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

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

I have to agree he is overrated, with the caveat that his ceiling is not overrated. He can be in the tier below Pogacar and Vingegaard with Roglic, Almeida, and Lipowitz, and he has the potential to be better, but his palmares and consistency is more akin to Carapaz or Hindley than Roglic, much less Pogacar. If he’s who he thinks he is, he needs to win stage races much more frequently than he does.

Carapaz:

2018: Giro - 4th
2019: Giro - 1st
2020: Vuelta - 2nd
2021: Tour - 3rd
2022: Giro - 2nd
2023: -
2024: Vuelta - 4th
2025: Giro - 3rd

In terms of GT GC riders, Remco is more akin to Tejay van Garderen, but with a higher ceiling.

 

[Pozzovivo]

Surely you will admit that that there is a non-zero chance of Onley beating him? Are you saying if they both finish? Onley "beat" Remco in 2025 as Remco DNFed and has DNFed half of his grand tour starts (Plus Vuelta crack in 2023). Durability is the issue - Andy Schleck is the best comparator to Remco - great when he finished (Two 2nd and one win at tour and a second at the Giro but also 3 DNF). When he finished he was great but did not finish 33% of the time.

I admit that thre is a non-zero chance yes. But i'd say it's 0 point something. As in 1000 tours with no injuries during or leading into the tour, Onley only beats Remco in no more than 9 of them. Onley is not even a serious threat imo. Lipowitz and mayve even Del toro and ayuso is much better than him.

 

[Netserk]

>he doesnt give excuses
>you just say that because youre a hater
>he does give excuses
>but its good

 

[Potomac]

Of all the things that will never happen, this will never happen the most.

you are a poet

 

[cafe_rider]

I admit that thre is a non-zero chance yes. But i'd say it's 0 point something. As in 1000 tours with no injuries during or leading into the tour, Onley only beats Remco in no more than 9 of them. Onley is not even a serious threat imo. Lipowitz and mayve even Del toro and ayuso is much better than him.

I agree that Lipowitz seems more durable over week long and three week races. However my point is that, based on his history in three week races and the big seven one week races, Remco is competitive about 50% of the time. If you had to bet your house at the start of a Grand tour would you put it on Remco? There is close to 50% chance that he does not finish

 

[Pozzovivo]

I agree that Lipowitz seems more durable over week long and three week races. However my point is that, based on his history in three week races and the big seven one week races, Remco is competitive about 50% of the time. If you had to bet your house at the start of a Grand tour would you put it on Remco? There is close to 50% chance that he does not finish

Remco have had so many problems though. Crashed by freakin postman pat last winter. I agree that his record is bad. It's indisputable. I see your point for sure, if i had to bet on finishing all GT in 5-10th position I would choose Onley over RE.

My point is rather. If I had to bet a considerable amount on one rider that is not Pog and JV to win one of the Tour de frances the next five years - I am completely certain that I would place it on Remco Evenepoel. Who would you place you money on?

Onley would never be in serious consideration. I'd rather try wildcards like Seixas and Nordhagen than him.

 

[Berniece]

>he doesnt give excuses
>you just say that because youre a hater
>he does give excuses
>but its good

>he doesnt give excuses
>i say he does because of my own insecurities
>day after he extends on it because journalists ask about it
>see im right

 

[Netserk]

>i say he does because of my own insecurities

typical reaction here

any criticism of remco is met with lashing out at the infidels

 

[Jan the Man]

It's not about an excuse, he isn't looking for an excuse... He is just saying that he had a bad nights sleep, but that doesn't change the result or should be used as an excuse, he literally said that the day before already. It's just the same type of people always wanting to discredit him. We can all keep saying, oh AGR came after Roubaix which is why Pogacar got caught in 2025. That's all fine. But saying he woke up due to the heat but that it's no excuse is supposedly Remco looking for excuses...


