How will Andy Schleck finish his 2013 TdF?

[wirral]

andy schleck : the look


watch and learn lance

Check out the wandering right hand.

 

[myrideissteelerthanyours]

Andy, who usually doesn't show much before July, will have his main weakness (motivation) challenged this year. Finishing this year's tour would be a major step towards being competitive next year. That said, Andy has looked amazing in the prep race for this year's tour unlike previous years when he hasn't even cared enough to not crash out horrifically. I voted for top 10 but I would've voted him a lock for podium if it was a choice. Hes definitely not at his best, and i think Fro-Dawg will be dominant on mountain and in the tt so while he can't win I think Andy has the god gifted ability to follow wheels while porte is on the front dropping the likes of other possible team captains Zubeldia and KlÖden.

My biggest concern is that captain cuddles is going to have bmc on the front again frustrating the sprinters teams trying to move up and making it another crashfest.

 

[ILovecycling]

andy schleck : the look


watch and learn lance

Hillarious

Voted for TOP10 but I think it will be TOP5

 

[therealtimshady]

Andy will abandon during the team presentation

 

[Alpechraxler]

top 10 and a stage win on Mt. Ventoux with a bike lenght in front of froome who will later say that he let him win

 

[nick101]

andy schleck : the look


watch and learn lance

Fuglslang you sly dog

The consensus from the polls seems to be that Andy will either fail miserably or do alright i.e. top ten. KOM is certainly possible for a climber of his pedigree and he isn't weak either - he can do breakaways as he showed in California and on the Galibier. KOM needs to be able to make breaks, and Andy can do that. I really hope he can make it in this years Tour

top 10 and a stage win on Mt. Ventoux with a bike length in front of froome who will later say that he let him win

STOP!!!! Think about what you are saying - Froome gifting the Ventoux away. Froome would never intentionally give away the Ventoux if he even remotely had a chance to win it. After Lance gave it away and all the trouble it caused, Froome would know not to gift the Ventoux. Eddie Merckx severly criticised Armstrong for doing so as it shows weakness - only the best rider wins on Ventoux. If Froome wants to appear the best rider at the TDF he will win on the Ventoux if he even remotely has a chance to, and the same applies on the mythical Alpe also. Does Froome really want to show any signs of weakness at all to a hungry Contador (who will be ready to pounce if he sees any signs of weakness from Froome) in what is likely to be a close TDF?? NOOOOO WAAAAAAAYY. If Andy wins on Ventoux, it won't be because Froome lets him, it'll be because no one can chase him down and he just simply climbed the best on the day OR he outsprints Froome when both are trying their best to win the stage. If Andy was even remotely close to Froome, Froome/Sky would chase him down so Froome could gain some time on Contador in the uphill sprint and win the prestigous stage. My pick for that stage is Pinot (French win on Bastille day so he'll be extremely motivated and determined to win) and not Schleck. Maybe the Alpe or Semnoz if he were to actually win a stage. Not Ax-3 tho - either Froome, Valverde, Cunego, Rodriguez or Martin will win it in a sprint.

 

[jaylew]

I am truly shocked. What on earth has Andy shown that leads so many people to think he can top 10?

 

[nick101]

I am truly shocked. What on earth has Andy shown that leads so many people to think he can top 10?

His past results, being in breaks at cali on multiple days and his promising showing at the tds

 

[jaylew]

I found his Suisse to be promising for him down the road but not at all for the Tour. 25' back is not promising for an imminent race - this is not Andy of 2-3 years ago.

There still hasn't been an instance of him being able to climb with the best and I don't see it suddenly happening against a very deep Tour field. And since when does being dropped from breaks in Cali set you up for Tour success?

Past results I guess I have to give you.

 

[jaylew]

I found his Suisse to be promising for him down the road but not at all for the Tour. 25' back is not promising for an imminent race - this is not Andy of 2-3 years ago.

There still hasn't been an instance of him being able to climb with the best and I don't see it suddenly happening against a very deep Tour field. And since when does being dropped from breaks in Cali set you up for Tour success?

Past results I guess I have to give you.

 

[nick101]

I found his Suisse to be promising for him down the road but not at all for the Tour. 25' back is not promising for an imminent race - this is not Andy of 2-3 years ago.

There still hasn't been an instance of him being able to climb with the best and I don't see it suddenly happening against a very deep Tour field. And since when does being dropped from breaks in Cali set you up for Tour success?

Past results I guess I have to give you.

