Me Thinks Andy Should Ride The Giro in 2012

[gregrowlerson]

I know; Johan has already declared that his protegee will be doing his upmost to win the TDF next year - after 3 consecutive 2nd place finishers.

But with Contador (and to a lesser extent Evans) focusing on July next year, wouldn't Schleck be best to focus on May?

Think about it. There will probably be more mountains and probably be less time trialling. Strong rumours already suggest that the Giro will largely be won in the final week, and Andy's best rides have come on epic mountain stages in the final week (Tourmalet, Galibier). His performance on stage 18 this year would suggest that he remains the 2nd best GT climber in the world (though I'm still a little bemused as to his lacklustre riding in the Pyrenees). Perhaps by 2013 he might be ready to defeat Contador, but next year I think not. Best to finally get a GT win under the belt.

The new team can still field a super strong squad for the TDF, and why not give Frank a serious shot at winning it (if AC slipped up it would be possible) while he is still in his prime? I'm not so sure that the brothers really help each other much by racing together, so if Andy has zero interest in the Giro why not encourage Frank to give it a go? Seems a waste for this team to throw all its eggs in the TDF basket.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Andy and Frank will never separate from each other and do different races as they wouldn't be able to hold each others hands in races which results in Frandy being no more.

 

[Martin318is]

I think that Johan would be smart to insist that they seperate for a few races to see what they can do if they are forced to focus only on their own race - whether they would accept the idea is a different matter.

 

[masking_agent]

I think Johan should get Andy to try to win the "double" and elevate him from the eternal "bridesmaid"

 

[simo1733]

If the whole Lance/Johan/USP Legal problem really takes off , there must be a chance that team FrandyShack would not get an invite to Tour De France .

 

[pedaling squares]

I think that Johan would be smart to insist that they seperate for a few races to see what they can do if they are forced to focus only on their own race - whether they would accept the idea is a different matter.

I agree with that. Is it a coincidence that Andy's best GT efforts have come when Frank is absent? I doubt it. More than anything else, these guys need to listen to a veteran DS (hell, even The Hog) who'll give them exactly what they need, even when it's a kick in the backside.

 

[42x16ss]

One of the Schlecks has to race the '12 Giro to win, for Frank it may be his only chance to win a GT, for Andy it is the GT that suits him best. Both Andy and Frank are more consistent climbers than any of the likely contenders and the lack of ITT km's only works in their favour.

Problem is that we all know that the Hog has an unhealthy obsession with the Tour unless it's the final day and one of his riders is in the leaders jersey

Will Bruyneel risk sacrificing his main Tour contender or his domestique for a "lesser" (in The Hog's eyes) GT win?

 

[movingtarget]

As I and many others have said before, the "brotherly love" thing gets in the way. They would be better on different teams but it will never happen. Schleck of course will be in France not Italy. He wants revenge on Contador and also probably on Evans. Bruyneel should be an improvement for him as he and Riis seem to be able to motivate their riders better than other DS'.

I am not convinced Schleck is as mentally tough as Evans and Contador and I don't think he will win the TDF again next year unless he can further improve his TT and also take more risks. I think he could win the Giro as long as the TTs were not too long but I don't see him riding it in 2012.

 

[Publicus]

Forget the Giro, he should concentrate on winning a one week stage race. I firmly believe that, more than anything, will help him finally get over the hurdle and stand on the top podium of a Grand Tour.

 

[hfer07]

As I and many others have said before, the "brotherly love" thing gets in the way. They would be better on different teams but it will never happen. Schleck of course will be in France not Italy. He wants revenge on Contador and also probably on Evans. Bruyneel should be an improvement for him as he and Riis seem to be able to motivate their riders better than other DS'.

I am not convinced Schleck is as mentally tough as Evans and Contador and I don't think he will win the TDF again next year unless he can further improve his TT and also take more risks. I think he could win the Giro as long as the TTs were not too long but I don't see him riding it in 2012.

revenge? LOL- Andy schleck lost the last 2 Tours due to his very own incompetence-not only as a bad ITT'er but as a rider with no sense of tactics-and that's the result of his lack of serious racing throughout the season, so he could develop more skills on how to spot weakness & have a better understanding of how to read & react better during a race.

everything else I do agree.

