Andy Schleck Discussion thread.

[Afrank]

You didn't grasp my thought a bit... Andy is like a luminary, a rider of absolutely special pedigree. Froome is rather Jango who grew up through the Vuelta. Though I don't see who and at the expense of what can beat Froome in upcoming years. He is the strongest rider for last 2 decades IMO ( the strongest doesnt mean the most titled surely)

Well then a rider that has as special a pedigree as him deserves to win more races. Focusing on winning the Vuelta or Giro for one year wouldn't hurt him in any way. And he likely won't have much chance of winning the Tour with Froome racing it anyway.

 

[airstream]

Well then a rider that has as special a pedigree as him deserves to win more races. Focusing on winning the Vuelta or Giro for one year wouldn't hurt him in any way. And he likely won't have much chance of winning the Tour with Froome racing it anyway.

Perhaps. We should respect riders' goals anyway no matter what they are. Andy dislikes Giro and Vuelta and I totally understand him 'cos I follow cycling for the sake of Tour at 90% at least.

 

[Angliru]

Perhaps. We should respect riders' goals anyway no matter what they are. Andy dislikes Giro and Vuelta and I totally understand him 'cos I follow cycling for the sake of Tour at 90% at least.

When did he ever say that he actually "disliked" the Giro? I must have missed that but you're more of the Andy aficionado than I am.

 

[ILovecycling]

You didn't grasp my thought a bit... Andy is like a luminary, a rider of absolutely special pedigree. Froome is rather Jango who grew up through the Vuelta. Though I don't see who and at the expense of what can beat Froome in upcoming years. He is the strongest rider for last 2 decades IMO ( the strongest doesnt mean the most titled surely)

Oh fvck,this really made my day...i missed that

 

[Afrank]

Perhaps. We should respect riders' goals anyway no matter what they are. Andy dislikes Giro and Vuelta and I totally understand him 'cos I follow cycling for the sake of Tour at 90% at least.

But sometimes a rider reaches a point in their career where their goals need a change. I think Schleck has reached that point now more then ever before in his career.

And thinking that a rider should change their goals I wouldn't say is disrespecting their goals.

 

[saneguy]

But sometimes a rider reaches a point in their career where their goals need a change. I think Schleck has reached that point now more then ever before in his career.

And thinking that a rider should change their goals I wouldn't say is disrespecting their goals.

To add to this further - he should also now realize that winning any major GT would mean he has to acquire / improve other cycling skills - simply put he needs to TT a lot better if he thinks he wants to win a GT.

With the sort of all round performance shown by Froome there is no other way out. Only climbing as a skill will just not work anymore - or at least until Froome is around.

 

[airstream]

When did he ever say that he actually "disliked" the Giro? I must have missed that but you're more of the Andy aficionado than I am.

Certainly anyone would never say so. By 'dislike' I meant he likes the Giro and the Vuelta waaaay less than the Tour. All roads lead to the Tour. There are no 2 ways about it.

Oh fvck,this really made my day...i missed that

What's wrong again? If a guy cut everyone into halves at Ax 3 and Ventoux, it is not worth such a position? Though you know, I can understand you. Apparently Froome's climbing made a shocking impression on you.

 

[ILovecycling]

What's wrong again? If a guy cut everyone into halves at Ax 3 and Ventoux, it is not worth such a position? Though you know, I can understand you. Apparently Froome's climbing made a shocking impression on you.

He made 20s on Quintana at Ventoux,on Ax3 he(Q) was exhausted by his attack (i know his fault,or his team) so Froome put there minutes on everyone.In the 3rd week Froome wasnt impressive anymore...
Anyway,to compare Froome with cyclist like Indurain,Pantani,Ulrich or Armstrong or even Contador is pure nonsense.They had a better competition than Froome and they still destroyed the field like Froome.Oh and I'm not speaking about consistency which you dont know(Froome),thats a big task for him...

And please dont reply to 'pure competition' like you always do,I know your opinion.

 

[airstream]

Anyway,to compare Froome with cyclist like Indurain,Pantani,Ulrich or Armstrong or even Contador is pure nonsense.They had a better competition than Froome and they still destroyed the field like Froome.Oh and I'm not speaking about consistency which you dont know(Froome),thats a big task for him...

And please dont reply to 'pure competition' like you always do,I know your opinion.

Lame excuses. I can make up 100 such pretexts to belittle a rider I dislike. Froome rode so strongly that competition looked weak. It's exceptionally his merit. It's him, Froome, a guy who made Contador [king of tactics] do tactic mistakes, sit on Froome's wheel for too long and then pay for it. Even in this quite deadlock situation you desperately try to push 'weak competition' pedal instead of admitting what a magnificent climber Froome turned out to be. It's pretty funny.

