Andy Schleck Discussion thread.

[Angliru]

If Andy takes this Tour, it will be the most spectacular phenomenon in world cycling history. Though, something prompts me he treats likes of Dani Moreno in a disparaging way. One should have its time.

Your idea of cycling history must go as far back as 2007.

 

[thegrimpeur]

I honestly think this is it for me, Andy. You pull this **** in every race, dishounouring the sport of cycling. You need to pull out some ultra-offensive, suicidal racing in the tour to win me back now...

 

[Froome19]

I honestly think this is it for me, Andy. You pull this **** in every race, dishounouring the sport of cycling. You need to pull out some ultra-offensive, suicidal racing in the tour to win me back now...

Great after all the psychological problems he has been having and you have to come along and make them worse.

 

[trevim]

it'll still be a pleasure to see him attacking on the mountains.nobody wants to see wiggins and evans attacking each other

Surely.

He obvious doesn't care much about bike racing but it's still a pleasure watching him climbing on top shape. And yes, God knows we need a true climber there to give Evans and Wiggins a run for the money.

 

[patrick767]

I'm keeping fingers crossed that he will feel liberated by the absence of Contador, and really attack on more than one stage.

He has to do so if he wants any chance of winning in France. One big stage won't make up for what he will lose to Evans and Wiggins in the time trials. He's got to bury them repeatedly in the mountains. For the sake of the Tour, I hope he's in great shape and has a go at it, but it's not looking good.

 

[xmoonx]

Vladimir Ekimov? Hmmmnnnn...anyone here can expand on this? I'd certainly like to hear it.

Schleck's training right now is all about muscular preparation. Riding slowly up to form. It's the final bit of training after this where he'll push himself, back it off in the last week, taper and be fully ready to go. Part of that involves peaking maximally for the final week in terms of recuperation. Andy Schleck has the recovery part in spades. Easy for him. He doesn't need to drop weight so he doesn't need to go harder right now. It's all about holding form, going through the motions. His training after the Duaphine...pretty sure it would be impressive. I don't see him being off this year in the first week like he was last year. Can't imagine he'd get it wrong again.

Not his biggest fan, don't like the remarks he makes and his attitude but his talent is undeniable. Contador out, if Andy Schleck is in form and races harder than he ever has, he could do some serious damage at the Tour. As per usual with Andy, it is a big 'IF.' Hope for viewing sake he drops all the stops, that the whole team does. I wanted to see last year what they'd deliver at the Shack. Kloden, Horner, Astarloza, Fuglsang, Franck...they have some nice talent to set Andy up in the mountains.

IF that is the case then fully expect ASchleck to show himself on stage 7. As he will surely loose 6:00 + in TT'ing and only have 3 maybe 4 (if he decides to take a chance on a descent) chances of making up that time. While i fully think he can put big time into Wiggins. I seriously doubt he can do so with Evans and Menchov whom I believe will work together.

 

[etymology]

Possibly probing Hincapie about BMC and the comfort of the Hincapie kit and chamois. Jump to BMC for Andy and Frank? Bail on their contracts ala Cancellara/Saxo? Andy promises to not give Evans too much fight in the mountains and aid Evans in putting the screws to Wiggins in exhange for Evans 2nd and final Tour win, retirement and handing the team over to the whining Schleck duo.

welllll, yeahbut....ONLY because andrea's stage 1 "back of the pack" negotiations with vino utterly failed:

andrea: so, vino, me and my temporarily detatched siamese twin frank were thinking of riding for astana next year. johan *thinks* he is a master motivator and tactician...hahahahahhahaha, he can fool most of his teams most of the time, but he can't fool me and frank! me and frank know i will win le tour, and anyone who is so much as half aware of my rigorous training this year knows jb does not understand our training tactics. he should stick to things he does best, like selecting and knowing exactly how to change fresh picked beets to magically transformational mountain juice.

plus, johann is a big bully and says bad things about me and frank to reporters.

our daddy told us meandfrank will be the leaders we were born to be AND win THE tour for you if you bring us to astana. to show our respect for and thanks to you, we promise that in each of our three pre-tour training races, we will ride in a way that makes it look like we are trying and more importantly, like we actually care.

so, whaddya' think about my offer, vino?


vino: vino think he may be first EVER rider forced to abandon due to laughing and ruptured funnybone.

