Frank Schleck's comments

[patrick767]

Let's consider Andersen's statement that Frank Schleck has continued to compete at a high level since the Giro as a reason for his form not being sustainable. A look at Frank's palmares since dropping out of the Giro:

3rd - Tour de Luxembourg
2nd - Tour de Suisse

That's it. Luxembourg is a short one. Respect for the Suisse finish, but is that really all it takes to wear him out too much for France?

 

[LaFlorecita]

LOL at the Contador comparisons. No Frank, just no. You didn't race the whole Giro, you didn't make huge attacks each day, you weren't even in the top 5 and you didn't take on the most mountainous edition of the Giro ever.

I won't be surprised if there is another phantom injury before or during the Tour. I can see Frank totally claiming to be fine just in-time to help his baby sister lose the Vuelta to Contador.

I used to be pro-Schlecks and anti-Contador, but I did a 180. The Schlecks need to get a publicist and never speak on record again without coaching.

A 180? Wow, awesome!

 

[Angliru]

Let's consider Andersen's statement that Frank Schleck has continued to compete at a high level since the Giro as a reason for his form not being sustainable. A look at Frank's palmares since dropping out of the Giro:

3rd - Tour de Luxembourg
2nd - Tour de Suisse

That's it. Luxembourg is a short one. Respect for the Suisse finish, but is that really all it takes to wear him out too much for France?

Again I ask, who's fault is it if his primary goal is being ready for the Tour? To do these races and race to place highly knowing that in doing so will be detrimental to being at your best for your most important event of the season makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. "Oh, I just raced hard in these 2 events so I can't be in a leadership position for the Tour" (in so many words). Then why not a more ideal strategy so that he wouldn't have reached his peak so early? I'm at a loss to understand. Maybe someone could explain this to me.

 

[Christian]

Lol classic Schleck-haterdom

Everything he says is true, he's done way too much racing with almost no breaks, no way he can compete with the likes of Evans or Wiggins in the third week. Everyone knows it's true yet people get their panties in a bundle because he dared to say something about Contador

He knows that the likes of Monfort and Klöden have a better chance of a high finish than himself and he respects it ... unlike certain other riders who take a GT away from their team mate just because they are too proud to admit the other is stronger

 

[LaFlorecita]

Lol classic Schleck-haterdom

Everything he says is true, he's done way too much racing with almost no breaks, no way he can compete with the likes of Evans or Wiggins in the third week. Everyone knows it's true yet people get their panties in a bundle because he dared to say something about Contador

He knows that the likes of Monfort and Klöden have a better chance of a high finish than himself and he respects it ... unlike certain other riders who take a GT away from their team mate just because they are too proud to admit the other is stronger

Sastre? LA? Contador?

 

[patrick767]

Lol classic Schleck-haterdom

Everything he says is true, he's done way too much racing with almost no breaks, no way he can compete with the likes of Evans or Wiggins in the third week.

What makes you say he's done way too much racing with almost no breaks? I'm not seeing it. Anyone have a link to his full results for this season so far?

 

[Angliru]

Lol classic Schleck-haterdom

Everything he says is true, he's done way too much racing with almost no breaks, no way he can compete with the likes of Evans or Wiggins in the third week. Everyone knows it's true yet people get their panties in a bundle because he dared to say something about Contador

He knows that the likes of Monfort and Klöden have a better chance of a high finish than himself and he respects it ... unlike certain other riders who take a GT away from their team mate just because they are too proud to admit the other is stronger

If this were the case what is the purpose of his making excuses instead of stating exactly what you have: that Monfort and Kloden would have a better chance of a high finish? His statement implies that if his prep were more ideal then he would be more than happy for a leadership role at the Tour. In absolutely no interview/statements have I heard anyone in the RSNT organization mention Monfort as a possibile team leader/co-leader for the Tour. If I missed it I would love to see it if someone has a link.

 

[killswitch]

What makes you say he's done way too much racing with almost no breaks? I'm not seeing it. Anyone have a link to his full results for this season so far?

He already has 54 ! race days this year. When the third week of Bore de France comes he'll have more than 70.

edit: Everyone who watched TdS yesterday could see he's at his ideal racing weight.

 

[Angliru]

He already has 54 ! race days this year. When the third week of Bore de France comes he'll have more than 70.

edit: Everyone who watched TdS yesterday could see he's at his ideal racing weight.

I personally can't tell if a rider is or is not at their "ideal racing weight" by simply viewing them on the tv unless it's just obvious by their jowls or gut that they've been spending a bit too much time on the couch.

 

[Christian]

Sastre? LA? Contador?

Conti: did not race at all between Giro and Tour, clearly off his game in 3rd week (let's avoid possible knee discussion again)
LA: epic lulz/wrong subforum
Sastre: more than debateable, idea for a possible new thread though

If this were the case what is the purpose of his making excuses instead of stating exactly what you have: that Monfort and Kloden would have a better chance of a high finish? His statement implies that if his prep were more ideal then he would be more than happy for a leadership role at the Tour. In absolutely no interview/statements have I heard anyone in the RSNT organization mention Monfort as a possibile team leader/co-leader for the Tour. If I missed it I would love to see it if someone has a link.

