Andy Schleck and dope

[IndianCyclist]

Would not surprise me if a reason for Andy performances after 2011 was letter from UCI, especially after Frank problems.

ok but how come Frank is still in the top mix whereas Andy has gone to mid pack?

 

[Afrank]

ok but how come Frank is still in the top mix whereas Andy has gone to mid pack?

Frank still in top mix? Not really. He's done better then Andy, but certainly not at the top or as good has he did pre-ban.

 

[the sceptic]

so long Andy

 

[hayzer114]

Given his retirement this morning at such a young age, albeit due to a knee injury how would one look at Andy's career. I started following cycling around 2009/2010 when Andy was at the height of his powers and I remember his battles with Contador in the mountains and they were remarkable. He has such a flowing movement up the mountains, made it look so fluid and easy. Given the period in which he rode and the crackdown that has come in the wake of the Armstrong affair and how Andy's career has been in a downward spiral since then can it attributed to the fact that he has had two bad injuries (dauphine crash) and knee injury last yr. Or can his decline be explained by the fact that he was doping during his golden period and now with such greater tests he can no longer compete without the added assistance?

 

[Spencer the Half Wit]

I had three particularly mild comments deleted from the Guardian Article on his retirement. Even a hint that Frank's problems may have contributed to Andy's decline is a no, no.

 

[blackcat]

come on, the word was out when he was a jnr and at Cyrille Guimard's VC Roubaix.

charger. big time.


Frank can owe his career more to his talented younger brother than Ullrich and Team Coast failing then Bianchi stepping in when Bjarne could not close Ullrich with his name on the contract and Frank got the spot.

No Andy for the next year, Bjarne would not look left at Frank and he never would have signed for that last spot. no sireee. A little like Nick Gates. Frank was a two-ter

 

[SeriousSam]

I had three particularly mild comments deleted from the Guardian Article on his retirement. Even a hint that Frank's problems may have contributed to Andy's decline is a no, no.

Just openly call Gatlin doped to the max on their Gatlin articles. They'll allow that because Gatlin is a dirty drug cheat thus the fact that he's passing all the tests now is meaningless.

Chambers is a former drug cheat so you would probably not be allowed to insinuate he's doping at the guardian.

 

[Benotti69]

I had three particularly mild comments deleted from the Guardian Article on his retirement. Even a hint that Frank's problems may have contributed to Andy's decline is a no, no.

Guardian cannot afford libel cases and they are libel for the comments they publish so they err very much on the side of caution. Guardian sports dept really has no interest in doping. They only do it after others have led.

 

[Spencer the Half Wit]

Guardian cannot afford libel cases and they are libel for the comments they publish so they err very much on the side of caution. Guardian sports dept really has no interest in doping. They only do it after others have led.

One of them was referring to Frank's $10k training advice from Fuentes and comparing that "defence" to JTL's drinking binge, Alberto's steak and Lance's saddle sores. All verifiable and by no stretch of the imagination libelous.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Young innocent Luxembourger boy

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[BYOP88]

Anyone checked the UCI's site, if so has their PDF been updated?

 

[BeagRigh]

Anyone checked the UCI's site, if so has their PDF been updated?

Good call, nothing new though.

As has been said I don't think Andy's decline is just due to come off/less dope. Many more factors imho.

 

[Fortyninefourteen]

Good call, nothing new though.

As has been said I don't think Andy's decline is just due to come off/less dope. Many more factors imho.

The Schleck brothers have always been a pain to deal with, and are extremely high maintenance, and are also rumored to be 'lazy'. When the performance was there, it was bearable but when Leopard merged with Trek, Bruyneel was not going to put up with any of their bullshlt. The decline began most notably and that moment. And more than a few believe Bruyneel spiked a bottle to cause Frank's positive.

 

[Afrank]

Good call, nothing new though.

As has been said I don't think Andy's decline is just due to come off/less dope. Many more factors imho.

Agree, I doubt it has anything to do with a positive test or hush hush UCI suspension. And everything to do with his string of results and performances the past few years. He's been in a rut that it looks like he can't get out of, understandable that he's calling it quits IMO.

 

[Benotti69]

One of them was referring to Frank's $10k training advice from Fuentes and comparing that "defence" to JTL's drinking binge, Alberto's steak and Lance's saddle sores. All verifiable and by no stretch of the imagination libelous.

You expect the button monkeys at Guardian to have imaginations? Wow!

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

Just openly call Gatlin doped to the max on their Gatlin articles. They'll allow that because Gatlin is a dirty drug cheat thus the fact that he's passing all the tests now is meaningless.

Chambers is a former drug cheat so you would probably not be allowed to insinuate he's doping at the guardian.

They have a fair point. Gatlin has been banned twice and is now running faster than ever at the age of 32. Chambers has been banned once and has been nowhere near as good post ban as he was pre ban. Clearly though you feel the need to defend Gatlin though so it's easy where your loyalties lie when it comes to dopers.

 

[Benotti69]

I suspect Schleck to come out of retirement in 18months.

 

[blackcat]

I suspect Schleck to come out of retirement in 18months.

betty ford?

vandenbroucke coke fiend? i thought you had to be belge like boonen to be an addict

 

[Benotti69]

betty ford?

vandenbroucke coke fiend? i thought you had to be belge like boonen to be an addict

Nah, I guess Cookson saw his BP(or something similar) and he has been told retire for 2 years. After that you can make a comeback.

 

[the sceptic]

Guardian cannot afford libel cases and they are libel for the comments they publish so they err very much on the side of caution. Guardian sports dept really has no interest in doping. They only do it after others have led.

British libel laws are a disgrace, but I doubt guardian are worried they are going to get sued by Andy Schleck.

Fun fact, Andy Schleck and Dawg are born in the same year.

 

[heart_attack_man]

Expecting Schleck to dump on former team mates or DS is not going to happen.

I guess Schleck is still hoping for some miracle for 2014, but i would be surprised if he finishes the season and gets a team for next year.

Good post Benotti... You called it.

 

[BigBoat]

Cartilage is non-replaceable, if what he says is true and he's "bone on bone" in one of his knees than we'll never see him again . Even minor irritation down there with full thickness cartilage is very hard to deal with; without some off the bike strengthening & stretching which is counter productive to riding the bike.

Runners, football players, tennis, basketball get degradation in the knees over time probably 2-3 times faster than cyclists or swimmers..... unless the cyclist crashes and dislocates their knee or smashes the knee cap... Not a good way to go out at all for Andy Schleck. Those of us with joint pain cringe!

 

[blackcat]

= too much cortisone/anti-inflammatories/corticosteroids/corticoids

 

[I Love To Dope]

It's a shame that the loss of Andy left us with "anyone but Froome" instead of rooting for one of the others with dirty pasts and unsavory connections.

 

[Fortyninefourteen]

Cartilage is non-replaceable, if what he says is true and he's "bone on bone" in one of his knees than we'll never see him again . Even minor irritation down there with full thickness cartilage is very hard to deal with; without some off the bike strengthening & stretching which is counter productive to riding the bike.

Runners, football players, tennis, basketball get degradation in the knees over time probably 2-3 times faster than cyclists or swimmers..... unless the cyclist crashes and dislocates their knee or smashes the knee cap... Not a good way to go out at all for Andy Schleck. Those of us with joint pain cringe!

Not true. Cartilage can be regrown in a lab, and positioned on the head of the tibia. Julie Furtado had this done a long time ago. There are other prosthetics available as well but it may be academic if he is on a UCI holiday.