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

[HashRouge]

If remco can not find his climber legs again, he should target san remo and flanders.

I still can't believe he's never started San Remo.

 

[Salvarani]

I still can't believe he's never started San Remo.

I guess Soudal just went Ala + sprinter and thought it didnt really suit Remco. It was too easy.

The way it has been raced in the last 3 years it definitely would have suited him.

Last year he couldnt obviously, but this year he definitely should have been.

 

[AmRacer]

Neither of them was there, I think?

I also believe Wout is strictly cobbles these days.

Pidcock is very good but also a bit fragile. He needs a super-day to beat Remco in a race like AGR imo, which probably would come down to a sprint. Before this spring I would say easy win for Pidcock, but not now.

Wout has been really good this spring, and Pidcock too. But all mishaps he has had spoiled his spring.

 

[Netserk]

Defending? I think his spring campaign was ***. Only thing remotely nice was 3rd place Flanders and winning AGR. But that last one should always be the case without Pogacar there anyway

the only result missing was a podium in catalunya given the schedule he had

 

[dobrien]

It seems to me we're all just grasping at straws here, is he too heavy (fat), is he struggling with the yo-yoing weight (which is REALLY hard on the body if repeated over time), are his tactics not right, has he reached his peak already, on and on. For me, for whatever reason, this is simply not the same rider we saw winning CSS on a song at age 19, attacking to a solo win in LBL, etc. When I saw him win CSS at 19 I (and I'm sure many many others) truly believed we were watching the advent of what Pogi has ended up being instead.

I know it seems crazy to say that someone who podiumed RVV, won AGR, and podiumed LBL has been disappointing as for most riders in the peloton this would represent a career spring, but the fact is for someone with his palmares, salary, and expectations, outside of RVV (which was great) his riding has been everything from disastrous to 'OK'. Just my opinion of course, but as Red Rick said, and I agree with, the podium at LBL was papering over the cracks; he was put into trouble by UAE doms on Redoute and was simply never in that fight for real, when imho the Remco we've seen in the past would have at least been leading the charge behind the aliens.

I have been a fan of his since very early on, I find his personality kind of endearing actually, and when at his best he was magnificently exciting to watch. Whatever that was he had, really seems to be missing, and it's not just because of who he's competing against. He is still an incredible rider but relative to what he has shown prior to this he seems to have regressed significantly. I really do believe that postal van crash has done something to him, and I think the whole 'trying to fit a square peg into a round hole' thing of trying to be a top GT rider is hurting him as well. Obviously things look worse when trying to battle the aliens, but the aliens are here, they aren't going away, and who the heck knows who is coming down the pipeline in the next couple of years? We thought Pogi was once in a lifetime but now here is Seixas... things aren't going to get easier for Remco.

The absolute LAST THING I want to see for this version of Remco is going to the Tour for GC; unless a miracle occurs he is going to get drilled the first time the road goes uphill significantly, with all the attendant stress. He looks like he needs a complete reboot honestly; I was really hoping his move to RBH would work some magic but that doesn't appear to be the case. I think it would be very exciting to see him try to go for Green at the Tour, go for a stage win, and help Lipowitz where possible, but forget about GC at the Tour. And frankly I wouldn't even go the Vuelta at this point either; climbing like this is not going to cut it for 3 weeks. I truly hope he can get himself straightened out; he may indeed be at his ceiling physically but I don’t believe he is riding to it currently. I do not think he is a match for Seixas and Pog in a race like we had yesterday, but I still believe he is better than he showed. I hope so.

 

[Berniece]

the only result missing was a podium in catalunya given the schedule he had

At least a second place in Catalunya and showing he was much better than everyone else and closed the gap a bit with Vingegaard. Same goes for LBL where he should’ve shown the gap with Pogacar is getting smaller. That was the whole point of moving to RBH.

 

[Taxus4a]

If remco can not find his climber legs again, he should target san remo and flanders.

Remco should always target San Remo. he can win ot not but is the better monument for him.

 

[saunaking]

Haters are out of control.
He’s done 3 excellent classics including a win
The only people to finish ahead of him are the greatest cyclist in history, the greatest cobbles rider in history and a prodigy that will likely be the greatest non-Slovenian cyclist this century

Too bad it’s come at the expense of his stage racing though.

 

[AmRacer]

Haters are out of control.
He’s done 3 excellent classics including a win
The only people to finish ahead of him are the greatest cyclist in history, the greatest cobbles rider in history and a prodigy that will likely be the greatest non-Slovenian cyclist this century

Too bad it’s come at the expense of his stage racing though.

The expectation, and Remco's too, is that he belongs with the greatest.

 

[saunaking]

The expectation, and Remco's too, is that he belongs with the greatest.

No. It’s not 2020 or whatever anymore. Years of injuries and performances have confirmed his level.

 

[Didinho]

Vervaecke who also was in the big break said Remco did way more in the early hours than what you read/heard during and after the race. To keep the group going and wanting to keep the bonus minutes before the Wanne. But the last 90 minutes untill then the group started with attacks and almost nobody wanted to work suddenly. Maybe a gamble and overdone himself a little bit.