 

[ElChingon]

Forget the Giro!

1. He should be on his TT bike now till the end of June.
2. He should do half his TT rides going downhill.
3. Find components that will keep his chain on at all times.
4. Get the UCI to approve the bungee cord as a way to keep Frank in sight by attaching himself to Frank.

 

[Martin318is]

I agree with that. Is it a coincidence that Andy's best GT efforts have come when Frank is absent? I doubt it. More than anything else, these guys need to listen to a veteran DS (hell, even The Hog) who'll give them exactly what they need, even when it's a kick in the backside.

Yep - Andy surrounded himself with yes men last year. Hopefully for the sake of his career he gets a good kicking and realignment. He has the makings of a real champion but could risk ending up being another of the famous 'nearly men'

 

[simo1733]

Forget the Giro, he should concentrate on winning a one week stage race. I firmly believe that, more than anything, will help him finally get over the hurdle and stand on the top podium of a Grand Tour.

That is the usual path to Tour De France glory.I can't think of many Tour winners who had not previously won a shorter stg race.Unless Lance did?

 

[simo1733]

Just to answer my own point.Lance won the Tour Du Pont twice prior to his first Tour win.Oscar Pereiro on the other hand seems to have no previous stg race wins.

 

[Altitude]

I'm not a Schleck fan, but with Bruyneel calling the shots Andy will win the Tour next year. Count on it

 

[royalpig180]

This is what ASchleck SHOULD do...
It would make complete sense for Andy to ride the giro next year. His top competition won't be there (Contador and Evans), and although we don't know the exact course yet, it seems likely that there will not be a huge amount of time trialing for him to deal with. It is entirely possible that he could win a giro of this nature. He has no chance to win the tour with both contador and evans gunning for it full speed. Winning the Giro would also be a huge mental boost for him and would give him so much more confidence in every GT he takes on afterwards.
He could then proceed to take July off, and then prepare for the Vuelta. He'd be taking on a slightly tired Contador in the Vuelta, and with his newfound confidence gained in the Giro, just might be able to beat Contador in the Vuelta. Now that would surely give him the confidence to go head to head with Contador or whoever else is up against him in the 2013 tour. Also, if his time trialing is ever going to improve, then it will be there by July 2013.

Of course, he isn't going to do any of that.
In the last three years, he's always been all about the tour. He's (with a couple obvious exceptions like LBL) peaked for and focused his season just around the tour with few or no other (serious) objectives. Also, his three consecutive second places mean he wants revenge, bad. He ain't leaving the tour behind until he's won it.
And then there's the Radioshack/Nissan/TheHog machine. This organization has always been based on a tour-centric schedule. The odds of their star rider not riding the tour? Laughable...

As I see it, Andy Schleck is doomed to at least another year or two of unrealized potential. He clearly has the talent to be a GT winner, but if he refuses to seriously target any GT other than the tour, it may be a while before he wins one.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

I'm not a Schleck fan, but with Bruyneel calling the shots Andy will win the Tour next year. Count on it

Without it being clinic related Andy will need to work really hard.

 

[LukeSchmid]

Andy could and probably should win next years Giro if he entered it but it is not going to happen.
I agree with those who say that Andy needs to win some smaller stage races, it will help him. The fact he has not won one is a joke, he just needs to try.
Also I feel that, based especially on some comments from both of them during the Tour, when Frank and Andy race together Andy becomes little more than Frank's remote control legs, Andy leaves all the thinking to Frank. Frank should be a massive tactical help to Andy but he is just a distraction. Andy needs to treat Frank like any other rider when they race together and if he cannot then they should not race the Tour together. Frank can be team leader at the Giro or Vuelta and skip the Tour.
The fact Fuglsang is already commenting that he will be team leader at the Giro makes it highly unlikely Frank is going to do the Giro.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Are you crazy!? Have you seen the second last stage? Andy would whine like crazy if he had to ride that one.

