Schlecks Rating of tour rivals

[Aguirre]

Schleck brothers are the worst eruption in cycling in years, the small seems to have very little cycling background, he is kind in anti-heroic "good boy" rider, and Franck doesn't help neither.

What they say about sastre is outrageous and it doesn't respect the cycling laws. Sastre won that year TdF, that's all, and he won in Alpe d'Huez.

Hope those "niñatos" get what they deserve in next TdF, I can't wait.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

I agree with all the schlecks say in this article.

 

[meandmygitane]

Heh, the Schlecks working hard on becoming as unpalatable as you-know-who:

"A humbled Armstrong also took the opportunity to publicly apologize to riders he slighted in an interview published in John Wilcockson’s new Armstrong biography, calling last year’s Tour “a joke.”

“The Tour was a bit of a joke this year,” Armstrong told Wilcockson. “I’ve got nothing against Sastre or Christian Vande Velde. Christian’s a nice guy, but finishing fifth in the Tour de France? Come on.”

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Forget about Mollema. I can't believe they didn't mentioned the next GT superstar Edvald Boasson Hagen.

Ya there were a few not mentioned by Schleck's like Edvald, and some mentioned by other posters who should'vd been mentioned like Samu. I didn't see Nibali mentioned in any of the posts... i'dve mentioned him. The hit on Saste was a little uncalled for. Otherwise I liked what Schleck said.

 

[Barrus]

Ya there were a few not mentioned by Schleck's like Edvald, and some mentioned by other posters who should'vd been mentioned like Samu. I didn't see Nibali mentioned in any of the posts... i'dve mentioned him. The hit on Saste was a little uncalled for. Otherwise I liked what Schleck said.

The ommission of Nibali is quite logical, seeing as he will ride the Giro for the win and will not be in a good enough form to contest the tour, also Basso is already poised to be the leader of Liquigas in the tour, so Nibali will not be a likely contender

 

[kurtinsc]

I never thought Id say this, But i hope Contador rides the tour, and I hope that he and Riis rub the schlecks pretty little fashionable noses in it and AC gets another tour.

I have never been a big fan of Riiss or Contador, but the way the schlecks behaved last year at Saxo was disgraceful, and AC as far as Im concerned is being made a scapegoat for doing just what the schlecks are doing anyway. And the fact Pat has as RR Put it, hitched his wagon to team leopard makes me even more sick.

i have no interest in what either of those numpties has to say, and I honestly hope the tour turns into a spectactular disaster for both of them.

I don't want Contador to win... but I'd love to see someone other then a Schleck get it.

What I'd like to see is a stage like the one where Andy fell last year... except when Cancellera starts whining nobody holds up because they're all ****ed at the Schlecks.

A concerted effort where you see all the other teams push the pace while Leopard whines.

 

[sublimit]

Irritating riders on Trek bikes, kind of familiar?

Team Leophard need to understand they are starting hack people off with their dumb statements. And Shcleck can count himself lucky to finish second last year after he came off only to see the stage neutralized and stop slagging Sastre, who won the 2008 Tour fair and square.

 

[veganrob]

Lol so it is already good he is talking smack, but it's not about the right person yet? Hopefully next time his smack talking will fully live up to your expectations

Exactly. I realize he can't call out AC now but he will have to eventually. I don't believe he is showing much class now but, ok. And I didn't notice if he mentioned Basso either. hmmm. And if he does what he says he's gonna do it is not bragging it is predicting. But he should watch out for the side of the road, it could hurt if he gets squeezed off.

 

[theswordsman]

http://nyvelocity.com/content/toto/2011/toto-turns-214

 

[Anonymous]

Again, the short term memory. Not so long ago everyone said just about the same things about a guy named Wigans and his super squad.
Your attitude of "let's all hate Leopard Trek so we forget just how annoying and pretentious Sky and Wiggins were" does not surprise me in the least.

Schopenhauer declared Schadenfreude the definition of evil. Just to say.

