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

[KoopaCycling]

He should focus on Amstel now

 

[Gigs_98]

I'm torn on Paris Roubaix. He's the best TTer in the world right now and I think the best TTer in the world should give PR a shot. Maybe he's not ready to win it yet but it's the kind of race where he can use the experience if he wants to be a contender in a few years. But man I just really don't think he's gonna have a great time there. I don't think the weakness that he will have one the really rough cobbles has been exploited today. The way the race went was kind of convenient for him, where everything was kinda calm pre Molenberg, then he made the split on the Molenberg, and it was kinda calm again until the 2nd Kwaremont at which point the finale was already starting.

In Roubaix, even though the race might be just as selective as a whole, there is no one sector as selective as the cobbled hills in RVV. Maybe the group he's in will be quite small with 100km to go again, at which point things like positioning become much easier. But even then that means he already has 70 kms of constant fighting for positions and riding on really rough cobbles in his legs. I mean, as long as he manages to stay upright on the cobbles he should still be able to get a decent result, but I just can't see him being as comfortable there as he was in RVV.

 

[saunaking]

I wish he would do PR. With bike tech the way it is now, its less of a specialist race vs 10 years ago. Remco should never come to this race with 23mm tyres inflated to 8bars.

But now? Why not?

 

[Sciatic]

I wish he would do PR. With bike tech the way it is now, its less of a specialist race vs 10 years ago. Remco should never come to this race with 23mm tyres inflated to 8bars.

But now? Why not?

For my entertainment’s sake I hope he does. Aside from the more ornery type of stones (pave vs. cobbles), a big difference at Roubaix are the number of 90 degrees (or close it) corners on surfaces that are pave and dirt. This is one of the things that gives MVDP an advantage over other riders including Pogacar. Fortunately following MVDP too closely through one of those corners won’t send him off the side of the bridge as happened following Nibali.

 

[houtdffan]

For my entertainment’s sake I hope he does. Aside from the more ornery type of stones (pave vs. cobbles), a big difference at Roubaix are the number of 90 degrees (or close it) corners on surfaces that are pave and dirt. This is one of the things that gives MVDP an advantage over other riders including Pogacar. Fortunately following MVDP too closely through one of those corners won’t send him off the side of the bridge as happened following Nibali.

Or remco can go to the front and simply ride a devastating TT from arenberg to the finish. Won't need to worry about following too close then

 

[Sciatic]

Or remco can go to the front and simply ride a devastating TT from arenberg to the finish. Won't need to worry about following too close then

Even if he could manage that I doubt he would be leading coming out of Arenberg.

 

[jmdirt]

But was it the cobbles or was it the steep incline

Yes

 

[jmdirt]

How much is technique though versus slight physiological differences.

80% technique.

 

[iBanesto]

Defining moment for Evenepoel.

He could have possibly finished 2nd.

 

[MJR]

Agreed that today was a fantastic result and one that bodes well for future attempts. It's easy to say "he should win this one day", 'cause we've said that about Wout for years. But if one can podium a certain race, they can reasonable expect to contest for the win, too.

And he should definitely go to Roubaix this year. Maybe his trainers and coach need to be grabbed by the shoulders and told that going to the Tour for another possible third place is pointless, but I think his power would translate well to PR. And if folks are worried about his handling ability on the cobbles, well, let's start fixing that now.

I really hope he realizes that his focus is better spent on classics and not GTs.

 

[AlpRaid]

Roubaix next year with time to prep and get "used to" those cobbles (very different from today).

He needs to not have any bad crashes. Already, Catalunya, he crashed in kind of a freak accident. I have no problem with him doing P-R, but next year. He needs to focus on staying healthy for one entire season (something that has basically never happened).

And Amstel provides a chance at least to win again. Since he won't win LBL.

My 2 cents anyway.

 

[AlpRaid]

Defining moment for Evenepoel.

He could have possibly finished 2nd.

I disagree.

I think he was bluffing by trying to take command. He knew full well he would have difficulty following and anyone who is climbing with better climbers knows full well that you start at the front to give you a shot at drifting back.

He was third best. And that's a simple fact.

 

[AmRacer]

Roubaix next year with time to prep and get "used to" those cobbles (very different from today).

