Andy Schleck Discussion thread.

[Marco Pantani]

Well Andy Schleck (26 years of age) must be real failure.

Participated four times in the Tour, finished three times on the podium.
Rode the Giro once, finished second.

This thread is preposterous.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Since Andy was in top shape and still lost, someone was obviosuly more talented than him.

A failure being on podium at the Tour De France.. ?
A disappointing result if the goal was to win, perhaps - but failure..
That's a new one

Andy needs to ride some smaller stage races for the win, he needs the experience to win the Tour (on the road).

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

In all the tours he participated he was clearly in top form (excluding 2011 maybe) meaning his approach to training/peaking is just fine.

No need to change what clearly works for him. I agree with people though it would be more fun to watch if he could at least perform decent in the Ardene classics but that just didn't work out this year.

His build up towards the Tour is much different this year. Maybe that's part of the reason why he didn't perform in the Ardennes classics. Either way, he hasn't raced since then, which is a first for him.

 

[Forunculo]

Again his position is not good. Definitely he can't tt. A handicap for all his life

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I think he also lacks the mentality to suffer. that above anything

 

[Marco Pantani]

Yep, it's amazing what this guy achieved already, lacking the ability to suffer .....come on, that's ridiculous

 

[LaFlorecita]

I think he also lacks the mentality to suffer. that above anything

+1 Yes that's what's the main difference between him and all the great champions.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Again his position is not good. Definitely he can't tt. A handicap for all his life

Looks horrible indeed. Seems like all those hours/days/weeks/months locked up in the wind tunnel didn't do him any good.

 

[Froome19]

I think he also lacks the mentality to suffer. that above anything

Stage 18 of last years tour?

 

[El Pistolero]

Getting second is failure yes.

 

[Forunculo]

I agree with Ryo, clearly he is under pain when he force the body. He doesn't reach the ideal position and the pain kills his power engine.

Andy, a rider who race 3 weeks per year it's not suit to overcome the pain. But that's only my opinion.

 

[Unkown]

You guys are kidding yourselves if you think a guy who has finished 2nd in the TDF 3 times and 2nd in the Giro doesn't know how to suffer. He would be the most talented rider of all time if he could of achieved that without actually making himself suffer.

 

[webbie146]

lol wut? Cycling is all about suffering and this guy got second in the tdf, yet he lacks the mentality to suffer?

 

[DominicDecoco]

Unkown and webbie146 don't even bother discussing this with the experts. They have been out there on the roads themselves year in year out. They know what they are talking about.

 

[Unkown]

Unkown and webbie146 don't even bother discussing this with the experts. They have been out there on the roads themselves year in year out. They know what they are talking about.

Good one, its just some things that are said about Andy make me laugh so hard. Sure the guy needs to learn to keep his mouth shut more and should ride more races to win with his talent, but the hatred he gets makes go

 

[happychappy]

Again his position is not good. Definitely he can't tt. A handicap for all his life

Getting as low as you can on a TT bike is most definitely not always the "best" position. Head position and narrow profile are far more important than how many stem spacers you can take out of your stem (unless you CAN maintain power in a flat-back-low position obviously).

If he can hold that head position like that for a long TT it will go a long way to "limiting loses", which is all he's ever going to be able to do in a TT whatever position he uses.. You seem to be forgetting his position from earlier in there year, which was a lot worse, his head was ridiculously high.

 

[gerundium]

Another interesting thing i picked up in the news paper saturday. They hade a 2 page spread on Gesink's altitude training in the Sierra Nevada at the CAR institute. A lot of pro's were there doing altitude training apparently (Sanchez, Valverde, Evans, Kruijswijk and gesink were mentioned i believe). They were talking about responders versus non-responders to altitude training, some athletes derive little if any benefit from training at altitude. They mentioned Mollema to be among that group so Rabobank let's him train at low altitude near his spanish home in preparation instead of at CAR institute.

Here's the relevant part, there was a statement that basically said: Altitude training has become mainstream and nearly compulsory for a good tour preparation, and everyone is doing it. Except for the Schleck brothers, they don't even try it.

Anyone know anything about wether that is accurate?

 

[Unkown]

Another interesting thing i picked up in the news paper saturday. They hade a 2 page spread on Gesink's altitude training in the Sierra Nevada at the CAR institute. A lot of pro's were there doing altitude training apparently (Sanchez, Valverde, Evans, Kruijswijk and gesink were mentioned i believe). They were talking about responders versus non-responders to altitude training, some athletes derive little if any benefit from training at altitude. They mentioned Mollema to be among that group so Rabobank let's him train at low altitude near his spanish home in preparation instead of at CAR institute.

Here's the relevant part, there was a statement that basically said: Altitude training has become mainstream and nearly compulsory for a good tour preparation, and everyone is doing it. Except for the Schleck brothers, they don't even try it.

Anyone know anything about wether that is accurate?

I thought I read Andy and a couple other guys were doing altitude training at Sierra Nevada a week ago or so.

 

[rzombie1988]

I know Andy only lost about 30 seconds on 5km at the Dauphine today, but if you multiply that by 20, you get the number of TT KM's in the tour and he'd lose over 10 minutes. Sure, he didn't go full stength on this and I'm sure he's going to be better come July, but all the attacks in the mountains aren't going to make that time up. I think he may be in trouble. I think even making up half that time at 5 minutes is going to be rough. That's also assuming he only loses time on TT's and not on other stages or due to any crashes.

 

[killswitch]

I thought I read Andy and a couple other guys were doing altitude training at Sierra Nevada a week ago or so.

Andy said it was the first time he was doing it and that it was the Hog's idea.

 

[El Pistolero]

Andy said it was the first time he was doing it and that it was the Hog's idea.

Lol, I doubt that's true. Last year he said he also went on altitude camp. You have to be a gigantic idiot to not have done this yet.

 

[El Pistolero]

Good one, its just some things that are said about Andy make me laugh so hard. Sure the guy needs to learn to keep his mouth shut more and should ride more races to win with his talent, but the hatred he gets makes go

The question is not whether he can suffer or not, but whether he can suffer enough to win the race.

I know a couple of professional cyclists who were afraid of going too deep and went to see a psychologist. You might have heard of one of these... His name is Nick Nuyens.

 

[Rattler14]

I am becoming less and less enamoured with Frank and Andy. Their lack of results certainly don't warrant, in the grand scheme of professional riding, the whining that is being generated. His coach is getting tired of their lack of output this season(of course I know they were both great in last years Tour).
Less snivelling and more production. Stop making excuses and start riding like we know you can; geez.

 

[Ripper]

If Andy podiums at le Tour, it is definitely one for the clinic.

Or, does this guy just not want to ride hard most of the year?

Such a poor wee soul he is

 

[Arnout]

If Andy podiums at le Tour, it is definitely one for the clinic.

Or, does this guy just not want to ride hard most of the year?

Such a poor wee soul he is

Knowing the clinic, anyone finishing on the podium is one for the clinic.