I don't think RSNT wants to name anyone as a leader because neither Monfort nor Klöden showed great form. On paper they should be able to get a good result, but their form is not very promising. That's why they prefer not to name a clear leader but play the old "the road will decide" that Bruyneel is famous for. It is the safest way to play it. Because I wouldn't put it behind Fränk to do better than Monfort and Klöden in the end, even if that will likely be around 8th place or so

 

[roundabout]

What makes you say he's done way too much racing with almost no breaks? I'm not seeing it. Anyone have a link to his full results for this season so far?

http://cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/rider_palm.asp?riderid=75&year=2012&all=1&current=0

 

[Christian]

http://cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/rider_palm.asp?riderid=75&year=2012&all=1&current=0

Keeping in mind that some Andalucia and Tour de Luxembourg stages are not listed

 

[LaFlorecita]

Conti: did not race at all between Giro and Tour, clearly off his game in 3rd week (let's avoid possible knee discussion again)
LA: epic lulz/wrong subforum
Sastre: more than debateable, idea for a possible new thread though

Alberto did race, the Spanish nationals, but anyway that was not what I was on about.
I replied to this:

"unlike certain other riders who take a GT away from their team mate just because they are too proud to admit the other is stronger "

Maybe I should've been clearer.

 

[roundabout]

Keeping in mind that some Andalucia and Tour de Luxembourg stages are not listed

Yeah, I was going to edit my post, but you beat me to it.

 

[Christian]

Alberto did race, the Spanish nationals, but anyway that was not what I was on about.
I replied to this:

"unlike certain other riders who take a GT away from their team mate just because they are too proud to admit the other is stronger "

Maybe I should've been clearer.

Oh I see, I meant Wigans

 

[killswitch]

I personally can't tell if a rider is or is not at their "ideal racing weight" by simply viewing them on the tv unless it's just obvious by their jowls or gut that they've been spending a bit too much time on the couch.

Looked very skinny to me like a gulag prisoner, someone even posted a skeleton jpg in the race thread.

 

[Publicus]

What makes you say he's done way too much racing with almost no breaks? I'm not seeing it. Anyone have a link to his full results for this season so far?

I compared his 2011 season up to the start of the Tour and René definitely has more mileage this year compared to the same point last year:

2011: 43 race days, 6,625 km
2012: 54 race days 8,315 km (25.6% increase in days and kms)

Of course, this raises the question of why he proceeded to race the Tour of Luxembourg and the Tour de Suisse after starting but not finishing the Giro if his goal was to go to the Tour de France (in whatever capacity (i.e., as captain or support for Andy)--in either case, I question his/RSNT's approach. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a late substitution (Jakob for René who rides Vuelta with Raymond--which frankly would not be a bad result for RSNT given the more favorable course).

 

[FabulousCandelabra]

Frank is dead tired and incapable of racing, but Wiggins is cool as a cucumber, and racing on a higher plane of existence every race he enters.... what the heck is going on!! Fishy fishy fishy

 

[The Hitch]

Frank is dead tired and incapable of racing, but Wiggins is cool as a cucumber, and racing on a higher plane of existence every race he enters.... what the heck is going on!! Fishy fishy fishy

This is what Wiggins' schedule looks like on PCM.

 

[stainlessguy1]

17 pages

17 pages of posts about Frank , over nothing .

If an athlete goes thru a slump, then he or she goes thru a slump , that is it .
I applaud the fact that he has got the power to say , i am in a slump . Far better than pretending and having a team work for him, till they drop just to find out they could of went on that break themselves . Honesty makes a team a team. Too bad for the fans .
There is always another race.

 

[Ferminal]

This is what Wiggins' schedule looks like on PCM.

With no fatigue bar

 

[mewmewmew13]

can u resize these thingies??
I keep coming to this thread thinking I'm actually going to read some comment that Frank made with relevance...

 

[stainlessguy1]

can u resize these thingies??
I keep coming to this thread thinking I'm actually going to read some comment that Frank made with relevance...

Nope , just big bar graphs and who said this and who is that , and this should and he should and they should and really nothing about anything important . Kindof like sitting around a union shop and talking about who is going to be traded to whom after the season is over. Not going to change our bottom line is it? But we shock our fists in the air and feel damn good about it after.
lol .

 

[nowhereman]

It does not matter if you are a rider or a doctor or even a poster.

if someone is stupid, ignorant, moron etc it deserves to be treated as such. the fact that he choose to be cyclist (a hard sport, true. maybe the hardest) and was lucky with his genes does not change that, just like the fact the if someone chooses to only post useless posts about "i remember why i ignored you" or "OMG!! ANOTHER FANGIRL VS FANBOY!DISGUSTING" without adding something useful for the discussion deserves to be treated as the others mentioned above.

Andy says a lot of stupid things so he deserves to be treated as a stupid person. sometimes he is an hypocrite, so he deserves to be treated as one. so what? no one is being rude, only honest.

I know I'm a bit late. But, BRAVO, c&cfan. Well said. I have no idea why some think they have to defend any of the riders dignity. The only thing that gives some people the "courage" to say the outlandish things they do say to other forum posters is the disconnect of the internet. A poster never have to stand face to face with the person, on the forum, that they're disrespecting, or having an infantile argument with. It's unfortunate the nasty turn this thread took. A turn that was totally uncalled for, but then again, maybe it's foolish to expect anything better.

 

[SiAp1984]

You can't compare schleck to contador.......

You are right. Frank should not grade himself down that way.

I am pretty sure that the only passage of Frank's comment which one should take serious was the last sentence: "I don't want to be named as the leader, because if I put in a disappointing performance, then everyone can afterwards complain that I was not good enough". He will go to the tour and have some fun. Especially in the mountains.

Oh, and ACs Giro domination was because of weak competition, his Tour performance was because of strong competition, simple as it is.