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

[CyclistAbi]

Why would RBBH care what anyone reaction would be so that they would keep this a secret

I know on how i would feel if it would be Rogla. It's always the little things that make a big difference.

 

[The bald fraud]

Very strong team. Maybe even the strongest team

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Very strong team indeed. Proven cobbled classics riders, and Remco.

 

[red_flanders]

While I'm glad he'll be racing on Sunday, this last-minute entry seems rather desperate on the part of both Red Bull and Remco.

I don't think it's a last-minute entry in the way you suggest. He posted a recon ride from December on YouTube yesterday. Seemed quite planned, he talked about when it would be released, citing why he was wearing the black kit. To paraphrase, he can't yet ride with Red Bull kit, can't have the Soudal kit on when the video is released.

It is an odd strategy, so it does lead to questions like yours. I wonder if it had to do with not wanting to ride it in foul weather due to extra crash risk. Total speculation on my part. Also could be just not wanting the long frenzied build up in Belgian press.

 

[Berflamand]

Not a last-minute entry in the way you suggest. He posted a recon ride from December on YouTube yesterday. Seemed quite planned, he talked about when it would be released, citing why he was wearing the black kit. To paraphrase, he can't yet ride with Red Bull kit, can't have the Soudal kit on when the video is released.

It is an odd strategy, so it does lead to questions like yours. I wonder if it had to do with not wanting to ride it in foul weather due to extra crash risk. Total speculation on my part. Also could be just not wanting the long frenzied build up in Belgian press.

You're not wrong. I'll quote @Berniece's earlier post here and I think he got it quite right:

I'm not saying it was an impulsive decision. I'm saying they prepared for it, but they didn't want to do it if the weather was bad. So there we 2 scenarios:
1. Weather is bad, we don't release anything and Evenepoel goes to train in Spain
2. Weather is okay, we release everything we did the previous months in preparation for this as a marketing stunt

Why not say beforehand that you were preparing for this? Because you look weak if option 1 is happening.

It's not that this comes from nowhere. We've heard multiple journalists say beforehand that Evenepoel would ride De Ronde if the weather was okay, but officially the team said no.

 

[red_flanders]

You're not wrong. I'll quote @Berniece's earlier post here and I think he got it quite right:

Thanks, obviously haven't read the whole thread.

 

[elguapo]

Very strong team indeed. Proven cobbled classics riders, and Remco.

I hope that Remco has already improved in his bike-handling while navigating the cobbles. He was OTL during the 2018 Roubaix Juniors, while the likes of Skjelmose, Simmons and Rodriguez finished prominently at top 10. Ronde has fewer stretches of cobbles than Roubaix though, but climbs are there.

 

[The bald fraud]

hope that Remco has already improved in his bike-handling while navigating the cobbles.

I have no doubts about Remco on cobbled climbs. He was excellent in WC in Rwanda last year (1st in TT, 2nd in RR), where the crucial ascents were covered with cobbles and similar to the climbs in Flanders. The main climb (which they climbed 15 times in the RR!), Cote de Kimihurura, was even referred to in cycling media as "Kimiberg" due to its resemblance to cobbled climbs of Flanders. And Mur de Kigali (which has quite rough cobbles) was also used in the WC.

 

[houtdffan]

I hope that Remco has already improved in his bike-handling while navigating the cobbles. He was OTL during the 2018 Roubaix Juniors, while the likes of Skjelmose, Simmons and Rodriguez finished prominently at top 10. Ronde has fewer stretches of cobbles than Roubaix though, but climbs are there.

Remco was leading when his bike broke

 

[Berniece]

I hope that Remco has already improved in his bike-handling while navigating the cobbles. He was OTL during the 2018 Roubaix Juniors, while the likes of Skjelmose, Simmons and Rodriguez finished prominently at top 10. Ronde has fewer stretches of cobbles than Roubaix though, but climbs are there.

I think he improved since 8 years ago…

 

[peterfin]

He had no issues with the slippery slopes of the Koppenberg during his training today and easily powered to the top. Many had to stop. Climbing the cobbles won't be the issue. Positioning will be the main issue. He needs his team to keep him in front at the crucial moments or he will be held back by riders in front of him.

 

[peterfin]

I hope that Remco has already improved in his bike-handling while navigating the cobbles. He was OTL during the 2018 Roubaix Juniors, while the likes of Skjelmose, Simmons and Rodriguez finished prominently at top 10. Ronde has fewer stretches of cobbles than Roubaix though, but climbs are there.

As said by houtdffan, he was leading when his bike broke. And I believe it broke a second time so he litteraly had to walk to the finish. I think he has the endurance to win PR.