"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.
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“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.
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