Schlecks Stage 14 appreciation thread

[bicing]

AMAZING WORK TODAY BY THE SCHLECKS using their highly talented Leopard Tek squad to set a blistering pace in the mountains dropping some of their big rivals in Cunego, De Weert, Velits and Roche. And then, Frank bent over backwards for his brother on the last climb and it paid off brilliantly!!! a PHENOMENAL gain of 2 seconds on their nearest rivals in one of the most difficult tour stages.

This is a coup for the greatest riders in the current peloton.

Bravo.

 

[Thomsena]

Aaaaaand closed...

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

andy tried, but he didn't ride very smart.
This was anti-climax.

Stilllllll.... At least he did attack multiple times. I'd rather see a rider who attacks win, rather then this lame hang on crap.

Basso tried, just he isn't explosive he is a diesel and I swear if this was steeper he would have owned. And ofc good ol' samu didn't disappoint.

 

[Kwibus]

It's simple. The good riders ain't good enough.

Tour of mediocre so far.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

It's simple. The good riders ain't good enough.

Tour of mediocre so far.

It appears that way.

At this point I thinK AC should go eat a steak.

 

[luckyboy]

OP made me lol. They are losing this Tour.

 

[thehog]

It's a sad day when even Phil & Paul dis your tactics.

 

[Captain_Obvious]

It's a sad day when even Phil & Paul dis your tactics.

Really? what did they say? I'm curious.

 

[thehog]

Really? what did they say? I'm curious.

That they are burning their team up on earlier climbs and the the stop/start attacks won't win them the Tour. When you go you go. Followed by allowing Evams, Basso & Contador to track all day is giving them an armchair ride to the Alps.

I noted Contador saving his team for next week. At about 11km to go I noted he tapped on a teammates shoulder & he eased off the back.

 

[rzombie1988]

Funny post, but I saw things a little different.

To me, Frank did not appear to be on his best form, while Andy was pretty strong. Frank sat at the middle to the back of the pack the whole way up.

Andy was in a weird position. He wanted to gain time, but if he tried to make any big moves, someone would follow him. Since Frank was not looking strong, this may have caused Frank to get dropped off, which would have even out any gain Andy made.

I think they made the best of the situation, but unfortunately, this is a con of working as a team in the Tour. You want to be ahead of everyone else, but you don't want to drop your teammates.

I do have the same confusion as to why they were burning up their team though in the beginning.

 

[Arnout]

Funny post, but I saw things a little different.

To me, Frank did not appear to be on his best form, while Andy was pretty strong. Frank sat at the middle to the back of the pack the whole way up.

Andy was in a weird position. He wanted to gain time, but if he tried to make any big moves, someone would follow him. Since Frank was not looking strong, this may have caused Frank to get dropped off, which would have even out any gain Andy made.

I think they made the best of the situation, but unfortunately, this is a con of working as a team in the Tour. You want to be ahead of everyone else, but you don't want to drop your teammates.

Yep. If you lose, do it both. Actually that's quite a good tactic now I come to think about it.

 

[Captain_Obvious]

That they are burning their team up on earlier climbs and the the stop/start attacks won't win them the Tour. When you go you go. Followed by allowing Evams, Basso & Contador to track all day is giving them an armchair ride to the Alps.

I noted Contador saving his team for next week. At about 11km to go I noted he tapped on a teammates shoulder & he eased off the back.

Way to go Phil & Paul for talking sense for a change.

 

[thehog]

Yep. If you lose, do it both. Actually that's quite a good tactic now I come to think about it.

Problem with the Shleck's is they're racing against Contador not racing to win the Tour. If I were them I would force another team to ride up front on their earlier climbs. They also have to decide who's going to win this Tour. They may think it's confusing the other riders but it's confusing their own tactics. Look at Andy last year once Frank crashed out.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Funny post, but I saw things a little different.

To me, Frank did not appear to be on his best form, while Andy was pretty strong. Frank sat at the middle to the back of the pack the whole way up.

Andy was in a weird position. He wanted to gain time, but if he tried to make any big moves, someone would follow him. Since Frank was not looking strong, this may have caused Frank to get dropped off, which would have even out any gain Andy made.

