GC Showdown TdF 2012: T. Martin vs. A. Schleck

[cineteq]

Tony "Der Panzerwagen" Martin or Andy "Stiff Neck" Schleck?
One is, argualy, the best TTer and the other one, arguably, the best climber.
I don't have either of them in my top 10 GC for 2012 TdF.

Who do you think will place higher in this year's TdF?

 

[theyoungest]

Lol, Andy Schleck of course.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Barring illness or injury, Andy. Even with illness or injury, probably Andy. Tony isn't a three-week GC man. Over one week he's a terror, but Andy is a super recoverer.

 

[cineteq]

Lol, Andy Schleck of course.

This is not a joke

 

[Froome19]

You can lose much more time in mountains than you can in time trials, on just one mountain top finish you can lose tonnes of minutes if you are not a good enough mountain climber, like Martin is.
So I would have to say no doubt Andy Schleck

Btw its madness not to have schleck in your top 10 for the tour, its not that TT based...

 

[El Pistolero]

Tony won't even ride for GC. His goals: prologue win(yellow jerse) and 2 time trial wins.

 

[cineteq]

You can lose much more time in mountains than you can in time trials, on just one mountain top finish you can lose tonnes of minutes if you are not a good enough mountain climber, like Martin is.

Martin has done poorly in the mountains in the last few years, but he used to be much better. Hoping he can re-capture that form, and prove me right

 

[cineteq]

Tony won't even ride for GC. His goals: prologue win(yellow jerse) and 2 time trial wins.

That's pure bluff, he has the opportunity of a lifetime, and he won't waste it.

 

[Froome19]

Martin has done poorly in the mountains in the last few years, but he used to be much better. Hoping he can re-capture that form, and prove me right

Probably has lost it when he has tried to develop his time trialling.
You cant have the best of both worlds.

Anyway if he does go for GC he will be severly hampered by the fact that his team will also be going for Leipheimer and Velits (and whatever sprinters are racing)

 

[Froome19]

Tony won't even ride for GC. His goals: prologue win(yellow jerse) and 2 time trial wins.

Even cancellara admitted that he would take the opportunity of going for the win if he could next year, however wishful.
For time triallists like cancellara and martin this tour is a dream come true and they will exploit in whatever way possible.
Though Tony probably knows deep down that he reallly isn't good enough to challenge for GC in a gt.

 

[jens_attacks]

tony martin for the lulz.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

My vote was more of a wish than an expectation.

 

[Kvinto]

Somebody on this forum (can't remember precisely who) said that due to the Olympics Tony will be looking like Hulk in the Tour this year , though even without Olympics Games Tony isn't a GT rider at the moment.

 

[Ferminal]

No option for Frank Schleck so the troll in me has to go with Tony.

 

[c&cfan]

No option for Frank Schleck so the troll in me has to go with Tony.

me too... but the funny thing is:

both will end below contador...








and cancellara.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Andy, obviously. Even though I'd rather see Tony finishing higher.

 

[Nilsson]

If Martin is smart, and follows the advice of Andy Pruitt, he's not going to try for GC in the Tour this year. He could lose everything by doing that...

 

[LaFlorecita]

contador...

Don't even mention him... ;_;

 

[cineteq]

Andy, obviously. Even though I'd rather see Tony finishing higher.

The beauty of this is what it might look obvious today, might not be few months down the road

 

[The Hitch]

This is just another way of asking " Will Andy Schleck crash?".

 

[c&cfan]

This is just another way of asking " Will Andy Schleck" crash.

Andy does not need to crash.
tony proved over and over again how talented he is... and TT specialists know what pain is. andy doesn't.
above all TTers there's one that i consider the best ever and that i admire: cancellara.

if he wasn't andy's babysitter i would believe that he would finish higher than andy at GC.

did you saw that guy at MSR, 2011 WRR, last editions of cobbled classics, etc? he has the heart of a lion. finishing ahead of sprinters just putting by putting your head down and put massive wattage? if he sees this year tour as a objective, andy can't stop him. but he will be paid (most likely the only cyclist with better salary is contador) to take care of andy...

tony is no cancellara, they are similar at TTs but tony loses at everything else.. still, unlike canc, he sees the tour as a goal. he wants to be a tour contender. this will make him stronger.

and andy.... andy is just a joke, even if he has tons of talent.

 

[will10]

Only if all the mountain stages are cancelled will Tony Martin finish above Andy Schleck on GC at Le Tour.

 

[c&cfan]

Only if all the mountain stages are cancelled will Tony Martin finish above Andy Schleck on GC at Le Tour.

only if the peloton waits for him will andy finish above tony.

 

[cineteq]

Andy does not need to crash.
tony proved over and over again how talented he is... and TT specialists know what pain is.

Right! Andy has won, zero (0) stage races, whereas Tony has won few.

he sees the tour as a goal. he wants to be a tour contender. this will make him stronger.
and andy.... andy is just a joke, even if he has tons of talent.

Tony in yellow until the first rest day could turn him into a monster. Watch out!

 

[cineteq]

Only if all the mountain stages are cancelled will Tony Martin finish above Andy Schleck on GC at Le Tour.

Ha ha, let apply your own logic. If all TTs stages are cancelled will Andy Schleck finish above Tont Martin.