Schlecks Depreciation Thread

[Midnightfright]

And this couldn't have gone in the rest day thread, or one of the 12 "Bash Schleck" threads on the front page??

12 clearly just isn't enough for this Forum. I'm Just waiting for the Baby Schleck snores in his sleep thread.

 

[No_Balls]

Hard to topple that one since it is their mouth-air. It seems them knew they ****ed up on Plateu de Beille so know they want to restore whats minimal reputation thats left.

I have a good one though, of course it is from the circus called "Leopard-Trek":

I think it would be good if Alberto could attack, because we can go with him. We have a good gap with him.

Kim Andersen to Velo-News after he in the same article declared AS wasn´t in the best shape.

 

[VoidSix]

I have no idea why the Schlecks get so much hate. Technically, Contador is the one that needs to attack. I imagine Frank and Andy were mostly just testing Contador. Given Contador's crash, if they weren't certain Contador was not going to hang with the GC contenders it would've been silly to attack and have Contador ride your wheel and then launch his own attack to take him back. Frank had over 2 minutes on him and Andy 1:45. They can both sustain that in the time trial.

It's not like they haven't attacked in prior years. There have only been a couple big stages, so I'm willing to wait for 18 and 19 before writing off the Schlecks. If they killed themselves last Saturday while Frank was ahead of the GC contenders and Andy was 9 seconds back from Cadel, everyone would be calling them idiots.

 

[Grayguard]

And this couldn't have gone in the rest day thread, or one of the 12 "Bash Schleck" threads on the front page??

I wanted a thread to read all the funny/ironic/weird etc. qoutes from the days many interviews, so I think a new thread was justified.

I realise some people on this forum probably are fans of the Schlecks - actually I like Fränck quite a bit myself... but to me, this *was* funny

EDIT: Well, I guess someone must disagree, since my thread was moved... Hmm, maybe this isn't a forum for me... Much censorship here? Or just a "little"?

 

[Grayguard]

I have no idea why the Schlecks get so much hate. Technically, Contador is the one that needs to attack. I imagine Frank and Andy were mostly just testing Contador. Given Contador's crash, if they weren't certain Contador was not going to hang with the GC contenders it would've been silly to attack and have Contador ride your wheel and then launch his own attack to take him back. Frank had over 2 minutes on him and Andy 1:45. They can both sustain that in the time trial.

It's not like they haven't attacked in prior years. There have only been a couple big stages, so I'm willing to wait for 18 and 19 before writing off the Schlecks. If they killed themselves last Saturday while Frank was ahead of the GC contenders and Andy was 9 seconds back from Cadel, everyone would be calling them idiots.

If you're referring to my post, no hate was meant - I just found the quote funny

But, I do disagree with you anyway, here is why:

Contador: Yes, he needs to attack still - but he was hurt/in poor form, call it what you like. The Schlecks could've likely eliminated him as GC contender by now - if they dared. Now, he seems be getting in better form, while his knee improves, he can definately still win this. (Imho)

Cadel: He's still very much in the race, and the Schlecks definately needs to take time from him before the TT. They already missed some chances to do this - they can't afford to miss many more...

Voeckler: This guy has impressed ALOT of people, including me. If the Schlecks doesn't gain some time on him, I actually think he could surprise them (and everyone else?) in the TT.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

If Andy needs a lesson in how to take responsibility and race like a champion, maybe he should take to Fabian, who never shirks a contest

Missed this spring?

 

[BYOP88]

The next 2 stages could be interesting with the finishes, if Tommy V and Sanchez are still with the Schlecks, Basso then maybe with a downhill attack they could put the Schlecks and Basso under pressure, not sure how good Evans is at going downhill, compared to Sanchez but I know he's better than the other 3.

 

[VoidSix]

If you're referring to my post, no hate was meant - I just found the quote funny

But, I do disagree with you anyway, here is why:

Contador: Yes, he needs to attack still - but he was hurt/in poor form, call it what you like. The Schlecks could've likely eliminated him as GC contender by now - if they dared. Now, he seems be getting in better form, while his knee improves, he can definately still win this. (Imho)

Cadel: He's still very much in the race, and the Schlecks definately needs to take time from him before the TT. They already missed some chances to do this - they can't afford to miss many more...

Voeckler: This guy has impressed ALOT of people, including me. If the Schlecks doesn't gain some time on him, I actually think he could surprise them (and everyone else?) in the TT.

Voeckler has been terrible in TTs. I know that people say he'd ride differently in the final time trial if he had yellow, but he has been terrible in every type of TT--even the prologues. I'm sure he'd get a little boost if he were in yellow, but he would still get beaten by Andy and probably by Frank as well. Which means he'd lose by even more to Contador and Evans.

