Andy Schleck?

[papisimo98]

Long time lurker of this board.
I put this in the Clinic because I know it could end up going the doping route.
But what is his preparation this year? He seems invisible at every race. This makes me highly skeptical. Avoiding tests?
At least the other contenders are at the pointy end of other races. Some of them at more than one race: Contador, Evans, even Frank for example.
Any opinions as to why this is?

 

[thehog]

Long time lurker of this board.
I put this in the Clinic because I know it could end up going the doping route.
But what is his preparation this year? He seems invisible at every race. This makes me highly skeptical. Avoiding tests?
At least the other contenders are at the pointy end of other races. Some of them at more than one race: Contador, Evans, even Frank for example.
Any opinions as to why this is?

LBL? Right up there. He doesn't want to expend too much too soon. Still a long way to the mountain stages at the Tour.

 

[Kakhmed]

Baby Schleck needs the correct climates to get his blood chemistries correct.

 

[ManInFull]

Long time lurker of this board.
I put this in the Clinic because I know it could end up going the doping route.
But what is his preparation this year? He seems invisible at every race. This makes me highly skeptical. Avoiding tests?
At least the other contenders are at the pointy end of other races. Some of them at more than one race: Contador, Evans, even Frank for example.
Any opinions as to why this is?

Whatever it is, I am disappointed in him. He seems to take be taking the Armstrong approach to cycling--only the TdF matters. I am sure that he knows what he is doing and will be at his peak form for the TdF.

 

[hrotha]

Actually, this year Andy has almost ridden like a true professional cyclist. Of course the Tour de Suisse is too close to the Tour de France to make a big effort, but for the rest of the season he's been mostly alright.

I don't think he's avoiding tests, I just think he doesn't like suffering on his bike too much.

 

[ElChingon]

His performance at ToC was really weak. I looked like he just gave up going up Mt. Baldy as if he was told to hold back and let the RadioShack boys go at it alone. He would fall back then spin up and then fall back again. I guess he might of been doing repeats going up that last climb as Tour training? I know he finished near the top of the field but not quite what one would expect from the supposed future Tour winner.

 

[isayic]

Baby Schleck needs the correct climates to get his blood chemistries correct.

He is a baby because he looks like not being able to motivate himself and a Kim Anderson or Brian Nygaard can't replace a Bjarne Riis. Even for not riding the Tour de Suisse to win it his performance isn't that great. Being dropped when climbing a mountain is not a good sign for the Tour. Can't say if he is a doper.

 

[El Oso]

Andy's prep this year seems to be about the same as the last year: target the Ardennes classics, make an appearance and chill at California, don't do too much at Suisse, and be magically strong at the Tour without showing signs of form.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

Long time lurker of this board.
I put this in the Clinic because I know it could end up going the doping route.
But what is his preparation this year? He seems invisible at every race. This makes me highly skeptical. Avoiding tests?
At least the other contenders are at the pointy end of other races. Some of them at more than one race: Contador, Evans, even Frank for example.
Any opinions as to why this is?

Andy is doing the same prep that he does most years and is right on (his) target for this year.

He likes to build up and peak for the Ardennes Classics (AGR, FW & LBL), then rest or taper and then build up again for the Tour.

Last year he was injured for the early part of the season, so he struggled somewhat until the Classics but finished 18th @ 25s in AGR, 9th @ 11s in FW, 6 @ 1:07 in LBL. He took it very easy in California (normally his rest time) and then made a few attacks to test himself in the mountains at the Tour de Suisse.

This year he was 11th @28s in AGR, 44 @49s in FW and 3rd @st in LBL. He has gone back to his pre 2010 routine of taking a short break and is now riding well within himself in TdS. Expect him to try hard on a stage this week to test his form.

 

[jobiwan]

Andy is doing the same prep that he does most years and is right on (his) target for this year.

He likes to build up and peak for the Ardennes Classics (AGR, FW & LBL), then rest or taper and then build up again for the Tour.