 

[Contadoraus Schlecks]

He made 20s on Quintana at Ventoux,on Ax3 he(Q) was exhausted by his attack (i know his fault,or his team) so Froome put there minutes on everyone.In the 3rd week Froome wasnt impressive anymore...
Anyway,to compare Froome with cyclist like Indurain,Pantani,Ulrich or Armstrong or even Contador is pure nonsense.They had a better competition than Froome and they still destroyed the field like Froome.Oh and I'm not speaking about consistency which you dont know(Froome),thats a big task for him...

And please dont reply to 'pure competition' like you always do,I know your opinion.

I think any one of the GT greats of past would have struggled to beat Froome on the form he displayed. It's not that he is the perfect climber or TTer independent of eachother, it's the fact that he is both nearly the perfect climber and TTer. Ulrich and Indurain excelled in TT. Contador and Pantani largely the mountains.

Unfortunately this makes it difficult for Andy in the future!

 

[Contadoraus Schlecks]

But sometimes a rider reaches a point in their career where their goals need a change. I think Schleck has reached that point now more then ever before in his career.

And thinking that a rider should change their goals I wouldn't say is disrespecting their goals.

I agree. IMO Nibali has played this perfectly. He is not the greatest but has a Giro and Vuelta under his belt. Now he can focus on Tour.

Andy could win a Vuelta of he targeted it

 

[hiero2]

You didn't grasp my thought a bit... Andy is like a luminary, a rider of absolutely special pedigree. Froome is rather Jango who grew up through the Vuelta. Though I don't see who and at the expense of what can beat Froome in upcoming years. He is the strongest rider for last 2 decades IMO ( the strongest doesnt mean the most titled surely)

Jango?! As in Jango Reinhardt? Odd. . .

 

[ILovecycling]

Lame excuses. I can make up 100 such pretexts to belittle a rider I dislike. Froome rode so strongly that competition looked weak. It's exceptionally his merit. It's him, Froome, a guy who made Contador [king of tactics] do tactic mistakes, sit on Froome's wheel for too long and then pay for it. Even in this quite deadlock situation you desperately try to push 'weak competition' pedal instead of admitting what a magnificent climber Froome turned out to be. It's pretty funny.

I think any one of the GT greats of past would have struggled to beat Froome on the form he displayed. It's not that he is the perfect climber or TTer independent of eachother, it's the fact that he is both nearly the perfect climber and TTer. Ulrich and Indurain excelled in TT. Contador and Pantani largely the mountains.

Unfortunately this makes it difficult for Andy in the future!

He is really a magnificent climber,thats right....but he is nowhere near Pantani,Armstrong etc. level.Airstream said best in last 2 decades,so wtf are you both talking about?
Im not arguing with you about how good he is in comparison with riders of this era...

And please Airstream,just look at ascent climbs and then talk...He wasnt much better than Andy & Berto with trackstands at Ventoux,he lost more than 3 minutes to Pantani at dHuez ,so...talking bs again huh?

 

[airstream]

He is really a magnificent climber,thats right....but he is nowhere near Pantani,Armstrong etc. level.Airstream said best in last 2 decades,so wtf are you both talking about?
Im not arguing with you about how good he is in comparison with riders of this era...

And please Airstream,just look at ascent climbs and then talk...He wasnt much better than Andy & Berto with trackstands at Ventoux,he lost more than 3 minutes to Pantani at dHuez ,so...talking bs again huh?

I quickly noticed that strongest by visual impression rather than titles and ascent times. Froome's season impresses really much even in comparison to last Wiggins' one. Impression is how stronger one was than others, not how he rode some climb compared to the previous years.

Froome didn't destroy competition. He rided on asphalt compactor on it. I think if Froome had really wanted he would have increased his advantage in the Alps too but it was just unnecessary and irrelevant.

 

[Marco Pantani]

Nice kick in his balls by the luxembourg Federation in nominating Jungels. And it's totally deserved, i think. I hoped for more enthusiasm from Andy ahead of a wc in Italy. Maybe riding la Vuelta would have secured him the nomiantion.
I wonder, if he'll be at Lombardy. Also, what about the canadian races.

Fränk opting not to take part in the vuelta was so dumb, in many different ways.

 

[*G*K*S*]

Are the Schlecks even relevant anymore? White jersey was his highlight. White punks on dope! Do you guys remember that song?

 

[Hakkapelit]

Fränk opting not to take part in the vuelta was so dumb, in many different ways.

Who could he had ridden for=?

 

[Christian]

Nice kick in his balls by the luxembourg Federation in nominating Jungels. And it's totally deserved, i think. I hoped for more enthusiasm from Andy ahead of a wc in Italy. Maybe riding la Vuelta would have secured him the nomiantion.
I wonder, if he'll be at Lombardy. Also, what about the canadian races.

Fränk opting not to take part in the vuelta was so dumb, in many different ways.

Not at all a kick in the balls, they simply nominated the rider who has enjoyed the best season... nothing can be said against this nomination and I'm sure Andy doesn't interprete it as a "nice kick in the balls". Plus it lets them save money and resources to nominate Jungels for the RR as he is the only starter in the TT anyways. Easier and cheaper to have the same rider do both races rather than have another rider do the RR.