It was said he was weighing 65kg again, so yeah it's that simple sometimes. I don't understand why he doesn't just try to keep being closer to his TDF weight throughout the season and make his body accustomed to it.

However it is not altogether uncommon for people to lose a couple of kg between Ardennes and Tour, because that’s really what we’re talking about - he’s not far from peak Tour weight. Pog also loses a couple of kg after the classic campaign. He’s not doing an Ullrich he is a couple of kg from Tour weight, that’s all.

 

[KoopaCycling]

Don't know why Remco fanboys getting upset with his Excuses. 🤷

I don't get upset with it. I just read a lot of comments saying remco giving excuses again. I don't get that.
If every rider would only say i was not good enough, interviews would become a waste of time.
I like that he brings colour to a peloton. I do find his interviews interesting whilst also thinking on what i believe myself about a situation. remco and his analysis aren't always flawless, or on the money but usually honest in his feelings in that moment.

I thought about it some more. maybe everyone just want to say they find his explanation just an excuse without elaborating further. So as to makle it clear, it justy ain't one person thinking that way. Like people don't feel it's enough someone else already posted it, they want to emphasise they feel the same way. I would elaborate my viewpoint, as else i would think i would not be adding anything. But maybe that's just me.

I guess it's cause were on a forum and not on youtube. i expect certain style of comments more on youtube. whilst i tend to expect longer thoughts on a forum. Maybe that's just my own expectations.

In any case, i do agree he does seem to have a problem with double digit gradients, and needs special prep to stomach those. Whilst he personally properly thinks he is in good shape (which he is) and should do good. On most terrain he would. But being in good shape does not seem to be enough for remco in double gradients. He'll need to work and prep for those walls to stomach them.

 

[Berniece]

typical reaction here

any criticism of remco is met with lashing out at the infidels

I only see you here when he underperforms. What does that say about you?

 

[AmRacer]

I don't get upset with it. I just read a lot of comments saying remco giving excuses again. I don't get that.
If every rider would only say i was not good enough, interviews would become a waste of time.
I like that he brings colour to a peloton. I do find his interviews interesting whilst also thinking on what i believe myself about a situation. remco and his analysis aren't always flawless, or on the money but usually honest in his feelings in that moment.

I thought about it some more. maybe everyone just want to say they find his explanation just an excuse without elaborating further. So as to makle it clear, it justy ain't one person thinking that way. Like people don't feel it's enough someone else already posted it, they want to emphasise they feel the same way. I would elaborate my viewpoint, as else i would think i would not be adding anything. But maybe that's just me.

I guess it's cause were on a forum and not on youtube. i expect certain style of comments more on youtube. whilst i tend to expect longer thoughts on a forum. Maybe that's just my own expectations.

So who gets upset then?

 

[AmRacer]

I only see you here when he underperforms. What does that say about you?

Are you in Pogi's thread when he performs?

 

[Netserk]

I only see you here when he underperforms. What does that say about you?

that i make comments here about remco, the topic

 

[KoopaCycling]

So who gets upset then?

I think were talking next to each other. and perhaps upset is the wrong word. I just saw several posts basically saying the same thing. Like i said, it is probably my own expectations for more elaboration. Instead of several people saying the same thing without more. Seems a bit redundant to me. But like i posted, maybe it's to simply emphasise it's a shared perspective.

I do feel for some it's more of a critique on remco the person than on remco the rider when they say he's just giving excuses again. That's fine, we all have mentality and personalities we like more. Just hard to tell at times without more info. I used to not be a fan of spartacus for example. he just seemed fake. In any case i would not like a peloton where everyone gives the same answer. Professional sports are entertainment at the end of the day after all.

 

[topcat]

This thread needs some air-conditioning. But no excuses, some exceptional analysis here.

 

[theyoungest]

Oscar Onley beating Evenepoel in the tour if both have a clean run and no injuries. That just will not happen. The 2nd best engine in cycling is Remco. We can all see that.