Erm, Wiggins didnt create his own team, wiggins didnt pretty much raid another team of its stars and take them with him, wiggins didnt spend the vuelta boozing between stages and get sent home from the race. Wiggins didnt then get cosy with the UCI and Pat Mcquaid.

I dont hate leopard trek, i just think Baby Schleck is a ****. Always have done. Im being perfectly consistent. The only thing thats changed is I now have some sympathy for Riiss which I never had before.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

It was hyperbole. Hes not a million times better than JVDB either. Only about 0.25 but thats all that is needed

But there is no maybe about it. In 2011 Samuel Sanchez, on that course, is more of a contender than Robert Gesink. Other than possibly Basso and maybe CUddles, he is the only possible challenger for Andy Schleck (if romours about GEOX are to be believed).

To rate JVDB above him is like saying that the TOC is bigger than the Vuelta.
MY GOD, WHAT IS CYCLING COMING TO THESE DAYS




Its good to have someone to hate.

Yes Sanchez was better last year. But don't forget Gesink is still only 24 and is more likely to progress a bit more than Sammy Sanchez...

You can't tell now who will be better. If we would just look at last year(s) level it would always be Sanchez obviously.

 

[uphillstruggle]

But there is no maybe about it. In 2011 Samuel Sanchez, on that course, is more of a contender than Robert Gesink. Other than possibly Basso and maybe CUddles, he is the only possible challenger for Andy Schleck (if romours about GEOX are to be believed).

Its good to have someone to hate.

Basso is a better bet to challenge Andy IMO, Sammy WILL lose time in the TTT. Liguigas will lose some maybe but not as much and I see him as a better climber. Sammy had great form last year. Personally I don't see him improving much on that but I would like to be proven wrong.

 

[The Hitch]

Yes Sanchez was better last year. But don't forget Gesink is still only 24 and is more likely to progress a bit more than Sammy Sanchez...

You can't tell now who will be better. If we would just look at last year(s) level it would always be Sanchez obviously.

Obviously Gesink has a way better future ahead of him. Samu has a few years left at best.

But at the 2011 Tour you dont get points for having a better future ahead of you, orherwise Peter Sagan would be up there

All there is is the bike, and the rider and what happens there that day. Not in the future, not in the past, but THAT DAY. There and then.

Basso is a better bet to challenge Andy IMO, Sammy WILL lose time in the TTT. Liguigas will lose some maybe but not as much and I see him as a better climber. Sammy had great form last year. Personally I don't see him improving much on that but I would like to be proven wrong.

He lost major time on the cobbles (not here this year) and broke his wrist on the Tourmalet stage, meaning he underperformed significantly on the Tourmalet and at the tt.

The ttt is only 20km so i think hell lose about a minute. Which is a lot better than losing 3 minutes on the cobbles ( i have no idea what happened that made him so crap there).

And its a hell of a lot better than the further minutes he lost on Tourmalet and itt. I think a conservative estimate would be to say that he lost 45 seconds on each thanks to his broken wrist.

SO even if he doesnt come in with top form and loses a minute on the ttt, thats still 4 minutes better off than last year (unless he has more misfortune of course). And hes already targeted tour podium as his only aim for the season. So forget Vuelta Pais Vasco, forget Ardennes.

And why wouldnt he be able to be as good as last year. Hes not like Wiggins, coming 4th out of nowhere. Hes the olympic champion (on a very hard course) and a Vuelta runner up. He came 7th in the Tour a few years back. Its no fluke. Hes one of the best gt riders out there full stop.

 

[jaylew]

He came 7th in the Tour a few years back. .

6th in '08.

 

[The Hitch]

6th in '08.

is that counting Bernhard or not?

 

[El Pistolero]

Obviously Gesink has a way better future ahead of him. Samu has a few years left at best.

But at the 2011 Tour you dont get points for having a better future ahead of you, orherwise Peter Sagan would be up there

All there is is the bike, and the rider and what happens there that day. Not in the future, not in the past, but THAT DAY. There and then.



