d been dropped on the only hill stage,

whenever I read about something Remco say about that Giro it is obvious to me that he believes he was already sick on that stage. And it makes sense. He got dropped on stage 8, did a very subpar TT (even if he won) on stage 9 and then abandoned directly.

When Remco talks about what could’ve happened in the 2023 Giro if he had stayed healthy it’s obvious to me that it includes better performances on stage 8 and 9 also, not only about what would’ve been happening from stage 10 to the finish.

I think it’s very fair to find it a bit dumb of Remco to talk about what could’ve been. But i find it also pretty dumb to ignore that the sickness (which is the whole reason for all this whataboutism from Remcos side) most likely already affected his performance on stage 8 and 9 before the abandon.

 

[Netserk]

he was dropped in all stage races he did that year, just wasnt good enough

 

[Berniece]

he was dropped in all stage races he did that year, just wasnt good enough

In 2023? Not true. He literally dropped Roglic in Catalunya on stage 3 and won that stage.

Or do you mean in every stage race he rode there was a moment he was dropped? Same goes for Roglic, and he won the Giro, so...