Is Andy Schleck being criticised too much lately?

[palmerq]

I think andy has a point about the giro... It is a great race and is sometimes tougher than the tour but really the tour de france is the one that really matters.. For a top contendor like andy is giving up on the big fish to win something else is a bit of a bad mentality... Ullrich always went for the tour even though he was overmatched... seems andy is the same this year, I think he has a better chance of winning the giro but in my eyes(and I think many others) a giro or vuelta win, even both, don't add up to a tour win so maybe he should just keep at it..

I hope andy gets back to his best climbing form and really goes for it and wins the tour this year.

 

[Forunculo]

no one hates andy because he's a bad descender(i don't even think he is one).there are other obvious reasons.after what becca said,honestly it's hard even for me to like this team which has klodi and horner in it.

what's Becca said?

 

[Cimber]

I think andy has a point about the giro... It is a great race and is sometimes tougher than the tour but really the tour de france is the one that really matters.. For a top contendor like andy is giving up on the big fish to win something else is a bit of a bad mentality... Ullrich always went for the tour even though he was overmatched... seems andy is the same this year, I think he has a better chance of winning the giro but in my eyes(and I think many others) a giro or vuelta win, even both, don't add up to a tour win so maybe he should just keep at it..

I hope andy gets back to his best climbing form and really goes for it and wins the tour this year.

Well for Andy I think it could benifit him for future Tours if he actually won a big stage race.

 

[palmerq]

Well for Andy I think it could benifit him for future Tours if he actually won a big stage race.

maybe but I dont think it is really required a lot of fellows who won the tour never won a big stage race before... Andy just needs to train as hard as he can and work on his tactics, he is just entering his prime years so even if the 2012 tour ends in disaster for him I think it could be a great learning process for him.

 

[hfer07]

Probably already been posted but there is more Andy stuff here if not:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/01/news/qa-with-andy-schleck-its-time-for-me-to-win-tour_202670

VN: You describe yourself as young, but do you feel like a young rider? You have been around a long time …
AS: This will be my eighth season, if I think right, so it’s time to win something big now (laughs). Many riders would like to have my palmares as I do. Of course, I didn’t win that many races, but I have always focused on big races. Maybe if I aimed for smaller races, I would have won more wins. I do not have any regrets. A mistake isn’t always something so bad. Out of mistakes, you learn something. I am more experienced.

This bit explains clearly why Andy still has to "take seriously" his own destiny & career once for all: He cannot pass the opportunity to write his name on the book of cycling as a "winner" -no matter how small or big the race is!!! His answer explains the very core of a rider with the unique physical skills lacking the character & mental will of a truly Champion. Let me put it this way: by 26 y.o. Alberto Contador had already handled LA, The Hog & anybody in his path to win the Tour-and that didn't mean he walked away from winning Algarve, Pais Vasco & stages in P-N.....

 

[The Hitch]

I think andy has a point about the giro... It is a great race and is sometimes tougher than the tour but really the tour de france is the one that really matters.. For a top contendor like andy is giving up on the big fish to win something else is a bit of a bad mentality... Ullrich always went for the tour even though he was overmatched... seems andy is the same this year, I think he has a better chance of winning the giro but in my eyes(and I think many others) a giro or vuelta win, even both, don't add up to a tour win so maybe he should just keep at it..

I hope andy gets back to his best climbing form and really goes for it and wins the tour this year.

A win at the Giro is better than 2nd in the Tour and Andy doesnt have much of a shot at even that this year.

So you are arguing that he should accept a stage win or 2 and a top 5 in the Tour rather than a Giro win in order to preserve some sort of mentality?

Surely his mentality would be better in 2013 and 14 and 15 if he has a win under his belt than just the memories of disapointment ( a understatement considering some of the hate that comes out of his mouth when he is asked about some of those defeats).

 

[Forunculo]

I think andy has a point about the giro... It is a great race and is sometimes tougher than the tour but really the tour de france is the one that really matters.. For a top contendor like andy is giving up on the big fish to win something else is a bit of a bad mentality... Ullrich always went for the tour even though he was overmatched... seems andy is the same this year, I think he has a better chance of winning the giro but in my eyes(and I think many others) a giro or vuelta win, even both, don't add up to a tour win so maybe he should just keep at it..

I hope andy gets back to his best climbing form and really goes for it and wins the tour this year.

The last time a rider won Giro and Vuelta the same year he won the Velo d'or above Tour winner.

Ullrich had reason to went to the Tour and avoid Giro. Andy as pure climber didn't have any handicap at italian steep mountain. The strong point of Jan were the TTs. Albeit he sometimes attacked uphill but he had always difficulties with his weigh.

 

[palmerq]

A win at the Giro is better than 2nd in the Tour and Andy doesnt have much of a shot at even that this year.

So you are arguing that he should accept a stage win or 2 and a top 5 in the Tour rather than a Giro win in order to preserve some sort of mentality?

Surely his mentality would be better in 2013 and 14 and 15 if he has a win under his belt than just the memories of disapointment ( a understatement considering some of the hate that comes out of his mouth when he is asked about some of those defeats).

well to think you have no chance of winning a tour or any race or sporting event is disastrous way to think for many athletes, andy is not some loser he is an exceptional athlete, in my opinion he can win the tour in 2012, it will take a huge effort but he can do it.. For him to think I cant win the tour might aswell try the giro is stupid and soft in the head, only in my opinion of course but if andy doesnt win the tour in his career then it is a failure for him....


I think it would be better for his mentality to do the tour, if he loses again he should finally see how far he has to go(if he doesnt then maybe there is no hope for him).. In my opinion going for the giro is like accepting a silver medal...... bad idea for a top athlete

 

[Ryaguas]

Andy... Andy... Andy... tsk tsk tsk... the guy just never learn...
I suggest you to dont go to Italy ever again...
Those declarations will come to kick you in the **** in some years... you will have the age of Kloden and will cry to get a GT win... cuz You wont win Le Tour ever...