andrea: b-b-b-b-b-but

vino: andy no like time trial. andy no like descending. andy no like rain. andy no like cold. andy no like big heat. andy no like crosswinds. andy no like headwinds. andy no like serious training. andy complain too much about everything.

andrea: but viiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnoooooooooooooooo...

vino: plus, andy never learn to fix his own damn chain and vino NEVER tell ds order teammate to neutralize race when vino crash downhill. when vino crash down hill and rip up knee, thigh, and elbow, vino pick himself up, change bike, and bleed all way to finish, then wait for time trial when vino kick *** to get time back.

andrea: yeahbut, you cheated that time!

vino: not vino's fault someone give him wrong bag of blood. vino still ride time trial - vino's bandages weighed half as much as bike that day. vino got busted, so what? vino still crushed everyone in time trial. vino take punishment. vino no complain. vino never cry over spilled blood.

andrea: but viiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnoooooooooooooo....

vino:frank get call from johan week before giro. johan tell frank "jakob out, you in." frank cry and complain. frank try to weasel out - frank tell johan "sorry, no can do - have to go on vacation with with brother andy." johan tell frank "have nice vacation with andy in italy....see you in herning on 5 may!"

andrea: johan KNOWS we always swim with the dolphins in may!

vino: vino do high altitude training on glaciers may. frank fall and hurt shoulder....frank balme alex. next day, frank quit because his shoulder hurt. vino never disgrace astana with his racing. vino attack, schlecks sit back.

andrea: does that mean "no deal?"

vino: you quick study, andy! maybe tomorrow you talk with big george...if he retire this year, cadel need new super domestique next year!

 

[erader]

schleck just won the 2010 tour. what more do you expect from him ?

 

[danjo007]

i think andy is doing this all on purpose. he's not as bad as he showing us.

 

[etymology]

Problem with this approach if it were true is people won't buy it. There would be such outage and obvious questions to Clinic type activity it wouldn't be worth the pay off. Besides Andy doesn't need to fox. He's not the favorite. He could have gone about his business and build up in relative calm. Armstrong was dead set favorite. When he foxed it meant something because it was so out of character. To me it's not worth the effort to fox for 6 months on end. Hard to keep that act up.

i agree. the way andy is "foxing" this year...well, let's just say come july, the hunter is about to become the hunted.

i *had* hopes in january that andy's run up to tdf would include some serious racing - not necessarily results - just serious racing. hasn't happened.

i had visions of horner working for andy in the mountains, threatening to knock andy off his bike if he looked back for frank one more time, forcing him to forget about his brother and just GO....and keep going. that hope is pretty much gone.

i do not dislike andy - i am disappointed that, in my opiinion, he consistantly chooses to waste his potentially immense talents and in doing so - especially so this year - dishonours pro cycling and in a way, those who bust their butts for hope and chance of being one of the few of the thousands who would do most anything to become a career domestique. that is NOT intended to be disparaging towards domestiques in any way, shape, or form. it is meant in a "i have been gifted with a talent to enable me to become an elite pro cyclist (one of the even fewer 'heads of state" if you will) IF one is willing to do the work and preperation, to be willing to make the sacrifices necessary to become one of the few of the best of the best.

though i could be wrong about andy, i've yet to see him show that consistant dedication - seems to me andy's attitude is "i'm just *that* good, so i deserve it...end of story."

all that said: there is a single andy incident that created a permanent soft spot in my cycling heart for andy; that incident was the car accident he was in last year: he crashed into a car that ran a light...while riding his bike to frank's place with plans of the two of them heading out for a training ride.

now, andy does not live far from frank. he could have put his bike in his car or on a roof rack and driven to frank's house, ...but nope. he rode the few miles to franks, where the two of them would ride off to wherever it was they were going to ride. reminded me of when, as a kid, me and my friends would ride to one or the other's home, *then* ride off to wherever it was we wer going to ride. we NEVER met at a central place or drove/were driven by car to wherever it was the ride would begin. it was the joy of cycling that had us riding here and there and everywhere. i' don't know if that is why andy rode his bike to frank's the dayhe crashed into that car...but it just made me think "now, THAT is a guy who's gotta' still love cycling...for the joy and sake of cycling."

and finally: if i were a betting man, i would bet big that andy does not podium at the tour this year.

