<\/p>\n
And should Pogacar decide against targeting Italy, Moser believes the Giro could still become complicated, warning that \u201cif Pogacar skips the Giro, then the Mexican will appear. If anyone is lean and supple, it is Isaac Del Toro. Also a difficult customer for Evenepoel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pogacar the \u201cfrightening beast\u201d and a Tour ceiling for Evenepoel<\/p>\n
For Moser, the central problem remains the same: the Tour de France and the presence of Pogacar. His view is stark. In the high mountains, he believes Evenepoel is outgunned, arguing that \u201cuphill he runs into Tadej Pogacar. He cannot beat him. If he did not encounter that frightening beast, then winning the Tour would be possible for him. Without Pogacar, the entire cycling world would look different.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Italian goes even further, drawing a direct line between body type and outcome over three weeks. \u201cAs long as the Slovenian is there, Evenepoel will not win the Tour. The core of the problem is that your compatriot is not a climber. He does not have the right physique. In one-day races he can hide that weakness and, on a top day, match the best \u2014 not across a chain of mountain stages.\u201d<\/p>\n
That judgement is rooted in his own experience of fighting against gravity. Comparing himself to Evenepoel, Moser admits, \u201cI had the same problem. I could limit the damage uphill but always had to overcompensate because of my heavy weight. Evenepoel is lighter but, for his height, has a fairly heavy build. He can grit his teeth for three consecutive days, but on day four the accumulated fatigue hits him hard. The strength suddenly drains away.\u201d<\/p>\n
Heavy build, thick bones \u2013 and limits you cannot train away<\/p>\n
Asked whether Evenepoel\u2019s powerful build, and particularly his legs, could be part of the limitation, Moser does not hesitate. \u201cExactly. And how do you change that? I had a good friend in my day who weighed and measured me every time he visited and put the numbers into tables. He constantly nagged me about my heavy legs: \u2018You need to torture your thighs even more, that weight must come off urgently\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
The reality, he says, is that some things cannot be fully reshaped through marginal gains alone. \u201cWhatever I did on the home trainer, it did not help. Until X-rays showed I had exceptionally thick bone structure. That also had an advantage: I crashed as often as other riders but never broke a bone \u2014 not even the smallest one. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Evenepoel.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is why Moser views the Belgian\u2019s Grand Tour prospects through a physiological lens as much as a tactical one. The problem is not a lack of work ethic or commitment; it is the accumulation of fatigue in the final days of multi-mountain blocks \u2013 and the fact that, in his eyes, Pogacar sets a standard Evenepoel \u201ccannot beat\u201d across that terrain.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeastly strong\u201d and \u201can aeroplane\u201d \u2013 why Moser still admires Evenepoel<\/p>\n
None of this means Moser underestimates Evenepoel. On the contrary, his admiration for the Belgian\u2019s raw power and position is absolute. Assessing his time trial style, he insists, \u201cYou mean Remco Evenepoel. It goes without saying that he is an aerodynamic prodigy, but he is above all strong. Beastly strong.\u201d<\/p>\n
He then places Evenepoel at the very top of the aero hierarchy, describing him as \u201can aeroplane \u2014 a Concorde type\u201d before underlining that \u201cindeed, his position is perfection. I am an admirer.\u201d That combination of power and aerodynamics, Moser believes, is what opens doors in other areas where the terrain and format may suit him more.<\/p>\n
Sanremo blueprint and the need to avoid \u201cblunting\u201d explosiveness<\/p>\n
One such opportunity is Milan0\u2013Sanremo, where Evenepoel has never yet started but is now considering. Moser believes the Belgian must treat it as a precision strike. On the one hand, he acknowledges the speed deficit in a drag race with Mathieu van der Poel, warning that \u201cto win on Via Roma he needs speed. Evenepoel is faster than you think but not fast enough to beat Van der Poel in a sprint. But never say never. It is worth trying \u2014 with a sharp attack on the Poggio, as Merckx once did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moser also offers a warning shot to Pogacar and Evenepoel alike about burning matches too early in the finale, insisting that \u201cPogacar also makes the mistake of attacking too early. Attacking on the Cipressa and continuing blunts explosiveness.\u201d His prescription for Evenepoel is clear: \u201cEvenepoel absolutely has to participate. Hide until the Cipressa, follow, and slip away secretly Cancellara-style on the Corso Cavallotti. A sprint-time-trial on the flat \u2014 that is where his chance lies.\u201d<\/p>\n