Andy Schleck Discussion thread.

[nick101]

have no idea what the article says as I can't translate it properly. anyone care to help??? thanks

 

[Roude Leiw]

well, money men going to the golf club don't like to be ridiculed....

In all fairness to Becca, who is the guy coughing up the money at the end of the day, he has a point, Andys performance for the last year and a half is not really stellar. ToC was okay, TdS seems a step back ftm.

 

[Roude Leiw]

have no idea what the article says as I can't translate it properly. anyone care to help??? thanks

Article covers several things:
- rumors of wages being late which he acknowledges due to some late sponsor payments
- andy not living up to expectations and spoiled by money, no professional life style seems to be the message between the lines
- he likes Cance a lot, because he is a true sportsman living for his job (as opposed to Andy)

 

[Herr Katt]

In all fairness to Becca, who is the guy coughing up the money at the end of the day, he has a point, Andys performance for the last year and a half is not really stellar. ToC was okay, TdS seems a step back ftm.

As we saw last year with Robert Gesink he went on to win ToC but in TdS we was dropped like a stone on the climbs.
We can safely say that Europeean racing is far more difficult...

 

[Dazed and Confused]

In all fairness to Becca, who is the guy coughing up the money at the end of the day, he has a point, Andys performance for the last year and a half is not really stellar. ToC was okay, TdS seems a step back ftm.

No really blaming Becca, would probably be ****ed off myself.

If we take out the LBL performance, how different is this season from "normal" runs?

If Andy performs in the Tour, it would be a normal year wouldn't it?

 

[nick101]

yeah it would be a normal year. if andy doesn't come top ten with a stage win in either the vuelta or tour then things will become difficult. andy needs a result to back up the fact that he improving and will be even better next year. but if not that could mean a massive pay cut or even no new contract with trek

 

[Roude Leiw]

yeah it would be a normal year. if andy doesn't come top ten with a stage win in either the vuelta or tour then things will become difficult. andy needs a result to back up the fact that he improving and will be even better next year. but if not that could mean a massive pay cut or even no new contract with trek

With a salary which i suppose is very significant (i guess into the 7 figures), a stage win at the tour will not be enough to keep it at that level.

 

[nick101]

yeah I was saying a top ten AND a stage win minimum to retain the teams confidence

 

[Taxus4a]

Till he was with Riis, he was literally driven by Riis to prepare well which is probably why he was able to match Contador in 2010. After Riis they gave him too much leeway due to his star status. The result is he lost the Tour to Evans and the disastrous 2012 season and the non-existent 2013 season. On his own he is not going to train hard. Somebody must be after him for that.
All the races he is doing, he is merely soft pedaling at the end instead of driving hard ( I really don't see him gasping for breath at the end like some other riders Talansky for eg.) and the more he finishes in the pack, the more he is going to lose motivation. IMHO he is wasting his talent.

That is not true. I have a friend that was in the Lejana (Basque country), he is not at all a fan of Andy, and he told me: the worse face was Andy's.

I see like that more times this year, most of them...

I couldn't see Suisse so far, but I guess Andy the first day test himself (and he is not very well)knohu, and next day soft pedaling a little, in order to get a breakaway in Le Punt.

 

[Gugashwill]

Best placed Leopard rider today.
Shold've he had a lead out train, who knows... Maybe this was the stage.

 

[Cimber]

Mikkel Condé v2.0 ‏@mrconde 12s
Andy Schleck "I had a moment where I thought maybe the uphill sprint could be for me" - seems confident again. Let's see on Friday #TdSuisse

Made me smile

 

[shinoda13]

Mikkel Condé v2.0 ‏@mrconde 12s
Andy Schleck "I had a moment where I thought maybe the uphill sprint could be for me" - seems confident again. Let's see on Friday #TdSuisse

Made me smile

Andy vs Cavendish at the TDF.

 

[Afrank]

Look! Andy in the front group, and he looks like he suffering!
I think he will go in the break on stage 7.

 

[Taxus4a]

Very good news the last interview of Andy.

