A. Schleck out of the Tour

[cineteq]

I doubt he can attack uphill in the Tour. If so, chapeau, but don't count on it.

If you doubt he can attack uphill, why you even mention Menchov, Sanchez or VDB? LOL!!! As always you lack arguments

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Because they all attacked in the Tour, uphill. Yes even JvdB...
Unlike Nibali.

 

[hatcher]

It should also free up Frank to attack in the mountains. One attacking Schleck might be better than 2 tentative Schlecks.

 

[T-Nielsen]

Are you talking about last years Pais Vasco...?

Because he certainly didnt drop the schlecks at last years tour.... unless Van Summeren dropped Cancellara at Roubaix etc...

Well he won a mountain stage and the Schlecks could not follow him into Gap or on the Alpe.

And relax... It's all in good spirit...

 

[T-Nielsen]

It should also free up Frank to attack in the mountains. One attacking Schleck might be better than 2 tentative Schlecks.

Frankies problem is, that he starts out strong, but then he fades away in the last week.

 

[taiwan]

http://www.steephill.tv/2011/tour-de-france/

Andy was second. Alberto Fifth. (Before he was removed.)

http://www.steephill.tv/2011/tour-de-france/photos/stage-18/#210-RTR2P4OL.jpg

A. Schleck on his way to a stage win on the Galibier. Contador was 15th on the day.

He very well did defeat the man. And could do it again.

Not the point. Bert had won the Giro. Unless Bert tries the double again, which he said he wouldn't, it's hard to say Andy can defeat him.

 

[BillytheKid]

Well this is really bad news.

Although Andy's attitude towards bike racing is a bit offensive the man is one of the most elegant climbers in the peloton when on form. I'm afraid this Tour will be boring without the pure climbers to light it up. It's the opportunity of a lifetime for Wiggins really.

About RadioSchack they may well suck very hard in the tour. Their only hope is that Kloden finds a rich vein of form in July. Other than that, Frank Schleck will probably be somewhere in the top10 climbers (as usual) but I doubt he can pull off a top10.

So my hopes remain with Sanchez, Nibali and Rolland (does he breathe during a race?).

I see this as a plus. The Tour will be a good race, but with a different cast. The Vuelta becomes a rematch of two nemeses.

 

[hatcher]

Frankies problem is, that he starts out strong, but then he fades away in the last week.

Well at this point almost all of the contenders, maybe Evans aside, have one potential weak point or another. Who can cover up their weakness the best? Might even be the making of an exciting, unpredictable Tour.

 

[Froome19]

He didn't say "attack in the downhills".

Of course because that is when Nibail attacked in TA...
No wait...

Why? It's very very easy. Because there wasn't any external factor what motivated him. Remember 2008, when they didn't invited him to the Tour? Last year the chance was really great that they will ban him before the Tour, so he started the Giro without thinking, he attacked where there was a moutain. The Tour was a bit different because of the crashes, and the route of the Giro.
So what do you think which race will be closer in his head to this years Vuelta, last years Giro, or Tour 2010?

Ummm... Contador tried his hardest in last year's Giro and 2010 Tour.
Or are you trying to say he left it deliberately down to the TT and 39 seconds between him and Andy..
Contador will try his hardest again at the Vuelta and we will see what happends then it really all depends on who he is up against.
yet Andy is particularly poor on short uphill finishes so he may be up against it.

 

[trevim]

Because they all attacked in the Tour, uphill. Yes even JvdB...
Unlike Nibali.

Nibali attacked on Mont Ventoux to make contact with two riders that used to dominate the Tour back in the day

 

[Froome19]

Well he won a mountain stage and the Schlecks could not follow him into Gap or on the Alpe.

And relax... It's all in good spirit...

Alright..
But just for the record, Schleck had no intention of following Sanchez on le Alpe and he was effectively dropped on the downhill in Gap..

 

[T-Nielsen]

Well at this point almost all of the contenders, maybe Evans aside, have one potential weak point or another. Who can cover up their weakness the best? Might even be the making of an exciting, unpredictable Tour.

