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

[SHAD0W93]

So Amstel+Fleche together is for me equal to LBL. If the team or Evenepoel see this differently, then it might make slightly more sense.

Making Pogacar at 13.5 monuments.

 

[vappa]

His whole spring campaign is leading to this Sunday. They need to know if the work he put in, and the different training approach brings him closer to Pogacar compared to WC RR/UEC RR. They just don't want to take any chances.

For Remco LBL is the main goal of the spring, for Pogacar it's an afterthought behind MSR, Flandres and P-R. If he's close now it doesn't mean he'll also be close in WC/EC RR

 

[memyselfandI]

An optimal (and realistic) scenario for Remco on Sunday would be a race where he can stay within reach of Pogacar on the top of La Redoutte (let say 20-30s max), preferably together with Seixas. If he (or they) manage to get back to Pog's wheel I am curious how the sprint turns out. Remco is fast after a long race so I don't think Pogacar wins easily (while I would a few year ago). The major risk might be positioning. If he starts too much behind at the start of La Redoutte he may deplete his reserves to stay in the race. So his team has a clear goal: make sure he is in front at the start of the climb. I hope he gets optimal support because he needs it.

Atm. I think the scenario will be about same as last year, but added with Decathlon. They will arrive with UAE at light speed onto the foot of La Redoute. Decathlon have shown that they are pretty capable leading out the way it needs. On the other hand it looks like Seixas is more handyman being close front in various crowdy situations, maybe bit more than Remco.

And for sure Pogi opens the game with power that Seixas only can handle. And junior with a mentality we've seen lately, Seixas probably tries with no fear. And Pogi will give him an answer. I'm willing to believe that this climb is better for Seixas than Monte Sante Marie was. If Remco is at p5 or more somewhere boxed, it's game over I fear. He's good punchy this spring, but La Redoute is just that bit long..

View: https://youtu.be/4nOEm9Zuu6w?is=ABfJcvjUDK3Cr_48

 

[Berniece]

For Remco LBL is the main goal of the spring, for Pogacar it's an afterthought behind MSR, Flandres and P-R. If he's close now it doesn't mean he'll also be close in WC/EC RR

Keep the excuses for Sunday please

 

[vappa]

Keep the excuses for Sunday please

I wonder what your excuse will be this time after he, once again, fails to beat Pogacar

 

[Red Rick]

Fleche is nice, but it's way worse than Emilia and I'm still mad this one is WT and Emilia is stuck in purgatory

 

[Red Rick]

20-30 seconds is way too much (it's demolition) as the terrain afterwards is difficult to chase and Pog can increase the gap on subsequent climbs and downhills. 10 seconds behind Pog on Redoute top is maximum and even then I don't know if it will work.

20-30s on Redoute is a number I could only conjure up if I had never seen Liege before and thought it was a Cat 1 climb rather than a hill.

But we've seen this movie before, Liege is most likely too hilly for Evenepoel to crawl back

 

[red_flanders]

I wonder what your excuse will be this time after he, once again, fails to beat Pogacar

Don't know why anyone would need an excuse for not beating Pogacar...

 

[jotafap]

Keep the excuses for Sunday please

Usually it's Remco who makes them, so it makes perfect sense in this scenario.

 

[Berniece]

I wonder what your excuse will be this time after he, once again, fails to beat Pogacar

I don't need one, because I don't think he's going to beat Pogacar

 

[Krzysztof_O]

20-30s on Redoute is a number I could only conjure up if I had never seen Liege before and thought it was a Cat 1 climb rather than a hill.

But we've seen this movie before, Liege is most likely too hilly for Evenepoel to crawl back

Last year Pogi had 10-12 seconds over the best of chasers. It could be similar this year (maybe Seixas will be closer than Evenepoel on the top, maybe under 10 seconds) but I'm not expecting anyone to catch Pog afterwards.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Usually it's Remco who makes them, so it makes perfect sense in this scenario.

"I was undercooked because the team withdrew me from Fleche but it's not an excuse"

 

[KoopaCycling]

Am i right in assuming him not riding Fleche means he went deeper than believed in the Amstel
A pity, as this could have been one of the few years he had a genuine shot at Fleche.

 

[Berniece]

Am i right in assuming him not riding Fleche means he went deeper than believed in the Amstel
A pity, as this could have been one of the few years he had a genuine shot at Fleche.