He wasn't dropped from breaks until near the end of each stage as far as i know and was trying to help Voigt win a stage (Voigt was successful in that ). He stayed in the breaks for most of the time. As for not climbing well - he did have a showing at Tds, but only one. On the Abulapass, he went to the front of the yellow jersey group (which included Frank, Anton, Spilak, Pozzovivo, Martin and Kreuziger) and did a massive turn to try and chase down Costa, Mollema, Pinot and TJ. That effort caused him to crack on the climb. He was top 10 climber that day imho. But you are generally right in what you are saying

 

[jaylew]

I'd actually like to see him in the mix. The more contenders, the better in my book. I'd love to see him mixing it up with AC, Froome, Jrod and the gang on the climbs. I just have serious doubts.

 

[nick101]

yeah everyone has doubts, even more so now after getting beaten by amateurs at the Luxemborg champs where he was the designated leader for Leopard - Trek (not Bob Jungels). But if he was at his old form, then imo it would be a very close fight between him and Froome for second (if contador brings his tdf verbier form this year). But he isn't at his old form this year....

 

[no_slipstream]

He will not finish, and will not be a threat on any of the climbs, will just do what his team has done for every other TDF most of the time and suck wheel.

Other than BMC, his team does less work than any other in chasing downbreak aways and driving the peleton.

Will vie for honours with the shepherd Shane Bannan leading the Greenedge lambs to the Grandtour slaughter.

While Froome and Alberto fight for every yard up the front.

 

[nick101]

He will not finish, and will not be a threat on any of the climbs, will just do what his team has done for every other TDF most of the time and suck wheel.

Other than BMC, his team does less work than any other in chasing downbreak aways and driving the peleton.

Will vie for honours with the shepherd Shane Bannan leading the Greenedge lambs to the Grandtour slaughter.

While Froome and Alberto fight for every yard up the front.

Maybe Andy would have been better off doing the Vuelta instead of the Tour??
He would've had a better build up with the Tour of Poland, Tour of Austria, Vuelta Burgos and a few other races, so could've done better there as he would have more time to prepare and reach a better level of form. His fixation with winning the Tour and ignoring any other races is certainly his downfall. Imho he needs to move on and do the giro and vuelta in a year before attempting the tour again. He seems to be surrounded by yes men; someone needs to give him the hard word and tell him to cut his losses and shelve his dream of winning the tour for the time being and try win one or two of the other gts and some other races (apart from the Ardennes classics also) and then return to the tour in a few years...

 

[dsut4392]

I'm torn between:
"In tears in the back of a team car", and
"In the broom wagon".

I don't think he has the form to get near the podium, and I don't think he has the guts to keep going if a podium is out of reach, hence DNF.

 

[saneguy]

Whats killing me is actually the ups and downs this year. He started off pretty down and was barely able to finish any races. Then he surprised me at LBL..finished off only a minute off the leaders...and that in a race where the attacks were simply too many towards the end. So I thought - heck a minute down is very nice.. in Tour of California he actually got away in a break and did decently well...and even in Tour de Suisse he did ok...and now this Luxembourg race...4 mins down against amateurs?

Hard to believe that he does not want a podium finish / stage win at any race. I would think even a win at Luxembourg race would boost his morale...

Guess we will have our answers in the first week itself...this Trek team is also going to lose a chunk of time in the TTT. Lets see how he does there.

 

[42x16ss]

I'm tipping Andy to start out ok, then lose a chunk of time on one of the earlier MTF's. He'll stick around for a shot at the Alpe stage win, then DNF if he can't get it.

As said earlier it would be cool to see him fire as yet another strong GC contender would be welcome. This TdF has the potential for some real chaos.

 

[scholar]

Wait, a poll about AS at the Tour where seven of the eight options involve his completing the race?

 

[saneguy]

I like this

Schleck strikes defiant note ahead of Tour de France - "Perhaps I will be the surprise of July"

 

[nick101]

I'm tipping Andy to start out ok, then lose a chunk of time on one of the earlier MTF's. He'll stick around for a shot at the Alpe stage win, then DNF if he can't get it.

As said earlier it would be cool to see him fire as yet another strong GC contender would be welcome. This TdF has the potential for some real chaos.

I suspect that the DS's and team staff are sick of Andy taking the easy option and DNF'ing. They may force him to complete the Tour to fix his mentality and stop his mindset of giving up when things become difficult

 

[Bumeington]

I like this

Wins the KOM and then Kim Andersen claims he's the best climber in the race like Suisse '11

 

[saneguy]

Wins the KOM and then Kim Andersen claims he's the best climber in the race like Suisse '11

Definitely not a bad outcome - if thats the reality. I doubt it though.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

I really wanted him to win 2011 and i felt sorry for him when he has that stomach full of anger and was eagerly waiting for him to take his revenge.

 

[nick101]

I totally agree that not worrying about time losses and instead focusing on the KOM and a stage win on Ventoux or the Alpe would be an amazing outcome for Andy considering his season. It would return his confidence and set him up nicely for next year