Is Andy Schleck being criticised too much lately?

[hfer07]

*Riis claims Andy will not win the tour while Contador is riding
*McEwen cannot picture him on the TDF podium spot in 2012
*Bernaudeau believes Rollan is as good as the Schlecks
*Cipollini opines Andy is being "radio-controlled" too much & his own ambitions conflict with Frank's...


We haven't even started the season properly & yet here we have some strong voices in the sport being harshly critical of the young Schleck.....are those comments fair at all? is the cycling world being impatience of what he's praised to achieve?are those opinions accurate to describe what Andy is doing with his career?

please opine

 

[Havetts]

I don't get all the hate on this forum about Andy, but I can find myself in some of the critique regarding Andy. Such as too much attention for his brother and possibly not making enough decisions on his own. The radio-controlled part might not be that true, for example Bjarne told Andy to attack 6 kilometers out on Morzine-Avoriaz but Andy didnt and waited till around 1km to go and won the stage..

As for Andy never winning the Tour when Contador is around, definitely in 2010 they were equals 39 seconds lost on the Chaingate which was the exact same time he lost the tour with.

But all the hate on this forum that regarding Andy makes me like him way more than Contador..

 

[Forunculo]

All his season but Galibier stage was pathetic, zero. He deserve this media storm.

 

[uphillstruggle]

As for Andy never winning the Tour when Contador is around, definitely in 2010 they were equals 39 seconds lost on the Chaingate which was the exact same time he lost the tour with.

.

They were equal on the climbs but Contador beat him in both time trials so not equal really. The only reason he was so close was the crash on the cobbled stage.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

That 2010 stage, no way was he stationary for 39 seconds. He had his second wind and was 17 seconds down at the summit. The rest he lost because he's a crap descender.

 

[Publicus]

I dislike him as a cyclist because of his lack of work ethic throughout the year--just not a fan for guys who show up for one or two races a year. As for that 2010 Tour, Andy was the benefactor of a couple of real bonuses (Fabian neutralizing that stage and Frank Schleck's crash impeding Contador and others on the cobbles). Personally, he should just drop the crap. Instead he's still carping about it now. That just adds to my dislike of him as a cyclist.

He has the physical tools, I hope he develops the mental seriousness/discipline to leverage them.

 

[The Hitch]

I

But all the hate on this forum that regarding Andy makes me like him way more than Contador..

I agree. While Andy does a lot to remind me of why he would probably not be our best representative ( I think Contador is way better) such as his hypocricy over chaingate and his seeming hatred of every race other than the TOur, the hate towards him on here is bit off putting.

Especially the pathetic way in which his out of world performance on 18 is put down by some on here.

 

[uphillstruggle]

The strongest rider won the tour in 2010 definitely. I actually wanted Schleck to win for the variation but no way he was as strong.

The complaints about the Parcours this year is way turned me against him. He obviously doesn't get why us fans love the sport so much.

 

[pig pen]

I don't get all the hate on this forum about Andy, but I can find myself in some of the critique regarding Andy. Such as too much attention for his brother and possibly not making enough decisions on his own. The radio-controlled part might not be that true, for example Bjarne told Andy to attack 6 kilometers out on Morzine-Avoriaz but Andy didnt and waited till around 1km to go and won the stage..

As for Andy never winning the Tour when Contador is around, definitely in 2010 they were equals 39 seconds lost on the Chaingate which was the exact same time he lost the tour with.

But all the hate on this forum that regarding Andy makes me like him way more than Contador..

Andy is unpopular with a group of individuals who revere Riis and McKewen.
I would guess that would be their motivation along with a dislike of Stuart O' Grady.
The fans take allegiance with their leaders, thus the hate for Andy and Frank.
My guess also is Andy and Franks not beating Gilbert this year, and being dropped by a wounded and exausted Contador in the Tour this year. (Rightly so!)
My guess is if Andy won the big one those same detractors of Andy and Frank would accuse him of doing unsportsmanlike activities.
I do find it curious that Mckewan and Riis are already speaking as if Contador will be riding this year, before La Vuelta.
Do they have inside information, about Contadors status?

 

[Kvinto]

Andy will be on Tour's podium, i'm sure. The Tour 2012 requires non-typical decisions from climbers like Andy and he already showed he is ready to make such decisions. Of course it's hard to beat Contador on such a route (even almost impossible), but after all he will be underrated. This time he has nothing to lose, noone will blame him for failing, so i hope he has learned the lesson of this years Tour and will ride it's 2012 edition as aggressively as possible, there's no other solution for him.

PS: Bernaudeau seems to be my favourite DS, the amount of crap he utters is pretty impressive

 

[uphillstruggle]

Especially the pathetic way in which his out of world performance on 18 is put down by some on here.

For all his faults the world of pro cycling would be much duller with out him.

 

[will10]

With the exception of his Galibier ride, Andy Schleck is the epitome of what is wrong with modern professional cycling.

 

[Kvinto]

With the exception of his Galibier ride, Andy Schleck is the epitome of what is wrong with modern professional cycling.

i fully agree, but before he is 'executed', i'd like him to have another last chance to prove us wrong

 

[will10]

i fully agree, but before he is 'executed', i'd like him to have another last chance to prove us wrong

Well rest assured you won't see anything of him until LBL at the earliest, Le Tour most likely. How dull.

