Andy Schleck Discussion thread.

[Vino's Mum]

after apparently riding into a ditch.

He drifted off the surface of the road for a couple of seconds shortly after he first got dropped, that's all.

 

[Taxus4a]

The entire Shack GC team pretty much tanked today.

20 Maxime MONFORT RADIOSHACK LEOPARD 00:03:31

23 Jan BAKELANTS RADIOSHACK LEOPARD 00:05:04

32 Haimar ZUBELDIA RADIOSHACK LEOPARD 00:08:46

38 Andréas KLÖDEN RADIOSHACK LEOPARD 00:10:42
39 Andy SCHLECK RADIOSHACK LEOPARD 00:10:42

Its time to stop fooling around and go all in during one of the Alps stages. And not just Voigt and Bakelandt.

They are going to do something great, maybe in Alp d Huez, maybe next day, the best day for Andy...and for that you need dont go to the limit some days.

 

[Afrank]

Not a great ride for Andy today, sad to see him crack so early on the climb. At least he is far enough down now to get in breakaways. So it's not all terrible. I still think he can take a stage from a break. Hopefully he goes all in for Alpe du Huez now.

 

[autologous]

Not a great ride for Andy today, sad to see him crack so early on the climb. At least he is far enough down now to get in breakaways. So it's not all terrible. I still think he can take a stage from a break. Hopefully he goes all in for Alpe du Huez now.

The amount of delusion in this thread is mind-boggling.

 

[Afrank]

The amount of delusion in this thread is mind-boggling.

So it's delusion to think Schleck is capable of a stage win and be hopeful that he will take a stage win from a breakaway? Sorry that not everyone is as cynical as you. Sometimes it's nice to be hopeful for your favorite riders and to cheer them on instead of talking down the riders you don't like and looking down on people for being hopeful of seeing them succeed. I am simply cheering for a rider I like, you should try it sometime instead of calling people delusional for it.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

They are going to do something great, maybe in Alp d Huez, maybe next day, the best day for Andy...and for that you need dont go to the limit some days.

A deliberate team tanking day? Okay.

Looking forward to the stage where they plan the assault.

 

[Christian]

Cyril Guimard, who discovered Andy at VC Roubaix:

"Andy's défaillance is logical. How many months has it been since he hasn't raced at this level? Before the start of the Tour he was behind the competition, a good result at a stage of the Tour de Suisse can't hide that. How was he supposed to overcome this deficit all of a sudden?

His results from the first two weeks positively surprised me. It shows the talent and the class that he has. There is no reason to doubt that he can return to his old level in the future".

http://www.wort.lu/de/view/andy-sch...toux-nicht-erklaeren-51e36934e4b0c3ca56c5d692

I think this is a pretty good analysis by Guimard

 

[cineteq]

Cyril Guimard, who discovered Andy at VC Roubaix:

"Andy's défaillance is logical. How many months has it been since he hasn't raced at this level? Before the start of the Tour he was behind the competition, a good result at a stage of the Tour de Suisse can't hide that. How was he supposed to overcome this deficit all of a sudden?

His results from the first two weeks positively surprised me. It shows the talent and the class that he has. There is no reason to doubt that he can return to his old level in the future".

http://www.wort.lu/de/view/andy-sch...toux-nicht-erklaeren-51e36934e4b0c3ca56c5d692

I think this is a pretty good analysis by Guimard

Andy's performance is quite logical for someone who hasn't been competing at a high level on a very tough stage after 2 weeks, unlike that of the 'biohazard'. He's on the mend.

 

[shades1]

that footage of andy struggling yesterday on MV was not easy to watch , we all know he is better than that when he is 100% , clearly the year away was a massive blow , i just hope that one day we will see his best again .

 

[Never wait]

I used to think that Andy could turn out to be a serious contender for GT"s, not anymore. Since his brothers situation has so obviously had effect on Andy's training methods, plus his lack of capacity in ITT's against the top riders, and a general lack of tenacity leads me to believe he will only be a stage win guy, when no one is chasing him. If he can get back into the physical condition this requires he will make a very good lieutenant for a serious contender.

 

[Pulpstar]

from the clinic, but relevant..

There has been a lot of discussion about Contador's performance now that he is a vegetarian, but what about the difference in Schleckette's performance? He almost fell off his bike he was riding so slowly.

Is this what a clean Andy looks like?

Dave.

I think this is what a massively under-raced and probably under-trained Andy looks like. If he finishes the race and is willing to put himself in the hurt locker a bit then he may come back well in 2014. I think he is way way below what he could achieve with 'bread and water'.

 

[Taxus4a]

A deliberate team tanking day? Okay.

Looking forward to the stage where they plan the assault.

Not really deliberate, but in cycling mind is very important.. if you focus your min in one or two stages, demanding stages that you need to save energy before, you are not going to suffer the same in the others.., but anyway, if you are really strong a day, you try to be better.