I don’t think so. I think it means they know he has to go too deep for Flèche and they need him fresh at Liege

 

[peterfin]

I hope it also means that the team believes he has a chance to win Liege and they have a plan.

 

[Didinho]

Vanmarcke said right after the finish that Remco looked really fresh. Like he didn’t went deep. I think it’s a missed chance/opportunity in Flèche to see how he does in this form, he should end up way higher than his 9th best. But I also like to keep him fresh for Liège, he’s gonna need every bit of energy for Redoute.

I do think he will be closer than the 10-12” he lost last time around. Also because I see Seixas in this form not getting dropped there, or be just in between them and the race won’t be over immediately.

 

[Red Rick]

Clearly they value a Liege podium higher than a Fleche podium.

 

[red_flanders]

Clearly they value a Liege podium higher than a Fleche podium.

Well pretty much anyone would, no?

I would guess they're also thinking Liege podium is far more likely, and a win is at least possible, where it seems almost impossible at Fleche.

 

[houtdffan]

think Remco is missing an opportunity to win FW, especially since he did not race Friday either

It's not as big of a race as LBL, but it is still a WT race

 

[Oldman]

Atm. I think the scenario will be about same as last year, but added with Decathlon. They will arrive with UAE at light speed onto the foot of La Redoute. Decathlon have shown that they are pretty capable leading out the way it needs. On the other hand it looks like Seixas is more handyman being close front in various crowdy situations, maybe bit more than Remco.

And for sure Pogi opens the game with power that Seixas only can handle. And junior with a mentality we've seen lately, Seixas probably tries with no fear. And Pogi will give him an answer. I'm willing to believe that this climb is better for Seixas than Monte Sante Marie was. If Remco is at p5 or more somewhere boxed, it's game over I fear. He's good punchy this spring, but La Redoute is just that bit long..

View: https://youtu.be/4nOEm9Zuu6w?is=ABfJcvjUDK3Cr_48

I'd agree on both Seixas and Remco's need for positioning. Agree too that Seixas seems to have very natural pack instincts and skills making these approached easier. In the past Remco has either pressed too early and been exposed to a very punchy counter by Pogacar or drifted deeply enough that, by the time he got to the party the bus shifted into another gear. Seixas appears more responsive and fearless based on recent races.

Pogacar represents that duel threat; if you're in front you may not see what's coming (almost always bad news) and when you're behind you may already have worked too much to be "in touch" when the bus leaves.

 

[Oldman]

I hope it also means that the team believes he has a chance to win Liege and they have a plan.

It's OK, too that they need Remco to learn how to modulate better for those GT efforts we all hope he'll master. You can't prepare for that in a laboratory.

 

[houtdffan]

maybe instead of aiming for yellow, Remco should aim for both green and polka dots at the tour. He likely would still finish top 5

Basically, a 2023 vuelta campaign where he does not get off the bike and somehow lose 15 minutes on a cat 2 climb. somehow, he still nearly top 10ed that race

 

[Berniece]

maybe instead of aiming for yellow, Remco should aim for both green and polka dots at the tour. He likely would still finish top 5

Basically, a 2023 vuelta campaign where he does not get off the bike and somehow lose 15 minutes on a cat 2 climb. somehow, he still nearly top 10ed that race

Why? Assuming he's still the third best climber in the peloton, why would you just go for stages instead of a GC result? If he finishes on the podium this TDF, but the gap with Vingegaard/Pogacar stays big, I rather have him go for Giro/Vuelta wins than KOM in TDF.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Why? Assuming he's still the third best climber in the peloton, why would you just go for stages instead of a GC result? If he finishes on the podium this TDF, but the gap with Vingegaard/Pogacar stays big, I rather have him go for Giro/Vuelta wins than KOM in TDF.

Remco should go for the Tour GC this year, that's the plan, right?
But is he the third best climber of the peleton now? We will see in July.

 

[Berniece]

Remco should go for the Tour GC this year, that's the plan, right?
But is he the third best climber of the peleton now? We will see in July.

That's indeed the plan, and everything is currently going according to it.

I think that if everything goes to plan he will improve on TDF'24 form, and that will show he is still the 3rd best climber in the peloton. Is that based on results from this year? No. That's assuming he's able to be as good or even better than in TDF'24.