 

[Reuell]

With the exception of his Galibier ride, Andy Schleck is the epitome of what is wrong with modern professional cycling.

I agree fullheartedly.
There was a lot of hate fueled towards Contador last year(s), which I didn't understand. Probably because of his 'clinical' issues and the fact that he just about won every stage race he entered.

Andy, however, is what i would call a spoiled brat, who waists his talent on w(h)ining too much. There is talent inside his frail body nonmistakingly, yet he uses it only on a few rare occasions. Like others allready mentioned, it is hard to receive love from the fans if you only care about LBL and Le Tour and paddle around the rest of the year.
Furthermore, he can't descend, time trial and rarely attacks anymore (Galibier 2011 was an exception).
Finally, his icky symbioses with his brother is a total letdown. I'm convinced Andy is more than happy to be 2nd, if his brother is 3rd, than him winning Le Tour and Fränk ending say 15th.

Now they're both under the Hog's influence, which doesn't bode very well for them at all!

Nehhhh, I lke him to hang around, just so that I can appreciate other riders more.

 

[happychappy]

noone will blame him for failing

Leave Peter Noone out of this.

 

[Kvinto]

Leave Peter Noone out of this.

excuse me, but i don't understand

EDIT: OK, i got it, better late than never

 

[palmerq]

Furthermore, he can't descend, time trial and rarely attacks anymore (Galibier 2011 was an exception).

Andy Schleck sounds like the worst cyclinst ever :S

 

[sky forever]

I think critising stage 18 is stupid because we saw what Andy could do. I have been waiting for years for a GC guy to attack with 60km to go.

However, that is 1 stage out of 21 and shown 2 days early that he doesn't like cold, wet and descending conditions. Then its his obession with his brother. How his neck survives racing I don't know. Tactically this year he was poor. Liege - Andy attacked and got a gap, but then Frank attacked and dragged Gilbert to his bro. Then not even trying to attack over the and leading out Gilbert for the win. I won't mention the pyrennees but the Alpe d'Huez stage. Follwing a man that was 5 minutes down and wasn't going to gain 5 minutes because of what he might do was stupid. He should have allowed Contador to attack and save his energy for the final climb. Especially after his epic ride the day before. Going with Alberto wasted energy he could have used to attack and gain time on Evans on Alpe d'Huez.

Also people saying Contador attacking when his chain popped off is unsportsmenlike which it is yes. When Andy Schleck crashed, Cancellara neutralized it to help Andy. Then attacking with Andy on his wheel when Frank crashed and holted the whole field. That is also unsportsmenlike behaviour so Contador was just getting his own back. LOL.

Interestingly, ITV 4 interviewed Frank after the Alpe d'Huez stage and he said that they don't like short stages they prefere the longer stages.

 

[therealtimshady]

Andy shreck tactics defy belief (morzine, ax--3-domaines 2010 and plateau de beilles in 2011) and I look forward to him failing again this year

 

[Cimber]

I don't get all the hate on this forum about Andy, but I can find myself in some of the critique regarding Andy. Such as too much attention for his brother and possibly not making enough decisions on his own. The radio-controlled part might not be that true, for example Bjarne told Andy to attack 6 kilometers out on Morzine-Avoriaz but Andy didnt and waited till around 1km to go and won the stage..

Had he listened to Bjarne he might have won the Tour that day. Bertie was suffering (as Riis noticed) and he could have gotten a significant gap on him. Was a mistake by Andy to w8.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I think critising stage 18 is stupid because we saw what Andy could do. I have been waiting for years for a GC guy to attack with 60km to go.

So you didn't watch the Giro?

 

[Havetts]

Had he listened to Bjarne he might have won the Tour that day. Bertie was suffering (as Riis noticed) and he could have gotten a significant gap on him. Was a mistake by Andy to w8.

In fact its quite irrelevant, it was the fact that Andy lives by the Radio, which is obviously not a fact. I know that Andy shouldve tried earlier, but no one knew Contador was weak that day. If you or Bjarne knew beforehand it would be quite wondrous.

As for the thing with LBL 2011, it wasn't smart of Frank to follow Andy. But when Gilbert dropped Andy and almost Frank on St Roche aux Falcons (iirc) it was obvious neither of them had the power to even attack Gilbert anymore.. Giving them crap for not attacking when they couldn't do that anymore is ridiculous..

 

[phanatic]

I think Andy rode very hard in 2011, but lacked some of the kick he had in 2008 and 2010. He made a strong move in FW and LBL, but Gilbert was just head and shoulders ahead of everyone all year. He rode harder at Cali than in previous years. He did take the polka dots at TdS despite not being at his best, including being in two breakaways in one stage.

But I still think he or Frank ought to race the Giro for the win in 2012.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

On the other hand, Andy in the process of taking those polka dots put an amazing 5" into the heralded climber José Joaquín Rojas on Crans-Montana, a monumental 13" into him on Serfaus, and a staggering 1'16" into him into Grindelwald. And through all of this he managed to limit his losses to a piddling, insignificant 7'44" on Malbun!

Even when not at his best, Andy Schleck should not be losing to sprinters in the Tour de Suisse GC.