Last year he was injured for the early part of the season, so he struggled somewhat until the Classics but finished 18th @ 25s in AGR, 9th @ 11s in FW, 6 @ 1:07 in LBL. He took it very easy in California (normally his rest time) and then made a few attacks to test himself in the mountains at the Tour de Suisse.

This year he was 11th @28s in AGR, 44 @49s in FW and 3rd @st in LBL. He has gone back to his pre 2010 routine of taking a short break and is now riding well within himself in TdS. Expect him to try hard on a stage this week to test his form.

He did a lot of work in the breakaway today for Fuglsang, if that counts.

 

[hfer07]

This is why I don't like him as much as I should-he's the skinny version of LA- just soft pedaling all season excluding LBL & the Tour- and that's ridiculous for someone called upon to be the next "big thing" in Cycling along with Contador.
His preparation to me is BS.

 

[patrick767]

I don't know, but Shleck's performance at the ToC and now at Suisse offers more examples of why Contador can be so much more exciting to watch. Contador tries to win so many races (and succeeds often), unlike many others who soft pedal to get in shape but don't want to use too much energy.

Is Contador just so much better than everyone else that he can afford to go for the wins and still have enough energy for the grand tours whereas they can't? Is it that or are many others riders simply too cautious? Other explanations?

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Extremely dodgy brother, and I do not trust riders who 'peak' so aggressively, and are so **** generally.

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

Andy Schleck - Andy **** more like. My little show pony. Less balls than a eunuch.

 

[nevada]

Of course he dopes, his family have been involved in pro cycling for years.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

He did a lot of work in the breakaway today for Fuglsang, if that counts.

I didn't catch todays stage - but it sounds like he had a good workout.
But I expect him to put in numerous attacks or accelerations to test his climbing legs before the week is out.

This is why I don't like him as much as I should-he's the skinny version of LA- just soft pedaling all season excluding LBL & the Tour- and that's ridiculous for someone called upon to be the next "big thing" in Cycling along with Contador.
His preparation to me is BS.

I would hardly call what he does for most of the season soft pedaling.

The Tour is rightly his (& his teams) priority.
But as you mentioned he is competitive in the Classics but also continues his season after the Tour (although how seriously is another question).
I like how Contador likes to be competitive in the races he enters but last year he ended his season once the Tour was over (even before he knew about his +ve)

 

[greenedge]

Andy will end up winning a stage here

 

[sometriguy]

I know that training for a grand tour is complicated (to say the least), but I don't believe how you can race well in July if you never "race" the rest of the year. Racing can't be mimicked in training.

It seems that he should go for a W at some multi stage race during the year....

If he doesn't like "suffering on the bike", then he is probably in the wrong sport. AS needs to grow a pair, not to mention learn to shut his mouth!

Whenever I go to look at his palmares it seems pretty laughable compared to all of his main competitors

 

[Anonymous]

I know that training for a grand tour is complicated (to say the least), but I don't believe how you can race well in July if you never "race" the rest of the year. Racing can't be mimicked in training.

it worked for lance.

 

[will10]

it worked for lance.

Lance was always a lot hotter in the "warm up" races than Schleck

1999 - 2nd Amstel, 8th DL + stage
2000 - 3rd DL
2001 - 2nd Amstel, 1st Suisse
2002 - 1st Midi Libre + DL
2003 - 1st DL
2004 - 3rd Crit Int, 1st Georgia, 4th DL
2005 - 5th Georgia, 4th DL

 

[Echoes]

The difference between Andy Schleck and his predecessors + main rival is precisely that he is racing a lot (compared to them !!!).

Roughly 70 days of racing, every year. That's not great compared to Gilbert, Cancellara, Gesink, Nibali or Evans but far more than L.A., Ulle or Contador (unless when the latter has problems with the UCI). What's more, these three all have doping evidence against 'em. Hence they should out of history books, now.


