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

[FoxxyBrown1111]

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.....

Nice. That Schleck fans criticise them. All true what you said. As i posted in many other threads: Today was the worst MTF stage i saw since following cycling in 1980...

 

[auscyclefan94]

the main problem that andy schleck has is Frank Schleck. Andy doesn't really know how to tatically employ a tag team.

Hypothetically, Andy needs to open up with an attack of which Evans will respond to. Frank has to be in 3rd wheel of the attack and once Evans has responded (provided Frank is feeling good) Frank must come over the top with an attack. Whenever Frank or Andy attacked last night the other brother was way too far back.

Just remember how poorly the Schlecks played LBL this year against Gilbert.

 

[joe1265]

Watching Frank and Andy with their crazy 100 meter attacks I just kept asking myself "what the heck are they doing?"

Cadel FTW!!!!!

 

[movingtarget]

the main problem that andy schleck has is Frank Schleck. Andy doesn't really know how to tatically employ a tag team.

Hypothetically, Andy needs to open up with an attack of which Evans will respond to. Frank has to be in 3rd wheel of the attack and once Evans has responded (provided Frank is feeling good) Frank must come over the top with an attack. Whenever Frank or Andy attacked last night the other brother was way too far back.

Just remember how poorly the Schlecks played LBL this year against Gilbert.

Frank did not have a good day which is why Andy did all the attacking. Evans and Basso stuffed up by not going with Sanchez. Sanchez is a good time triallist so I cannot understand why they keep letting him go up the road to regain the time he lost earlier in the race. I seriously think that Andy Schleck thinks his only true rival is Contador which quite odd. They still not have not got rid of Voeckler yet which even Voeckler seems to be bemused by. He is saying after every MTF that if the attcks continued he would not have kept up. He is telling the Schlecks how to beat him and they still don't get it.

 

[phanatic]

I seriously think there is something mentally missing with AS

By year's end, Andy and Bertie might be even on TDF victories. Even so, Andy has always reminded me of the other Bertie.

 

[Jeanne]

mental ability??? I wouldn't assume he's dull

Does he have the mental strength and will? I'd say yes!

 

[Mister Crud]

Disappointing as yesterdays' stage was racing-wise(Plateau de Bielle), one must bear in mind the week ahead...how much would they have depleted their already dwindling resources by going all-out and trying to gain time yesterday, when they have the might of the Alps to come in a few days' time. The Galibier should be fascinating. Roll on Thursday!

 

[lostincosmos]

The brothers couldn't strategize their way into a sammich.

I've have long said they should be mountain lieutenants for a real GC contender that knows what to do and can TT. This tour only further proves it to me.

Andy may win one some year, but it will only be because nobody else *really* won it (2008/sastre anyone?). And he is kinda still young, sure, but he's old enough to know when it's time to punch it...

 

[uphillstruggle]

Just remember how poorly the Schlecks played LBL this year against Gilbert.

And yet they have the nerve to criticise Evans and AC for not attacking yesterday. Apparently it's OK for those two to not attack when they are suffering but it's just not cricket if others are content to stay in the race.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

And yet they have the nerve to criticise Evans and AC for not attacking yesterday. Apparently it's OK for those two to not attack when they are suffering but it's just not cricket if others are content to stay in the race.

It was rather amusing to hear them complain about others not wanting to race. Apparently if others won't race you can't just attack and ride off.

 

[Jeanne]

It was rather amusing to hear them complain about others not wanting to race. Apparently if others won't race you can't just attack and ride off.

that's a point. they all we're doing +/- the same thing in my eyes. no fruitful, strong attacks, just attached to their rival's wheels. and now they complain and critizise the tactics etc. of each other.

 

[Derrick]

I know it's been alluded to in a previous post by JOE1265 but since when did 12 revs at the front constitute an attack and if one really needs to gain time how about instead of going with 2km from the flag and scratching for seconds when will we see someone with the courage to go 2 climbs from the finish. And wouldn't it be good if we could get back to the kind of racing where breaks formed because nobody could stop them not because the field "let them go."

 

[uphillstruggle]

It was rather amusing to hear them complain about others not wanting to race. Apparently if others won't race you can't just attack and ride off.

