Andy Schleck Discussion thread.

[LaFlorecita]

Sad to see you are a Wiggo girl now as well.

I hate Wiggo.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I am not disappoint..

 

[LaFlorecita]

What???????????????????

Lol yeah

 

[T-Nielsen]

I hate Wiggo.

No you don't.. you just don't care about him.

 

[BillytheKid]

I had the wild thought that Andy Schleck may just skip the TdF this year and ride the Vuelta instead where the parcours suit him better. You can't be bad, injured etc. and ride a good Tour.

Alberto Contador vs. Andy Schleck again?

 

[Publicus]

I had the wild thought that Andy Schleck may just skip the TdF this year and ride the Vuelta instead where the parcours suit him better. You can't be bad, injured etc. and ride a good Tour.

Alberto Contador vs. Andy Schleck again?

I had the same wild idea when I was looking over the course. It's 100% better for Andy--40 km TT and a ~16KM TTT and 7 or 8 uphill finishes. Yeah, I don't know why he doesn't skip the Tour this year, go head to head with Contador and then return to the Tour 2013 (ASO would absolutely love it [they own part of the Vuelta right?]).

Heck he and Contador probably have the same number of race kilometers in their legs at this point

 

[maltiv]

I had the same wild idea when I was looking over the course. It's 100% better for Andy--40 km TT and a ~16KM TTT and 7 or 8 uphill finishes. Yeah, I don't know why he doesn't skip the Tour this year, go head to head with Contador and then return to the Tour 2013 (ASO would absolutely love it [they own part of the Vuelta right?]).

Heck he and Contador probably have the same number of race kilometers in their legs at this point

It's not like he'd win any stages or the GC at the Vuelta with Contador there. He has a better chance at winning TDF to be honest. This year we have a quite unique situation where it actually will be easier to win the TDF than to win the Vuelta...

 

[The Hitch]

I had the wild thought that Andy Schleck may just skip the TdF this year and ride the Vuelta instead where the parcours suit him better. You can't be bad, injured etc. and ride a good Tour.

Alberto Contador vs. Andy Schleck again?

Doesn't make sense. If he wanted a gt he had the Giro which is more prestigious and more suited to him.

Now he is to go for the Vuelta, which he has had the chance to go for before (he probably could have won it in 2010 even post Tour)

Andy has proven he doesn't care for other races. TOur stage win is probably more important to him than the entire vuelta. Which he is less likely to win because The Great One will be there.

 

[BillytheKid]

It's not like he'd win any stages or the GC at the Vuelta with Contador there. He has a better chance at winning TDF to be honest. This year we have a quite unique situation where it actually will be easier to win the TDF than to win the Vuelta...

I would disagree with that. The two ITTs in this year's TdF would make it an embarassment for A. Schleck. He can manage time lost in one long ITT, but not two. He has proven he can be very competitive with Contador on big climbs and could possibly defeat him at his own game.

Gamesmanship? "Jez guys, I've got a bad knee here, can't make the show."

Klöden, becasue of the parcours of the TdF, will be number one for Radio Shack Nissan Trek in my mind.

 

[Publicus]

It's not like he'd win any stages or the GC at the Vuelta with Contador there. He has a better chance at winning TDF to be honest. This year we have a quite unique situation where it actually will be easier to win the TDF than to win the Vuelta...

I didn't say he would WIN the Vuelta. I just said the course suits him better suited to his skill set. It would be a good battle between the two--assuming Andy were in top form (which is a major assumption).

 

[veganrob]

It may be his best chance to slay the dragon, Alberto, not that I think he could at all. But what an awesome build up to the Vuelta that would be. An extra million to the winner. That would be a bigger win for Andy than winning TdF without AC being there.

Bah, it would never happen though. Andy is not a champion in any sense of the word.

 

[Angliru]

I suspect it's the Tour or bust for Andy. I doubt he could be motivated in his training if he knew that his prep was for the Vuelta and not the Tour. He'd show up in dismal shape and quickly dnf, adding to this season's list of abandonments. He's got Johann in a trickbag. Start Andy at the Tour ill prepared for it or leave him off the Tour roster, angering Frank and likely Jens and Fabian, tell Andy to report for Vuelta prep training and prepare for the knashing of teeth and whining that will inevitably appear via the social media.
Even competing against his arch-rival wouldn't be motivation enough to make up for the public humiliation and shame of being left off the Tour squad.