He lost major time on the cobbles (not here this year) and broke his wrist on the Tourmalet stage, meaning he underperformed significantly on the Tourmalet and at the tt.

The ttt is only 20km so i think hell lose about a minute. Which is a lot better than losing 3 minutes on the cobbles ( i have no idea what happened that made him so crap there).

And its a hell of a lot better than the further minutes he lost on Tourmalet and itt. I think a conservative estimate would be to say that he lost 45 seconds on each thanks to his broken wrist.

SO even if he doesnt come in with top form and loses a minute on the ttt, thats still 4 minutes better off than last year (unless he has more misfortune of course). And hes already targeted tour podium as his only aim for the season. So forget Vuelta Pais Vasco, forget Ardennes.

And why wouldnt he be able to be as good as last year. Hes not like Wiggins, coming 4th out of nowhere. Hes the olympic champion (on a very hard course) and a Vuelta runner up. He came 7th in the Tour a few years back. Its no fluke. Hes one of the best gt riders out there full stop.

According to your logic Samu would have won the Tour this year without the cobbled stage and broken wrist lol.

The thing you forget though is that AS and AC could have put in a lot more time on Samu if they really wanted. But they didn't need to do extra trouble to distance him.

 

[uphillstruggle]

He lost major time on the cobbles (not here this year) and broke his wrist on the Tourmalet stage, meaning he underperformed significantly on the Tourmalet and at the tt.

The ttt is only 20km so i think hell lose about a minute. Which is a lot better than losing 3 minutes on the cobbles ( i have no idea what happened that made him so crap there).


And why wouldnt he be able to be as good as last year. Hes not like Wiggins, coming 4th out of nowhere. Hes the olympic champion (on a very hard course) and a Vuelta runner up. He came 7th in the Tour a few years back. Its no fluke. Hes one of the best gt riders out there full stop.

He lost 1:46 on the cobbles (to Schlecks group). He did lose time due to injury I agree, who knows what would have happened if he didn't, putting time to it is arbitrary.

I didn't mean he won't be in the same form as last year, simply that I doubt he'll be any better and if Basso comes to the Tour in form he has a better chance of beating Andy. If Sanchez is Andy's closest rival he will get smashed on the climbs. The only reason sanchez was so close to AS & AC on the climbs last year was because the were marking each other and not worrying about anyone else. If it was AS & SS he would have made a gap and hammered it home.

For the record I like SS as a rider just don't think he is as good a climber as Basso.

 

[The Hitch]

The thing you forget though is that AS and AC could have put in a lot more time on Samu if they really wanted. But they didn't need to do extra trouble to distance him.

No i dont forget that because im not arguing he is going to win the Tour

I know perfectly well AS and AC could put time more into him. They didnt have to because the cobble stage cost Samu so much time that he was out of it going into stage 4.

I am arguing that he will podium and telling uphillstrugle why i believe he is wrong to think that Samu 2010 Tour was a one off performance. So whether As could put an extra 30 seconds or an extra 40 minutes into him is of little relevance. What is of major importance to this discussion, is Samus form versus other contenders for the podium - Cadel, Basso, Menchov, maybe J rod.

 

[jaylew]

is that counting Bernhard or not?

I didn't count Kohl. Always tricky figuring race results after the tests come back.

 

[The Hitch]

He lost 1:46 on the cobbles (to Schlecks group). He did lose time due to injury I agree, who knows what would have happened if he didn't, putting time to it is arbitrary.

I didn't mean he won't be in the same form as last year, simply that I doubt he'll be any better and if Basso comes to the Tour in form he has a better chance of beating Andy. If Sanchez is Andy's closest rival he will get smashed on the climbs. The only reason sanchez was so close to AS & AC on the climbs last year was because the were marking each other and not worrying about anyone else. If it was AS & SS he would have made a gap and hammered it home.

For the record I like SS as a rider just don't think he is as good a climber as Basso.

