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

[Pantani_lives]

Evenepoel remains unbeaten in 2026. I wonder if he can keep this up for the rest of the season.

 

[AlpRaid]

I think some posters don't always realize how injuries, crashes and illness have delayed Remco's career.

For example, he was to do the giro in 2020.
We might have seen him at the TDF even in 2021 at that point -- or perhaps the Vuelta would have been in 2021 and the TDF in 2022.

Instead, he rushed back to the Giro in 2021 and did the Vuelta in 2022. His return to the Giro in 2023 was then thwarted by Covid, that then forced him to the Vuelta without proper prep. Then the TDF in 2024 -- successful, despite even a rushed prep due to crash. Then 2025 crash.

I want to be clear, this is not about whether he would have been more successful and won any of those races, but it just goes to show how all of the crashes, injuries and illness have delayed a guy who turned pro at 18-19 from entering and/or completing a bunch of races earlier in his career.

I personally would have loved to see him him target the Giro this year, and then see how he could do in the TDF even after that. However, I understand why they made the choices they made. Let's see how he can do with an injury-free build towards a TDF that doesn't even play to his strengths - I think that's kind of honorable. He is choosing to put all the chips down in a race he is likely to be dominated by the other two, instead of chasing an arguably better chance at the Giro or whatever.

 

[KoopaCycling]

I think some posters don't always realize how injuries, crashes and illness have delayed Remco's career.

For example, he was to do the giro in 2020.
We might have seen him at the TDF even in 2021 at that point -- or perhaps the Vuelta would have been in 2021 and the TDF in 2022.

Instead, he rushed back to the Giro in 2021 and did the Vuelta in 2022. His return to the Giro in 2023 was then thwarted by Covid, that then forced him to the Vuelta without proper prep. Then the TDF in 2024 -- successful, despite even a rushed prep due to crash. Then 2025 crash.

I want to be clear, this is not about whether he would have been more successful and won any of those races, but it just goes to show how all of the crashes, injuries and illness have delayed a guy who turned pro at 18-19 from entering and/or completing a bunch of races earlier in his career.

I personally would have loved to see him him target the Giro this year, and then see how he could do in the TDF even after that. However, I understand why they made the choices they made. Let's see how he can do with an injury-free build towards a TDF that doesn't even play to his strengths - I think that's kind of honorable. He is choosing to put all the chips down in a race he is likely to be dominated by the other two, instead of chasing an arguably better chance at the Giro or whatever.

I agree with most of what was posted here, with the caveat that Red Bull was always going to make the Tour his biggest target in his first year with them. Remco would have needed to throw the biggest of tantrums if he wanted to make any other GT his primary target this year.

 

[AmRacer]

I think some posters don't always realize how injuries, crashes and illness have delayed Remco's career.

For example, he was to do the giro in 2020.
We might have seen him at the TDF even in 2021 at that point -- or perhaps the Vuelta would have been in 2021 and the TDF in 2022.

Instead, he rushed back to the Giro in 2021 and did the Vuelta in 2022. His return to the Giro in 2023 was then thwarted by Covid, that then forced him to the Vuelta without proper prep. Then the TDF in 2024 -- successful, despite even a rushed prep due to crash. Then 2025 crash.

I want to be clear, this is not about whether he would have been more successful and won any of those races, but it just goes to show how all of the crashes, injuries and illness have delayed a guy who turned pro at 18-19 from entering and/or completing a bunch of races earlier in his career.

I personally would have loved to see him him target the Giro this year, and then see how he could do in the TDF even after that. However, I understand why they made the choices they made. Let's see how he can do with an injury-free build towards a TDF that doesn't even play to his strengths - I think that's kind of honorable. He is choosing to put all the chips down in a race he is likely to be dominated by the other two, instead of chasing an arguably better chance at the Giro or whatever.

He was rushed back to the Giro 2021, should've target the Tour with more time to build up.
Should've done the Tour 2023 as world champ, instead of trying the Giro and defending his Vuelta.
Should've done a few MSR and RVV too.

 

[ColonelKidneyBeans]

He was rushed back to the Giro 2021, should've target the Tour with more time to build up.
Should've done the Tour 2023 as world champ, instead of trying the Giro and defending his Vuelta.
Should've done a few MSR and RVV too.

I think doing the 2021 tour would have been a mistake, throwing a very crash prone rider at the most hectic race of the calendar as his first GT would not have ended well. The Giro was obviously a bad choice though, he wasn't ready at all.