Will knows no fear, which breeds on lack on lack of strength, usually. Focusing on the balance of power happens more so when you don't have much left in the tank. But cyclists are usually knuckleheads and will try to hedge bets or downright sabotage instead of work together for the common good where everyone gains at least something.
He couldn't be the best 1 day racer ever even if he fully focused on that
Well, in any case, that doesn't change how he can re-imagine his prep and schedule. Otherwise, what's the point of racing? He's never approached a full classics campaign, so nobody knows his value in MSR and the northern classics and if you start from Pogi is unique so why bother your dead in the water anyway.
Haha, doubt the Don gets influenced by othersSounds like someone got an angry phone call from Evenepoel senior
No. After Pogi makes his move on La Redoute, Remco will lose time but TT back to him and beat him in the sprint. At least that looks like the game plan. That's what I learn from his moves this week.
I no longer believe his teams don't know what is going on with him. I think they just don't want to finish with his dream of winning the Tour
I have been a fan of Remco for a long time, I enjoy his personality, that he wears his emotions on his sleeve, at his best he is incredibly exciting to watch. He may well be the best TT rider in history, or at the very least in the top few. At his best an amazing hilly classics rider, one of the better ones ever. That said, I don’t think it is slagging him by simply stating what appears more and more obvious, and that is he doesn’t appear to have the recovery needed to be the best of the best GT riders; he is not a natural climber in the high mountains, especially not on repeated days, he seems incredibly tactically knuckle headed, and though he is a very tough guy obviously, he does seem prone to emotional meltdowns in a way that is counterproductive to success in GT racing. Re the northern classics, he has never shown the bike handling skills or positioning sense necessary to be competitive in races like RVV or Roubaix, which test both those qualities to the absolute limit. I may be going out on a limb but I believe he has won every major race he is going to at this point; he may win more of what he’s already won, but I just don’t remotely see him winning a major cobbled classic, and I think he’s trying to fit a square peg into a round hole by targeting GT GC’s. I know I know, he podiumed the Tour, but I actually think his yo-yoing with his weight is going to set him back and that imho we are already seeing some of that. He is nearly the same age as Pogacar and will never beat him in a GT, and the next generation is nipping hot at his heels. Perhaps a GdL if Pogi doesn’t show up. Very little in cycling would make me happier than being proven wrong on this but it is clear that as good as he is, I believe he is limited in ways that are going to be difficult to overcome, imho. Just my .02, I’m sure I’m in for some flaming on this one. 😜
And probably wouldn't win the sprint either. But, excluding AGR, Remco was never able to pull Poga back, so almost guaranteed he wouldn't. The only realistic option for Remco is just not to get dropped.
I mostly agree with this, but I’d send him to MSR and RVV a few times before writing him off in those. It took Pogacar 6 tries tho, so he might need to be patient. I think IL is certainly feasibly too. And surely he can win a one-week stage race at some point, right? That is the most baffling (and perhaps telling) of all. Pogacar, Vingegaard, and previously Roglic cleaned up in the big 7 one weeks; they also consistently perform in GTs.
Why would you not spend 2 weeks in the offseason doing prep work for next season?
That's precisely what I said about his TT testing in the wind tunnel this winter and was criticised for it. It's the only thing he DOESN'T need to improve
Agreed, however, and I'm not saying this to be irrationally contrary, but he just has to focus on performance and liberate himself from all the expections he and others have placed on himself. Only then will he achieve what nature and fate has in the cards. Liberate the mind will set you free and ad astra.
Obviously they lost some data with the transfer, and secondly remco was never going into the mountains immediately during the first couple of weeks of his season. Perfectly natural for him to spend some time in the wind tunnel at that point in the season. I also think to remember they checked to optimise his position on the road bike as well.
I think the current team should engineer a new approach that fosters a different athlete. One that balances dreams, while exorcising demons. He might then just race with clarity, because things don't seem clear at the moment.
I’m pretty sure Jai Hindley won a Giro with basically not TT work. Remco can go backwards and still win an ITT and he likely needs to go backwards to win a GT.
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