Schlecks Stage 14 appreciation thread

[Cimber]

If Contador attacks, Andy will follow, work with him to get his gap, and win the Tour.

Exactly. If Andy is to win this Tour he needs Contador to recover so that he can attack, cos Andy doesnt seem to be able to do it alone. Well, imo he is able to, but he just havent got the balls to do it.

 

[El Pistolero]

I think Contador will gap Andy on the Galibier.

 

[El Pistolero]

Frank already thinking about excuses on why the Schleck Bros won't win the Tour.

Yeah, the climb wasn't steep enough.

Frank Schleck 40 years later ^

 

[Anonymous]

we are talking about a guy that last friday after the stage said samu was no threat to the overall. . . .

he said that?? haha useless...if guys like him have a team i hope Azevedo have a team of his own.

 

[ggusta]

They ****ed it op for themselves. They worry too much on Contador instead of taking Evans for real.

Imo they need Contador be better in the alps if they wanna win this Tour. Otherwise its gonna be Evans.

That's really it, in a nutshell. They based the whole race as if it was Andy (and LT) Vs Alberto (and Riis and the 7 dwarves - their view) and 180 other irrelevant guys and it appears that even today the fact that it isn't that way has not yet appeared to sunk in.

Which makes a few of us question whether or not they are dumb and who the heck is leading this team and setting strategy? It can't all be laid at Andy's doorstep. There are too many other experienced guys around the Schlecks, or are they all muted?

 

[VoidSix]

Was that not the Tour where Andy lost 40+ seconds to Contador in a prologue that was less than 10K?

People underestimate just how bad the Shreks can suck at ITTs.

Yeah it was. But I think Andy was in the top twenty in the last TT and only lost like 20 seconds to Contador over 40k or whatever it was (all those are rough numbers). The Schlecks are bad at the TT, but if they have the yellow jersey when they go into it with the advantage of going last they aren't going to lose it with a gap of 1 minute +.

Three years ago everyone talked about how bad a TT'er Sastre was. We all know how that turned out.

 

[Mr. O'Clock]

The Shlecks' are missing the few opportunities they have before Contador gets up on his hind legs again. WhenVoeckler is able to stay with them it moves toward embarrassing.

 

[Mr. O'Clock]

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

the pitiful thing is, as ancient as 'The Boss' is he could have shown Shlecks what time it is and how to ride today! Lookout for 3.0.

 

[Nederick]

Sanchez schooled them today. Jump, wait, jump AGAIN and don't look back. Evans did exactly all he needed too. Basso at least had a go. Schlecks pretty much diabolical. Nothing to celebrate in their 'racing' today.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

The Schlecks could be missed from this race. Bunch of tards

 

[Zaschrona]

If somebody needs to attack in this situation, it's Andy. He has to attack on Galibier, because then, I really don't know where he hopes to gain at least 1 minute on Evans and probably on Voeckler too. And I don't really think, he can gain all of time he needs on Alpe d'Huez (and then there would be the same situation as on Galibier..). And it's needed to say - there is really low chance he will gain some decent time on others if he still will look for Frank and for Contador too - he can't look all the time for him, because there are some presumptions, that he will be his threat once again, he really isn't his biggest threat in this moment.. If he wants to win this Tour, he needs to gain some serious time and that he won't do without some proper attack as he did on Port de Bales before he dropped his chain off and do this without looking behind him, even if his brother isn't as good or better than him, otherwise he really can't win this. He seriously needs to do an ALL IN attack, but way earlier than in the last 200 meters of this stage like today.. He is probably the best climber here, but with bad tactics he will fail like Cancellara and Schlecks in this year's classics..

But in the end I will be happy (more or less) if this Tour will win anybody from Top 8, except of Evans and Contador..

 

[Irish2009]

I cant understand the Schlecks, to afraid to commit to an attack in case they are caught and dropped, but they need to attack to get time. Voeckler rode perfectly today, marked the moves he had to. Evans can afford to wait for the tt so why not let the Schlecks do the work for on. If the Schlecks have a problem with riders just following perhaps they should take a look at thier own TTT ride!!! Basso and Contador coming good, and maybe the likes of Rolland, Uran, Jelle and Sammy can upset the mix. #

 

[lagartija]

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.

you obviously didnt watch the GIRO

 

[davestoller]

Voeckler has home court advantage for the big one.
Schlecks-Riis= FAIL

 

[ggusta]

The Schlecks could be missed from this race. Bunch of tards

Reotard Shrek

 

[thehog]

Reotard Shrek

This post from Angliru back on the 8th July summed it all up for me.... and it still resonates.

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?p=588217#post588217

Every stages that passes and Evans is still firmly seated higher up in the gc than his opposition increases the pressure that he's under. Unlike Andy though, Evans speaks of his long held dream of winning the Tour and not having given up hope, while Andy speaks with a sense of entitlement and inevitability as if it, a Tour win, is something promised or, in his opinion, something that was unfairly snatched from his grasp. He's spoken candidly bout what he thinks will be the potential weakness of his primary rival and his team as a result of their Giro participation.

