Andy Schleck Discussion thread.

[Afrank]

What is surprising is that all of Sky's advanced training methods and state of the art scientific mumbo jumbo couldn't anticipate that Froome would be fatigued and drop out of contention at the Vuelta. They will argue that he still achieved a 4th place but he was a huge 10 minutes behind the winner.
Froome admitted that the explosive accelerations and the aggressive riding of Contador and the other Spaniards was too much for him. That won't change at the Tour. Of course he will be better prepared and fresh for the battle but
with Contador, the Schleck's, Samu, Valverde w/ Quintana, and a year older and wiser Pinot, it will be a gauntlet of climbers that will be bringing the pain in the mountains. It definitely won't be the cakewalk that was the 2012 Tour.
Just imagine how fatigued he'll be after the 2013 Tour.

I agree with you, at this point I would rate guys like Contador, Schleck (when in form), Sanchez, and Valverde slightly ahead of Froome. However Froome will have plenty of time to prepare of the 2013 tour and he won't be fatigued heading into it so I would be surprised to see Froome placing 10 minutes back again unless it was because of a crash.

 

[Forunculo]

What is surprising is that all of Sky's advanced training methods and state of the art scientific mumbo jumbo couldn't anticipate that Froome would be fatigued and drop out of contention at the Vuelta. They will argue that he still achieved a 4th place but he was a huge 10 minutes behind the winner.
Froome admitted that the explosive accelerations and the aggressive riding of Contador and the other Spaniards was too much for him. That won't change at the Tour. Of course he will be better prepared and fresh for the battle but
with Contador, the Schleck's, Samu, Valverde w/ Quintana, and a year older and wiser Pinot, it will be a gauntlet of climbers that will be bringing the pain in the mountains. It definitely won't be the cakewalk that was the 2012 Tour.
Just imagine how fatigued he'll be after the 2013 Tour.

Valverde and Purito can't be explosive at one hour climb like the Alps, if they can in the future it will be as strange as Wiggins TT level this year at 32 years old

 

[veganrob]

I agree with you, at this point I would rate guys like Contador, Schleck (when in form), Sanchez, and Valverde slightly ahead of Froome. However Froome will have plenty of time to prepare of the 2013 tour and he won't be fatigued heading into it so I would be surprised to see Froome placing 10 minutes back again unless it was because of a crash.

Assuming he won't be tired from trying to pull Wiggo all around Italy

 

[hfer07]

Just checking- Is he "officially" back on the bicycle- or is just another PR sham?-I mean- has he given the OK from the medical expertise to be 100% suitable to ride again? perhaps is another "try out" to see if it works...??

 

[Unkown]

Just checking- Is he "officially" back on the bicycle- or is just another PR sham?-I mean- has he given the OK from the medical expertise to be 100% suitable to ride again? perhaps is another "try out" to see if it works...??

Well they confirmed today that he is racing tomorrow so yes he is riding. From what I know he has been riding for a while now he just is having trouble with the pain.

 

[movingtarget]

What is surprising is that all of Sky's advanced training methods and state of the art scientific mumbo jumbo couldn't anticipate that Froome would be fatigued and drop out of contention at the Vuelta. They will argue that he still achieved a 4th place but he was a huge 10 minutes behind the winner.
Froome admitted that the explosive accelerations and the aggressive riding of Contador and the other Spaniards was too much for him. That won't change at the Tour. Of course he will be better prepared and fresh for the battle but
with Contador, the Schleck's, Samu, Valverde w/ Quintana, and a year older and wiser Pinot, it will be a gauntlet of climbers that will be bringing the pain in the mountains. It definitely won't be the cakewalk that was the 2012 Tour.
Just imagine how fatigued he'll be after the 2013 Tour.

What's so surprising ? Froome and Wiggins both peaked for the Tour. As long as one of them won that was all that mattered. Rodriguez showed as has Contador in the past that the Giro/Vuelta is possible to do but the Tour/Vuelta or Giro/ Tour is almost impossible these days. To be successful in the second grand tour is very difficult. Maybe Sky was just aiming for the podium with Froome at the Vuelta. They wanted to see how he went as team leader etc. Froome as team leader at the Tour will be a totally deifferent proposition to the Froome we saw at the Vuelta. Yes he will struggle to beat Contador but so will everyone else.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Back to Andy

http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/wiel...schleck?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=dlvr.it

 

[airstream]

A 80% Contador is not good enough to be even in top-10 in the Vuelta. 5% is an abyss in the sport where every second counts. One is a desperate dreamer. Or that's just a period of the object's idealization.