For example, for Valverde now the objetives are differents.. and that is the difference between to be with contador or to be in the group behind him.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Bot really deliberate, but in cycling mind is very important.. if you focus your min in one or two stages, demanding stages that you need to save energy before, you are not going to suffer the same in the others.., but anyway, if you are really strong a day, you try to be better.

For example, for Valverde now the objetives are differents.. and that is the difference between to be with contador or to be in the group behind him.

sorry, trying to get the message here.
You are saying the tanking was deliberate because there is a plan?

 

[Taxus4a]

sorry, trying to get the message here.
You are saying the tanking was deliberate because there is a plan?

Not exactly, but more or less.
The is a plan, but you need legs to make reallity plans. So we will see...

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Not exactly, but more or less.
The is a plan, but you need legs to make reallity plans. So we will see...

So more like gracefully eased off the pace?

But more importantly can cycling fans expect some aggressive racing from the GC team on one of the coming stages?

 

[Taxus4a]

So more like gracefully eased off the pace?

But more importantly can cycling fans expect some aggressive racing from the GC team on one of the coming stages?

I sais already..you dont deliberate eased the pace, you are always suffering in bicke, and it was a very hard day, you dont suffer as much as is that day is a big objetive and you have another objetives, but it is something not debiberate, you dont realixe of that...you dont go so quickly in a race if the girl you like is over there watching, that if no.. cycling is a mental sport.
they sure started thinking to be at the front
I expect them to be very agressive in the next days, but I didnt read him or the team, naybe Andy is really bad phisically...

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I sais already..you dont deliberate eased the pace, you are always suffering in bicke, and it was a very hard day, you dont suffer as much as is that day is a big objetive and you have another objetives, but it is something not debiberate, you dont realixe of that...you dont go so quickly in a race if the girl you like is over there watching, that if no.. cycling is a mental sport.
they sure started thinking to be at the front
I expect them to be very agressive in the next days, but I didnt read him or the team, naybe Andy is really bad phisically...

So painfully eased off the pace?

Perhaps Andy is feeling bad, but what about the rest (ex Voigt and Bakelandts)? Surely they can do more than what we have seen so far.

 

[Christian]

Perhaps Andy is feeling bad, but what about the rest (ex Voigt and Bakelandts)? Surely they can do more than what we have seen so far.

Monfort is at his usual best level I think, but he is not an attacking rider.
Klöden sucks as he has all season, also not an attacking rider.
Zubeldia has a broken hand, also not an attacking rider.
Didier and Irizar are water carriers. Irizar was in the break yesterday though.
Gallopin is the only one that I am disappointed by, he hasn't even come close to a win, and he usually does. I think the route hasn't favoured him though, plus he can't compete with Sagan or Gerrans.

In general the only way any of them could win is from a break, and breaks have been very ill-fated at this Tour. That being said I am hoping to see Gallopin in one, he and Bakelants have the best chances of winning.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Monfort is at his usual best level I think, but he is not an attacking rider.
Klöden sucks as he has all season, also not an attacking rider.
Zubeldia has a broken hand, also not an attacking rider.
Didier and Irizar are water carriers. Irizar was in the break yesterday though.
Gallopin is the only one that I am disappointed by, he hasn't even come close to a win, and he usually does. I think the route hasn't favoured him though, plus he can't compete with Sagan or Gerrans.

In general the only way any of them could win is from a break, and breaks have been very ill-fated at this Tour. That being said I am hoping to see Gallopin in one, he and Bakelants have the best chances of winning.

Thanks for this.
It can sometimes be hard to understand Taxus' lingo.

 

[Carols]

Darned nice TT by Andy today! That boy is going to have a great base for next year

 

[Afrank]

Schleck will dominate in the Alps, tomorrow especially. He better go in the breakaway tomorrow though, potentially his best chance for a stage win IMO.

 

[Finn84]

Alpe d'Huez stage win is something his brother has and Andy hasn't, that should make him to fight for it.

 

[gruppeto993]

slightly off topic but if I were Team Trek I wouldnt sign kloden. He has done nothing all year. as soon as the road goes up, he goes back. Hasnt been any good at domestique duties either. he is past his best.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

It is ironic the his best result in over year is in a discipline he doesn't like.

 

[TheBean]

Andy has a long way to go before he is considered a true contender for anything outside of Luxembourg.

IMO, he has gone from young rider with nearly limitless potential in GT's to a guy who has had a lot of bad fortune, and admited difficulty in coping with it all.

Recovering from his injuries has cost him greatly. His gear-shifting mistake cost him greatly a couple years back. His brother's suspension also cost him greatly.

I'd like to see him excel because he seems lke a nice enogh guy and a class act, even when he's blatantly ogling the podium girls.

But, he can't climb with the best - or even the second best. He can't TT with the top tier, either. And, his future team propositions are unclear. He and Frank are going to have a tough time selling themselves as viable team leaders given their past cuple of years.