Andy Schleck Discussion thread.

[MatParker117]

I think the Froome we saw up Ventoux would be almost impossible to drop. The Froome we saw in the last week of the tour on the other hand (Aple d'huez, semnoz) I would say Andy woud have a fair chance putting quite a few second into. Is it enough when the tts comes? we will see

Froome put minutes into Andy in both TT's so I doubt gaining a minute in the mountains makes any difference.

 

[EnacheV]

http://www.atwistedspoke.com/28427/

interesting read

also

This kind of talk is always a reminder that Andy Schleck is a really nice guy — perhaps too nice to win the most demanding and brutal endurance event in sport. Froome is a killer, Nibali always looks to attack, Contador will stick the knife in whenever and wherever he sees a chance. Andy is a great buddy for a fishing trip.

 

[Christian]

http://www.atwistedspoke.com/28427/

interesting read

also

Ask Chris Froome over at Sky — winning the Tour de France is a good feeling.

Maybe depends on who you ask though - Wigans said it was no fun at all

 

[karlboss]

I think the Froome we saw up Ventoux would be almost impossible to drop. The Froome we saw in the last week of the tour on the other hand (Aple d'huez, semnoz) I would say Andy woud have a fair chance putting quite a few second into. Is it enough when the tts comes? we will see

Andy still has a better race time up Ventoux, and he wasn't racing.

 

[Contadoraus Schlecks]

Maybe depends on who you ask though - Wigans said it was no fun at all

Andy simply does not wish to burden himself with any high expectations for next season. Hopefully Froome will grossly underestimate him and Andy will show on top form

 

[Taxus4a]

The Andy of Tourmalet is stronger than Froome. And he did a good last ITT.

 

[saneguy]

And he did a good last ITT.

Unfortunately with Froome a "good" ITT would not be good enough. He still has a lot of catch up on Froome. I hope he is training for ITTs this off-season!

Forget TdF - I hope he at least does well in some of the classics - LBL?

 

[42x16ss]

Unfortunately with Froome a "good" ITT would not be good enough. He still has a lot of catch up on Froome. I hope he is training for ITTs this off-season!

Forget TdF - I hope he at least does well in some of the classics - LBL?

I think that a good LBL would be a great start for Andy. If he shows really well there his confidence will be sky high. Just quietly, I think that Froome and Sky will be keeping an eye on his performance in Ardennes as well, as they haven't had to face a fully firing Andy yet.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Predicting a Top 5 for Andy in 2014 TDF

 

[Taxus4a]

Unfortunately with Froome a "good" ITT would not be good enough. He still has a lot of catch up on Froome. I hope he is training for ITTs this off-season!

Forget TdF - I hope he at least does well in some of the classics - LBL?

Well, we must consider than in some forums over there, most of people consider Andy finished, even 2014 will be his last year, and so on....

I dont agry, he will shine in several races.

But the question is not if he can battle Froome, it is to be again at that level.

With that level I dont know if he can beat Froome, it is difficult, he will be a problem, for sure, more with just an ITT at the end, but I would like to see if he can beat Contador, and that is important for him.

The Tour is going to be a question of who survived untouached the first week. Later, the stronger. if he past untouched the first week and with a good level, he can win the Tour.

 

[Pentacycle]

Why is it important for Andy to beat Contador? He'd better aim to improve his own fitness instead of comparing himself to others.

 

[Taxus4a]

Why is it important for Andy to beat Contador? He'd better aim to improve his own fitness instead of comparing himself to others.

It is important becouse they have been rivals in the Tour several years, and we are supposed to be in a new era now, so, it would be interesting to know who is stronger in this new era.

 

[LaFlorecita]

It is important becouse they have been rivals in the Tour several years, and we are supposed to be in a new era now, so, it would be interesting to know who is stronger in this new era.

Such bull****

 

[Christian]

Why is it important for Andy to beat Contador? He'd better aim to improve his own fitness instead of comparing himself to others.

I don't think he compared himself to others in his latest interview... lest I forget?

 

[Pentacycle]

I don't think he compared himself to others in his latest interview... lest I forget?

I commented on Taxus' remark about Contador.

 

[Opalius]

It is important becouse they have been rivals in the Tour several years, and we are supposed to be in a new era now, so, it would be interesting to know who is stronger in this new era.

That rivalry has already been decided...

Right now Schleck really needs to demonstrate that he can compete against the mediocre part of the peleton; not win against the top guys.

