Andy Schleck Discussion thread.

[jens_attacks]

that's such a shame if true i really thought he can win le tour on the road in the next few years...

 

[DNP-Old]

I see no reason to sympathise, since he screwed over his own career. The guy won LBL and the Tour (albeit on paper), and he's still a major fail.

 

[Narce_]

Yeah... he retires now. i'm sad. I was a fan of him for years, when he was still visible. Then I was a ****ing believer, still this year... When he did his doings, it was spectacular. He could fly.

He was talented and young and he had everything laid before his feet. He was the perfect lovechild of cycling, the golden prince who made Contador take him seriously, who made Evans work and not just wheelsuck (on the Galibier stage), he could've been everything, and he just threw it away. And it's not about his injuries, it started earlier. I consider him weak.

Maybe he was just too young to understand what he got and what he could reach, but he proved to be too weak to bear the burdens, and I wish him well and good luck and thank him all the memories, but it could have been much more, so I feel rather empty.

Sorry for the rant, I had to get it out somewhere.

edit: have you seen his twitter? his pics are not even about cycling anymore.

 

[Energy Starr]

Andy doesn't even consider it a "real" win. He knows that AC beat him on the road and in reality that is all that counts. You can't change history.

Put yourself in Andy's shoes. The only person to beat you in the race was found to have cheated and dq'd. Now why is it you're not satisfied with your win? Does someone feel guilty?

 

[Walkman]

Put yourself in Andy's shoes. The only person to beat you in the race was found to have cheated and dq'd. Now why is it you're not satisfied with your win? Does someone feel guilty?

Have you ever competed?

Winning is very much about finish the line and knowing you've won, standing on the podium and hearing people cheer for you. Take away that and I don't think that many people will "feel" like they've won.

 

[Energy Starr]

Have you ever competed?

Winning is very much about finish the line and knowing you've won, standing on the podium and hearing people cheer for you. Take away that and I don't think that many people will "feel" like they've won.

I have. And I have come in second more than once. I believe if the person who beat me was found to have cheated and dq'd I would feel proud to have won. The only people who accept being beaten by cheaters are cheaters.

 

[vedrafjord]

Pouring one out for my dead homie by rewatching 2011 Tour stage 18

 

[movingtarget]

Good luck with your new life Andy. Still have good memories of 2008-2011. The peak years.

 

[Escarabajo]

The only way that I would feel the winner is if I truly did not cheat to get my second place. Why else would I feel bad about being the winner then?

 

[JohnNordin]

Yeah... he retires now. i'm sad. I was a fan of him for years, when he was still visible. Then I was a ****ing believer, still this year... When he did his doings, it was spectacular. He could fly.

He was talented and young and he had everything laid before his feet. He was the perfect lovechild of cycling, the golden prince who made Contador take him seriously, who made Evans work and not just wheelsuck (on the Galibier stage), he could've been everything, and he just threw it away. And it's not about his injuries, it started earlier. I consider him weak.

Maybe he was just too young to understand what he got and what he could reach, but he proved to be too weak to bear the burdens, and I wish him well and good luck and thank him all the memories, but it could have been much more, so I feel rather empty.

Sorry for the rant, I had to get it out somewhere.

edit: have you seen his twitter? his pics are not even about cycling anymore.

Well said. I was never a fan of his, not at any point, but that doesn't mean I wished bad luck on him or take any pleasure in him ending his career early. Hope he has a "second act" to his life.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Have you ever competed?

Can we forbid this attitude once and for all. It is arrogant and exclusivist to imply that only those who have raced can validly discuss the sport.

(No particular accusation against Walkman, there are many contributors who do the same)

 

[T-Nielsen]

Sad puppy

 

[RedheadDane]

It's a shame he's retiring but if he hasn't got the motivation anymore.
It would be worse if he continued while feeling that every training session, every race, everything involved with the cycling was just some chore that needed to be done.

 

[T-Nielsen]

It's a shame he's retiring (if it's true) but if he hasn't got the motivation anymore.
It would be worse if he continued while feeling that every training session, every race, everything involved with the cycling was just some chore that needed to be done.

Are you not watching it.

 

[RedheadDane]

Are you not watching it.

No. Haven't been able to find a link, and honestly I don't see the point. But I'll just go edit my other post.

 

[T-Nielsen]

No. Haven't been able to find a link, and honestly I don't see the point. But I'll just go edit my other post.

Oh sorry I should have told you that tv2 was streaming it. You can still go see the liveblog translation. Not that you missed that much, he switched to luxemburgish after 10 minutes and my interest faded.

 

[MartinGT]

Bah

Thanks for the memories Andy and good luck in your next projects whatever they maybe.

As for people talking about him on Twitter about none cycling related stuff. Do you tweet about work on the time? I suppose its a sad sign he has fallen out of love with it though, but give the guy some slack.

 

[TANK91]

Why not just leave Trek join Sky or Tinkoff. Schleck could fly you seen how good those teams make their climbers. De Jonghe made AC to a beast again.

 

[No_Balls]

His finest hour:

Just days before Andy showed off his worse i´ve- been-riding-with-Cancellara for-too-long attitude. He whined about the anti-doping routine, needing to go with a cup of **** over a restaurant, people attacking on the descent, whining about the route. CN-forum was at the time all over Andy for this mentality.

But as always with cyclingfans all this just changed in a couple of pedal strokes. Andy had convinced the crowd. Andy let his legs do the talking in a mastery ride over that brutal climb. A truly masterful piece of cycling right there.

Perhaps that same attitude came to haunt him afterwards. Perhaps he was just too mentally comfortable to push himself any further. But when he did, he gave us some fine memories in a story which ended too early.

Thanks for being part of pushing Alberto to greatness. Thanks for everything.

Godspeed!

 

[Ryaguas]

Sad to hear that his knee is basically "destroyed"

Maybe He can still ride with just some problems but He is also lacking tons of motivation, He should have left Trek and try luck in other teams but I think that he was afraid of changing and going away from Frank.

Is kinda sad that we are not going to keep hearing or reading jokes of Andy and my little pony and stuff

 

[Carols]

Andy who? Oh that Andy. One of the biggest wastes of natural talent I ever saw. Great genes but a weak, childish mind that always limited him. His greatest hour was on the Galibier. That ride I'll always remember! Wow, what might have been.

Hopefully he finds a new career that he loves and can succeed in.

 

[cineteq]

Sad news. His personality and mind were their main enemies.

 

[MartinGT]

Does anyone have a link to that full stage on the Galiber?

 

[jens_attacks]

sad news. thanks for the good times, andy.

 

[Publicus]

I wasn't a fan, but it is sad to see him not retire on his own terms and that he was never able to achieve the greatness that was clearly inside of him. I hope he's at peace with his decision....