 

[hfer07]

Andy... Andy... Andy... tsk tsk tsk... the guy just never learn...
I suggest you to dont go to Italy ever again...
Those declarations will come to kick you in the **** in some years... you will have the age of Kloden and will cry to get a GT win... cuz You wont win Le Tour ever...

This

+10000

exactly my sentiments..

 

[The Hitch]

well to think you have no chance of winning a tour or any race or sporting event is disastrous way to think for many athletes, andy is not some loser he is an exceptional athlete, in my opinion he can win the tour in 2012, it will take a huge effort but he can do it.. For him to think I cant win the tour might aswell try the giro is stupid and soft in the head, only in my opinion of course but if andy doesnt win the tour in his career then it is a failure for him....


I think it would be better for his mentality to do the tour, if he loses again he should finally see how far he has to go(if he doesnt then maybe there is no hope for him).. In my opinion going for the giro is like accepting a silver medal...... bad idea for a top athlete

Silver medalists dont get this kind of reception.

And yes not winning the Tour would be a failed career for Andy Schleck. But it would be a much better career if he at least had the Giro.

Andy seems to be about the only major gt contender that believes all other races to be worthless (see interview where he says he hasnt won anything big yet, about 2 lines after mentioning his 09 Liege victory). Cadel has gone for it. Sastre went for it as Tour champion. Contador said his first Giro win was as important as his first Tour.

And just look what it meant to Menchov http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaCpwR8G0hw

Edit: anyone have a clip of where Pope goes absolutely mental after getting off his bike?

 

[Ryaguas]

Andy as pure climber didn't have any handicap at italian steep mountain.

He suffers in the really steep sheet... but He'd has a better shot at Il Giro than in Le Tour this year...

in my opinion he can win the tour in 2012, it will take a huge effort but he can do it..

He wont make the top 5 in Le Tour this year...

 

[palmerq]

And yes not winning the Tour would be a failed career for Andy Schleck. But it would be a much better career if he at least had the Giro.

silver medal is good like coming 2nd and 3rd and lbl :S

but he needs the tour so he must perserve and work as hard as he can to get it, I think he shouldn't miss a chance if that means ignoring the giro then so be it... If I was andy I would carry on with his current light schedule in the early seasons and if it doesnt go to plan in the tour make a serious effort for the vuelta.. Forgetting about the tour is stupid.

Andy still has a long way to go though I hope he learns and a lot and gets there in the end

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I can imagine if Nibali did the Tour with descent finish vs Andy. He would lose minutes!!!!

if nibali would be a great descender then yes

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

He wont make the top 5 in Le Tour this year...

Let's not get ridiculous now.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

what's Becca said?

I wonder too??

 

[Ryaguas]

Let's not get ridiculous now.

I said it seriously...

 

[The Hitch]

if nibali would be a great descender then yes

Why wouldn't he be a great descender at the Tour? Hes a great descender everywhere else.

 

[Forunculo]

He suffers in the really steep sheet... but He'd has a better shot at Il Giro than in Le Tour this year...



He wont make the top 5 in Le Tour this year...

I was talking about Jan using watt for climbs, Andy is more a natural climber. The problems he had were at steep and short but not at long climbs. Of course I trusted him last year of his TT improving and meeee

The stage 7 of the Tour has a steep climb so we'll see. Andy has to survive first nine stages, a prologue, a steep uphill in Belgium (I'm not sure about this), a steep climb at stage 7 and a hilly TT at stage 9. Andy could have lost the Tour already.

If I was Cadel or Alberto I went for all in this stages.

 

[Publicus]

I wonder too??

Check the front page. It involves Contador, Israel and CAS.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Why wouldn't he be a great descender at the Tour? Hes a great descender everywhere else.

yeah gaining 20 seconds at most in downhils is fantastic! also I remembe rhis fantastic downhil in lombardia 2010, oh wait. or the downhil the sterrato giro stage this year where he nearly crashed, oh wait.

the most overrated downhiller out there. he is just a daredevil which no technique. no great cornering a bit like celestino used to be. he's not great like cancellara, hushovd, savoldelli, sagan, etc etc

 

[jens_attacks]

I wonder too??

basically just desperate for andy to have the 2010 tour.but who watched knows better who was the winner.

 

[Zaschrona]

The stage 7 of the Tour has a steep climb so we'll see. Andy has to survive first nine stages, a prologue, a steep uphill in Belgium (I'm not sure about this), a steep climb at stage 7 and a hilly TT at stage 9. Andy could have lost the Tour already.

If I was Cadel or Alberto I went for all in this stages.

Why Andy has to survive first nine stages and Cadel or Alberto not and why he could have lost the Tour already? Any rider on the start can loose the Tour in any second.

 

[Forunculo]

Why Andy has to survive first nine stages and Cadel or Alberto not and why he could have lost the Tour already? Any rider on the start can loose the Tour in any second.

Probably because he is in disadvantage with both of them in those stages, except stage 7 with Cadel.

From when a prologue, a TT and a very steep climb was an advantage for Andy.

 

[Ryaguas]

yeah gaining 20 seconds at most in downhils is fantastic! also I remembe rhis fantastic downhil in lombardia 2010, oh wait. or the downhil the sterrato giro stage this year where he nearly crashed, oh wait.

the most overrated downhiller out there. he is just a daredevil which no technique. no great cornering a bit like celestino used to be. he's not great like cancellara, hushovd, savoldelli, sagan, etc etc

You cant deny what He did in Giau - Gardeccia... was totally amaazing...