Schlecks Depreciation Thread

[Don Johnson]

Frank was smart to pull out of the Giro, he knows that the climbs coming would have wasted him for his primary objective.
To race for a non podium would be absurd for RSNT. Way to take care of yourself Frank.

 

[profff]

cassani said on italian tv that andy was telling everybody that franck was going to reach him very soon to prepare the tour together.
it looks like leaving the giro soon was planned.

it has also been reported that there have been harsh discussions in the radioshack hotel this morning.

probably the schleck and bruyneel going to the final countdowm.

personally i hope the two brothers fail the tour ( probable considering the road)

 

[Race Radio]

some shoulder pain is more acute in the vicinity of airports

Ouch

http://www.tuttobiciweb.it/index.php?page=news&cod=49521&tp=n

 

[Angliru]

Ummmm... he came 3rd last year. He may not be capable of winning but a podium is within his grasp and of course he could be a big assistance to his brothers's chances (and maybe not, but in reality he does assist Andy)

With all the TT's km's it would be foolish to believe that a podium is "within his grasp". Additionally doing the Giro before the Tour isn't exactly a recipe for success.

 

[Don Johnson]

cassani said on italian tv that andy was telling everybody that franck was going to reach him very soon to prepare the tour together.
it looks like leaving the giro soon was planned.

it has also been reported that there have been harsh discussions in the radioshack hotel this morning.

probably the schleck and bruyneel going to the final countdowm.

personally i hope the two brothers fail the tour ( probable considering the road)

Watching Frank in the GIRO, I thought he was at limit, before the hard thingees.
Really sorry to see problems inside the team RSNT has a good sponsorship, and great riders.

I do agree that Bruyneels' and the Brothers Schleck have opposing styles.

'We might as well win.' (Bruyneels' arrogance) and the Schlecks happy go lucky attitudes are definitely opposing.

 

[Angliru]

It is still tour and if he can do it once he can do it again as long as there are mountains the route doesnt dictate the race as much as you seem to imply.

They both lost 2 and a half minutes in a 42 km tt and this Tour has more than twice that amount of tt km's.

 

[doperhopper]

Why did Frank abandon? Bad descent memories.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbyc0gFvsEI

 

[The Hitch]

Ummmm... he came 3rd last year. He may not be capable of winning but a podium is within his grasp and of course he could be a big assistance to his brothers's chances (and maybe not, but in reality he does assist Andy)

It is still tour and if he can do it once he can do it again as long as there are mountains the route doesnt dictate the race as much as you seem to imply.

Perreiro won the Tour once. Can he do it again? Arroyo podiumed the Giro. Can he do it again?
Did you watch last years race? It was a crashfest and Frank was last man standing.

Gesink VDB Wiggins Vino crashed out. Basso crashed before the race destroying his entire prep, Contador and Samu were eliminated from the GC by events on the opening weekend outside their control. Menchov wasnt allowed to start.

So when you eliminate all the gc contenders, (6 of the 7 are easily better gc riders than frank) who exactly was supposed to beat Frank? Cunego? Tom Danielson? Voeckler, Taramei, Hejsdal, Roche?

Moreover in the mountains he had Andy going up the road hours from the end in stages so he could just suck wheels all day. Andy was actually working for him, as was the entire team. Against one ozzie.

2011 shows us nothing other than that Frank could not grap a yellow jersey as it was being presented to him. He was 1 of 3 gt riders to survive and he came 3rd.

Im glad he can concentrate fully on the Tour so that when 3 or 4 of Gesink, VDB, Nibali, Valverde, Sanchez, Rolland, Taramei, Menchov, Wiggins, beat him, we can put an end to this "frank was a gt contender" revisionist history.

 

[The Hitch]

With all the TT's km's it would be foolish to believe that a podium is "within his grasp". Additionally doing the Giro before the Tour isn't exactly a recipe for success.

They both lost 2 and a half minutes in a 42 km tt and this Tour has more than twice that amount of tt km's.

Uhm... Fränk will lose loads of time in the time trials. He will never get back enough time in the mountains to finish top 3.

I can see Andy pulling out a miracle and having a couple of mountain stages and TT of his lifetime to podium, or even win the Tour. Frank on the other hand - I just don't think he's got what it takes

You realise that this year's route is different than last year don't you?
People say Schleck's TTing performances are... I daresay... ungodly.

The tt argument is correct but not needed.

Or do people think Frank could podium this Tour even if there were 10 mtfs and only 50k tt?

Cos Evans, Andy, Menchov, Samu, Nibali, Gesink, VDB and maybe even Valverde or Mollema, are better climbers and all would get at least 1 min out of Frank in a 50k tt.;

 

[Don Johnson]

Perreiro won the Tour once. Can he do it again? Arroyo podiumed the Giro. Can he do it again?
Did you watch last years race? It was a crashfest and Frank was last man standing.

Gesink VDB Wiggins Vino crashed out. Basso crashed before the race destroying his entire prep, Contador and Samu were eliminated from the GC by events on the opening weekend outside their control. Menchov wasnt allowed to start.

So when you eliminate all the gc contenders, (6 of the 7 are easily better gc riders than frank) who exactly was supposed to beat Frank? Cunego? Tom Danielson? Voeckler, Taramei, Hejsdal, Roche?

