Andy Schleck Discussion thread.

[Christian]

Actually, I catch myself thinking Andy has become a bit bulky in recent years for Mur largely because his trainers overgeared him hoping for it can help to do TT better, but they did not succeed so far. Although, the genial climber always can surprise.

He lacks the explosiveness of 2009 but it would be great to see him up there on the Mur! Don't know whom else Radioshack is bringing though. Last year Fränk did well but said he chose the wrong tactic in the end so maybe we'll see him again

 

[will10]

In the context of recent posts, Contador/Evans/Levi ere always going to produce the winner because there was no way in hell that the Chicken would have kept three minutes + up on them in the final TT, look at what happened the previous year 7 minutes over similar distance.

And if we look at the long ITT when Rasmussen had the jersey in '07:


1 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana 1.06.34 (48.661 km/h)
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) Predictor - Lotto 1.14
3 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana 1.39
4 Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Astana 1.44
5 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone 2.14
6 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 2.16
7 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 2.18
8 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone 2.38
9 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 2.39
10 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 2.42
11 Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank 2.55
12 Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 2.56
13 Leif Hoste (Bel) Predictor - Lotto
14 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) T-Mobile Team 3.09
15 Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Quickstep - Innergetic 3.12

It certainly would've been interesting, Michael could've held on or collapsed completely as in '05 (not '06 as you mentioned).

 

[airstream]

Question is this year though...HOW CAN YOU DEFEND what Abandony Schleck has done this season?? How can anyone defend his season so far in terms of the Ardennes Classics and as stepping stones to the Tour. I find it unbelieveable that anyone can take anything positive from his "riding" this year.

In the context of recent posts, Contador/Evans/Levi ere always going to produce the winner because there was no way in hell that the Chicken would have kept three minutes + up on them in the final TT, look at what happened the previous year 7 minutes over similar distance.

It's rather ironic that you appear to favour the Chicken and Abandony Schleck, both can climb but there rivals all know that keep them within three minutes or so they are toast come the last TT.....

In no ways. And for what? His real season hasn't started yet. At that, what do we accuse him of? PN - illness. TC - natural decision not to take extra risk and yesterday's abandon - crash. Non-finish itself is irrelevant by and large. Or let's imagine he could have ended up all the races and hit a traditional top 20-30 in Pays Vasco. Would it have affected on evaluation of his perfomances and willigness to keep criticising? - NO.

 

[Siriuscat]

In no ways. And for what? His real season hasn't started yet. At that, what do we accuse him of? PN - illness. TC - natural decision not to take extra risk and yesterday's abandon - crash. Non-finish itself is irrelevant by and large. Or let's imagine he could have ended up all the races and hit a traditional top 20-30 in Pays Vasco. Would it have affected on evaluation of his perfomances and willigness to keep criticising? - NO.

Of course I forgot about that, one stage at either the Dauphine or TDS, test his legs on ONE climb then go off and prepare for his three week season.

PN - okay I'll believe you but I'm rather cynical of this illness, lose time on a short TT, lose the group the next day then he's sick. Catalunya - meh, yesterdays crash was rubbish, 99.9% of riders would have got up and got going properly.

We take a rise out of three week fans but Abandony is taking the mickey with his three week season. Yet come July the'll be at the fore of the race with no questions asked, the joys of UCI protection and the Hogmix. If he wants to be taken seriously he's going to have to shape up and show us some kind of sustained ability over the breadth of a season to get any kind of respect.

Right now the boy is a waste of space and a huge cycling contract!

 

[airstream]

Of course I forgot about that, one stage at either the Dauphine or TDS, test his legs on ONE climb then go off and prepare for his three week season.

Oh, there's an essential amendment - testing his legs at a small fraction of current capacities. Undoubtedly, this magician knows how to prepare. If he fails completely in the Tour, there will be a reason to frown upon such an approach but until this happens, all critics are wittingly wrong.

PN - okay I'll believe you but I'm rather cynical of this illness, lose time on a short TT, lose the group the next day then he's sick. Catalunya - meh, yesterdays crash was rubbish, 99.9% of riders would have got up and got going properly.

Genius always differs from the crowd. Again, his duty is the Tour, all rest junk is at his discretion.

Yet come July the'll be at the fore of the race with no questions asked, the joys of UCI protection and the Hogmix.

You bet. I didn't hope to read anything else.

If he wants to be taken seriously he's going to have to shape up and show us some kind of sustained ability over the breadth of a season to get any kind of respect

To be taken taken seriously in whose eyes?

Right now the boy is a waste of space and a huge cycling contract!

And he is worthy of it. Why so much anger? Outstanding rider. Fabulous palmares.

 

[Siriuscat]

And he is worthy of it. Why so much anger? Outstanding rider. Fabulous palmares.

Right now he's worth a couple of well used Tubs and an old sprocket. He is most certainly NOT an outstanding rider until he starts proving it on the roads and right now he's nowhere close!

 

[airstream]

The Legend

 

[vcampbell]

This thread is the one and only joke site Especially with the comment above

 

[LaFlorecita]

Lol at Andy being the Legend.......................