I think Wiggins and Cadel have a weak point in the tallest mountains facing hard attack (Wiggins more then Cadel), but Frankie must take time on every mountain to make up for his TT. Therefore he seems weaker then them. But you already know this of cource.

 

[The Hitch]

How much.luck can.wiggins get?

 

[Lanark]

That's a real shame, one of the few riders who could really animate the race. Also because of his many podium spots, another second or third place won't add anything to his palmares. Riders like that are usually not afraid to take risks (like Schleck and Contador did last year).

The other climbers in this race are in stark contrast to that. Let's face it, guys like Gesink, VDB and Nibali aren't going to do any all-or-nothing attacks (unless they lose a lot of time early on), they are going to try to gain a podium spot in a risk averse manner. They have to much to lose with those kind of tactics.

 

[The Hitch]

Alright..
But just for the record, Schleck had no intention of following Sanchez on le Alpe and he was effectively dropped on the downhill in Gap..

Sanchez dropped Schleck on the downhill in gap

 

[cineteq]

Because they all attacked in the Tour, uphill. Yes even JvdB...
Unlike Nibali.

When was the last time Nibali rode the Tour? What did he do this year in Tirreno? If you want to live your forum life in denial, be it. If you don't like Nibali we understand, it's fine, but don't look for lame excuses, like Menchov or VDB...I agree with Gesink though.

 

[Froome19]

How much.luck can.wiggins get?

If you buckle down and just get on doing your job in an efficient manner, you are bound to receive some luck.
It is all about just not getting inolved with everything else and just focusing on your goal.. if you do that only good things will come to you

 

[The Hitch]

We know Andy doesn't give a crap about the vuelta so is it a lost season or does he go.for the worlds ?

 

[taiwan]

About RadioSchack ... Their only hope is that Kloden finds a rich vein of form in July.

I see what you did there.

 

[vcampbell]

Ummm... Contador tried his hardest in last year's Giro and 2010 Tour.
Or are you trying to say he left it deliberately down to the TT and 39 seconds between him and Andy..
Contador will try his hardest again at the Vuelta and we will see what happends then it really all depends on who he is up against.
yet Andy is particularly poor on short uphill finishes so he may be up against it.

Don't want, or can't understand? Different motivation. Last year Giro he just went every time, because there was a great chance that the Giro will be his last race for a long time. In 2008 he really wanted to do the Tour, but they don't invited Astana because Vino, so he started both Giro and Vuelta just to show who they missed at the Tour.
In 2010 Tour was a way different. No extra motivation, no negative things around him. Maybe he was too relaxed.
But at the Vuelta he will be back, with an extra motivation again (not a convincing reason why they banned him, lost two GT victory). It's sure that he will do everything to win this Vuelta, and no "slow down in a moutain to play with Andy" thing, just go like on Etna, and never look back.

 

[Froome19]

We know Andy doesn't give a crap about the vuelta so is it a lost season or does he go.for the worlds ?

he will go for the worlds, he is very committed to them and would have ridden them even last year if not for his tooth ache..

Would like to see him in races like Montreal, quebec, Beijing, Lombardia. But he really doesnt care about them so I doubt he will make an impact.
Cant see him not racing the Vuelta but most likely he will lose time early on and become a domestique for Fuglsang, Horner or Monfort.

 

[T-Nielsen]

Alright..
But just for the record, Schleck had no intention of following Sanchez on le Alpe and he was effectively dropped on the downhill in Gap..

Oh I am certain he would have followed if he could. But thats old battles, lets fight the new ones.

 

[taiwan]

How much.luck can.wiggins get?

True dat. Much more of this in the year of the London Olympics and I'm going to start thinking I'm watching WWE (Wheeled Wrestling Entertainment).

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

What does the Tirreno have to do with the Tour?

I say Nibali will probably not attack in the mountains, and if he will, probably fail. If he succeeds, good for him, but I don't expect it.

I am allowed to have that opinion no matter how firmly you disagree with it. Get off that closet

 

[BillytheKid]

We know Andy doesn't give a crap about the vuelta so is it a lost season or does he go.for the worlds ?

I think you speak too soon. He can't have a lost season. The Vuelta is now a rematch Contador vs. Schleck. This is bonus to the sport.