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Does Andy Schleck lack the mental ability to ever win the TDF?

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Basecase

Sep 13, 2010
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Always seems to me that AS and FS ride within their limits.

Never do they look like they are giving absolutely 100% to drop others.

Will AS go through his whole career and wonder at the end if he could have won a Tour?

AS seems to lack the mental ability whether you call it greed/savy/hunger/kudos to win a Tour.

What was the point of him attacking in the last 400m today? Why did he not attack with 2/3/4 k left today!?!?

I seriously think there is something mentally missing with AS
 
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Mr. O'Clock

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FoxxyBrown1111 said:
yes.......
Click to expand...


We are big Schleck fans but how they ride, well I hope the end up crying at the end of this tour....like whipped puppies. they could have crushed Contador, Cadel and Basso today.... And they were beaten today by an unknown...very sad by Andy and Frank.

those two Schlecks would have been toasted by true Champions like Merckx, Hinault, LeMond,Armstrong.
a very sad tour, pitiful.....
 
powderpuff

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Captain_Obvious said:
He's still a young rider and its a young team, maybe thats the problem. Maybe its too early. Theyre learning.
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A young team??? NOT... they have over 50 TDF's and about 100 GT's between them, and 5 have ridden since 2008 together. This is Andy's 7th GT so he is hardly lacking experience, and Franks 6th TdF.

Next excuse??
 
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Adamastor

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OK, here's the thing about the Schleck tactic: they want to do the 2008 Saxo thing again.

in 2008, Frank Schleck is close to win the Tour. Andy is out (killed in the Pyrenees), there is one big mountain stage left before the TT, remember? Alpe d'Huez.

Saxo attack right to the bottom of the Alpe, and...Sastre goes for it. Frank Schleck stays back, waiting to attack if Sastre is caught, but...bad luck, Sastre wins yellow.

2011: the Schleck brothers are doing the same scenario. The overall tactics is to stay united, and to attack Contador one after the other. Ultimately, the Alpe is still there to redo the good old 2008 trick.

But this can only work, if the 2 brothers stay in the top 5 of GC, in order to scare off the competition.

What happened today? Leopard wanted to destroy competition, but they didn't succeed because Frank Schleck was having a bad day. He is the one telling his brother when to go, when to wait (check cyclingnews comments). I am convinced Andy could have dropped half of his competitors today, but Frank would have been among them, and that would have meant the end of the Alpe d'Huez plan.

Why they will fail: they are working too much after a pre-defined plan, with a lack of improvisation. They do not seize the chance when it occurs. One of the 2 has to be sacrified in order to let the other win.

Conclusion: In 2010, Andy lost the Tour because he didn't have Frank, this year Andy will lose the Tour because he has Frank.
 
thehog

thehog

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Basecase said:
Always seems to me that AS and FS ride within their limits.

Never do they look like they are giving absolutely 100% to drop others.

Will AS go through his whole career and wonder at the end if he could have won a Tour?

AS seems to lack the mental ability whether you call it greed/savy/hunger/kudos to win a Tour.

What was the point of him attacking in the last 400m today? Why did he not attack with 2/3/4 k left today!?!?

I seriously think there is something mentally missing with AS
Click to expand...

How about - Does this forum need another Andy Shleck thread?
 
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Mambo95

Jul 2, 2009
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It's not the mental ability he lacks, but the mental flaws. Champions and winners in most sports are generally, to a certain degree, obsessive, demanding, selfish narcissists. Andy Schleck doesn't seem to have that character. He seems like a nice guy, too nice to win.
 
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Basecase

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Mambo95 said:
It's not the mental ability he lacks, but the mental flaws. Champions and winners in most sports are generally, to a certain degree, obsessive, demanding, selfish narcissists. Andy Schleck doesn't seem to have that character. He seems like a nice guy, too nice to win.
Click to expand...

We are talking about the Tour de France, not rescuing kittens in distress or going for milk for an old neighbour.

Hence, I'd count being obsessive, demanding and selfish as abilities not flaws when it comes to having capabilities to win the Tour.
 
masking_agent

masking_agent

Oct 6, 2010
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Basecase said:
Always seems to me that AS and FS ride within their limits.

Never do they look like they are giving absolutely 100% to drop others.

Will AS go through his whole career and wonder at the end if he could have won a Tour?

AS seems to lack the mental ability whether you call it greed/savy/hunger/kudos to win a Tour.

What was the point of him attacking in the last 400m today? Why did he not attack with 2/3/4 k left today!?!?

I seriously think there is something mentally missing with AS
Click to expand...

ha ha .. funny you should say this, they said the same thing about Greg LeMond back in 1985:D
 
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Anonymous

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He should read up on cycling histories and become a fan of cycling.
 
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nowhereman

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Neither of the Schlecks deserve to win this Tour. And although I am a big fan of Contador, I'd put my money on Cadel with Voeckler and and Basso coming in a close second. There are only two more killer Summit finishes left. If they continue their pathetic, looking over their shoulders to see if the trailing brother is still in the mix, They will give this years race away. As a fan of Contador, I see a possible strategy in striking with all he has left, when they have no more opportunities to answer. which is in the final two summit stages, just before the penultimate stage- the ITT. Cadels strength in the ITT will also benefit from their stop and go style, which helps riders like Voeckler and Cadel catch up to them, or recover from stressful surges by the Brothers, which always trail off. The Schleck bros. ought to be ecstatic that Contador did the Giro. Since the TTT on day 2, The Schlecks have hardly put any time into a very subpar AC.
I hate to say this but, I don't want the Schlecks rewarded with a win, with the style they have exhibited this year. At this point I'd be satisfied with any other rider taking the title, so disgusted am I by the Brothers Schleck.
 
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Bakunin

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Mambo95 said:
It's not the mental ability he lacks, but the mental flaws. Champions and winners in most sports are generally, to a certain degree, obsessive, demanding, selfish narcissists. Andy Schleck doesn't seem to have that character. He seems like a nice guy, too nice to win.
Click to expand...

Nice guy?

Remember the quote? "My stomach is full of anger and I want to take my revenge in the next days." Every time I read that -- I roar with laughter.

Andy doesn't have the physical ability -- he can't move his chain.
Mentally -- he is a box of rocks, a potted plant. Does he know that he has to actually win the race?
 
Scansorial

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Not an A. Schleck fan, but it's hard to say never. Before his Worlds win, wasn't everybody saying Evans was a wheelsucker & a whiner and would never win the TDF? Now Evans times his attacks well and he has the best chance to win he's ever had.

I'd say the lack of a killer instinct is hurting him now and I'm not sure your average guy can change that, but I wonder how much of his lack of killer instinct is tied to Frank.
 
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