Andy Schleck Discussion thread.

[Netserk]

6th Liege-Bastogne-Liege

Perhaps from the bottom

 

[ElChingon]

It would be even more humiliating when he loses at the Vuelta too though

He can drink that lose off with no problem

 

[ferryman]

FFS Net Tell me you have some personals with Andy that we don't know about

 

[Afrank]

Fantastic argument you've got there Netserk! We don't need to go any further on this, you've won this one. Even though I have no idea what that's suppose to prove. I guess your just trying to bait the Schleck fans.

 

[ferryman]

Fantastic argument you've got there Netserk! We don't need to go any further on this, you've won this one. Even though I have no idea what that's suppose to prove. I guess your just trying to bait the Schleck fans.

Well it work'd with me Need to go check the Forum rules on the Mod on Mod thing

 

[ElChingon]

He got 57th at CI! I'm sure they broke out some Spanish wine circa 2010!

 

[Carols]

Wow, if he were a racehorse he'd be put out to pasture

Really though I hope he gets his act together soon!

 

[veganrob]

Worth his time. That's funny.

What exactly has he done to allow himself to justify, even in his own deluded mind, that he is top flight material and the TdF crown is sitting on reserve just waiting for him to come and claim it?

He is a creation of marketers and promoters looking to cash in, they have. Unfortunately he has yet to realize that he is merely a product of marketers and has not come close to proving any of the adulation justified.

He needs to reset and get a realistic view of exactly what his abilities are, and more importantly, whatthey are not, and make some decisions.

He can either finish his career as a reasonably successful mini-tour rider, maybe. Or finish it out as a perennial wanna-be with an overblown sense of self.

Actually I think you may have nailed it.

 

[shades1]

how about putting all his TDF stats up which is the only race that really matters to the guy . im sure the whole peleton except AC would swap there stats from small races for andys stats in the hardest race of them all .

 

[Christian]

A long interview with Andy in french and a lot of interesting stuff... I will try to pick out the most interesting:

Did you think your comeback would be so hard?

No, I didn't think so. When I started training, it did some good rides, like in the previous seasons. I simply forgot that I didn't have the basis. In 2012, I didn't ride anymore after my fall in the Dauphiné (sic). But the previous years I went until Lombardia and Worlds, after doing the Vuelta. That is how you can build a good basis for the next season. I was missing that. In the beginning of the season, I wasn't good in Australia but I wasn't that bad. Some riders were dropped before me. Where I was terrible was at the end of the year in Peking. Not in Australia.

Did you suffer from all the criticism that you had to endure?

(Thinks about it for a long time) It's been 8 years since I turned professional, so I can say I know the world of cycling a little bit. I already saw it happen to other riders but I had a different perspective. Now it's me. You can't keep the people from talking, but yes, it did hurt me sometimes.

What personal lessons can you draw from this?

Of course, when you are in a difficult period of your life, it makes you reflect. I had already known difficult times, but not like these. I think it will make me stronger. That's what they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger (smiles).

In these difficult times, who could you count on?

My biggest support was my girlfriend Jil. She was always there to listen, even in the middle of the night when it was all too much. I can call her anytime when I am gone, and I realized that I was very lucky to have met her. When I come home from a race, she is there. We live together, and it has not always been easy for her. But she gives me a lot of support. Of cours the other capital support came from my family.

After the Ardennes, what will be your schedule until the Tour?

I will not have a long break after the Ardennes and will continue to work here, hopefully in better weather. After that I will do the Tour of California, after which we will do a very hard camp in the Alps or Pyrenees, maybe both, with recons of Tour stages. After that the Tour de Suisse, the national championships, and of course the Tour.

At a certain moment, will you fix an objective for your next races, maybe a top-5 in GC or a stage win at Tour de Suisse?

Not yet. For now, I can't do that. I prefer to remain cautious.

Your difficult comeback doesn't keep you from watching the other Tour-contenders. What do you think of them?

