A. Schleck out of the Tour

[airstream]

Teach me to measure "mental stability" please. or capacity, sorry))

 

[Angliru]

Perhaps his true motivation is to take on Contador again. Berto must be a little nervous now. Schleck has already defeated him during last year's Tour.

Okaaayyy. You must be kidding?

 

[thehog]

My thoughts;

A.Shleck has never really been comfortable with being the outright leader. He doesn’t appear to cope well with pressure. He likes having Frank sharing some of the load and he prefers to have Alberto in the race. This year has been telling in terms of his development. Right from the word go he’s never really been 100% into the concept of being the number 1 man. Some excel on the pressure some don’t.

 

[JimPanzen]

My thoughts;

A.Shleck has never really been comfortable with being the outright leader. He doesn’t appear to cope well with pressure. He likes having Frank sharing some of the load and he prefers to have Alberto in the race. This year has been telling in terms of his development. Right from the word go he’s never really been 100% into the concept of being the number 1 man. Some excel on the pressure some don’t.

My thoughts exactly. What I find quit disturbing is that he's still doing the big talk. The only reason I think he's saying stuff like that is that he doesn't have to proof it on the road anymore.

 

[The Hitch]

Andy's potential new found love for this thing of ours will not last.

Its like the scene in a movie where the protagonist and antagonist briefly fraternise, make jokes compliment eachother and for a brief while it seems there is hope, life can be good they can be friends.

Before the fact that their differences are irreconcilable becomes apparent their hatred grows and they realize that they are enemies for.life.

And that's what Andy schleck"coming back stronger than ever" next year means.

For this year the bad guy shows his human side


but once he smells that shot at the tour again next year, his nature will prevail and he will be back to 2 weeks a season.

Enjoy it while it lasts

 

[FignonLeGrand]

Just listen to Andy here from his press conference from the cyclingweekly twiter. David Harmon on Eurosport also read it out.

cyclingweekly "...if it's Wiggins, or my brother Frank who wins the Tour, they're lucky because I'm not standing there."

All the updates from the press conference are here:

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/twitter.html

Well in fasirness thats not a correct quote, according to CN he said:

"Schleck refused to hypothesise how he might have fared in this year’s Tour and called on the eventual winner to be afforded his due respect. “I don’t know if I would have stood in yellow in Paris but that was the goal,” he said. “But whether it’s Wiggins or my brother Fränk or anyone else who wins, I won’t stand there saying, ‘you’re lucky I wasn’t there.’”

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/schleck-confirms-he-will-miss-tour-de-france

 

[hrotha]

My thoughts;

A.Shleck has never really been comfortable with being the outright leader. He doesn’t appear to cope well with pressure. He likes having Frank sharing some of the load and he prefers to have Alberto in the race. This year has been telling in terms of his development. Right from the word go he’s never really been 100% into the concept of being the number 1 man. Some excel on the pressure some don’t.

I don't think that's the case, because so far he's always managed to peak for his only true goal (the Tour) and has never collapsed under any kind of pressure.

 

[JimPanzen]

Well in fasirness thats not a correct quote, according to CN he said:

"Schleck refused to hypothesise how he might have fared in this year’s Tour and called on the eventual winner to be afforded his due respect. “I don’t know if I would have stood in yellow in Paris but that was the goal,” he said. “But whether it’s Wiggins or my brother Fränk or anyone else who wins, I won’t stand there saying, ‘you’re lucky I wasn’t there.’”

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/schleck-confirms-he-will-miss-tour-de-france

Ok, now that makes sense. That other quote would have been too much even for Andy.

 

[airstream]

My thoughts;

A.Shleck has never really been comfortable with being the outright leader. He doesn’t appear to cope well with pressure. He likes having Frank sharing some of the load and he prefers to have Alberto in the race. This year has been telling in terms of his development. Right from the word go he’s never really been 100% into the concept of being the number 1 man. Some excel on the pressure some don’t.

I completely disagree because all this theory is based on sort of the language of psychological prejudices hyped by sport press most. Andy always lived in his own torn-off story and never thought about being #1 man so the pressure factor doesn't work in his case. That's just a misfortune. There's no big sport without drama.

 

[FignonLeGrand]

I don't think that's the case, because so far he's always managed to peak for his only true goal (the Tour) and has never collapsed under any kind of pressure.

...............................unlike his front derailleur

BoomBoom

 

[thehog]

My thoughts exactly. What I find quit disturbing is that he's still doing the big talk. The only reason I think he's saying stuff like that is that he doesn't have to proof it on the road anymore.

Correct. The injury is almost a self fulfilling prophecy. This in some strange way what he wanted. He wanted a reason not to have to put himself on the line and prove he could win the Tour. His body language and the way he carries himself is evident of this. He says things that he thinks people want to hear or what champions should be saying but you can tell that he never really means it. He really only comfortable if Alberto is taking the pressure as the number one man and he can follow. I think in some way Riis shielded a lot of the pressure from him and that worked. I think also Cancellera and Frank shielded a lot of pressure from him. He’s just not very good at standing on his own two feet regardless of the immense amount of talent he has.

 

[johnnycash]

I completely disagree because all this theory is based on sort of the language of psychological prejudices hyped by sport press most. Andy always lived in his own torn-off story and never thought about being #1 man so the pressure factor doesn't work in his case. That's just a misfortune. There's no big sport without drama.