That's why Andy should attack. Because if he put in a PROPER attack, not the half-hearted go-for-three-seconds-then-stop moves he put in, he could open up some distance. Then Fränk gets a free ride on the back wheel of the people chasing Andy. Or alternatively, Fränk should attack, not because he's the strongest but precisely because he is the weakest - and nobody will want to give Andy a free ride.

This is cycling 101. But the Schlecks seem to feel like they have to do it together, every race has to be a Saunier Duval double-act.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

That's why Andy should attack. Because if he put in a PROPER attack, not the half-hearted go-for-three-seconds-then-stop moves he put in, he could open up some distance. Then Fränk gets a free ride on the back wheel of the people chasing Andy. Or alternatively, Fränk should attack, not because he's the strongest but precisely because he is the weakest - and nobody will want to give Andy a free ride.

This is cycling 101. But the Schlecks seem to feel like they have to do it together, every race has to be a Saunier Duval double-act.

indeed.

Two MTF and both times andy has ridden like a real chump.
He will lose this tour - Yes I think this is his tour's to lose - at this rate.

 

[El Pistolero]

Did Andy get scared or what after Contador tested positive?

 

[rzombie1988]

Problem with the Shleck's is they're racing against Contador not racing to win the Tour. If I were them I would force another team to ride up front on their earlier climbs. They also have to decide who's going to win this Tour. They may think it's confusing the other riders but it's confusing their own tactics. Look at Andy last year once Frank crashed out.

I don't think it's a bad idea to race against Contador. I feel that he's the only one that can put serious time into them. If they switched places with Contador, that's exactly what Contador would be doing.

I really think Voeckler has thrown a curveball into everyone's plans. I know realistically he has no shot of holding on, but he has some room. He also has the benefit of the Schleck's trying to get rid of Contador and not himself. It is possible that the Schlecks spend so much time on Contador that they forget to try and get rid of Voeckler and he holds on. At the very worst for Voeckler if he can hang on, there's going to be atleast 3 person group for the rest of the big climbs and maybe Voeckler can find a way to stay in touch with them.

I still feel that it's a waiting game though. There's alot of climbing yet and I don't think we've seen Contador go all out.

 

[El Pistolero]

I appreciate Andy Schleck I love his riding style.

 

[cyclestationgiuseppe]

At least he (Andy) tried to attack. Frank did not look as good today, and kudos to Basso for also at least trying. Cadel et al are a bunch of wheel suckers.
Pathetic. I think Basso may win this.

 

[Moondance]

Andy at least tried I'll give him that.

But whenever anyone turned out to be able to hold his wheel he just gave up. One time he was away with Voeckler (boo! hiss!) and had a reasonable (looked like 4-5 secs) gap to the Evans led grupetto. He then eased up, allowing an easy regroup. It was at times like that that he should push on. And if Voeckler (boo! hiss!) can hold him to the finish then he can look about dropping him in the Alps. But you get the best result you can on the day, and two seconds is not all he could've gotten. Inefficient riding, and troubling too. There aren't too many opportunities left.

 

[richwagmn]

I wonder if the riders are just so scared of the upcoming week that no one's really going to go nuts.

AC is clearly not the AC of the past (for whatever reason), Cadel has never been an attacker and the Schlecks.... well, they're legends in their own minds. They think they're much better than they actually are.

 

[icefire]

I appreciate Andy Schleck I love his riding style.

I'm joining the bandwagon after today's stage as well

 

[VoidSix]

I mean, if the situation were reversed, and Contador had 1:45 on Andy, Contador wouldn't be putting in huge attacks either. Too much of a risk when you have a lead that you can sustain in the ITT.

I am surprised that Andy didn't try to gain more on Cadel, though. He can't beat Cadel in the time trial so he needs to get his time where he can.

 

[T-Nielsen]

I mean, if the situation were reversed, and Contador had 1:45 on Andy, Contador wouldn't be putting in huge attacks either. Too much of a risk when you have a lead that you can sustain in the ITT
I am surprised that Andy didn't try to gain more on Cadel, though. He can't beat Cadel in the time trial so he needs to get his time where he can.

It is not just Cadel. He needs time on Basso, and Basso only gets better.

 

[Apollonius]

It was an awful and disappointing stage. What was there to appreciate about three failed attacks against an ailing Contador? If Contador manages to ride himself back in to form he's going to drop them in the alps and if they can't break Cadel he's going to eat them up in the ITT. Every time they waste an attack they give a little bit back to the others.