For Andy, it his race to lose and the pressure to win must be smothering him. The self-proclaimed "best climber in the world" was dropped on a Cat 3 climb by a sprint specialist. Quite the humbling experience after he had the audacity to critique an opponent's cycling accumen who just so happens to have 6 grand tour wins on his palmares to Andy's zero. One day you're a genius and the next you're skulking back to your bus wondering what the hell just happened. Andy's voice has been heard above all the other contenders when it came to talking up their chances for victory and with that comes the biggest burden of pressure.

Really the pressure is on all those who call themselves contenders. With Contador coming off of a grueling Giro, the expectation is that he can't be at the level of Tour 2009 and not even Tour 2010, so he has to be vulnerable. These are reasonable expectations but with them comes the pressure to make them a reality. We have yet to reach the mountains and until then we won't know the toll that the Giro took out of Contador and his teammates that shared in his victory.

The only pressure Contador is under (other than the pending CAS decision) is trying to achieve something that is relatively rare in modern cycling and while to fail at this task may delight many it is still the attempted undertaking after such a challenging Giro that IMO should be respected.

 

[the vagabond]

I believe Evans fears Voeckler the most, Contador fears Evans the most, Basso fears all three. No one fears the Schlecks the most for the overall.

 

[UlleGigo]

I am entitled to my opinion, and he HAD to close attacks or lose time and thus any podium spot. The FACT that he never actually attacked himself makes him a wheelsucker. Just like he has always been. Why should he attack? Because he wants to win maybe?

and if you would like to resort to name calling, go out and play with the other children on the block.

That's right he HAD to close attacks to win the race, he doesn't HAVE to attack to win the race with the TT still to come. Assuming of course that Voeckler loses a minute at some stage before Grenoble. Which I'm almost certain he will, and the big favourites seem to agree since noone is really determined to attack full gas in an effort to dislodge him.

I don't understand all this Cadel criticism. He is in the box seat. It is the other favourites responsibility to gap him if they can. It is Leopard's responsibility to gap Voeckler, with Frank in second place, if they can. What exactly is Cadel doing wrong? To me he has ridden the perfect race so far and if he continues like this he will win le tour.

 

[the vagabond]

Agree with previous poster about Evans. He rode better and harder than anybody the first week to get in the best GC position. Right now all he needs to worry about is trying to put a little time into Voeckler, not trying to outride the Schlecks and Contador. If Voeckler is still over a minute ahead going into Alpe he will have to attack hard, even if it provokes a counter-attack that he can't follow. Until something changes, Evans's concern is Voeckler.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

That's right he HAD to close attacks to win the race, he doesn't HAVE to attack to win the race with the TT still to come. Assuming of course that Voeckler loses a minute at some stage before Grenoble. Which I'm almost certain he will, and the big favourites seem to agree since noone is really determined to attack full gas in an effort to dislodge him.

I don't understand all this Cadel criticism. He is in the box seat. It is the other favourites responsibility to gap him if they can. It is Leopard's responsibility to gap Voeckler, with Frank in second place, if they can. What exactly is Cadel doing wrong? To me he has ridden the perfect race so far and if he continues like this he will win le tour.

Cuddles has raced a sensible race, put himself in a good position and held on to it.

The problem is, most people feel a GT should be won with attacking panache, defeating your opponents and by being the best.

The 2011 Tour de France will likely be won by attrition, by managing to stay upright and making the least mistakes.

Cadel has, so far, stayed upright and made the least mistakes. A lot of the criticism is not of Cadel, it's frustration that the 'wrong' factors are likely to be decisive that is simply being aimed at Cadel because he's the one that looks like profiting.

 

[mastersracer]

Cuddles has raced a sensible race, put himself in a good position and held on to it.

The problem is, most people feel a GT should be won with attacking panache, defeating your opponents and by being the best.

The 2011 Tour de France will likely be won by attrition, by managing to stay upright and making the least mistakes.

Cadel has, so far, stayed upright and made the least mistakes. A lot of the criticism is not of Cadel, it's frustration that the 'wrong' factors are likely to be decisive that is simply being aimed at Cadel because he's the one that looks like profiting.

you're forgetting there was no ITT early on. Evans is the best time trialist and should win the final ITT. Nothing wrong with winning there and defending in the mntns.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

you're forgetting there was no ITT early on. Evans is the best time trialist and should win the final ITT. Nothing wrong with winning there and defending in the mntns.

Evans' TT is totally overrated and no way he wins the TT. His TT hasn't really been among the very best since about 2007.

He may be the best of the GC contenders (assuming Contador, who will beat him 8 times out of 10, is still out of form) remaining, but no way does he beat Cancellara or Martin here.

 

[Mr. O'Clock]

you're forgetting there was no ITT early on. Evans is the best time trialist and should win the final ITT. Nothing wrong with winning there and defending in the mntns.

evens is a dying star, past his due date. he peaked four days ago. nothing against Cadel, but I think we are about to see bertowakin up.

 

[Iker_Baqueiro]

The Schlecks are two very coward mother*uckers.

They are not worthy of being Tour de France champions.

Contador is hurt. He cannot do much.

Being things as they are, I'd rather see Evans or Voeckler winning the Tour de France. The Schlecks are two very scared and coward punks, they don't deserve to win.

 

[Damiano Machiavelli]

Where is the Schleck hater thread? How many people are like me who used to like the Schlecks but have grown to dislike them? If the two had even half of Voeckler's courage to split between them then they would have multiple grand tour wins.