 

[Taxus4a]

That rivalry has already been decided...

Right now Schleck really needs to demonstrate that he can compete against the mediocre part of the peleton; not win against the top guys.

Already? Andy had an injury, he couldnt recover yet this year, he has to reach his best level, I dont know if that level will be the same that before, better that contador, better than froome , or wich level is that....

Meybe he reached this year his best level in the new era with his top 20 in the Tour, but I dont think so... maybe it is not more than a top 10, that is not bad anyway, but far from his best results, maybe Contador didnt show his best level this year, but all the questions will be answered next year.

 

[Christian]

Meybe he reached this year his best level in the new era with his top 20 in the Tour, but I dont think so... maybe it is not more than a top 10, that is not bad anyway, but far from his best results, maybe Contador didnt show his best level this year, but all the questions will be answered next year.

A higher placing was possible but it wasn't his objective... just look at Navarro, who managed to finish 9th by using the breakaways intelligently.

If he is in top shape and nothing goes wrong, I think top-10 is realistic for next year and top-5 would be a great performance

 

[maxmartin]

It is important becouse they have been rivals in the Tour several years, and we are supposed to be in a new era now, so, it would be interesting to know who is stronger in this new era.

what exactly is this new era? when people like Froom starting to surpass previous climbing record time? LOL

 

[Jelantik]

Already? Andy had an injury, he couldnt recover yet this year, he has to reach his best level, I dont know if that level will be the same that before, better that contador, better than froome , or wich level is that....

Meybe he reached this year his best level in the new era with his top 20 in the Tour, but I dont think so... maybe it is not more than a top 10, that is not bad anyway, but far from his best results, maybe Contador didnt show his best level this year, but all the questions will be answered next year.

true true. But if andy is still applying his way of getting fit by soft pedal every race that he enters, he might not be able to compete with this new plethora of new regime of training and peaking. Ask sky, they revolutionized the way everyone comes to the race on early season. You can peak all year long , win major races and still become a TDF champ. I know, I know.. everyone is different how to get their peak. Maybe andy is just type of relaxed guy who get fit by not not winning race. But my point is, this is a new era, so it's not about preparing with long soft pedal all year long. Even Mollema looks like a rockstar compare to andy at TDF (no disrespect to mollema. he is a talented rider. But in andy's old days, molema was andy's breakfast).

 

[Rollthedice]

I'm a bit confused about this new era stuff. Care to explain?

 

[Christian]

I'm a bit confused about this new era stuff. Care to explain?

To me it just means that when Andy was on top, there was no Froome and no Quintana yet, but now there are

 

[Taxus4a]

true true. But if andy is still applying his way of getting fit by soft pedal every race that he enters, he might not be able to compete with this new plethora of new regime of training and peaking. Ask sky, they revolutionized the way everyone comes to the race on early season. You can peak all year long , win major races and still become a TDF champ. I know, I know.. everyone is different how to get their peak. Maybe andy is just type of relaxed guy who get fit by not not winning race. But my point is, this is a new era, so it's not about preparing with long soft pedal all year long. Even Mollema looks like a rockstar compare to andy at TDF (no disrespect to mollema. he is a talented rider. But in andy's old days, molema was andy's breakfast).

He must change that is true, but when you are in a race you dont soft pedal. it is not as easy as that.

He dont have tha capacity to be in a good level all the year as Valverde, Purito, Evans,.. that kind of riders. if he look for a peak in Liege, he cant be in February in a good level.

This year he didnt soft pedaling in any race. It was really hard for him.

Other years some races, but anyway if you are not in a good shape, it is not really soft pedaling even for finish 100th.

 

[ferryman]

To me it just means that when Andy was on top, there was no Froome and no Quintana yet, but now there are

Aye, maybe, but borderline clinic to others.

 

[Taxus4a]

I'm a bit confused about this new era stuff. Care to explain?

Go to the clinic for that answer. We live in an era with more control, no more. This is not the place for that.

if you are not agree, ok, but I talked for me, and you read aboutr that everyday to everybody, for that I said, suposed new era. Andy was stronger in Tourmalet than Purito and Hesjedal, and they has been amongs the stronger later. Purito climb better than Froome in the Tour once he recover his crash in the first week.

We know that now Contador is not the man that put one minute to Purito in Tourmalet suckwheeling Andy, but I dont know if andy could be that man. I dont think so, but if he is close, he can beat Froome in the mountains.