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

[Breh]

He even said he wanted to do De Ronde earlier but Quick Step wouldn't let him.

The biggest Belgian team, who has been struggling to get a meaningful result in the biggest Belgian race for the past decade, would refuse their most marketable and most promising rider to ride De Ronde?

Sure thing.
You could excuse the stupid lies and annoying announcement as a marketing ploy but there's absolutely no reason for him to say this.

 

[Breh]

Going to rewatch Byron Munton and Mathys Rondel dropping him in the UAE tour

 

[Berniece]

He even said he wanted to do De Ronde earlier but Quick Step wouldn't let him.

The biggest Belgian team, who has been struggling to get a meaningful result in the biggest Belgian race for the past decade, would refuse their most marketable and most promising rider to ride De Ronde?

Sure thing.
You could excuse the stupid lies and annoying announcement as a marketing ploy but there's absolutely no reason for him to say this.

Unless it’s true?

 

[AlpRaid]

Really it’s his word against Lefevre’s. Who in their right mind would believe Lefevre? Lol.

Besides, we are really not looking at many possibilities:

2019 barely 19 no way
2020 COVID and his first monument was Lombardia when he almost died
2021 couldn’t ride as he was still rehabilitating
2022 still coming back to full fitness, chose Basque to prep for LBL and that worked.
2023 really the ONLY legitimately missed RVV in his career (but he was also on Giro prep calendar and had to go to altitude before defending his LBL)
2024 Basque crash while prepping TDF
2025 couldn’t ride because of postal crash

People truly forget how much serious crashes (and illnesses) have impeded his career and caused him to miss out on whole chunks of seasons, delaying his participation in many races.

 

[AmRacer]

Really it’s his word against Lefevre’s. Who in their right mind would believe Lefevre? Lol.

Besides, we are really not looking at many possibilities:

2019 barely 19 no way
2020 COVID and his first monument was Lombardia when he almost died
2021 couldn’t ride as he was still rehabilitating
2022 still coming back to full fitness, chose Basque to prep for LBL and that worked.
2023 really the ONLY legitimately missed RVV in his career (but he was also on Giro prep calendar and had to go to altitude before defending his LBL)
2024 Basque crash while prepping TDF
2025 couldn’t ride because of postal crash

People truly forget how much serious crashes (and illnesses) have impeded his career and caused him to miss out on whole chunks of seasons, delaying his participation in many races.

He could ride 2022 and 2024, but the focus was elsewhere.

 

[Oldman]

He even said he wanted to do De Ronde earlier but Quick Step wouldn't let him.

The biggest Belgian team, who has been struggling to get a meaningful result in the biggest Belgian race for the past decade, would refuse their most marketable and most promising rider to ride De Ronde?

Sure thing.
You could excuse the stupid lies and annoying announcement as a marketing ploy but there's absolutely no reason for him to say this.

Except to counter his former DS as suggesting he wouldn't ride it. He should be happy he's not there and let it go. Time to prove himself as a grown Man Racer.

 

[Oldman]

He even said he wanted to do De Ronde earlier but Quick Step wouldn't let him.

The biggest Belgian team, who has been struggling to get a meaningful result in the biggest Belgian race for the past decade, would refuse their most marketable and most promising rider to ride De Ronde?

Sure thing.
You could excuse the stupid lies and annoying announcement as a marketing ploy but there's absolutely no reason for him to say this.

Yes....like the Savior of Belgium, as he was hyped; couldn't select his race schedule? Patrick and Remco should meet in a bouncy castle and flail about until only one emerges. Then shut up on the past.

 

[Berniece]

Really it’s his word against Lefevre’s. Who in their right mind would believe Lefevre? Lol.

Besides, we are really not looking at many possibilities:

2019 barely 19 no way
2020 COVID and his first monument was Lombardia when he almost died
2021 couldn’t ride as he was still rehabilitating
2022 still coming back to full fitness, chose Basque to prep for LBL and that worked.
2023 really the ONLY legitimately missed RVV in his career (but he was also on Giro prep calendar and had to go to altitude before defending his LBL)
2024 Basque crash while prepping TDF
2025 couldn’t ride because of postal crash

People truly forget how much serious crashes (and illnesses) have impeded his career and caused him to miss out on whole chunks of seasons, delaying his participation in many races.