It's easy for us to say that the Schlecks should have put Contador in the red. But we aren't out there. Contador is one of the greatest climbers and riders ever. Lance Armstrong said two years ago that even at his peak he wouldn't have been able to hang with Contador. Seems pretty silly to put Contador to the test when you already have a sustainable gap for the ITT and all you'd have to do is finish even with him on the mountains. Andy only lost 30 secs or so to Contador last year, and this years TT has more hills.

I agree they need to take time off Cuddles. I probably would've tried if I were them. But they only need 1-2 minutes on him, and I think they can easily take that with a decisive attack on either 18 or 19 (if on 19, Evans will have some serious Carlos Sastre flashbacks--Frank Schleck probably ahead in the GC, with Frank's teammate (Andy/Sastre) attacking L'Alpe D'Huez and Cuddles left alone to try to bring him back, in between Schleck and the leading group). As tough as he is climbing, Cadel can't hang with Basso, Schlecks x2, or even an out of shape Contador. He'll get dropped in the Alps.

The Schlecks are probably cautious about Evans. They're not quite where they want to be, but they know they have the tools and the opportunities in 18 and 19 to put 3-4 minutes or more on Cadel.

 

[Grayguard]

Voeckler has been terrible in TTs. I know that people say he'd ride differently in the final time trial if he had yellow, but he has been terrible in every type of TT--even the prologues. I'm sure he'd get a little boost if he were in yellow, but he would still get beaten by Andy and probably by Frank as well. Which means he'd lose by even more to Contador and Evans.

It's easy for us to say that the Schlecks should have put Contador in the red. But we aren't out there. Contador is one of the greatest climbers and riders ever. Lance Armstrong said two years ago that even at his peak he wouldn't have been able to hang with Contador. Seems pretty silly to put Contador to the test when you already have a sustainable gap for the ITT and all you'd have to do is finish even with him on the mountains. Andy only lost 30 secs or so to Contador last year, and this years TT has more hills.

I agree they need to take time off Cuddles. I probably would've tried if I were them. But they only need 1-2 minutes on him, and I think they can easily take that with a decisive attack on either 18 or 19 (if on 19, Evans will have some serious Carlos Sastre flashbacks--Frank Schleck probably ahead in the GC, with Frank's teammate (Andy/Sastre) attacking L'Alpe D'Huez and Cuddles left alone to try to bring him back, in between Schleck and the leading group). As tough as he is climbing, Cadel can't hang with Basso, Schlecks x2, or even an out of shape Contador. He'll get dropped in the Alps.

The Schlecks are probably cautious about Evans. They're not quite where they want to be, but they know they have the tools and the opportunities in 18 and 19 to put 3-4 minutes or more on Cadel.

You make a good case - and for now I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree

The next week will likely tell us, who is right or wrong - or maybe prove it, to be a mix of both.

EDIT: Oh, and regarding Contador; I'm not saying it's easy to put him "in the red"... But I think they missed their best chance at doing so by now. And it might very well come back and bite them in the a**.
"If you want to win it all, you got to be willing to risk it all"

 

[boomcie]

The Schleck bashing is getting tiresome. What the hell is so incredibly horrible about these guys?

Yeah, I'm not a real supporter of them myself, but the constant mud-slinging is just starting to get friggin' ridiculous... Do some people just start surfing on this wave of "hate" or does everyone really despise them that much?

 

[LaFlorecita]

The next 2 stages could be interesting with the finishes, if Tommy V and Sanchez are still with the Schlecks, Basso then maybe with a downhill attack they could put the Schlecks and Basso under pressure, not sure how good Evans is at going downhill, compared to Sanchez but I know he's better than the other 3.

According to dlwssonic, quite good!

 

[Angliru]

If Andy needs a lesson in how to take responsibility and race like a champion, maybe he should take to Fabian, who never shirks a contest, takes responsibility, and when he attacks everyone takes notice, and his competition shudder.

You have to wonder what Fabian, Stuie and Jens think about the racing style of their leaders after killing themselves day in, day out to put them in the best position of any in the race come the big climbs...

He's certainly picked up the whining part from Fabian and the massive ego. Maybe the actualy racing like a champion part takes a bit longer. My fear is that if Andy wins, that he'll be referring to himself in whatever moniker/nickname that the media lays on him, the same way that Fabian has taken his Spartacus moniker and ran with it, often referring to himself as a "gladiator" at war with armies set against him. I think my stomach would not be able to handle two riders like that.

 

[LaFlorecita]

The Schleck bashing is getting tiresome. What the hell is so incredibly horrible about these guys?