Moreover in the mountains he had Andy going up the road hours from the end in stages so he could just suck wheels all day. Andy was actually working for him, as was the entire team. Against one ozzie.

2011 shows us nothing other than that Frank could not grap a yellow jersey as it was being presented to him. He was 1 of 3 gt riders to survive and he came 3rd.

Im glad he can concentrate fully on the Tour so that when 3 or 4 of Gesink, VDB, Nibali, Valverde, Sanchez, Rolland, Taramei, Menchov, Wiggins, beat him, we can put an end to this "frank was a gt contender" revisionist history.

Respectfully, I don't think Frank is going to ride the 12 Tour as a sportif.

I think he would have hung in the GIRO 12 if he were a no hoper in Le Tour, even if the best he would have done was 9th place, with a damaged wing.

Of course I agree with you the Tour last year was a battle of attrition, and the corporal punishment experienced was unfortunate, and sad, and unavoidable.

But that is part of the game. That is why, among the knowledgable, cycling is known as 'The Greatest Show on Earth.'

 

[airstream]

They both lost 2 and a half minutes in a 42 km tt and this Tour has more than twice that amount of tt km's.

It's a perfect extrapolation for estimation of chances. The most decent and obviously the most precise one. All they should do now is to refuse from the participation in the Tour for the sake of dear CN members.

 

[LaFlorecita]

The tt argument is correct but not needed.

Or do people think Frank could podium this Tour even if there were 10 mtfs and only 50k tt?

Cos Evans, Andy, Menchov, Samu, Nibali, Gesink, VDB and maybe even Valverde or Mollema, are better climbers and all would get at least 1 min out of Frank in a 50k tt.;

Yeah wanted to post that as well. He isn't good enough both as a tt-er and as a climber.

 

[Angliru]

It's a perfect extrapolation for estimation of chances. The most decent and obviously the most precise one. All they should do now is to refuse from the participation in the Tour for the sake of dear CN members.

...and there would go all of my entertainment in their numerous foibles.

 

[phanatic]

All according to plan; this past two weeks at the Giro was perfect preparation for Frank. I doubt JB is really upset as he cares about the Tour as exclusively as the Schleck bros. do. Those three know on which side the bread is buttered on.

 

[rhubroma]

cassani said on italian tv that andy was telling everybody that franck was going to reach him very soon to prepare the tour together.
it looks like leaving the giro soon was planned.

it has also been reported that there have been harsh discussions in the radioshack hotel this morning.

probably the schleck and bruyneel going to the final countdowm.

personally i hope the two brothers fail the tour ( probable considering the road)

On the one hand Bruneel is thinking about his image, on the other so is Shleck.

I really can't applaud either, because the one has honed the corporate/business aspect of cycling to its maximum expression and the other seems to live in a primadonna world that is frankly annoying. It would have been better if neither showed up.

 

[Race Radio]

Straight from the Hog's mouth

“As far as I’m concerned, his physical condition is good,” Bruyneel said. “There is an injury. It will probably be a problem sometimes to stay with the best guys but it’s definitely not an injury to consider an abandon.”

 

[Christian]

Straight from the Hog's mouth

full audio interview (in french):

http://sport.rtl.lu/cyclissem/news/248245.html

 

[lukinox]

Shame on you, Frank!
(for abandoning the Giro obviously)

 

[Christian]

In January people were bashing Schlecks for working with Bruyneel. Now they work against Bruyneel and still no one is happy

 

[Moviefan1203]

In January people were bashing Schlecks for working with Bruyneel. Now they work against Bruyneel and still no one is happy

This forum, for the most part, doesn't like the Schlecks. They will find ways to verbally attack them.

 

[Christian]

This forum, for the most part, doesn't like the Schlecks. They will find ways to verbally attack them.

Yes but I thought it was still Armstrong/Bruyneel hate > Schlecks hate but apparently this is changing rapidly ....

 

[Caruut]

This forum, for the most part, doesn't like the Schlecks. They will find ways to verbally attack them.

It's the other way round - the Schlecks just always find ways to be verbally attacked.

 

[The Hitch]

Yes but I thought it was still Armstrong/Bruyneel hate > Schlecks hate but apparently this is changing rapidly ....

Thats a generalization. Some people hate Schleck, some hate Armstrong, some hate both, some hate neither, some dislike 1 like the other etc etc etc

It's the other way round - the Schlecks just always find ways to be verbally attacked.

Or they find ways to verbally attack. Then get it back.

 

[Caruut]

Yes but I thought it was still Armstrong/Bruyneel hate > Schlecks hate but apparently this is changing rapidly ....

Very different kind of feeling, though. A lot of people genuinely dislike Armstrong/Bruyneel, whereas the Schleck-bashing is more a running joke motivated by their continued attempts to live up to the "We only care about the Tour and holding hands on the podium" cliché. I only diss the Schlecks because I find it amusing.

If they were doing this to protest against Bruyneel for what people dislike Bruyneel for, I think they'd get credit. As it is, it's a protest against Frank having to race the Giro and not be there to play with Andy in Spain, and against not having their favourite DS at the Tour.

 

[roundabout]

I never realized that Hog valued a place in the bottom of the top 10 so much.