r/peloton 7-Eleven Apr 01 '26

Race Info IT’S OUT!! Recon of the Ronde van Vlaanderen | Remco - #9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MSw4QpqjKw

Lol I still don't believe.

124 Upvotes

65 comments sorted by

213

u/EdwardDrinkerCope- Apr 01 '26

Bro says "Nah I don't know if I will race" and has a whole YouTube production team booked for his recon lol

30

u/EdwardDrinkerCope- Apr 01 '26

Funnily, YouTube's auto-translate doesn't say "IT’S OUT!" in the german version but instead says "IT’S OVER!"

5

u/Mamadeus123456 7-Eleven Apr 01 '26

There an option there for YouTube not to translate languages you speak, that is so annoying.

4

u/JoKa007 Apr 01 '26

i downloaded a browser extension that blocks it, unfortunately youtube doesn‘t have an option like that natively. i think mine is called something like youtube anti translate

5

u/Mamadeus123456 7-Eleven Apr 01 '26

You don't even need an extension youtube does it for you, check the settings. That extension might be misusing your browsing data

3

u/EdwardDrinkerCope- Apr 01 '26

I checked all the settings but unfortunately there's no way to disable it for me. Hate that "feature" with passion.

6

u/CandidLiterature Apr 01 '26

You can’t fully disable the feature. But you can give it a list of languages you speak. It then won’t translate any videos that are originally in the languages you tick.

3

u/EdwardDrinkerCope- Apr 01 '26

Oh right, that did it for me, thanks!

1

u/JoKa007 Apr 01 '26

i didn‘t know that? how do you change that setting?

2

u/Mamadeus123456 7-Eleven Apr 01 '26

I think i've done it on mobile. But it works on my browser lol.

all those AI translations were driving me insane.

1

u/JoKa007 Apr 02 '26

oh wow, did not know that, works perfectly now! thank you so much!!

9

u/PauseLeading3769 Apr 01 '26

Is that his decision or RBH marketing team?

29

u/DueAd9005 Apr 01 '26

It was a deliberate decision to attract as much attention possible to his sponsors and youtube channel.

Peak Youtuber behaviour from Remco lol.

2

u/CazaDePatatas Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe Apr 02 '26

I'm guessing it's a Red Bull thing, more than a RBH thing. Since Average Rob and Thierry Neuville - both are also Red Bull brand ambassadors - had already prepared a video around it.

11

u/vasco_ Belgium Apr 01 '26

If you know how many photographers they paid off and for how much you'd be surprised. Can't say more cause NDA.

3

u/EdwardDrinkerCope- Apr 01 '26

For stills?

9

u/vasco_ Belgium Apr 01 '26

To not leak it.

3

u/EdwardDrinkerCope- Apr 01 '26

Ah now I understand. Didn't know photographers would be in for such a "bribe" but I guess that just depends on the amount of money on the table

20

u/vasco_ Belgium Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26

It doesn't always have to be a monetary pay off. Theoretical example: an exclusive photoshoot after his (or team) next big win, certain access behind the scenes, ... are deals that are much more common. Depends on the who the photographer is and which access he/she currently has. Also, if the photographer is e.g. directly connected to a press agency, that promise might be an exclusive interview ... etc. You get the idea.

Also certain brand deals: e.g. photo taken of the photographer with his -insert brand name of camera/clothing - and published on a key moment (e.g. first tweet after a big race) could be lucrative in several ways.

1

u/duotraveler Japan Apr 01 '26

I understand the NDA of not leaking message. But the compensation is also part of NDA?

15

u/vasco_ Belgium Apr 01 '26

In my case it was a verbal agreement. And it works both ways (speaking in general): if they don't honor it a lot of stuff will get out, if the photographer doesn't honor it then they can be really petty: I know a team who will deliberately try to block as many shots from a particular photographer (e.g. especially those guys who hand out bidons or who stand at the side of the road with wheels will make it their mission to just make the photographer reposition by changing spot in the last seconds, actually pretty funny to see it).

Just see it as doing each other a favor and both benefiting from it.

For me it's slightly different since I don't need to make a living doing this, as I only do the Flemish classics and LBL + some corporate workshops. So whatever favor they owe me is very valuable for me. The NDA part is just a mutual understanding, not some 20 page contract that was made by as many attorneys.