Yeah, I'm not a real supporter of them myself, but the constant mud-slinging is just starting to get friggin' ridiculous... Do some people just start surfing on this wave of "hate" or does everyone really despise them that much?

Not only cycling fans are Schleck bashing,the cyclists themselves are doing the same!!

(I posted this on the "Brotherly Love" thread as well, I couldn't resist to post it again, it's too funny!)

 

[BYOP88]

According to dlwssonic, quite good!

Wow that good!!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Evans is a pretty good downhiller, not the most consistent though. He's not a Sánchez, a Nibali or a Valverde, but he's much better than the Schlecks of this world.

The only time I can recall him being bad on a descent was the Mortirolo, when Arroyo made him look like a chump. But with that, an absolutely shattered Evans (who'd done his usual trick of going deep in the red to stay with the leaders and lost time comparatively rapidly after dropping off) still gained time on the front group, it's just that Arroyo was truly flying.

 

[Barrus]

Evans is a pretty good downhiller, not the most consistent though. He's not a Sánchez, a Nibali or a Valverde, but he's much better than the Schlecks of this world.

The only time I can recall him being bad on a descent was the Mortirolo, when Arroyo made him look like a chump. But with that, an absolutely shattered Evans (who'd done his usual trick of going deep in the red to stay with the leaders and lost time comparatively rapidly after dropping off) still gained time on the front group, it's just that Arroyo was truly flying.

Aah, but wasn't the front group descending on Basso's pace, a noticably bad descender? So I don't know how much we can take the fact that he gained time into account when the descenders at the front were going quite slowly

 

[therhodeo]

Evans is a pretty good downhiller, not the most consistent though. He's not a Sánchez, a Nibali or a Valverde, but he's much better than the Schlecks of this world.

The only time I can recall him being bad on a descent was the Mortirolo, when Arroyo made him look like a chump. But with that, an absolutely shattered Evans (who'd done his usual trick of going deep in the red to stay with the leaders and lost time comparatively rapidly after dropping off) still gained time on the front group, it's just that Arroyo was truly flying.

Whats this? A spanish rider who can descend like a rock. Well I never.....

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I'm not sure if that's poking fun at the riders, poking fun at me for highlighting a Spanish rider (not exactly unusual) or a genuine comment on their ability to produce some top descenders.

Arroyo's always been a good descender, but that coupled with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the leader's jersey and the guys ahead including some suspect descenders led to him putting in a career performance. I can see us linking people to videos of Arroyo descending the Mortirolo in years to come. It was great TV.

 

[therhodeo]

a genuine comment on their ability to produce some top descenders.

I think Evans is good enough to at least follow Sammy if he went and they could possibly put a little time into Andy or Frank who lets be honest are just ugly going downhill. Was it last year in the Giro or Tour that Evans really pushed on a descent to hang on and was hitting right at 70mph?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I don't recall. Wouldn't have been Mortirolo unless Arroyo was doing 80, and the pack stayed together descending Gavia. Maybe Monte Grappa?

It depends how much of a difference Samu wants to make or how sure he is of doing it alone - I remember he attacked to La Granja in 2009, but Valverde followed (Valverde's probably a better technical descender anyway) and they quickly gapped people, but as Samu couldn't gap Valverde he sat up and waited for the ITT.

 

[therhodeo]

I don't recall. Wouldn't have been Mortirolo unless Arroyo was doing 80, and the pack stayed together descending Gavia. Maybe Monte Grappa?

It depends how much of a difference Samu wants to make or how sure he is of doing it alone - I remember he attacked to La Granja in 2009, but Valverde followed (Valverde's probably a better technical descender anyway) and they quickly gapped people, but as Samu couldn't gap Valverde he sat up and waited for the ITT.

It might have been on the Madeleine last year.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Madeleine he'd already bonked with the injury, so I'd be surprised if it was, he wouldn't want to take insane risks like that if he was already injured.

 

[Berzin]

Someone explain to me the Schleck's strategy of marking a clearly sub-par Contador when Evans is ahead of both brothers on time AND is a much better time-trial rider.

If their goal coming into this race was to have the strongest team and beat Contador, mission accomplished so far.

They are riding as if the yellow jersey will suddenly melt off Voeckler's shoulders just from attrition. Well, that ain't happening so far and I hope it doesn't.

Believe me, if Voeckler goes into the last time trial stage in yellow not one person will be rooting against him. At least he's ridden with balls. The Schlecks so far have sucked (though I did appreciate Frank's attack in the mountains the other day).

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Evans isn't ahead of Fränk now, but still is near as makes no difference given the vast yawning chasm between their ITT talents.

 

[luckyboy]

I hope the brothers are scared to drop one another again in the Alps.