Andy Schleck Discussion thread.

[airstream]

If Andy wins the Tour Zam will eat my shoes.

Rather you will go to Fuentes and apologize for all your accusations regarding Schleck.



He's capable of winning neither T-A nor TdS (PV). Andy needs multiple climbs and the 3rd week so that his lion's endurance could be demonsrated at its best. Tirreno is for riders as Evans by and large. Yes, Vincenzo took it this year, but in terms of short time trials he is stronger than Andy. PV is for balanced riders too.

Yes, I think Andy will take it. Frankly, I don't see worthy rivals but Evans and only mess around RSNT inspires concern.

 

[El Pistolero]

Rather you will go to Fuentes and apologize for all your accusations regarding Schleck.



He's capable of winning neither T-A nor TdS (PV). Andy needs multiple climbs and the 3rd week so that his lion's endurance could be demonsrated at its best. Tirreno is for riders as Evans by and large. Yes, Vincenzo took it this year, but in terms of short time trials he is stronger than Andy. PV is for balanced riders too.

Yes, I think Andy will take it.

First of all, I never accused Andy. Second of all, how would Andy winning the Tour be proof he's clean if he got dropped on a category 3 climb just a few weeks ago? If anything I would go to Fuentes and ask for his secret.

Andy is not capable of winning the Tour either. At least not this year. Too many time trial kilometers.

Ps: Tirreno is indeed for riders like Evans, riders that can win the Tour.

 

[Publicus]

The Dauphine is about nothing. Certainly Andy feels a certain reserve and he would have held on in the group if it had been an important start. Being always good in the Tour he can not feel he does anything wrong. His goal is the Tour rather than "stage races" and its the Schlecks' family dream. Riders target races according to their abilities. Once again, what one week (we are considering them cos he'll never start Giro or Vuelta until 2nd Tour title at least) race could Andy target to win???

Pure and simple, I don't believe that Andy knows HOW to win a stage race (be it 1 week or a GT). Now he talks up a big game and he's regularly quoted as the 2nd best stage racer in the world. But the sad fact is he's never won a stage race on the road. Nibali has. Hesjedal has. Menchov has multiple wins. Andy? Zelch. Zero. Zip. None. Nada. Nil.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Rather you will go to Fuentes and apologize for all your accusations regarding Schleck.



He's capable of winning neither T-A nor TdS (PV). Andy needs multiple climbs and the 3rd week so that his lion's endurance could be demonsrated at its best. Tirreno is for riders as Evans by and large. Yes, Vincenzo took it this year, but in terms of short time trials he is stronger than Andy. PV is for balanced riders too.

Yes, I think Andy will take it. Frankly, I don't see worthy rivals but Evans and only mess around RSNT inspires concern.

Okay you think Andy will win i and i don't think he will..so let's have a bet.. whoever lose will stop posting and account be deleted ..what say you?

 

[airstream]

Okay you think Andy will win i and i don't think he will..so let's have a bet.. whoever lose will stop posting and account be deleted ..what say you?

I don't participate in any bets because consider it absurd. At that, no matter how I get on someone's nerves, I like to communicate here and it's clueless to try to rid of me as though I don't understand a real balance of power before the Tour.

 

[ElChingon]

Maybe there should be a forum wide avatar bet, if Andy Wins (le Tour) anyone posting anything negative of Andy update their avatar to the one chosen by the Andy positive posters? And vice versa, and to last till a new Tour king arises?

 

[Zam_Olyas]

I don't participate in any bets because consider it absurd. At that, no matter how I get on someone's nerves, I like to communicate here and it's clueless to try to rid of me as though I don't understand a real balance of power before the Tour.

I am not trying to get rid of you.Get over yourself chump. Avatar bet?

 

[El Pistolero]

I don't participate in any bets because consider it absurd. At that, no matter how I get on someone's nerves, I like to communicate here and it's clueless to try to rid of me as though I don't understand a real balance of power before the Tour.

So in other words you don't believe Andy can win the Tour.

