Doge

He is the greatest cyclist since Lance. I think better than Eddie.

diphthong

as long as he's not better than eddy...

Doge

Eddie sanctioned 3 (?) or more for the dope stuff while a pro.
Lance 0.
Remco 0.
So far.
Not that I care, but it should count in the score.

diphthong

we both know the athletes are a half-step, or more, ahead of the testers-regardless of the professional sport. i've just assumed every athlete is pushing the envelope, legally or otherwise, in the last four decades.
doesn't diminish my enjoyment of various sports. when someone gets outed/caught/compromised, it's not a surprise or disappointment for me. then again...it's just entertainment for me. dunno how many "fans" fall into my
trench vs other trenches. still waiting for the other operation puerto shoe to drop on the football guys...but since we're talking billions of dollars involved on the football end, haven't been holding my breath
for nearly two decades on that front.

sky is the limit for remco. other than mixing it up with the sprinters (maybe i missed it), dude is capable of anything. his only limitation is the team format and their needs/wants vs his.
kinda like the old joke about dean smith being the only guy that could hold michael jordan to less than 20 points a game.

Doge

I fall into your "trench". I spent about 10 years as a youth and adult soccer official. I liked the philosophy that players should just do what they needed to do to win and leave the rest to the refs.
In soccer, when the game was over, the game was over. If later video or other proof showed something was not seen or called, they don't go back and change it. See Maradona Hand of God goal. He later admitted he used his hand to score the goal. That goal stands. A World Cup affected by that.

That cycling can't do the same is a disappointment.
The entertainment part of sports, especially cycling extends beyond what happens in races.
A pro getting caught for something is not the same to me as one who didn't. That can be anything from drugs, to violence, to gambling, to injury outside the competition. It all "counts".

That Eddie got caught is why I don't see him better than those that were not caught.

FWIW I believe that Sastra and Evans really won their tours clean. The current maybe so, maybe not. Like you, I don't really care other than wanting the results frozen on that final podium.

diphthong

it would appear the answer is los dos todos along with whatever the bleep he feels like doing that day.

diphthong

in agreement with your sastre and cuddles assessment. and now i really miss playing the greatest game at a decent level. grrrr.

slcbob

Quite a year for the young lad.
And he's going to tie the knot this winter.
New Skittles spokesman? Taste the rainbow.

diphthong

just fearsome. holy bleep. between he and wva?! what is not possible?! no...really?

MinnMan

So the answer to the thread title is.....

AND

GrainBrain

Not quite - it's missing TT specialist

How can he not go to the Tour next year?

one4smoke

With the obvious edge to Wout in sprinting, and to Remco in climbing.

diphthong

didn’t wout win the mont ventoux stage of the tdf recently? not exactly a flattish sprinter stage. if wout weren’t always dragging those overpaid/underperforming vingegaard and roglic up insane ascents, methinx he’d hold his own vs remco. the new world champ hasn’t been playing the super dommie role like wva has.

remco likes to do those long breakaways tho. great to watch.

MinnMan

Afterwards, they said that th plan was for Remco to make along-range attack. If the attack didn't stick, WVA would get a free ride from the other chasers, and then go for the sprint finish.

diphthong

had a feeling that's what they were going to do and it worked to near perfection. thought remco might give it a go with 40-50 kms left like he did in the recent san sebastian klasikoa but the peloton was approx 2 mins back at the time. altho remco ended up going a little later, the peloton never got much closer.

i will admit to enjoying watching the big names like wva, tadej, remco going out on the attack from long range. occasionally backfires
(see pogacar 2022 tdf) but is exciting nonetheless. a refreshing change from the main guys seemingly only going in the last three to five kms
(especially uphill) for the last two decades. the young punks are racing to win vs racing not to lose.

diphthong

what i'd like to know is this...if the worlds had been a little earlier, would remco have stayed in la vuelta or used it as training for the worlds?
he got to do/win both with the way the schedule this year worked out but that's not always the case. missed the itt win by just 9+ seconds as well.

anyone ever win both worlds-the itt and men's road race-in the same year? goal for next year?

MinnMan

I do think that Remco had a leg up on those who didn't race the Vuelta. His form was better.

Doge

The new WC was quite a soccer player and also not a bad runner.

Doge

You go me on the soccer thing. He was super elite in soccer (football, association football, whatever) as a junior. I learned from one of my kid's soccer coaches that you can make more on the bench in Europe than starting in USA and more than 90% of the cyclist out there. Maybe 98% of the cyclist out there even if you never play and just sit.
At the level he was, I think he may have taken a pay cut to be at / near the top of cycling over just doing soccer and not being that known. Hard call.

79pmooney

Eddy Merckx won the WC road race, the Tour and that little "off-brand" TT they call the Hour Record in one year, Does that count?

diphthong

yes and no. thought someone might know offhand. perhaps a pre-merckxian rider like a van looy, koblet or anquetil or coppi, et al. i'll research it one of these sleepless or overly bored nights.

diphthong

when we get a little closer, will probably post a pick your world cup bracket for the groups all the way to the finals for giggles. should be fun. it will be in the "lounge" foo forum so everyone's been properly disclosed/warned.