Cadel Evans, I rode with him in Critérium International, as well as with Froome and Porte. Only Wiggins I haven't ridden with. I find that the level has gone up in the last years with the supremacy of Sky. A guy like Richie Porte, I warned you about his qualities three years ago, I remember. The level is very high and the Tour will not be an exception. At the Tour of the Basque Country, Contador came to win and suffered to finish fifth. It is not easy for him, so maybe he won't be the number one favourite.

Did Sky's specific training methods revolutionize cycling?

It's possible, yes. But not only them. Take Sagan, he also revolutionizes cycling. I am not speaking of his podium performance at the Tour of Flanders, of course. But to arrive as the winner and finish by doing a wheelie - I find that pretty cool. It's funny and it's fresh.

But Sky, it's something else...

Yes, I have some friends at Sky and they never speak of their training. What you hear is that they work a lot with their SRM, that they control the watts. Normally, while training, when you are really tired you must recuperate and stay calm. Maybe they do it completely differently. Maybe they spread it out. Two hours in the morning. Three hours in the afternoon. I have no idea...

http://www.lequotidien.lu/les-sports/43918.html

 

[Netserk]

Fantastic argument you've got there Netserk! We don't need to go any further on this, you've won this one. Even though I have no idea what that's suppose to prove. I guess your just trying to bait the Schleck fans.

Reminding people how he is doing so far, which is why he won't figure in the Ardennes. Even though he never contends the 'sh!t small races', he still places better than 50-something when he is in form.

 

[El Pistolero]

Sky: men in black.

 

[Christian]

Reminding people how he is doing so far, which is why he won't figure in the Ardennes. Even though he never contends the 'sh!t small races', he still places better than 50-something when he is in form.

Mods please delete this post as it violates forum rule number 1

 

[Afrank]

Reminding people how he is doing so far, which is why he won't figure in the Ardennes. Even though he never contends the 'sh!t small races', he still places better than 50-something when he is in form.

I don't think anybody realistically expects him to be in the mix at the Ardennes anyways.


@Christian, thanks for the link and translation, some interesting stuff.

 

[Netserk]

I don't think anybody realistically expects him to be in the mix at the Ardennes anyways.


@Christian, thanks for the link and translation, some interesting stuff.

jens_attacks does p):

6th Liege-Bastogne-Liege

 

[Afrank]

jens_attacks does p):

He also thinks Kash can win the tour.

 

[jens_attacks]

He also thinks Kash can win the tour.

wiggins won it. kash has a better grand tour pedigree so why the hell not?this might be his year

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

wiggins won it. kash has a better grand tour pedigree so why the hell not?this might be his year

a top 3 is very likely indeed, but I do not think Kash can match AC or Froome in a multi hc category climbing stage i am afraid

 

[IndianCyclist]

I wish he said "i will be ready for vuelta because I won't win TDF this year".. But noooooooooo.... god forbid. Vuelta is second rated race for Andy. TDF isn' the only GT in the year you know. As much as I appreciate his honesty and acceptance, but you still see that he doesn't rate any other GT besides TDF worth of his time.

There is big secret at Radioshack. Andy is training for TDF................2015
2013 GTs are only possible with you know what

 

[serfla]

There is big secret at Radioshack. Andy is training for TDF................2015
2013 GTs are only possible with you know what

What??????

 

[wiggos sideburn]

What??????

I'l read between the lines trolling

 

[Afrank]

wiggins won it. kash has a better grand tour pedigree so why the hell not?this might be his year

Could be, but I'm thinking there's a luxembourg kid that could give him a run for his money. I hear he's lying in wait so he can come into the race as an underdog. No one will see his attack coming until it's too late.

 

[serfla]

I'l read between the lines trolling

Maybe he meant "Wat"... James Watt.

 

[ferryman]

Could be, but I'm thinking there's a luxembourg kid that could give him a run for his money. I hear he's lying in wait so he can come into the race as an underdog. No one will see his attack coming until it's too late.

In jest I know BUT an interesting possibility He does not seem to be completely writing the season off. From Christian's very nice post, Andy is still taking the Tour seriously in that he will have a training camp in the mountains or possibly two followed by a reconn of some of the stages. All positive. The baby steps could start to pay

But I fear I'm just Straws at clutching

 

[happytramp]

Honestly, the more I hear from him these days, the more I'm starting to like him.