 

[El Pistolero]

Just curious, would you have no problem so doing a similiar bet in future with Boonen for P-R and Flanders and put your membership of this forum at risk?

Just for the record, I think bets should stick with avatar ones only. I don't think we should be betting on the membership of posters in the forum.

No because Cancellara has an as big chance as Boonen for winning one of those classics. Airstream however is talking as if it's a fact that Andy will win.

 

[filipo]

While i fully think he can put big time into Wiggins. I seriously doubt he can do so with Evans and Menchov whom I believe will work together.

Who?

12345678

 

[benzwire]

Who?

Now that is funny! I hope Menchov is a factor in this year's tour, but he really has been off the radar.

 

[Ripper]

Pure and simple, I don't believe that Andy knows HOW to win a stage race (be it 1 week or a GT). Now he talks up a big game and he's regularly quoted as the 2nd best stage racer in the world. But the sad fact is he's never won a stage race on the road. Nibali has. Hesjedal has. Menchov has multiple wins. Andy? Zelch. Zero. Zip. None. Nada. Nil.

First of all - I 100% agree with this entire statement.

Second - even if Andy was not focusing on the win, but at least in being competitive in smaller stage races, he would make performance gains based on blocks of training. Clearly his strategy to date has not succeeded.

And we all know what it means if you try the same unsuccessful thing again and again but expect a different result.

 

[Marcuccio]

He's lazy - pure and simple.
He likes the pro lifestyle without putting in the extra miles to get him over.
I remember watching an episode of Cycling Central comparing the work
ethics of Cadel and Andy, and citing wind tunnel testing as a classic example..

Cadel spent 6 hours in one session getting his body position to the ultimate
limits of performance, endurance etc, while apparently Andy did 15 mins and said that was enough.

Hence the reason he hasn't (in his own right) and probably won't win a GT.
For the neutrals out there, he's a lot like Kreuziger - someone you wouldn't mind winning a GT, but you kinda get the feeling that he's just missing that one thing that once again, leads him to becoming one of cycling's nearly men..

If you watch someone like AC, you can see they put the bit between their teeth, and go for it. He never gives the impression anything's beyond him.
Even last year, when you could see the effects that the CAS hearing and Giro took on AC, both physical and mental, he often looked tired in the TdF, but not lazy or lethargic. He was physically exhausted.
Andy on the other hand most often than not looked like he'd rather be elsewhere, probably in a club with a couple of 18 year old groupies!

 

[VeloCity]

Pure and simple, I don't believe that Andy knows HOW to win a stage race (be it 1 week or a GT).

I dunno if that's fair, I remember we used to say basically the same thing about Cadel Evans, ie that he had all the tools but could never put it together. We'll see about Andy, I think it's easy to forget that he's still only 26. Anyway, time will tell.

 

[VeloCity]

From the beginning of February to the end of July is still a lot more than one week in April and 3 weeks in July.

Over his career Andy's finished 8th in Romandie, 2nd overall in the Giro, 6th in Tour de Suisse, 5th in the Olympics, 4th in Lombardy. That would suggest he races a bit more than just one week in April and 3 weeks in July, wouldn't you say? Even Alberto usually stops after the first half of the season.

But the point is that both the hyperbole about Alberto and the Andy bashing seem rather needless; they're both great but completely different riders. It's pointless to be complaining that Andy doesn't race as much as Alberto - so what? Maybe he can't. Maybe he doesn't want to. He does what's best for him.

 

[ultimobici]

I dunno if that's fair, I remember we used to say basically the same thing about Cadel Evans, ie that he had all the tools but could never put it together. We'll see about Andy, I think it's easy to forget that he's still only 26. Anyway, time will tell.

Not really a fair comparison. Evans only seemed to choke at the Tour, winning plenty of stage races in-between. Schleck can't seem to be bothered getting out of bed for anything but the Tour, much less trying to win anything outside the Grand Boucle.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Over his career Andy's finished 8th in Romandie, 2nd overall in the Giro, 6th in Tour de Suisse, 5th in the Olympics, 4th in Lombardy. That would suggest he races a bit more than just one week in April and 3 weeks in July, wouldn't you say? Even Alberto usually stops after the first half of the season.

