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

[El Pistolero]

ofc. . . . the tour could have 200k of itt and schleck would still finish ahead of tony martin. one proper mountain stage is all he needs to cover the deficit from the itt's to tony martin.

July 14, 2011: 2011 Tour de France / Tour de France 2011: Stage 12: Cugnaux - Luz Ardiden (208 km):
1 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 06:01:15
2 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:00:07
3 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:00:10
4 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:30
5 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
6 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek
48 Tony Martin (Ger) HTC-Highroad 0:09:03

nuff said

I'm pretty sure Andy Schleck would go on a strike if there ever was a Tour with more than 200 time trial kms.

 

[Caruut]

ofc. . . . the tour could have 200k of itt and schleck would still finish ahead of tony martin. one proper mountain stage is all he needs to cover the deficit from the itt's to tony martin.

July 14, 2011: 2011 Tour de France / Tour de France 2011: Stage 12: Cugnaux - Luz Ardiden (208 km):
1 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 06:01:15
2 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:00:07
3 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:00:10
4 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:30
5 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
6 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek
48 Tony Martin (Ger) HTC-Highroad 0:09:03

nuff said

In 2011, Leopard Trek, Europcar, Euskaltel, Garmin, AG2R, Cofidis and Katusha all placed 3 riders ahead of Martin.

We're going to need a few more threads. Hell, Peter Velits was on the same team as him, and placed 19th. Why would he suddenly be that much better?

 

[Caruut]

I'm pretty sure Andy Schleck would go on a strike if there ever was a Tour with more than 200 time trial kms.

Or a descent steeper than 5%

 

[karlboss]

Or a descent steeper than 5%

Only if there are corners on the decent and it's close to the finish.

 

[El Pistolero]

Or a descent steeper than 5%

Those exist?!

That's unnatural!

 

[Caruut]

Those exist?!

That's unnatural!

Wiggins did a 25% descent at the Vuelta. Of course, Froome and Cobo actually went up that slope. Seriously, even a descent requiring a semblance of skill and affecting the stage result couldn't help Martin out.

 

[42x16ss]

If Tony Martin finishes the Tour less than 30 minutes behind Schleck (barring major crashes/injuries etc) I will take up an "I love Tony Martin" avatar for 12 months.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

I'm pretty sure Andy Schleck would go on a strike if there ever was a Tour with more than 200 time trial kms.

Nah, the evidence from this year is pretty clear that it doesn't matter how much the route doesn't suit him, he's determined to continue his proud record of never winning a GC on the road and attend races he's much less likely to win.

 

[Eric8-A]

Watch out Andy. Tony is going to climb circles around you.

 

[Euskaltel!]

If it wasn't an Olympic year we could discuss this.

I think a better poll would be who is going to spend longer in the Yellow Jersey, Schleck or Martin?

 

[cineteq]

If Tony Martin finishes the Tour less than 30 minutes behind Schleck (barring major crashes/injuries etc) I will take up an "I love Tony Martin" avatar for 12 months.

Be careful for what you (don't) wish for

 

[hrotha]

I'm pretty sure Andy Schleck would go on a strike if there ever was a Tour with more than 200 time trial kms.

A strike? That would be too assertive. That'd be fighting.

 

[movingtarget]

Martin will make Andy look like a retiree in the TTs but Schleck will probably do the same to Martin in the mountains. Martin's climbing last year was mediocre at best. Overall Schleck for third of fourth place and Martin top 12 or 15 maybe.

 

[therhodeo]

Big question is what will 100k of time trial and moderate climbing do for Levi's chances since he will likely be the team leader.

 

[Parrulo]

Big question is what will 100k of time trial and moderate climbing do for Levi's chances since he will likely be the team leader.

i think velits will be the actual team leader while levi and martin ride for their own chances aka martin riding for himself until the first mountain stage and levi riding anonymously to a top 10/15 placing

 

[Bavarianrider]

Tony, there can't be no doubts anymore

 

[cineteq]

Tony, there can't be no doubts anymore

It's official, Tony will finish ahead of Andy in this year's TdF. We got Bavarian's blessing. YAY!!!

 

[theyoungest]

Tony has always been decent in <10 km climbs with easy gradients. Nothing surprising about that. It's real cols he couldn't handle, certainly not in quick succession, and nothing suggests he will be able to now.

 

[El Pistolero]

Of course not, he's not even aiming for the Tour GC. People will be trolling Tony for no good reason in July...

 

[Eric8-A]

Yeah. Tony will be in yellow from day one.

Is it a good idea for him to aim for GC and still have his eyes set on the Olympics?

 

[karlboss]

Of course not, he's not even aiming for the Tour GC. People will be trolling Tony for no good reason in July...

I think he really needs to show something more in 1 week races that require a solid climb before he can think about GC in a GT. Not too many of those even exist this year

 

[Swede1]

Yeah. Tony will be in yellow from day one.

Is it a good idea for him to aim for GC and still have his eyes set on the Olympics?

Probably not. He needs more power and more weight to beat Cancellara in the olympics tt. But for the tour gc he would need to slim down, lose a little bit of power to get better at climbing.

 

[Eric8-A]

Probably not. He needs more power and more weight to beat Cancellara in the olympics tt. But for the tour gc he would need to slim down, lose a little bit of power to get better at climbing.

I haven't checked the course for the Olympics TT, but the way he put in time in the time trials last year to Cancellara tells me that it's going to be difficult for Cancellara to beat him. I feel Cancellara was aiming at the classics and I haven't heard much talk on time trials from him. And as for his GC chances at the Tour, people already seem to be putting him down as a threat because of what he's been showing in the Basque Country.

 

[Swede1]

I haven't checked the course for the Olympics TT, but the way he put in time in the time trials last year to Cancellara tells me that it's going to be difficult for Cancellara to beat him. I feel Cancellara was aiming at the classics and I haven't heard much talk on time trials from him. And as for his GC chances at the Tour, people already seem to be putting him down as a threat because of what he's been showing in the Basque Country.

Cancellara said he wouldnt help the schelcks 110% in the Tour because he wanted to prepare for the olympics. I assume that to mean both TT and RR but mostly the TT. But a 6k climb is different than a 15k climb. Tony isnt as good on those...

 

[Eric8-A]

Cancellara said he wouldnt help the schelcks 110% in the Tour because he wanted to prepare for the olympics. I assume that to mean both TT and RR but mostly the TT. But a 6k climb is different than a 15k climb. Tony isnt as good on those...

It's hard for me to know what he's talking about when he mentions the Olympics because he doesn't say the time trial or the road race, he just simply says the Olympics. But it is safe to assume he'll be giving the TT a crack since he's going in to defend his title.