He said he is better and better day by day, and that he was yesterday working at the end, and finally tought about to fight for the stage.

I was surprised for his place and I saw that as a positive sign, becouse he is thinking just in Le Punt, but I didnt think he felt so well.

 

[JimPanzen]

I saw a documentary about the then newly formed Leopard Trek team a while ago. During an early season training camp, while out on the road, you often saw Kim Andersen talking to Andy. I don't want to exaggerate to much, but it felt like he told Andy a hundred times: "Andy, you level at this point is already so far above the others..." He was pretty much praising him to the skies. I think from a psychological point of view this has/had negative effects on his work ethics.

 

[webbie146]

I saw a documentary about the then newly formed Leopard Trek team a while ago. During an early season training camp, while out on the road, you often saw Kim Andersen talking to Andy. I don't want to exaggerate to much, but it felt like he told Andy a hundred times: "Andy, you level at this point is already so far above the others..." He was pretty much praising him to the skies. I think from a psychological point of view this has/had negative effects on his work ethics.

Hmm did we watch the same documentary? I've only seen Kim say that once and that was not to praise Andy but about training tactics with his team mates.

 

[JimPanzen]

Hmm did we watch the same documentary? I've only seen Kim say that once and that was not to praise Andy but about training tactics with his team mates.

How should I know? So obviously training tactics from then on were for Andy to take it easy so that the others can catch up jk.

Another question for me is, whether it was a good approach for Andy to have so many k's of racing in this years early season. He was off the bike for a pretty long period so one would think some solid base training + moderate racing would be more effective. I know he needs racing to get back in shape but that only works if you have a solid base. Then again, he didn't exactly ride full gas early season and riding in the bunch pretty much is base training However, for now it looks like he won't be competitive in the Tour.

 

[IndianCyclist]

How should I know? So obviously training tactics from then on were for Andy to take it easy so that the others can catch up jk.

Another question for me is, whether it was a good approach for Andy to have so many k's of racing in this years early season. He was off the bike for a pretty long period so one would think some solid base training + moderate racing would be more effective. I know he needs racing to get back in shape but that only works if you have a solid base. Then again, he didn't exactly ride full gas early season and riding in the bunch pretty much is base training However, for now it looks like he won't be competitive in the Tour.

Now that others have caught up and ... passed Andy, in the interests of being fair others should slow down so that Andy can catch up. Cancellara can probably do that but he is not in the TDF.

 

[Taxus4a]

How should I know? So obviously training tactics from then on were for Andy to take it easy so that the others can catch up jk.

he didn't exactly ride full gas early season and riding in the bunch pretty much is base training

Nobody ride full gas in January but a few riders. Appart of that he did base as far as his problem let him, and ride quite strong


I saw him today pretty comfortable. He will one of the important guys tomorrow for sure.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

snipped..

I saw him today pretty comfortable. He will one of the important guys tomorrow for sure.

how on earth can someone being +20 minutes in GC be important tomorrow?

 

[Contadoraus Schlecks]

how on earth can someone being +20 minutes in GC be important tomorrow?

For the stage win

 

[Dazed and Confused]

For the stage win

so you guys think the GC will take another rest day tomorrow?

 

[Gugashwill]

For the stage win

I'd rather see him winning the Sunday's stage, that would be unbelievable, but I guess Andy will let Cancellara to go for it.
Under that circumstances, tomorrow's downhill finish is just fine.
A Leopard rider per break was swallowed since today.
Domestique Rast slipped away today, so the hosts have to be happy.

 

[JimPanzen]

Nobody ride full gas in January but a few riders. Appart of that he did base as far as his problem let him, and ride quite strong


I saw him today pretty comfortable. He will one of the important guys tomorrow for sure.

Riding comfortable in the bunch on stage where the pack finishes 10mins behind the winner is by no means an indication of good form, more than ever this goes for a GT GC contender.

 

[Alpechraxler]

Lets see today probably even the mtt. Cant blame him for not riding yesterday. Radioshak had rast in the break