 

[maxmartin]

this is so funny

welllll, yeahbut....ONLY because andrea's stage 1 "back of the pack" negotiations with vino utterly failed:

andrea: so, vino, me and my temporarily detatched siamese twin frank were thinking of riding for astana next year. johan *thinks* he is a master motivator and tactician...hahahahahhahaha, he can fool most of his teams most of the time, but he can't fool me and frank! me and frank know i will win le tour, and anyone who is so much as half aware of my rigorous training this year knows jb does not understand our training tactics. he should stick to things he does best, like selecting and knowing exactly how to change fresh picked beets to magically transformational mountain juice.

plus, johann is a big bully and says bad things about me and frank to reporters.

our daddy told us meandfrank will be the leaders we were born to be AND win THE tour for you if you bring us to astana. to show our respect for and thanks to you, we promise that in each of our three pre-tour training races, we will ride in a way that makes it look like we are trying and more importantly, like we actually care.

so, whaddya' think about my offer, vino?


vino: vino think he may be first EVER rider forced to abandon due to laughing and ruptured funnybone.

andrea: b-b-b-b-b-but

vino: andy no like time trial. andy no like descending. andy no like rain. andy no like cold. andy no like big heat. andy no like crosswinds. andy no like headwinds. andy no like serious training. andy complain too much about everything.

andrea: but viiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnoooooooooooooooo...

vino: plus, andy never learn to fix his own damn chain and vino NEVER tell ds order teammate to neutralize race when vino crash downhill. when vino crash down hill and rip up knee, thigh, and elbow, vino pick himself up, change bike, and bleed all way to finish, then wait for time trial when vino kick *** to get time back.

andrea: yeahbut, you cheated that time!

vino: not vino's fault someone give him wrong bag of blood. vino still ride time trial - vino's bandages weighed half as much as bike that day. vino got busted, so what? vino still crushed everyone in time trial. vino take punishment. vino no complain. vino never cry over spilled blood.

andrea: but viiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnoooooooooooooo....

vino:frank get call from johan week before giro. johan tell frank "jakob out, you in." frank cry and complain. frank try to weasel out - frank tell johan "sorry, no can do - have to go on vacation with with brother andy." johan tell frank "have nice vacation with andy in italy....see you in herning on 5 may!"

andrea: johan KNOWS we always swim with the dolphins in may!

vino: vino do high altitude training on glaciers may. frank fall and hurt shoulder....frank balme alex. next day, frank quit because his shoulder hurt. vino never disgrace astana with his racing. vino attack, schlecks sit back.

andrea: does that mean "no deal?"

vino: you quick study, andy! maybe tomorrow you talk with big george...if he retire this year, cadel need new super domestique next year!

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

nah he looks good.of course sometimes he really deserves all the bashing.
but in july he will be there
i also expect a strong showing on joux-plane just to troll us all.

it'll still be a pleasure to see him attacking on the mountains.nobody wants to see wiggins and evans attacking each other

I hope you are right, just to make it more interesting. Though he's not my pick to win the Tour.

Possibly probing Hincapie about BMC and the comfort of the Hincapie kit and chamois. Jump to BMC for Andy and Frank? Bail on their contracts ala Cancellara/Saxo? Andy promises to not give Evans too much fight in the mountains and aid Evans in putting the screws to Wiggins in exhange for Evans 2nd and final Tour win, retirement and handing the team over to the whining Schleck duo.

I love that commentary. Well done! Sort of like as the JB plane dives in a tailspin, what color is his parachute? Red & black.

 

[LaFlorecita]

.......

Hilarious

 

[nowhereman]

schleck just won the 2010 tour. what more do you expect from him ?

He's won sheet! He knows it the phonies who presented him with the award know it (which amplifies their fraudulent pretentiousness, and empties their tanks of any credibility whatsoever), and YOU ought to know it (So, I hope you were only joking). Look at Andy's palmares and the only conclusion is, that he is one of the most overrated riders around in a very long time. Second place is nice, and all. But Second place doesn't make for superstars

 

[Franklin]

it'll still be a pleasure to see him attacking on the mountains.nobody wants to see wiggins and evans attacking each other

Funny how you missed Cadel attacking in many stages (and riding away!)and taking responsibility without a complaint.

Cadel really has a quite attractive combative style since his WC. And last year he was in the frontline from the first day to the last. Andypandy just was there for two days.

