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

[tobydawq]

I think Del Toro has become one of the best in cycling last year, but for all his victories, i only care about Emillia and Burgos. The rest are meh. 2nd place in the Giro is great, but it ain't a win. He'll need to win bigger fish before he's not simply one of the best in current cycling, but actually made it. If you all understand what i mean.

Virenque for all his weirdness was a major talent, but he never won much of importance. Now i do not see that happening to Del Toro. I'm just saying he ain't made just yet.

So winning Vuelta a Burgos only because Ciccone crashed (which was Del Toro's fault) is top notch, yet winning a stage, leading the Giro for two weeks and finishing second is only to be scoffed at?

 

[James M]

Evenepoel was hyped and coddled from the womb. Pogacar is the best that has occurred. Comparing any young rider to those two with the same expectations is hopeful and very optimistic.

Part of what Im hoping that this move from Quickstep will raise his mental game, because hes appeared very fragile and needed an excuse for literally everything in order to cope. First step to raise the bar is accountability across all areas and within the org aswell is a necessity imo hopefully that will be the case.

 

[KoopaCycling]

I do not really care about stage wins in a GC or GT. I suppose thats a personal thing. But i never understood why people care so much for them. In GC its first and foremost about the overall. The rest is just gravy. I do not scoff at podiums in a GT. But its not something people will remember 30 years from now.

Milano-T has prestige but its also not a race that speaks to me. I like Emillia way more

 

[Red Rick]

So winning Vuelta a Burgos only because Ciccone crashed (which was Del Toro's fault) is top notch, yet winning a stage, leading the Giro for two weeks and finishing second is only to be scoffed at?

To be honest I've scoffed at Ben O'Connor for all of 2025.

Del Toro may be one of the next GT winning climbers, but to me he really did not show that at the Giro. He was the punchiest, but never really showed a great level on the big climb despite the weak field.

 

[James M]

To be honest I've scoffed at Ben O'Connor for all of 2025.

Del Toro may be one of the next GT winning climbers, but to me he really did not show that at the Giro. He was the punchiest, but never really showed a great level on the big climb despite the weak field.

Lets hope he improves on the long climbs, because he will need to. He has every chance to do that, but lets see first.

Imagine when the reaper retires if we get Torito to dominate (not like Pogi cause that will never happen but still win major races) Wouldnt that be just awesome Red? You can play with your vodoo doll all over again.

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Everything depends on how much Red Bull can transform Remco and how much having a proper winter base can enhance his form. Anything less than a Remco 4.0 version this year, will not have been a good investment by his new team. I'm curious, therefore, to see how it plays out.

I think even if he stays at his current level, it was a good investment in itself. He will win a lot and in dramatic fashion and generate publicity. I don’t know that the disruption to the GC riders (Roglic, Lipowitz in particular) will ultimately be worth it. If he is not better than 10 minutes back or worse in the Tour (he’s been hit or miss in GTs I think we can all agree) the I think it was a mistake to pull the rug out from underneath Roglic and push Lipowitz back. Honestly, I don’t think the juice was worth the squeeze to make that move in 2026 period, as I see no world in which he is top 2 in 2026 Tour without one of the top 2 being way off form or having an incident. Great investment either way, but going all in in terms of prioritization, staffing, communication, etc might have been a mistake IMO.

 

[Oldman]

I do not really care about stage wins in a GC or GT. I suppose thats a personal thing. But i never understood why people care so much for them. In GC its first and foremost about the overall. The rest is just gravy. I do not scoff at podiums in a GT. But its not something people will remember 30 years from now.

Milano-T has prestige but its also not a race that speaks to me. I like Emillia way more

Its about points. Very relevant to the team to gain them because only one person wins GC

 

[Oldman]

What do you mean hyped and coddled from the womb? That’s because he rode those results at a young age. Del Toro didn’t even win San Sebastián last year let alone when he was 19.

His family legacy was a boon and a curse. He wanted for nothing on his career arc.
Del Toro is from Mexico where not much is provided; it must be earned and taken. Different environment for development and much more Real World challenges and responsibilities.

 

[Berniece]

His family legacy was a boon and a curse. He wanted for nothing on his career arc.
Del Toro is from Mexico where not much is provided; it must be earned and taken. Different environment for development and much more Real World challenges and responsibilities.

Family legacy? Are you mixing up Evenepoel with Van Der Poel?