I don't see why not. Evenepoel has a big engine, but as long as he struggles to haul that engine up a mountain, advantage Onley.

 

[theyoungest]

Maybe translate the original article yourself and see this is just clickbait.

Airco Evenepoel is a good one though, admit it.

Cyclinguptodate is awful. Poorly Google translated clickbait articles. But it generates traffic, and that's all that matters.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

I wonder if he's annoyed at his team for putting him in a (cheap?) hotel with faulty A/C.

I don't mind the excuses... the more the better. Gives better insight into the team dynamics.

 

[KoopaCycling]

apparantly they fixed it the airco if only they fixed it a day earlier...
If remco does not have his climber's legs (which he does not always have) Onley can indeed finish ahead of him.
I assume that his winter was for building the base, and the next training and the ones between spring, dauphine and tour are exactly aimed at Remco becoming a better climber. He himself wants to focus on GT's. That means in current day and age he need to focus on climbing. If he wants to focus on TT and hilly classics it's a slightly different matter.

Now i don't see anything wrong with Remco having Gt's as 1A and the rest as 1B. But like i said in uae tour thread, if he has a bad tour this year (and it ain't due to crash, getting very sick) he should switch the focus to the rest being 1A and GT's being 1B. There is not much else but GT's in the summer so i don't see why he should no make them a 1B focus anymore even if he decides to make the rest the 1A focus. It might do him some good in the mental part of things as well. a stress free GT may give up surprising results. would also love to see him ride a gt as a marauder. attack the hilly stages, and just see where the legs take you in the mountains. offcourse only if this year's tour is a failure. this year, he should focus on getting all things right, and see where that leads him.

I believe Remco is a capable GT rider. cause he got a natural engine. but there are several riders who are in his ballpark and some that are better than him at climbing. like remco can beat most other climbers, but it ain't a given he'll do so.
You never fully know which remco you are going to get it. Now if he somehow fails under prefect prep, i misjudged his GT prowess. I hope to see him have a very good tour. And if he does not, that he changes things up.

 

[Extinction]

It was said he was weighing 65kg again, so yeah it's that simple sometimes. I don't understand why he doesn't just try to keep being closer to his TDF weight throughout the season and make his body accustomed to it.

His problem is riding in a generation in which the big guns show up in February already lean and firing on all cylinders. So coming in at 65 kg instead of 61 makes a huge negative difference uphill. Sounds like Remco doesn't want to compromise his TT, but that's more often than not, not what wins stage races today.

 

[Berniece]

His problem is riding in a generation in which the big guns show up in February already lean and firing on all cylinders. So coming in at 65 kg instead of 61 makes a huge negative difference uphill. Sounds like Remco doesn't want to compromise his TT, but that's more often than not, not what wins stage races today.

It's silly to think he can't ride a proper TT when weighing less. He won OG weighing less. He rode Roglic on 45s in Vuelta 2022 weighing less. It's dumb of them really.

 

[KoopaCycling]

His problem is riding in a generation in which the big guns show up in February already lean and firing on all cylinders. So coming in at 65 kg instead of 61 makes a huge negative difference uphill. Sounds like Remco doesn't want to compromise his TT, but that's more often than not, not what wins stage races today.

I don't think remco can maintain his GT weight throughout a whole season. I think that would be bad for his longevity and his health.

 

[Extinction]

It's silly to think he can't ride a proper TT when weighing less. He won OG weighing less. He rode Roglic on 45s in Vuelta 2022 weighing less. It's dumb of them really.

It shouldn't even be a consideration. If he wants to win GC in a race with a hard climb like yesterday, he needs to come in with upper body mass at a minimum. If he still takes the TT it's a bonus, not a principal aim.

 

[Extinction]

I don't think remco can maintain his GT weight throughout a whole season.

It seems his upper body mass kills him on a climb like yesterday. He needs to reduce that, which starts in November.