I fail to see how Andy not riding the Vuelta can be interpreted as "lack of enthusiasm for a wc in Italy". However he will ride Lombardia and hopes for a good result there to end the season, this he stated a while ago. Canadian races I don't know but I doubt it because he came back to Europe and did Plouay after Colorado. But it could be that he flies back to Canada for those races also.

Lastly, Fränk didn't "opt" not to do the Vuelta, he simply didn't have a team

 

[screaming fist]

The only kick in the genitals is that the team won't ride the other Italian classics to prepare for Lombardia. Boy, do I hope that Beccas turns his back on cycling forever.

 

[Peter von]

Who could he had ridden for=?

I'm sure if he offered to ride for free or as close as makes no difference, he could have gained a spot on a good team, or at least some team, Rodriguez could have used another set of legs on the climbs, even with the uncertainty of Schlecks form after the suspension he would have been worth the gamble, imo.

Riding for little to no salary is a small price to pay to get some good racedays in his legs before the winter break.

Cannondale, BMC, Lotto, and Lampre also could have used his services in this race, il Lombardia and Beijing

 

[noddy69]

He made 20s on Quintana at Ventoux,on Ax3 he(Q) was exhausted by his attack (i know his fault,or his team) so Froome put there minutes on everyone.In the 3rd week Froome wasnt impressive anymore...
Anyway,to compare Froome with cyclist like Indurain,Pantani,Ulrich or Armstrong or even Contador is pure nonsense.They had a better competition than Froome and they still destroyed the field like Froome.Oh and I'm not speaking about consistency which you dont know(Froome),thats a big task for him...

And please dont reply to 'pure competition' like you always do,I know your opinion.

I think you have your historical rose tinted glasses on . For one Contador was there and distanced on ax3 alone by 1.45 give or take a few seconds. What Froome did on that climb alone to the rest of the field put him up with the greats.....and from the list the infamous.




From what we are told and from how cyclists prepare these days the actual competition should be much closer and better than years gone by. Not worse as you suggest. That again puts his performances up there with the list you have.

What it surpasses are the real greats. Le Monde, Hinault . Thats what real competition is meant to look like.Not a saunter up Ventoux with a finger in your ear having a chat on the radio. The racers of each generation have greats and icons and a place will be found for Froome up there on the list. Hopefully not on the one you provided as they were great but for all the wrong reasons.

Andy Schlek was waaaaay back...as it is an andy schlek thread

 

[del1962]

I thought this was an Andy Schleck thread, do you think Andy was given option to ride worlds as he did provide luxembourgs one rider's qualification?

 

[Christian]

I'm sure if he offered to ride for free or as close as makes no difference, he could have gained a spot on a good team, or at least some team, Rodriguez could have used another set of legs on the climbs, even with the uncertainty of Schlecks form after the suspension he would have been worth the gamble, imo.

Riding for little to no salary is a small price to pay to get some good racedays in his legs before the winter break.

Cannondale, BMC, Lotto, and Lampre also could have used his services in this race, il Lombardia and Beijing

Yes there are numerous sources indicating Fränk was too greedy and wanted Vuelta and Beijing leadership, therefore Astana and Argos-Shimano finally retracted their offers. The same counts I am sure for Cannondale, BMC, Lotto and Lampre. Schleck had generous offers from all these teams but was simply too greedy. Finally it came down to Caja Rural, they were willing to pay the salary but were wary of the bonus money they'd have to pay in case of Vuelta GC win, so in the last minute they pulled their offer, when Fränk was already on the way to the airport. So we can say with complete certainty and accuracy that it was solely and completely Fränk's greed that kept him from finding a team, because there were numerous good offers to choose from

 

[Marco Pantani]

Who could he had ridden for=?

He had options, thats what the newspapers wrote.

 

[Marco Pantani]

Not at all a kick in the balls, they simply nominated the rider who has enjoyed the best season... nothing can be said against this nomination and I'm sure Andy doesn't interprete it as a "nice kick in the balls". Plus it lets them save money and resources to nominate Jungels for the RR as he is the only starter in the TT anyways. Easier and cheaper to have the same rider do both races rather than have another rider do the RR.

I fail to see how Andy not riding the Vuelta can be interpreted as "lack of enthusiasm for a wc in Italy". However he will ride Lombardia and hopes for a good result there to end the season, this he stated a while ago. Canadian races I don't know but I doubt it because he came back to Europe and did Plouay after Colorado. But it could be that he flies back to Canada for those races also.

Lastly, Fränk didn't "opt" not to do the Vuelta, he simply didn't have a team

Andy talked about this wc for a long time. He would have liked to participate. Fränk had the chance to find some rythm again, he said he didn't liked the conditions of Beccas offer. Me as a cycling fan had wished a rider would be eager to race again. That's what i find disappointing.