On a more serious note, I think you're right that he has a good shot at winning Giro next year, but it's as though he doesn't really care about that for some reaason. He only wants to win the Tour, and that's not gonna happen.

Funny thing is, that he's arguably the second best GT contender (perhaps not, Evans is probably better), but he's definitely not the one with the second best chance of winning.

 

[Christian]

Forget the Giro, he should concentrate on winning a one week stage race. I firmly believe that, more than anything, will help him finally get over the hurdle and stand on the top podium of a Grand Tour.

I think that will be difficult because those races usually include an ITT which counts even more than in GT's since the parcours is shorter. I would say the only chances he would have are Paris-Nice (if it is hard, he does a decent prologue and there is no ITT) or Suisse, but that has an untimely place in the calendar. If ever he did win Suisse it would be pretty interesting though because he usually has not reached top form yet.

That being said he seriously should consider switching up his racing program ... exactly the same races every year kind of gets old.

 

[Christian]

That is the usual path to Tour De France glory.I can't think of many Tour winners who had not previously won a shorter stg race.Unless Lance did?

Lance won Tour de Luxembourg back in '99 I believe

 

[simo1733]

Lance won Tour de Luxembourg back in '99 I believe

Noted.The point being that Andy Schleck is trying to win the tour without first winning a smaller stg race.If he succeeds he will be one of a minority including Oscar Pereiro.
Basically he should go and win Paris Nice ( or similar) first.

 

[Dancing On The Pedals]

Forget the Giro, he should concentrate on winning a one week stage race. I firmly believe that, more than anything, will help him finally get over the hurdle and stand on the top podium of a Grand Tour.

Admittedly a slightly abstract analogy but after Rory McIlroy's implosion at the US Masters earlier this year, lots of golf commentators said he just needs to learn how to win. Play tournaments at a slightly lower level but make sure you win, even if it means winning ugly. The same is true of Andy, apart from LBL and a handful of Tour stages, what has he ever won? He needs to learn how to win stage races, even smaller less prestigious ones, before he can win the Tour.

However, not going to happen, and if he managed to stuff up winning this year's Tour, then I don't hold out much hope for him next year either, Hog or no Hog.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Admittedly a slightly abstract analogy but after Rory McIlroy's implosion at the US Masters earlier this year, lots of golf commentators said he just needs to learn how to win. Play tournaments at a slightly lower level but make sure you win, even if it means winning ugly. The same is true of Andy, apart from LBL and a handful of Tour stages, what has he ever won? He needs to learn how to win stage races, even smaller less prestigious ones, before he can win the Tour.

However, not going to happen, and if he managed to stuff up winning this year's Tour, then I don't hold out much hope for him next year either, Hog or no Hog.

I don't think that he needs to win a one week race to go on and win a GT. His problem has been his insistence on riding the TDF, which is the hardest to win. I wouldn't have much fault with his rides in the '09 and '10 Tours; he was just beaten by a slightly better rider.

And if he can finish 2nd in the Giro as a genuine cycling baby, then he can definitely win it now.

As for one week races, he isn't suited to them anyway, as has been pointed out. I am pretty sure that all of Paris-Nice, Pais Vasco, Romandie, Dauphne and Swiss had significant TT this year. And just look at the winners. Martin, Kloden, Evans, Wiggins and Leipheimer. A who's who of time trialers first, climbers second. And then there is the race in California, which was won by Horner.

 

[Dancing On The Pedals]

Maybe a better way of putting it would be that he just needs to race more? In my view, he just doesn't race enough, particularly in stage races to be totally switched on and understand the nuances of a race - how to read your opponents, when to attack etc. in the way that Contador does for example. As it is, he just seems to soft pedal through the first 6 months of the year and then gets caught out at the Tour. Very frustrating to watch someone who is clearly very talented but has such a rubbish attitude.