True, there has been real pressure on Andy in the past and he has delivered more or less. The pressure the tour brings is infinitely more intense than an Ardennes Classic or even the Giro. I think sometimes us fans forget that the majority of people only know of the Tour and in that race Andy has only been second to a remarkable talent in recent years which is very credible, I don't think we can say he buckled under the pressure.

In the lesser races, he just capitulates but its nothing to do with pressure, more to do with his will to race.

 

[Boeing]

is the exact diagnosis broken transverse or costal processes of a vertebra?

which is a little different that a straight up broken vertebra.

 

[richwagmn]

CN has reports from luxembourg papers that Andy's out for 6 weeks with fractures from TT crash.

Frank's turn to take a full tilt perhaps?

The Hog playing funny******s?

Andy piking after having his a** handed to him in Dauphine?

what say you to this...

Frank will have to abandon from the heartbreak of not having his brother there.

 

[Boeing]

what will NBC sports do with all the rider profile docudrama footage they created now? and who will Phil talk about every 3 min??

 

[thehog]

I don't think that's the case, because so far he's always managed to peak for his only true goal (the Tour) and has never collapsed under any kind of pressure.

Did you even read what I wrote? Every year he has competed at the Tour Alberto has been the number 1 favorite. Every other year he’s either shared the load with Frank and/or Sastre. This year was different. Everyone was saying “ how do you break the Shleck brothers up” and “should Frank ride the Giro and make Andy number at the Tour” etc. That he hasn’t coped well with. The was a massive expectation this year like no other. Ever since Bruyneel took over and he wasn’t 100% in control of his own destiny he has panicked and tensed up. He didn’t really want to be outright leader ever.

 

[goggalor]

Just listen to Andy here from his press conference from the cyclingweekly twiter. David Harmon on Eurosport also read it out.

cyclingweekly "...if it's Wiggins, or my brother Frank who wins the Tour, they're lucky because I'm not standing there."

All the updates from the press conference are here:

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/twitter.html

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/schleck-confirms-he-will-miss-tour-de-france

“I don’t know if I would have stood in yellow in Paris but that was the goal,” he said. “But whether it’s Wiggins or my brother Fränk or anyone else who wins, I won’t stand there saying, ‘you’re lucky I wasn’t there.’”

 

[Magnus]

Tell me who was second to you and I will tell you the value of your victory. - Bernard Thevenet.

Lol. Of course Thevenet of all people would say so. Reminds me of when Rolf Sørensen said (while commentating spring classics): "The great champions never have punctures in the big races." And then after 30 seconds of silence said "I never punctured in the big races."

 

[Angliru]

IF this report is confirmed-& making a constructive criticism-I'd say is better off he's out of the Tour, so he can have not only the proper recovery, but also the time to reflect on his current career & the way he's managed it at this point. We all know that he won't "race" the Vuelta-he might show up & maybe give a go to the World's, but since his "schedule" is always organized around the Tour-I'm afraid we won't see him until next year-not that we'd miss him at all, but his shows "how important is to perform well all year round" so your season won't be wasted when a calamity like this happens & ruins the only single event you've been prepared for....

I don't even think that he'll show up for the Vuelta. While racing against Contador should be motivation enough, I feel he is so fragile that he won't be able to get over the devastation of missing the Tour and the miserable season that he's had. I can't imagine the prospect of another defeat at the hands of Contador is something that will motivate him to be prepared for battle come August because that is exactly what's in store for him should he show in Spain.

 

[patrick767]

Surprisingly, I'm quite sympathetic to Andy's plight considering this most recent disclosure of the serious nature of his injuries. Dude has had a tough season and to miss out on the Tour, it's rough. He was one of the few hopes we had at an exciting Tour and for me, preventing the Wiggins/Sky parade to Paris. Now we have to hope that Samu, Rolland, Evans and Menchov can somehow where Wiggins and Sky down so that he's dragging in week 3.

I don't think it will be an easy win. If no one else, we can likely count on Evans to make it a hard fought Tour.

Sucks about Andy... love him, hate him, or don't care about him, his absence from the TdF is bad for the race.

 

[Angliru]

This just shows how absurd it was in the first place to put all his hopes into one race. One big crash or injury and everything goes peer shaped and you have no significant results from the season.

Will he now finally wake up and be more open minded in the future? I have my doubts.

So do I. He seems quite stubborn which is disappointing to the fans that would like to see him show some form and competitive fire more often than late April and July.

 

[Havetts]

Armchair psychologists everywhere.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Hopefully Andy will now sit down and think about the way he is going to come back after this, will he carry on as before ?, or now realise its a very short time you have as a top professional racer and baseing all your season on 1 race is not maybe the route he should now take.

 

[maltiv]

Sucks about Andy... love him, hate him, or don't care about him, his absence from the TdF is bad for the race.

True that. It leaves us with one less climber who actually has the ability to accelerate away from a group. Now we're soon left with only diesel's who'll stay seated for an entire climb at a constant pace. The only likely attackers left of the contenders are Samu, Nibali and Rolland, but neither have shown too much form lately.

 

[patrick767]

Given his injury and up to six weeks with no training as a result, Schleck being in good form for the Vuelta is questionable.

Just listen to Andy here from his press conference from the cyclingweekly twiter. David Harmon on Eurosport also read it out.

cyclingweekly "...if it's Wiggins, or my brother Frank who wins the Tour, they're lucky because I'm not standing there."

All the updates from the press conference are here:

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/twitter.html

Why are you trolling? Your quote is absurdly out of context. As others have said, he stated that he is NOT going to be standing there saying the TdF winner is lucky he wasn't there.