 

[Red Rick]

Family legacy? Are you mixing up Evenepoel with Van Der Poel?

Well his dad was a former pro and presumably well enough connected within Belgian cycling that it certainly wouldn't hurt.

 

[Berniece]

Well his dad was a former pro and presumably well enough connected within Belgian cycling that it certainly wouldn't hurt.

Nothing that he had the weight of his name on his shoulders

 

[AmRacer]

Nothing that he had the weight of his name on his shoulders

Oh no, not his weight again..😁

 

[KoopaCycling]

His family legacy was a boon and a curse. He wanted for nothing on his career arc.
Del Toro is from Mexico where not much is provided; it must be earned and taken. Different environment for development and much more Real World challenges and responsibilities.

Evenepoel played football till he was 16, hence he needed to improve a lot on handling early in his career.
He was picked up quick since he immediately started showing results, and probably had a decent entourage from then.

But it's nothing like a Nys or MVDP who had all the material and advice from a young age.
No doubt there was some cycling influence through his dad. But Remco's focus was football.

On the other hand, Del Toro's passion from a young age was cycling. And he got into a development team in mexico.
Now Remco had professionals surrounding him in football. But i would not be so quick to call it advantage Remco over Del Toro when it comes to early cycling development. In fact i would argue Del Toro holds that advantage. Add that he was picked up by UAE some time ago.

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

I don’t think the Mexican development scene is some big advantage necessarily but I could be wrong. There isn’t even much in the U.S. to speak of, but maybe my assumption is off.

 

[KoopaCycling]

Mexican team is based in San Marino (Italy), pretty sure they spent a lot of time training in europe. Odds are the support he got from them (and their advisors) was more than decent. On top of him having a passion for cycling from an early age. I think he did some cyclocross even in europe.

 

[AlpRaid]

Virenque for all his weirdness was a major talent.

…a major talent?

Really?

Based on exactly what empirical data would one ever come to that “definite” conclusion?

 

[KoopaCycling]

He was a cheat, but also a great climber. I don't think him being a cheat fully changes that. He's the kind you like to hate (for me personally) but for all his antics still entertaining and brough colour to the peloton. Some of his rides are well remembered perhaps as a result. Unlike say Voeckler who i felt was just annoying.

 

[kingjr]

He was a cheat, but also a great climber. I don't think him being a cheat fully changes that. He's the kind you like to hate (for me personally) but for all his antics still entertaining and brough colour to the peloton. Some of his rides are well remembered perhaps as a result. Unlike say Voeckler who i felt was just annoying.

He was really good, unlucky for him that he became a pro at perhaps the worst possible moment in the sport

 

[Red Rick]

He was really good, unlucky for him that he became a pro at perhaps the worst possible moment in the sport

Who says he would thrive better in a different era? All riders are products of their environment.

 

[Oldman]

Evenepoel played football till he was 16, hence he needed to improve a lot on handling early in his career.
He was picked up quick since he immediately started showing results, and probably had a decent entourage from then.

But it's nothing like a Nys or MVDP who had all the material and advice from a young age.
No doubt there was some cycling influence through his dad. But Remco's focus was football.

On the other hand, Del Toro's passion from a young age was cycling. And he got into a development team in mexico.
Now Remco had professionals surrounding him in football. But i would not be so quick to call it advantage Remco over Del Toro when it comes to early cycling development. In fact i would argue Del Toro holds that advantage. Add that he was picked up by UAE some time ago.

I'd say Del Toro's advantage is serious talent. The sort of support you can get depends on assistance of coaches, fellow racers and ultimately a sports agent. We heard about Remco as a junior so there is little doubt he didn't need to fight for support. Quite the opposite; it seems all of Belgium wanted a piece of his success and he now is on a track that should help, not hinder him.

Well his dad was a former pro and presumably well enough connected within Belgian cycling that it certainly wouldn't hurt.

His Dad would know something about moving a talented junior into a professional career.

 

[kingjr]

Who says he would thrive better in a different era? All riders are products of their environment.

That wasn't my point

 

[AlpRaid]

He was a cheat, but also a great climber. I don't think him being a cheat fully changes that.

…interesting take.

Not sure any of us can judge the true nature of his “talent.” How could you? No real data whatsoever.

Oh well, I will never understand.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

(as mod) Getting very clinic-y here, and far removed from the subject of the thread. If you want to continue this discussion, find a suitable thread in the clinic.