Yes. a 80% AC has already dismantled him at the Vuelta, on the ITT and the high mountains. Against AS, yes again as he is the only one who has proved he can live with AC at GT level when both are in form.

it is a typical approach to defend contador by any means. i have a difficulty to rate froome's tour level comparatively to Contador, but mutual battle is not unnecessary condition of being on the same level, otherwise if contador loses we will bump into another delirious " a 50% сontador", a 30% one maybe, etc.

 

[Angliru]

What's so surprising ? Froome and Wiggins both peaked for the Tour. As long as one of them won that was all that mattered. Rodriguez showed as has Contador in the past that the Giro/Vuelta is possible to do but the Tour/Vuelta or Giro/ Tour is almost impossible these days. To be successful in the second grand tour is very difficult. Maybe Sky was just aiming for the podium with Froome at the Vuelta. They wanted to see how he went as team leader etc. Froome as team leader at the Tour will be a totally deifferent proposition to the Froome we saw at the Vuelta. Yes he will struggle to beat Contador but so will everyone else.

There have been a number of riders that peak for the Tour, do the Vuelta and don't finish 10 minutes down on the eventual winner. Purito did the double in 2010 and finished 4 minutes back in the same spot in the Vuelta gc after finishing 7th in the Tour. Sastre did the double in 2008 and finished 3rd in the gc at the Vuelta (4 minutes back). And I never said or meant to imply that success in a 2nd grand is not difficult. My post is aimed at Sky's stated goals of domination, which annoys me for some reason. Little humility there.

I'm sure we can find out some info on exactly what Sky's ambitions were for the Vuelta and Froome. Certainly it's not as if he just missed making the final podium spot. He was 4th but a distant 4th.

 

[pedromartins]

what does Andersen means by "schleck wining again"? what has he TRULLY won since 2009 lbl to deserve such status?

I'm too old for this..

 

[Der Effe]

Cobbles & Hills ‏@cobblesandhills
Andy Schleck abandona la #binchetournaibinche (via @RTLlu). No llegó el luxemburgués a completar la carrera en su reaparición.

 

[The Hitch]

What's so surprising ? Froome and Wiggins both peaked for the Tour. As long as one of them won that was all that mattered..

It was made clear from the start that as long as wiggins won was all that mattered.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Cobbles & Hills ‏@cobblesandhills
Andy Schleck abandona la #binchetournaibinche (via @RTLlu). No llegó el luxemburgués a completar la carrera en su reaparición.

Abandony strikes again

 

[Carols]

Cobbles & Hills ‏@cobblesandhills
Andy Schleck abandona la #binchetournaibinche (via @RTLlu). No llegó el luxemburgués a completar la carrera en su reaparición.

What a Shock!!!! Never would have thought he'd abandon

 

[airstream]

Oh, how they are happy, how smart and reinsourceful! Hell.. Congrats guys!!

 

[airstream]

Oh, how they are happy, how smart and resourseful! Hell.. Congrats guys!!

 

[cineteq]

@liveciclismo
#MemorialVDB / en realidad Andy Schleck fue como estrella invitada pagado por la organización para llevar gente a la salida

As a matter of fact Andy Schleck was like an invited star paid by the organization to bring people to the race

 

[Forunculo]

@liveciclismo
#MemorialVDB / en realidad Andy Schleck fue como estrella invitada pagado por la organización para llevar gente a la salida

As a matter of fact Andy Schleck was like an invited star paid by the organization to bring people to the race

Poor Andy $$$$

 

[theyoungest]

Andy is my hero. Making money even when he's too unfit to complete a second rate criterium somewhere in Belgium. Props.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Poor Andy $$$$

Yes

 

[cineteq]

Poor Andy $$$$

I wonder if airstream will continue to be a fanboy after this fiasco...will this be the last straw?

 

[T-Nielsen]

I like piling on a Schleck as much as the next guy/girl (See I remembered you Flo ) but I still find it hard telling a man who broke his, you know, to get back on his bike faster.

 

[hoerpi]

I like piling on a Schleck as much as the next guy/girl (See I remembered you Flo ) but I still find it hard telling a man who broke his, you know, to get back on his bike faster.

But this is the CN forus, it's against the forum rules to defend Andy even when the attacks are unnecessary.

 

[Angliru]

I like piling on a Schleck as much as the next guy/girl (See I remembered you Flo ) but I still find it hard telling a man who broke his, you know, to get back on his bike faster.

It seems though that he would at minimum have some pre-race training that simulate race conditions/speed to determine his readiness to return to competition. Unless, as was mentioned earlier, he was simply paid to make an appearance and his pulling out was pre-planned to avoid the potential for a crash that would further muck up his season.

 

[happychappy]

Andy is gonna own all the puppies in the Tour! unconditional victory!

He already owned them all! 2010 winner