Soft pedalling most of the time, yeah, that's true. But at least he's there. Sure, I don't like that but all in all this is not what I'm gonna blame him for since I'm still angered at those morons who only did 40/50 days of racing and then went on holiday. And, what's more in 2009, he was already 8th in the great Montepaschi Eroica in early March, which means 2 months before his wins in Huy and in Liège. He was in top form that day. He went on the attack with 12km to go on the Tonde, with Visconti. The others came back afterwards. He's always raced the Eroica, ever since (it's one of my favourite races, hence I can't help talking about it). I do believe, unlike has been argued here that he was more professional then than he is now. He was only 32nd at the Eroica, this year.

 

[MrRoboto]

It worked pretty well for Michael Rasmussen.

I agree though. You need some races in your leg to perform.

 

[Publicus]

The difference between Andy Schleck and his predecessors + main rival is precisely that he is racing a lot (compared to them !!!).

Roughly 70 days of racing, every year. That's not great compared to Gilbert, Cancellara, Gesink, Nibali or Evans but far more than L.A., Ulle or Contador (unless when the latter has problems with the UCI). What's more, these three all have doping evidence against 'em. Hence they should out of history books, now.


Soft pedalling most of the time, yeah, that's true. But at least he's there. Sure, I don't like that but all in all this is not what I'm gonna blame him for since I'm still angered at those morons who only did 40/50 days of racing and then went on holiday. And, what's more in 2009, he was already 8th in the great Montepaschi Eroica in early March, which means 2 months before his wins in Huy and in Liège. He was in top form that day. He went on the attack with 12km to go on the Tonde, with Visconti. The others came back afterwards. He's always raced the Eroica, ever since (it's one of my favourite races, hence I can't help talking about it). I do believe, unlike has been argued here that he was more professional then than he is now. He was only 32nd at the Eroica, this year.

I think Andy lacks the discipline to get in hard training away from races, so he uses race days to get himself in shape. How else to explain him riding so many more races, with so little results to show for it? In 2009 and 2010, he rode 3,000 and ~2400, respectively, more kilometers than Contador. Contador finished 1 and 2 in the UCI Pro Tour Rankings, compared to 4 and 13 for Andy. And so far this year, Andy's raced 36 days and covered 5,617.1 KM compared to 42 and 6,695 KM for AC. Andy currently sits 33rd and AC sits in 2nd in the UCI World Tour Rankings.

So it's basically whatever already knows: Andy uses races for training and building toward his two goals. AC trains away from races and uses to race. I think AC's approach is much more fan friendly hence the somewhat regular complaints about Andy just "showing up" for races.

 

[movingtarget]

He may be boring but it's all about the Tour isn't it ? He rode well in Liege but totally outclassed by the Gilbert as was everyone else. He worked hard yesterday but soon as Cunego caught him he lost interest. I still think it was a good workout for him. He is the opposite of Contador and Evans. He does not see every race as a possible win. Seems to work for him re TDF time as his form in July is usually good.

 

[theswordsman]

I must have read fifteen separate interviews (not repeats) of Schleck declaring himself the Obvious Favorite To Win The Tour de France. Over and over again. Then he actually had to put on a bib number, so he shut up. He went to various stage races, and no one mentioned him among the favorites, and he never really did anything. I broke down and watched the Mt. Baldy stage of ATOC, and was assured by the Eurosport guys, like yesterday, that Andy has been disappointed with his performance and was sure to try something that day. Then Levi and others were way up the road, and Schleck was chasing Danielson. He's been healthy this year, but people are still having to predict he'll do something great and then explain why he hasn't. Now I read in various articles that he's perfectly prepared, and how Wiggins dominated the Dauphine and he's perfectly prepared, and I really don't believe any of it.

As for him "showing up" does partying through the 2010 ATOC and drinking his way almost across Spain last year really count? Apologies to his fans, but there are a lot of guys who can figure in other races throughout the year and still ride a decent Tour.