 

[vcampbell]

"I saw something special today from Andy, something that makes me hope," Bruyneel is quoted as saying on Nieuwsblad.be. "In a second category climb of the Montivernoux, he started at the back and drove ahead as everybody went over the climb.

Wait, what?

"He literally told me: 'do not panic, I'll be ready for the Tour'. I believe him. He’s been there in the past. I just hope that he is not on the back foot heading into the Tour."

Oh, well, then everything is okay. He was once on the front, and he said he will be ready. Nice. I am impressed too, what a great cyclist, what a legend!

 

[JimPanzen]

"I saw something special today from Andy, something that makes me hope," Bruyneel is quoted as saying on Nieuwsblad.be. "In a second category climb of the Montivernoux, he started at the back and drove ahead as everybody went over the climb.

Wait, what?

"He literally told me: 'do not panic, I'll be ready for the Tour'. I believe him. He’s been there in the past. I just hope that he is not on the back foot heading into the Tour."

Oh, well, then everything is okay. He was once on the front, and he said he will be ready. Nice. I am impressed too, what a great cyclist, what a legend!

That sounds super naive from Bruyneel. I have the feeling that he gave up on Andy and just lets him do his thing.

 

[undencem]

I hate Andy ; I am a Contador fan but only kids believe that he is not fit . He does the same every year. Andy doesnt want to push hard

 

[movingtarget]

I hate Andy ; I am a Contador fan but only kids believe that he is not fit . He does the same every year. Andy doesnt want to push hard

He wants to do it on selected stages.This week he said he is targeting Saturday's stage. That is fine but to win a grand tour you have to be good every day even though you and everyone else will be suffering. Schleck just does not have the mental strength of riders like Contador and Evans. I wonder what his sponsors think of the last few days. Will hardly increase his fanbase. Maybe he just thinks the conversation is better with the sprinters ?

 

[Froome19]

He wants to do it on selected stages.This week he said he is targeting Saturday's stage. That is fine but to win a grand tour you have to be good every day even though you and everyone else will be suffering. Schleck just does not have the mental strength of riders like Contador and Evans. I wonder what his sponsors think of the last few days. Will hardly increase his fanbase. Maybe he just thinks the conversation is better with the sprinters ?

He did exactly the same last year in Suisse where he came 2nd in that mountaineous stage from the breakaway he may not have been good but he went flat out.

And what makes you think Andy doesnt suffer everyday in a GT of course he does

 

[airstream]

Damn, hands off the Legend. lol, does he owe you something or promised fireworks at the Dauphine? Hatred and disappointment are two different concepts but they merged on the forum. Black eclipsed white and there's only hatred. In short, love him or forget about him.

 

[Winterfold]

"I saw something special today from Andy, something that makes me hope," Bruyneel is quoted as saying on Nieuwsblad.be. "In a second category climb of the Montivernoux, he started at the back and drove ahead as everybody went over the climb.

Wait, what?

"He literally told me: 'do not panic, I'll be ready for the Tour'. I believe him. He’s been there in the past. I just hope that he is not on the back foot heading into the Tour."

Oh, well, then everything is okay. He was once on the front, and he said he will be ready. Nice. I am impressed too, what a great cyclist, what a legend!

Wow - next time I give out a bit of hurt to club mates on a Cat 3 climb ( before collapsing in a heap) instead of having a laugh when the race isnt on I could actually be riding myself into shape for the Tour podium

Bruyneel is a genius

 

[spalco]

That sounds super naive from Bruyneel. I have the feeling that he gave up on Andy and just lets him do his thing.

Actually it sounds like bull****, and like Bruyneel got a call from somebody telling him to stop being mean to Andy.

Anyway, what else can he do, declare Fuglsang captain for the Tour? Or Horner?

It was always an empty threat, saying Andy might not ride the Tour.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

More info from AS & the Shack

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/andy-schleck-reveals-he-was-treated-for-knee-problems-in-may

 

[JPM London]

Anyway, what else can he do, declare Fuglsang captain for the Tour? Or Horner?

Well, at least Fuglsang is doing a bit of winning
Good TTer and in mountains - although not a World Champ in either...

BUT - considering JB talked so lovingly about Canc and considering the TT mileage, then if Spartacus could hang on fairly well when it goes up, that would be another possibility.

I've got no idea what goes on in that camp, but would be funny if both Fuglsang or Canc placed higher in GC at the end... And Horner if he rides...