Im not suggesting Samu will be able to hold Andy, nor that he has more of a chance than Basso. I have said on many occasions that Basso is a challenger, and if he comes in on form could come second.

I dont think As will put too much time in because he will only really go for it alone on Mtfs. Galabier and Alpe is all he needs. Last year he had Contador on the Madeline, but does he want to go it alone when theres a descent and flat coming up and he has Alpe still to come? Hell probably be first among contenders after the ttt anyway.

I didn't count Kohl. Always tricky figuring race results after the tests come back.

So when i said 7th i was right as i was counting Kohl

 

[uphillstruggle]

I am arguing that he will podium and telling uphillstrugle why i believe he is wrong to think that Samu 2010 Tour was a one off performance. So whether As could put an extra 30 seconds or an extra 40 minutes into him is of little relevance. What is of major importance to this discussion, is Samus form versus other contenders for the podium - Cadel, Basso, Menchov, maybe J rod.

Sammy is less consistent than the others in terms of grand tour placings. 4th at the tour is his best result yet (I am considering a 4th at the tour to be a better result than a second at the vuelta). Menchov & Evans have better track records. Simply going from track records the evidence would say that they have just as good a chance a Sanchez.

You are right in that the course suits him more than Menchov/Evans but Sanchez is no mountain goat and is as liable to bad days as any of the other riders discussed.

 

[El Pistolero]

No i dont forget that because im not arguing he is going to win the Tour

I know perfectly well AS and AC could put time more into him. They didnt have to because the cobble stage cost Samu so much time that he was out of it going into stage 4.

I am arguing that he will podium and telling uphillstrugle why i believe he is wrong to think that Samu 2010 Tour was a one off performance. So whether As could put an extra 30 seconds or an extra 40 minutes into him is of little relevance. What is of major importance to this discussion, is Samus form versus other contenders for the podium - Cadel, Basso, Menchov, maybe J rod.

Seriously J-Rod over Gesink and JvdB?

My prediction for the Tour:

1. AS
-20 hours later-(sarcasm because it will be a very boring Tour)
2. Samu
3. Menchov

Not picking Basso, don't want to be too obvious. And I bet Cadel won't make it in the top 10.

 

[The Hitch]

Seriously J-Rod over Gesink and JvdB?

J rod is more likely to podium than the fanboy favourites (Gesink and VDB).

Hes also more likely to not come top 10. Gesink and VDB will get you your 5-10 places but they wont stay with the heads of state. Hence they cant win. Purito has that ability, but he can also implode, especially on tts.

I say maybe Rodriguez because its dependent on whether he peaks for the Tour or tries to have similar season as last year.

And you cant use last year as the best example.

Last year he had already been on top form for PN, Pais Vasco, Catalunia, GP miguel indurain, Ardennes classics, before the Tour.

So it would be wrong to claim the fanboy favourites, who didnt do 1 quarter of that before the tour, are better than him based on that. (and yes we get it, if those evil Basque hills didnt make Gesink crash he would have won Pais Vasco by 10 minutes. Weve all heard that one many times before)

And Rodriguez has proven he can do well on the climbs, breaking away from Schleck on Jallabert, and 3rd on Tourmalet.

As Rujano said, hes the 2nd best climber in the world (replace Contador with Schleck).

Yes we get it. In Flemish fantasy land, JVDB and RBGs age mean that they will win everything. Just like in ozzie fantasy land, richie porte is a gt contender.

But in the real world, RIGHT NOW, Rodriguez is a superior climber to both.

To paraphrase BPC, I think we can all agree with that

 

[roundabout]

JVDB is 28 this year.

And Gesink will probably outclimb Rodriguez next year.

So there.

 

[theyoungest]

JVDB is 28 this year.

And Gesink will probably outclimb Rodriguez next year.

So there.

Gesink already outclimbed and out-time trialed Rodriguez last year. He's got nothing to prove. VDB beat Rodriguez on the cobbles stage and the time trial, not in the climbs.