The only thing Bruyneel can do is include him in the Tour roster with Frank and anticipate him riding in support of Frank, not that Frank has a chance in hell of winning or even making the podium.

 

[airstream]

The only thing Bruyneel can do is include him in the Tour roster with Frank and anticipate him riding in support of Frank, not that Frank has a chance in hell of winning or even making the podium.

Reading such posts seems like one follows cycling for a month.

Cool it. The form will come as if by magic.

 

[Angliru]

Reading such posts seems like one follows cycling for a month.

Cool it. The form will come as if by magic.

That's a subject better discussed in the clinic.

Considering his season up to this point it's more than reasonable to anticipate a less than stellar performance from Andy. Were this any other rider one would expect the same unless we are like yourself, blindly optimistic of a rider that had his chance for Tour glory last year and couldn't deliver the goods. Now you're saying with all the drama and setbacks that he's had this year that he's going to conjure up the form to win on a parcours ill suited to his attributes. Call me cycling neophyte if you like but simply excuse me for not agreeing with you on this one.

 

[alberto.legstrong]

I suspect it's the Tour or bust for Andy. I doubt he could be motivated in his training if he knew that his prep was for the Vuelta and not the Tour. He'd show up in dismal shape and quickly dnf, adding to this season's list of abandonments. He's got Johann in a trickbag. Start Andy at the Tour ill prepared for it or leave him off the Tour roster, angering Frank and likely Jens and Fabian, tell Andy to report for Vuelta prep training and prepare for the knashing of teeth and whining that will inevitably appear via the social media.
Even competing against his arch-rival wouldn't be motivation enough to make up for the public humiliation and shame of being left off the Tour squad.

The only thing Bruyneel can do is include him in the Tour roster with Frank and anticipate him riding in support of Frank, not that Frank has a chance in hell of winning or even making the podium.

1st of all, The Vuelta is not the TDF. It isn't even the Giro. At least not in the eyes of the non-rabid fan. Andy gets paid to compete and try to win or at least place very highly in the tour, not the smallest of the 3 GT's. It would be like preparing to win the world cup in football/soccer and then saying 'eff it, i am not ready or I am not physically 100%, I am going to compete in this other tournament that gets 1/10th of the sponsors, fans and $$$$$ because my arch rival is going to be there and I have a better chance of winning'

His pay check is not for the Vuelta, its for the tdf. ONLY. Skipping the tour is throwing away an entire year of his contract for the people paying the freight.

2ndly, going for the Vuelta would enhance AC's stature, the rivalry between himself and AC and also somewhat enhance the stature of the Vuelta which would be nice. It deserves better. And it makes him look like a guy with some sort of obsession with AC.

3rd, yes, obviously, any course with more mtf's and less TT is suitable for him and that would mean that this year's tdf is not a good match. But having said that, he is still getting paid to be in the tdf regardless. If he doesn't show up, it looks bad for him.

he may not be a superstar on this message board, but he is a major draw for the casual viewer. And that means money to sponsors. Sponsors who want a return on their investment. And the casual viewer doesn't know what where or when the Vuelta is.

 

[JimPanzen]

Cool it. The form will come as if by magic.

If this really happens, the clinic will explode.

Being behind in the Dauphine like Andy this year and then destroying everybody in the Tour....this would just be too much.

 

[alberto.legstrong]

That's a subject better discussed in the clinic.

Considering his season up to this point it's more than reasonable to anticipate a less that stellar performance from Andy. Were this any other rider one would expect the same unless we are like yourself, blindly optimistic of a rider that had his chance for Tour glory last year and couldn't deliver the goods. Now you're saying with all the drama and setbacks that he's had this year that he's going to conjure up the form to win on a parcours ill suited to his attributes. Call me cycling neophyte if you like but simply excuse me for not agreeing with you on this one.

Perhaps once he saw all the TT and how much less climbing than he would prefer, his heart never really was in it. And his heart (the metaphorical, not physical) is a topic that has been discussed and is still worth discussing. Other than galibier, it's questionable.