If there is a legend in the current peloton, it's the guy in my avatar.

 

[veganrob]

Awesome. A legend in his own mind.


Poor Johan must be pulling his hair out. How to kick in the *** this talented but lazy, unmotivated rider.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Oh, there's an essential amendment - testing his legs at a small fraction of current capacities. Undoubtedly, this magician knows how to prepare. If he fails completely in the Tour, there will be a reason to frown upon such an approach but until this happens, all critics are wittingly wrong.


Genius always differs from the crowd. Again, his duty is the Tour, all rest junk is at his discretion.


You bet. I didn't hope to read anything else.


To be taken taken seriously in whose eyes?

And he is worthy of it. Why so much anger? Outstanding rider. Fabulous palmares.

This post has me roflol'ing.

 

[airstream]

Unconsciously you share my opinion but you are afraid to admit it.

 

[Fetisoff]

Oh, there's an essential amendment - testing his legs at a small fraction of current capacities. Undoubtedly, this magician knows how to prepare. If he fails completely in the Tour, there will be a reason to frown upon such an approach but until this happens, all critics are wittingly wrong.


Genius always differs from the crowd. Again, his duty is the Tour, all rest junk is at his discretion.


You bet. I didn't hope to read anything else.


To be taken taken seriously in whose eyes?

And he is worthy of it. Why so much anger? Outstanding rider. Fabulous palmares.

OK, dude. Seriously. Are you drunk right now, or are you trolling?

 

[airstream]

OK, dude. Seriously. Are you drunk right now, or are you trolling?

I'm being absolutely serious. I don't impose my point. It's your business if to agree or not. I vigorously don't understand what you can say against it, expect for a personal conviction that a rider supposedly must ride for the result the whole season.

 

[theyoungest]

Lol at Andy being the Legend.......................

If there is a legend in the current peloton, it's the guy in my avatar.

What are you even doing in an Andy Schleck appreciation thread? We get it, he's not as cute as your knight in pale blue armour.

 

[El Pistolero]

What has Andy done to be appreciated again this season?

 

[Siriuscat]

This post has me roflol'ing.

Just read it when I got home....yeah me to....what a laugh!! Almost McQuaidesq..

 

[airstream]

The most interesting thing is only Contador fanboys (or fans, if you like, despite on my request, no one wanted to explain to me the difference between these 2 terms, thus I made a conclusion there's no difference) rage, all the rest guys are okay.

 

[Siriuscat]

The Leg End

There you go fixed that for you.... .... or should that be ***??

Look Airstream I admire your slavish following of him but it's laughable you trying to defend what he's not done this years as a way of building towards "his season", it's a nonsense. Abandony is making a laughing stock of himself this year plain and simple as that>

 

[Christian]

If there is a legend in the current peloton, it's the guy in my avatar.

Difference is that Andy is what they call a living legend whether Contador is, as far as his career goes, pretty comatose right now (no pun intended)

 

[Fetisoff]

Difference is that Andy is what they call a living legend whether Contador is, as far as his career goes, pretty comatose right now (no pun intended)

Funny thing is, that while being "comatose" Contador will win exactly the same amount of races as Andy in the same time-frame. And at the end of the season, he will have more wins tan Andy.


P.S. Goddammit... I guess now I'm officially a Contador fanboy (or fan, as some people don't understand the difference between the two)

 

[Kwibus]

Before I became an fanatic cycling fan (Giro 2010 started it) I was one of those Tour only cycling fans and back then I was an Andy fan.
Things changed though. I don't have a big dislike for him, but I most definately started liking Contador a lot more while I used to be an 'anti-Contador' guy.

 

[El Pistolero]

Before I became an fanatic cycling fan (Giro 2010 started it) I was one of those Tour only cycling fans and back then I was an Andy fan.
Things changed though. I don't have a big dislike for him, but I most definately started liking Contador a lot more while I used to be an 'anti-Contador' guy.

Did your love for Basso change?

Assuming you became a fan of him when watching the Giro.

 

[airstream]

What are you even doing in an Andy Schleck appreciation thread? We get it, he's not as cute as your knight in pale blue armour.

I don't get as well. There's the battle of Contador's head in the clinic... Jealosy chokes people.

Look Airstream I admire your slavish following of him but it's laughable you trying to defend what he's not done this years as a way of building towards "his season", it's a nonsense. Abandony is making a laughing stock of himself this year plain and simple as that

Lol, it's a general opinion. Or you've got a different one?

 

[Christian]

P.S. Goddammit... I guess now I'm officially a Contador fanboy (or fan, as some people don't understand the difference between the two)

You are halfway to fanboyism - you are already making ridiculous claims, like Andy pretending being sick to get out of PN. That is already very good. Now in order to make it official (and get away with saying stuff like that) you must put a disclaimer in your signature, like "Unashamed Contador Fanboy" or something like that. That is your free pass to say any crazy sh*t you want and not have to try and explain it

What has Andy done to be appreciated again this season?

Who's that in your avatar again? Looks vaguely familiar ...