But the point is that both the hyperbole about Alberto and the Andy bashing seem rather needless; they're both great but completely different riders. It's pointless to be complaining that Andy doesn't race as much as Alberto - so what? Maybe he can't. Maybe he doesn't want to. He does what's best for him.

Okay you think Andy is great, I think he isn't. Case closed.

 

[airstream]

If he'd considered his career "unsuccessful", he would change something. So he's at the top of the pyramid, like it or lump it.

 

[MrRoboto]

Over his career Andy's finished 8th in Romandie, 2nd overall in the Giro, 6th in Tour de Suisse, 5th in the Olympics, 4th in Lombardy. That would suggest he races a bit more than just one week in April and 3 weeks in July, wouldn't you say?

Funny that all your examples except the olympics one, are before he raced his first Tour.

 

[movingtarget]

He did exactly the same last year in Suisse where he came 2nd in that mountaineous stage from the breakaway he may not have been good but he went flat out.

And what makes you think Andy doesnt suffer everyday in a GT of course he does

Of course he suffers but he only races when he feels like it. He does not hate losing enough unlike other riders. The knee problem is a worry. I am like many others, I would just like to see Schleck try harder more often. No one disputes his talent, it's how he uses it that people struggle to comprehend. I hope he does do well in the Tour as it would make the race more interesting.

 

[movingtarget]

If he'd considered his career "unsuccessful", he would change something. So he's at the top of the pyramid, like it or lump it.

He is only at the top of the pyramid if you don't include Menchov, Contador, Evans and Valverde. Even Hesjedal has won a grand tour on the road.

 

[Froome19]

Of course he suffers but he only races when he feels like it. He does not hate losing enough unlike other riders. The knee problem is a worry. I am like many others, I would just like to see Schleck try harder more often. No one disputes his talent, it's how he uses it that people struggle to comprehend. I hope he does do well in the Tour as it would make the race more interesting.

That is all very true when not talking about the Tour, but when reffering to the Tour it is certainly incorrect.
He hates losing in the Tour and suffers to the limit there.

Also interesting that you mention him not hating losing enough as the person who hates losing the most gets an awful amount of critcism for that; Cav, so in away ,of course Cav is a bit extreme, but you cant have both sides of the coin.

 

[airstream]

He is only at the top of the pyramid if you don't include Menchov, Contador, Evans and Valverde. Even Hesjedal has won a grand tour on the road.

Valverde? Lol, don't make my sneakers laugh. A win is a win and deal with it. Сontador wasn't at the 2010 Tour. I didn't see him there. That was a convincing victory in beautiful style with abundance of attacks in the mountains.

 

[Morbius]

I don't dislike Andy or any rider in this incredibly tough sport, but so far he has made it hard to like him.

When he first arrived he looked like a breath of fresh air, and for a while it looked like he would be one half of an era-defining rivalry. Unfortunately he hasn't managed to win on the road, and his behaviour has not shown the nobility that makes people support an eternal second. IMO he has not even given a real effort. For instance other pure climbers like Pantani and Robert Millar were able to put in decent TT performances when chasing a GT, but not Andy.

Of course he can easily turn things around. A valiant second or even third showing grit and panache on the 2012 parcours , or a head to head triumph against Contador in future would do it. However he has brought himself into the situation that his historical reputation needs something like that to avoid the impression of a permanent underachiever.

 

[Panda Claws]

Valverde? Lol, don't make my sneakers laugh. A win is a win and deal with it. Сontador wasn't at the 2010 Tour. I didn't see him there. That was a convincing victory in beautiful style with abundance of attacks in the mountains.

So, Andy can win a tour IF:

* Contador isn't there
* Evans has a giro in his legs and crashed
* Andy has an invisible breakaway partner giving him relays so that he can gain enough time on Menchov in the mountains.

Yeah, he is definitely on top of the pyramid