They kind of remind me of the guys in low the low level amateur races I do who seem to want you to work for them so they can win. They will be asking Contador to get on the front next.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

andy lost the tour yesterday on plateau de beille. you could already see contador having improved a lot since luz ardiden. the alpes will be for contador, let alone the itt

 

[icefire]

Lol, Andy has done as many GTs as Contador.

Getting drunk in the night and riding in the day as he does in Spain counts as doing a GT?

 

[Publicus]

If Andy doesn't win this year with Contador's 90 second gift, many falls/bad knee and tough Giro, he'll never win the Tour.

Whatever you think about Andy, I think this sums up the situation he currently finds himself. I think there is a tremendous amount of pressure on Andy and Leopard Trek--things haven't gone quite as expected and I'm not sure if they have anyone in LT's management that will replace someone like Riis in these types of situations.

 

[Parrulo]

Getting drunk in the night and riding in the day as he does in Spain counts as doing a GT?

yes it does. its his fault that he doesn't take his profession seriously

 

[No_Balls]

Whatever you think about Andy, I think this sums up the situation he currently finds himself. I think there is a tremendous amount of pressure on Andy and Leopard Trek--things haven't gone quite as expected and I'm not sure if they have anyone in LT's management that will replace someone like Riis in these types of situations.

AS doesn´t need another strategist as much as he needs a father-figure who are not afraid to say what he feels like. He needs to be remembered that he talks crap, behaves crap and rides like crap. He needs to hear the he isn´t the best bike rider by a mile, but not even close.

I can´t believe how it is possible for a second category rider (just watch yesterday) to speak so much bull and coming away with it.

 

[Publicus]

AS doesn´t need another strategist as much as he needs a father-figure who are not afraid to say what he feels like. He needs to be remembered that he talks crap, behaves crap and rides like crap. He needs to hear the he isn´t the best bike rider by a mile, but not even close.

I can´t believe how it is possible for a second category rider (just watch yesterday) to speak so much bull and coming away with it.

He certainly isn't riding like the second best stage racer in the world.

 

[No_Balls]

He certainly isn't riding like the second best stage racer in the world.

Yes, and he needs to hear that from someone to become a better cyclist. At the moment it seems he just surrounds himself with yes-men who feeds his ego. Look what happened on twitter yesterday, half of the team has been involved in a sluggerfest against the others and Nygaard has said some strange things as well.

 

[Publicus]

Yes, and he needs to hear that from someone to become a better cyclist. At the moment it seems he just surrounds himself with yes-men who feeds his ego. Look what happened on twitter yesterday, half of the team has been involved in a sluggerfest against the others and Nygaard has said some strange things as well.

I only saw him whining about two post-race controls. What else was said?

 

[richwagmn]

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.

Very true. Contador, Armstrong were/are obsessed with winning.

Suppose Schleck had been on Astana with Armstrong in 2009. Would he have done what Contador did to win? I have a hard time seeing it. AC isolated himself from almost his entire team (and his DS) so he could win.

As much as we love winners, we have to recognize there's darker side that we refuse to see.

 

[No_Balls]

Not on twitter though:

I only saw him whining about two post-race controls. What else was said?

Frank describes "the perfect strategy:

It was a hard day, and the team did everything we could to make it even harder,” Frank explained. “We had the perfect strategy putting two riders [Linus Gerdemann and Jens Voigt] up front.”

The magic bottles and gel:

“The plan emerged that I would go with Linus in the breakaway,” said Voigt. “In the later part of the race, I would be there to help our captains as they were going up the mountains. We could give them fresh bottles and gels and pull a little bit. We knew it would be important to have someone around.”

Frank blaiming the others for their un-willingness to attack:

By the end, we had all the favorites left, but most of them were just looking at one another,” Fränk continued. “Only me, Andy and [Ivan] Basso cared to attack. The others were only riding wheels. This is too bad for the GC battle.”

Andy blames the mountain:

“It was impossible to make a difference today,” said Andy. “The climb wasn’t hard enough or steep enough. It wasn’t possible to make a gap even though I tried several times.”

Note the number of times "the perfect strategy" are lined out:

http://www.leopardtrek.lu/news/schlecks-animate-plateau-de-beille-finale

 

[Boeing]

The problem with Andy's head is that he 'likes to win'. the best riders 'HATE to Lose!'

 

[Publicus]

The problem with Andy's head is that he 'likes to win'. the best riders 'HATE to Lose!'

He can't like it all that much. He only has 9 wins on his palmares. I think he doesn't mind losing.