He needs to not have any bad crashes. Already, Catalunya, he crashed in kind of a freak accident. I have no problem with him doing P-R, but next year. He needs to focus on staying healthy for one entire season (something that has basically never happened).

And Amstel provides a chance at least to win again. He won't win LBL.

My 2 cents anyway.

Riders crashing is part of the game. Some crashing better than others.

I think he should do P-R next Sunday just to get experience.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

More or less as I expected. He confirmed to have top3 engine for Flandres but not matching Top2 on bergs. Before the race I thought he could lose the podium due to sprint or positioning but there was no big guys left with him and the group was small with 100 km to go: the race was super hard. Well done!

 

[KoopaCycling]

Remco has said in some interview that he has not done any Roubaix recon and that whilst he wants to ride the race one day it is more unlikely to happen this year than that it is to happen this year. Also mentioning he wants to be good for amstel and LBL and riding Roubaix after Catalunya and Flanders might not be in the best interest for those goals. I take that to mean he probably won't ride them this year. his heart saying yes, but his team and mind saying no.

There is also a tidbit at the end of the piece of of the journalist still being a bit butthurt about remco not being honest about his flanders participation. Honestly that bit just comes across as petty and small-mindedness on the journalist part. if most people in media are like this, then they think too highly of themselves by far.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

He's probably doing a PR recon this week, but they'll keep it a secret until Día de los Santos Inocentes.

 

[AmRacer]

Remco has said in some interview that he has not done any Roubaix recon and that whilst he wants to ride the race one day it is more unlikely to happen this year than that it is to happen this year. Also mentioning he wants to be good for amstel and LBL and riding Roubaix after Catalunya and Flanders might not be in the best interest for those goals. I take that to mean he probably won't ride them this year. his heart saying yes, but his team and mind saying no.

There is also a tidbit at the end of the piece of of the journalist still being a bit butthurt about remco not being honest about his flanders participation. Honestly that bit just comes across as petty and small-mindedness on the journalist part. if most people in media are like this, then they think too highly of themselves by far.

They were lied to

 

[KoopaCycling]

They were lied to

And? As if the media never tells lies or tweaks things to suit their own narrative.
Honestly making so much fuzz about it is making the media look bad.
Where is the media anger when they need to ask more hard hitting questions both inside and outside of sports.
I do not want to get offtrack into topics we can't discuss here, but them responding like this to something relatively unimportant in the grand scheme of things is just mind boggling. It's not like they don't get too now make all the remco participating articles, views and clicks now. Honestly from where I am standing it just exposes the media more than it does remco and redbull. Not saying they handled it perfect, but all things considered , the media with their pettiness comes out the smaller of the two to me.

The world needs free media, and free press. But let's not pretend they hold the moral high ground. They too write according the their own narratives. It up to us to read a whole spread of media content to get the full picture. And make our own conclusions about stuff. Our own conclusion can be wrong as well. But they are not less inherently than the media their conclusions about stuff.

Also Drizzners is out leaving a Roubaix spot open. I would very much prefer he did not ride Roubaix and focus on Amstel, but if they needed an excuse to sell a Roubaix participation, they now got it.

 

[AmRacer]

And? As if the media never tells lies or tweaks things to suit their own narrative.
Honestly making so much fuzz about it is making the media look bad.
Where is the media anger when they need to ask more hard hitting questions both inside and outside of sports.
I do not want to get offtrack into topics we can't discuss here, but them responding like this to something relatively unimportant in the grand scheme of things is just mind boggling. It's not like they don't get too now make all the remco participating articles, views and clicks now. Honestly from where I am standing it just exposes the media more than it does remco and redbull. Not saying they handled it perfect, but all things considered , the media with their pettiness comes out the smaller of the two to me.

The world needs free media, and free press. But let's not pretend they hold the moral high ground. They too write according the their own narratives. It up to us to read a whole spread of media content to get the full picture. And make our own conclusions about stuff. Our own conclusion can be wrong as well. But they are not less inherently than the media their conclusions about stuff.

Also Drizzners is out leaving a Roubaix spot open. I would very much prefer he did not ride Roubaix and focus on Amstel, but if they needed an excuse to sell a Roubaix participation, they now got it.

They are slightly 'cannot write the word', therefore also angry or whatever. That's how it is.