"Win or not: he will definitely leave his mark on the proceedings. I'm convinced of that" - Christian Prudhomme responds to doubting of Remco Evenepoel's Tour de France hopes
Cycling
For the first time in his career, Remco Evenepoel will contest for the Maillot Jaune at the Tour de France in 2024. Is he a serious contender for overall victory though? That is a question that has split many of cycling's experts.
Whilst Belgian cycling expert Johan Museeuw doubted Evenepoel's chances whilst on the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club Podcast, saying; "I am not sure that he can win the Tour," the French Grand Tour's head honcho, Christian Prudhomme is in no doubt that the Soudal - Quick-Step leader is more than capable at competing with the likes of Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard.
"What struck me in the past Vuelta, apart from his exceptional skills and the fact that he capitalized on them from his first steps in the professional peloton, was his resilience and resilience to fight back after that blow on the Tourmalet. I feared he would give up. But he didn't do that," Prudhomme explains in conversation with the Belgian media. "Ride after ride he continued to look for success. He attacked from afar and delivered an incredible spectacle. In that sense, I consider him the classification favourite for the 2024 Tour de France."
"Not the top favourite, that status is reserved for Vingegaard and Pogacar," he clarifies. "But that sometimes unexpected craziness in him can cause him to turn everything upside down. I remember a quote from the young Luis Ocaña. 'I don't know if I will win the Tour, but I will certainly have an influence on it,' he said. Well, that also applies to Evenepoel. Win or not: he will definitely leave his mark on the proceedings. I'm convinced of that."
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- Based on what argument?Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- Agreed except the length of climbs, pretty sure you can stretch that to about a km unless we’re talking about half a dozen in quick succession.Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- Lot of contradictory information floating around world cup contenders, someone should do some tidying up.Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- A bit much to suggest that Pogacar is better than MvdP on most terrains. The only terrain Pogacar is clearly better is long climbs, on any other terrain they are pretty even except flat cobbles and short and steep climbs (max a few 100 mtrs) where MvdP is clearly better than Pogacar.Velovibes21-12-2024
- The likelihood of RE improving enough at this point to outclass TP or JV is less than zero.verve82521-12-2024
- That’s the most stupid thing I’ve read for a long time, did you not go to school and learn even the most basic physics? Aero depends on one thing only, drag, drag depends speed and the relationship is squared and apart from maybe at zero or the speed of sound or due to side winds that relationship is valid at all speeds, it dies not “suddenly” start at a magic number. Very simply, the faster you go the more the effect becomes important. If you think 25km/h is needed to have noticeable effects you’re delusional, athletic WR are cancelled as soon as winds top 2m/s that’s 7.2km/h, why because the assistance is already too important at that speed and the times prove it. You don’t even consider wind which can significantly increase the effective speed for aerodynamics and you underestimate speed of climbs, 6% is ridden more at 30 than 25km/h, a speed at which early generation high rims were considered to have more advantages than disadvantages. And finally, as in normal races you can’t just switch bikes according to terrain, it’s pretty pointless to discuss climbs as a separate situation, the aero will have justified itself plenty during the rest of the ride.Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- If you look at how much TP progressed in that 1 1/2 years you can no longer say that’s nothing. If Remco improves as much he’s a challenger!Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- Froome wishing to ride the Vuelta...he won't even be selected for the team!frieders320-12-2024
- Keep telling yourself that Remco but you not only have Tadeg to beat but Jonas!frieders320-12-2024
- Seems farfetched - I agree. Mas has beaten him once. Giro d'Emillia I think - 2022mobk20-12-2024