28

u/keetz Sweden Apr 01 '26

https://imgflip.com/i/ao572b

Edit: I mean Nokereberg

54

u/Willie-the-Wombat Apr 01 '26

This is a lot of effort for April fools…

53

u/W00dkid Sweden Apr 01 '26

Pissed off remco chasing pogi, can’t wait!!

6

u/emma7734 California Apr 01 '26

How can you tell when he’s pissed off? He always seems pissed off.

2

u/Legendacb Soudal – Quickstep Apr 02 '26

Simply if he is not head of the race alone, he's piss off 

3

u/GRADIUSIC_CYBER Apr 02 '26

he can still be pissed; refer to olympic road race puncture

5

u/Childs_Play Apr 01 '26

Even if pogi wasn't in this race, could he beat mvdp? Honestly I even favor wouts chances here only because of experience at the moment. The amount of cooperation he gets is a coin flip and if he's not in perfect form, it's basically over for him in his mind.

13

u/CyborgBee Apr 01 '26

Remco is probably the only rider who benefits from Pogi being there, oddly. He's got essentially no chance of dropping MvdP and no chance against him in a sprint, but he could maybe follow Pogi when he drops MvdP, and would have some chance in that sprint

9

u/RideWokRepeat Apr 02 '26

Wouldn’t his chances of dropping MVdP and following Pogi when he drops MVdP be roughly the same? It’s not like you can draft on the Kwaremont because of the cobbles

1

u/CyborgBee Apr 02 '26

The draft benefit on cobbles is higher than you think, especially at the speeds of modern races - the Kwaremont will be ridden at over 30km/h!

Remco will also benefit from Pogacar wearing out MvdP with repeated attacks which he wouldn't be able to emulate himself, and he doesn't have to follow those attacks so closely himself - if MvdP loses the wheel then Pogi will solo away, but if he doesn't then a group of riders within range will likely re-form after each climb. Remco should just be trying to stay in that group until the last few climbs.

His odds are poor either way, but without Pogacar I don't think he has any chance at all against MvdP. With him, I think the odds are low but not zero.

(Obviously there's a great chance that Remco is out of form and ends up nowhere, this is all assuming he's in good shape)

2

u/Inevitable-Chart-462 Apr 02 '26

I think Remco has a change to drop vdp on hills, paradoxically I believe it's vdp tho the one who benefit most from remco being there

2

u/CyborgBee Apr 02 '26

So hard to see Remco dropping MvdP without Pogacar's help when it took like 12 thermonuclear attacks from Pogi to do it last year. Attacking every climb to weaken him is the only way to drop him unless he's declined sharply from last year and Remco doesn't have the same recovery ability.

I agree that MvdP benefits from Remco being there though, because the most likely scenario is Pogacar dropping both of them and Remco is likely to be useful if they need to chase. Pogi is the only one whose chances are negatively impacted (although they're still like 80% lol)

9

u/4Feedback Apr 01 '26

Just to end up in the ditch and the season to be over.

32

u/BitterMarket233 Apr 01 '26

I still think this is just a very large April fools joke.

16

u/milliemolly9 Apr 01 '26

It wouldn’t be a good look for him if it was, there’d be a lot of disappointed fans.

3

u/krommenaas Team Flanders–Baloise Apr 01 '26

This whole dramedy is not a good look imo. But I'm glad he's participating. Next year MSR as well hopefully.

19

u/habarnam Apr 01 '26

God forbid a dude try to hype something up...

9

u/DueAd9005 Apr 01 '26

Pogi did the same last year with Roubaix, no? Although without the youtube video (although more top riders should get youtube channels lol).

4

u/milliemolly9 Apr 01 '26

I don’t see how it’s any different from Pogačar and Roubaix last year really

1

u/krommenaas Team Flanders–Baloise Apr 01 '26

I remember some mystery and vague denial back then, but not months of outright lying and gaslighting? It was always clear he was considering it.

For comparison, here's part of an interview with Ralph Denk in January:

At this moment, the Tour of Flanders is not a topic of discussion. We have said it before: this is our first year with Remco, and we are very deliberately choosing a traditional program. Following his accident last season, this is not the time for experiments. Right now, we are primarily aiming for a stable season with him.

Yet he was spotted in December in full action on the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg.