Lefevere wrote in a column himself that Evenepoel send him a text after classics in 2024, that next year he wanted to pitch in

Patrick Lefevere: "Remco Evenepoel stuurde me dat hij zich volgend jaar gaat moeien met het voorjaar"

De kans is groot dat we Remco Evenepoel volgend jaar aan het werk zullen zien in het klassieke voorjaar. Dat vertelde Patrick Lefevere eerder al in gesprek met La Dernière Heure, maar nu heeft de manager van Soudal Quick-Step meer duiding gegeven in Het Nieuwsblad. “Ik denk dat Sanremo en de...

www.wielerflits.be

 

[KoopaCycling]

A lot of noise about journalists having big toes
I understand it's a two way street and all and journo's determine to a certain extent how a rider is viewed publicly but still.
Sour grapes.

Before anyone asks, i would think this for every rider. Not like they lied about his entire shedule. Just one race.

 

[peterfin]

It was clearly a move, on purpose, to create a headline and RBH knows they can't do it a second time (with the same impact). So if some journalists and others who don't like him anyway don't like it, so be it. The marketing did work. The RVV organizers are happy too.

Remco is very cautious these days about what he tells and I assume that's very difficult for an extravert like him. His words have been used and his emotional drive abused for all kinds of distorted headlines in the past. Many times it was worse than just the image of 'the bad boy' they painted. I remember the 'little brat' narratives by some with a clear purpose to get under his skin. As always, this is by journalist that don't really know him at all and neither what others, the peleton in particular, have to say about him. So if some journalists ask more respect, they should also make sure that their stories are respectful.

 

[Berniece]

A lot of noise about journalists having big toes
I understand it's a two way street and all and journo's determine to a certain extent how a rider is viewed publicly but still.
Sour grapes.

Before anyone asks, i would think this for every rider. Not like they lied about his entire shedule. Just one race.

Honestly, if I was Evenepoel and I saw the headline Sporza used for his pre-race interview, I wouldn’t give them an interview anymore. Goes for every outlet using clickbait titles that would bring a rider in discredit

 

[Red Rick]

I can't stand this "will he race, won't he race" stuff myself. But this is also basically the first time Evenepoel has done it whereas Pogacar does it nearly every year.

 

[Sciatic]

Honestly, if I was Evenepoel and I saw the headline Sporza used for his pre-race interview, I wouldn’t give them an interview anymore. Goes for every outlet using clickbait titles that would bring a rider in discredit

The lousy thing is that the interviewer, who knows the athlete better and best one to pick a fitting headline, doesn’t write the headline—the editor or director or social media person does.

 

[Oldman]

It was clearly a move, on purpose, to create a headline and RBH knows they can't do it a second time (with the same impact). So if some journalists and others who don't like him anyway don't like it, so be it. The marketing did work. The RVV organizers are happy too.

Remco is very cautious these days about what he tells and I assume that's very difficult for an extravert like him. His words have been used and his emotional drive abused for all kinds of distorted headlines in the past. Many times it was worse than just the image of 'the bad boy' they painted. I remember the 'little brat' narratives by some with a clear purpose to get under his skin. As always, this is by journalist that don't really know him at all and neither what others, the peleton in particular, have to say about him. So if some journalists ask more respect, they should also make sure that their stories are respectful.

Good to see that Remco has checked out of social madness for several weeks to do this race. If he, somehow; rides in a way that benefits Tadej or Mathieu more than Wout (or himself); he may want to extend the time he avoids the moronsters of SM.

 

[Berniece]

Today is the first time Evenepoel will ride the most beautiful race in the world. Hope he enjoys the race and the public. First time he’ll ever experience something like this

 

[rghysens]

that 2014 stage was probably the muddiest cobbled race in history

Far from.

 

[Ulle97]

Best of luck to Remco today.
Stay safe and upright.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Riding good so far.

 

[jmdirt]

Solid race RE!

 

[Bombarolo]

Amazing performance.

 

[Red Rick]

Rode like a fool and will be mighty proud so will continue to ride like a fool in the future.

 

[EddyMazzoleni]

His endurance and ability as a rouleur are incredible to ride 50 km alone and still be close to a couple like MvdP and Pogacar. On the hills he was 3rd strongest I think, but he needs to improve somewhat to match the to upfront, probably use a smaller gear, it seems he is using his back a lot.

 

[KZD]

Getting third in front of Van Aert and Pedersen on his Ronde debut its a fantastic result, Remco shows that he has the ability to win this race in the future. Hopefully he comes back.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Much, much better than feared. He should ride more one-day races in the future.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Can definitely win the race with the right circumstances and more experience. If GT doesn’t go well this year I think it’d be nice if he focused on all 5 monuments.