But he said himself this was not the reason, but I’m starting to think more of it now with how good Vervaecke knows Remco.

Don’t think he would gain any positions in the end, even with being fresher from the peloton. But also didn’t expect him to be at the lower end on the climbs, especially how he was riding in Amstel.

A win and 2 podiums. Result wise definitely not bad. Hope to see some improvement in the climbing part now, and I don’t want to hear before the Tour that he trained his explosiveness again.

 

[bah]

If remco can not find his climber legs again, he should target san remo and fland

He should have targeted San Remo this year. His sprint is on point and he possibly could have won it. As for his climbing, who knows. My heart sunk when I saw him drop on La Redoute. I find it difficult to believe he will achieve much in the TdF.

As for his haters on here: when do you relent? He will not compete with Pogacar, ok? Focus on something else.

 

[Berniece]

Vervaecke who also was in the big break said Remco did way more in the early hours than what you read/heard during and after the race. To keep the group going and wanting to keep the bonus minutes before the Wanne. But the last 90 minutes untill then the group started with attacks and almost nobody wanted to work suddenly. Maybe a gamble and overdone himself a little bit.

But why lie about it? Because otherwise people on CN forum say he is bringing excuses again?

 

[peterfin]

But why lie about it? Because otherwise people on CN forum say he is bringing excuses again?

Not only here unfortunately. He normally is very open but during that interview he was very closed and down to earth. Vervaeke may be right but it's clear he didn't feel that way or he doesn't want to give others reasons for an excuse. In many interviews he says that he doesn't want to use an excuse but then he says something that is used against him. That stupid 'airco' interview comes to mind. It's then typically spinned as if he said that to fully explain his bad result.

 

[Oldman]

He showed resilience for the podium fight a big contrast to last year. I also agree his classic results have been good. The issue is performance vs expectation. Most riders would bite your hand off for his classics spring. However with the off season being uninterrupted building a good base so theoretically entering the classics as best as he could the gap between him and Pog still seems large and now Seixas comes through.

I hope i am wrong but i don’t really see where the hope comes for an appreciable improvement and jump comes tour wise. Sure he could find his 2024 level but that will probably no longer be good enough for a podium. I understand why he wants to target the Tour but after this year he needs to seriously rethink his goals, which should include Strade and MSR as well as i think a tilt at the Giro

If he ever wants to excel at the Tour or any other GT...he needs to do them with specific incremental improvements in mind. It's hard to imagine BRH doesn't expect him to pursue that course and hopefully has reasonable expectations. The fans will always second guess and he'll need to get over it or take a lesser paying job.

 

[Ulle97]

Maybe Patrick Lefevre was right all along. Not investing a huge amount into Remco's GT aspirations. Perhaps he knew all along that one day races were more suited to him.

 

[jmdirt]

Do you think Pogi lost weight after P-R?

yes

EDIT: that not a good comparison though...

 

[jmdirt]

than what you read/heard during and after the race

Should I discount what my eyes saw as well?

 

[AlpRaid]

He should do a Pog spring next year.

But no Strade. Pointless.

 

[houtdffan]

To do what? Podium? As opposed to peaking for LBL where he would at least in theory have some chance for the win

when he won LBL, it was immediately or soon after coming down from altitude

 

[houtdffan]

He should have targeted San Remo this year. His sprint is on point and he possibly could have won it. As for his climbing, who knows. My heart sunk when I saw him drop on La Redoute. I find it difficult to believe he will achieve much in the TdF.

As for his haters on here: when do you relent? He will not compete with Pogacar, ok? Focus on something else.

He said he was going to race MSR, but got stuck on the mountain in the snow storm

 

[Oldman]

Maybe Patrick Lefevre was right all along. Not investing a huge amount into Remco's GT aspirations. Perhaps he knew all along that one day races were more suited to him.

He also had no budget, coaching or skills to make it happen. He'd love to think he was "right all along" about a rider that gave him big press and results and then went somewhere else. He comes off as that guy. There are a number of guys that succeeded in one day events for him.
There aren't too many mysteries how that success occurred and it wasn't Patrick's skills.

 

[Oldman]

when he won LBL, it was immediately or soon after coming down from altitude

And that was a long time ago when you compare the current young guy development. He's got work to do and some diligent humility might be the best motivation to get progress.

 

[saunaking]

There aren't too many mysteries how that success occurred and it wasn't Patrick's skills.

Not sure what this is supposed to mean but in this day and age its pretty laughable

 

[houtdffan]

One thing I have noticed

Remco's best climbing performances have always come from the front.

Only UAE did he fail in that regard, but he ate a large pizza a day a week before that race.

Go back to the start of the season. Remco climbing from the front was dominant. Dropped everyone, even Almeida. Cataluyna stage 6. Climbed from the front. Vingo didnt dare to attack until 2K from the finish. Only took 20-25 seconds.

Remco needs to get over his mental block and impose his will. Just as he did befoee the postal van crash and as he did in stage 6 of Cataluyna