 

[airstream]

That's a subject better discussed in the clinic.

Considering his season up to this point it's more than reasonable to anticipate a less that stellar performance from Andy. Were this any other rider one would expect the same unless we are like yourself, blindly optimistic of a rider that had his chance for Tour glory last year and couldn't deliver the goods. Now you're saying with all the drama and setbacks that he's had this year that he's going to conjure up the form to win on a parcours ill suited to his attributes. Call me cycling neophyte if you like but simply excuse me for not agreeing with you on this one.

I shall easily recognize to have been wrong if he fails. But it's not the case. I'm saying about a logic of a cycling perception. Most of GT riders race one week races lightly and consider themselves right. Heck, but only in Andy's case it brings on panic, appealing to the Vuelta and Frank's leadership. But you always forget the main thing. There are Andy and the others. The difference betwen their climber skills is measured by thousands of light years. So, have no fear, it's gonna be ok, or vice versa have a fear considering an attitude to him on the forums.

 

[Angliru]

I shall easily recognize to have been wrong if he fails. But it's not the case. I'm saying about a logic of a cycling perception. Most of GT riders race one week races lightly and consider themselves right. Heck, but only in Andy's case it brings on panic, appealing to the Vuelta and Frank's leadership. But you always forget the main thing. There are Andy and the others. The difference betwen their climber skills is measured by thousands of light years. So, have no fear, it's gonna be ok, or vice versa have a fear considering an attitude to him on the forums.

...and I will do the same if he should somehow, as you said, find the form to win like magic.

 

[LaFlorecita]

The difference betwen their climber skills is measured by thousands of light years.

Oh come on, that's total bull****. Even you should see that.

 

[airstream]

Oh come on, that's total bull****. Even you should see that.

Thanks. There is a strong alternative opinion as always.

 

[Franklin]

Thanks. There is a strong alternative opinion as always.

Considering he couldn't break Evans I'd say lightyears is ranking with believing the earth is flat. As usually fanboys forget the cold hard facts:

Let's put it like this... Evans versus Schleckette during stage 18, the last climb. Evans rushed back 2 minutes.

And before you splutter about Evans was alone (everyone sucking his wheel)whereas Schleckette had Montfort. He was loath to close the gap due to the competitors, but as soon as he grudgingly started to pull and Montfort fell away Schleckette lost 2 minutes.

The next day Andy was looking green while trying desperately to hold Evans wheel.

Sure, Andy might be a better climber than the others(barring Contador), but it's a marginal difference.

 

[airstream]

Considering he couldn't break Evans I'd say lightyears is ranking with believing the earth is flat. As usually fanboys forget the cold hard facts:

Let's put it like this... Evans versus Schleckette during stage 18, the last climb. Evans rushed back 2 minutes.

The guys pretending to be unbiased forget other thing. A rider of Evans' calibre can have one Galibier in his career. At that, how come that you so easily neglect with the fact that Schleck did a montrous chunk of work on Izoard and in the valley? Evans did ride 8k alone and Andy didn't comfortably sit down behind Monfort's back and they changed each other at the front.

but it's a marginal difference.

Yes, you are right, it's marginal [marginal in the meaning of "critical"]; marginal and unsolvable task for Evans to finish the Tour ahead of Andy.

 

[Franklin]

The guys pretending to be unbiased forget other thing. A rider of Evans' calibre can have one Galibier in his career. At that, how come that you so easily neglect with the fact that Schleck did a montrous chunk of work on Izoard and in the valley?

I knew you would fall for the trap called facts. It's always simple with guys like you

Stage 16 where Andy lost the TdF on the descent... he actually was dropped by Contador and Evans on the ascent.

What do you know... Andy losses time going uphill twice...

Want me to remind you how the brothers managed to gain absolutely nothing except suffering in the stage to Alpe d'Huez? I assume you had enough now....

LMAO.... facts are always a killer. Goodbye, nice of you to show that you don't watch cycling but just watch your heroes.

 

[norwegian]

I think it is not unlikely that Andy will stand up to be a positive surprise in TdF this year, despite lacking results earlier in the season. And so could Frank. But still Cadel and Wiggins by far have the edge before the race is on.