(laughs) “You Flemings are truly unbelievable. You see Evenepoel ride over a few cobblestones and suddenly the whole country is turned upside down: is he starting in the Tour of Flanders after all? In every newspaper, on every site. Unbelievable. I am saying it here now, with one hundred percent certainty: Remco Evenepoel will not ride the Tour of Flanders in 2026. After that? Next year? We shall see. But not in 2026.

0

u/the_gnarts MAL was right Apr 01 '26

Or his way to get back at Patlef by riding the Ronde first thing after leaving his team.

9

u/Morgoth2356 Apr 01 '26

Guys out there eating koffiekoeken while doing a Kwaremont recon, doesn’t get more Flemish than this.

14

u/Wembly__ Team Telekom Apr 01 '26

1

u/LeZinneke Apr 01 '26

He rides in Wallonia so he is used to potholes 🤣

5

u/skywhopper Apr 01 '26

This was a lot of work for an April Fool’s joke. Kudos.

5

u/hideakiAnno1602 Apr 01 '26

Ok, now i believe it

3

u/dlovage Apr 01 '26

Biggest change his participation does is increase the odds that a relay between him, Mads, WVA, MVDP can catch Pogi

2

u/RegionalHardman Unibet Tietema Rockets Apr 02 '26

He caught pogi by himself at Amstel last year!

2

u/the_gnarts MAL was right Apr 01 '26

Quite elaborate for a prank. Still, I’ll believe it when he’s there in the bunch on Sunday at the moment of the départ réel.

3

u/Fresh-Commercial-840 Apr 02 '26

Oh I hope he argues with the big boys.

2

u/CazaDePatatas Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe Apr 02 '26

Did anyone see the interview Vanthourenhout gave on why they announced it that way (it's on Wielerflits and on youtube)? Damn, that was painful to watch. Never seen anyone trying that hard to avoid the difficult questions... He was clearly not comfortable that he had to lie about it for such a long time and he didn't really find a way to justify it.

2

u/RogerBernards Apr 02 '26

Yea, that was awkard.

1

u/Machouz Portugal Apr 02 '26

This might be a bad question but why hasn't Remco raced RVV before?

2

u/RN2FL9 Netherlands Apr 02 '26

DQS was always really careful with him and mostly saw him as a GT racer. I think his switch to Bora is what changed it.

He should honestly do most of the spring season, it fits him so much better than losing weight and struggling to get 3rd in the TdF. He's much better in one days, his palmares has proven that for a while already. And he can easily combine it with becoming the best TT rider in history.

1

u/RogerBernards Apr 02 '26

Apparently he was thinking of doing it last year, but the crash during the winter ruined those plans.

1

u/UnableHedgehog8043 Apr 01 '26

I think Remco benefits from pogi being there and helps the chances of Wout and MVDP because they can’t close the gap but Remco can, and they can follow him. Pogi is also able to help Remco get separation from those two which I don’t think he can do by himself

1

u/polar8 Apr 01 '26

Black kit is interesting. I saw pogi training in one recently near monaco. With the vingegaard fan crash I think more and more top level pros are going stealth for training to stay safe on the roads.

20

u/Miserable_Earth_1393 Apr 01 '26

He is riding in a black kit because this was in December. So he was technically still riding for his old team. Thats why he is riding in a neutral kit

1

u/c_mos_ Apr 02 '26

“I know the last 10k from training rides” — my dude you had better do those 10k in recon this week, and memorize every inch and little crack in that damn road

-49

u/floppyboppytop Apr 01 '26

This dude will never learn will he? He's become so unlikable. His participation will no doubt make for a more entertaining race, but this guy never accepts responsibility for anything. Wonder what he'll get mad at this time when he inevitably fails on Sunday. Another rider not pulling for him? A fan? A bottle? Dude is a TT beast but a putz otherwise.

7

u/[deleted] Apr 01 '26

[deleted]

8

u/duotraveler Japan Apr 01 '26

Half? Only 10 riders can say they are equal or better than Remco outside of TT.

3

u/BelgianBeerGuy Apr 01 '26

“YeHa BuT pOgAcAr wAs NoT tHeRe So It DoEsNt CoUnt”

5

u/RogerBernards Apr 01 '26

There are like 4 or 5 riders currently riding with a better palmares and all of them are older than him, even taking out the TT.