"It's a kind of jealousy, and it's a shame" - Axel Merckx jumps to Remco Evenepoel's defence as he blasts criticism aimed at Belgian
Cycling
Legendary cyclist Eddy Merckx's son, Axel, has jumped to the defence of Remco Evenepoel, blasting critics of the Belgian rider as the 2026 season draws to a close.
Evenepoel, in his first season with Red Bull - BORA Hansgrohe finished second at the Tour de France and won the Time Trial World Championships. However, in the final weeks of the season, Evenepoel fell short in the World Championships road race and Il Lombardia - both races suited better to climbers.
Despite appearing to be in the best climbing form of his career at the Tour in the summer, preparations for a fourth time trial rainbow jersey in a row saw his shape move from his lightweight Grand Tour appearance to a more powerful all-round level.
In both the World Championships and Il Lombardia, he couldn't match his rivals' accelerations on the uphill, but gained ground on descents and flatter terrain. However, both occasions didn't translate to victory. His wins came at GP de Quebec, the World Championships time trial and the European Championships road race - which featured a shorter and less attritional climbing effort.
Remco Evenepoel ahead of Il Lombardia 2026
Merckx hits back at Evenepoel criticism
Axel Merckx has criticised the Belgian culture of traditionally aiming heavy scrutiny towards its cycling leaders, comparing the outlook of other nations towards their highest profile names.
"In Belgium, we're very quick to criticise our champions. We're the best at it. In France, they're worshipped and put on a pedestal. The same goes for the Netherlands. But in Belgium, if you win three races and fail in one, you get torn to pieces," he said on the RTBF podcast.
Analysing where the criticism comes from, Merckx feels that jealousy plays a part, defending Evenepoel as he noted the 26-year-old's commitment and sacrifices made to compete at the highest level.
"It's a kind of jealousy, and it's a shame. You can appreciate Remco or not, but if you look at his track record, there's nothing to criticise. He works incredibly hard and makes enormous sacrifices. We mustn't forget the human side of these athletes."
"People attack others in the comments, hiding behind pseudonyms to destroy someone. I find it truly shameful. It's very sad and it affects him deeply."
Another analyst pointed to Evenepoel's wide range of abilities making it difficult to pinpoint what goes wrong for him when he encounters a difficult day on the bike.
"The problem with Remco is he has those days where he’ll just destroy everyone"
“It is super weird about Remco Evenepoel, isn’t it?” long-time Tour de France commentator Ned Boulting said on the For the Love of Cycling podcast. “Because of all of the really big hitters, he’s the one most prone, I think, in road racing, to have a bad day or just to be unexpectedly absent when you’re thinking he’s flying and capable of everything. Then all of a sudden, he’s not.”
Evenepoel had been untouchable against the clock in Montreal before Brandon McNulty took the rainbow jersey in the road race a week later, with the Belgian crossing the line 25 seconds behind in 12th.
Read also
“It happened a bit in Montreal,” Boulting continued. “By his own admission, he said that wasn’t a good day. There was that Vuelta where he was in the lead and then suddenly he fell away, had to forget about GC and start looking for stages. There’s been quite a lot of that in his career.”
But on his day, Evenepoel can tear the field apart as David Millar added: “But you know what it is with Remco? You kind of presume nowadays that he’s not a threat. But then the problem with Remco is he has those days where he’ll just destroy everyone.”
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Dumb?! Only you!MajorPayne16-10-2026
- Let’s hope it stays in!Lozza16-10-2026
- The words... “Remco, on certain days, will just destroy everyone”... don't hold water. Not EVERYONE, most of them, it all depends on the quality of the riders.PogiSloFans16-10-2026
- "The Tour remains at the centre of Simmons' plans". as long as this is the plan, it is unlikely he will succeed. First his team is stacked with leaders for all terrains so opportunity is less. 2nd the TDF is stacked with other top leaders who have more freedom. 3rd the battle between UAE, Visma, Red Bull is so intense that their leaders will win most of the stages with heir team pulling back most breaks.abstractengineer16-10-2026
- Quinn Simmons: “Maybe I’ll never reach the top level.” I also hope he doesn't. I don't care what he looks like, his religion or sexual preference... but when he's a rascist against black people, a Maga Trump voter, that's where I pull the line. The whole world hates Trump, we all know why, but he keeps voting for him. A person that thinks like Trump is ...????. Make your own decision. PS: Trek-Segafredo (today Lidl Trek) suspended him following the controversy over his pro-Trump comments and his use of a dark-skinned waving-hand emoji. The team said the suspension concerned his racist conduct online, not his political views themselves.PogiSloFans16-10-2026
- Denmarks coach reveals 2027 Rainbow Jersey has been targeted by Jonas for years !?!?!? PS: What??? No one believes this meaningless babbling. It's like saying: "The 2027 Monument - Il Lombardia has been targeted by Jonas for years."PogiSloFans16-10-2026
- I made a mistake and already fixed it. Hey twat, thanks.PogiSloFans16-10-2026
- Davide Piganzoli said: "Pogacar looked less brilliant at TDF than usual." We all see how stupid this comment is. What is happening to his brain cells? ... Hey Piganzoli, Tadej Pogačar’s record breaking ascent of Alpe d’Huez was one of the standout performances in the history of the Tour de France. Pantani's 1995 ascent stood for 31 years. Pogi went more than a minute faster. He accelerated near the foot of the climb, despite the leading breakaway being around three and a half minutes ahead. But in your delusional brain Pogi looked less brilliant???? .... Why don't you go find a corner and bang your head against a wall for about 10 minutes. Everyone is making fun of you.PogiSloFans16-10-2026
- MTB WC ? If he doesnt compete maybe allows MvDP to have a crack
Davide16-10-2026 - Jonas is declining now. A podium next year would be a good result for him.Renz16-10-2026
Loading
Write a comment