We'll see the best Andy Schleck one more time?

[Jason_Mercier]

We'll see the best Andy Schleck again?

.The year began like always. The sky blue, the birds singing and the flowers were beautiful. A known house song could be heard in the pretty Luxembourg.
I don`t wanna work today
Maybe I just wanna stay
Just take it easy cause there is no stress.
I know it`s not an awful crime
Something special in my mind
Nothing`s gonna cause me distress.
I text my baby on her phone
Try to get her Sexy body home
That`s the way I wanna spend my day
[...] NO STRESS.
A-Have you heard this Frank? I love this Laurent Wolf
F- Sounds good. But remember what Mummy told to you "My little sweety, you must do the spring homework this season"
A- Of course i'll be there in PV and in the Ardennes classics doing my tests. How you doubt it?

Months later...
F- Johan has told me that i must travel to Italy for lead the team in a famous race of the country. Something like "Giro D'Italia"
A- What? The Giro D'Italia? Oh. Ok. That race which one time i finished second. The pizzas were good but i cant remember why i didnt win. Maybe too much **** of this downhills.
F- I'll be back soon. Something tell me that i'll have an accidental injury.
A- See you in France.
June...
- FFIUUUU! PRRRFFF! Crash.
Days later...
- I wont win the 2012 Tour De France. I wont even be in it

A sabbatical year. The injury. The Frank's positive. Are those facts enough arguments for think that we'll never see the best Andy Schleck version anymore? We have some precedents. The
Basso and Contador returns. Both came back to the top. Not without strain. Is Andy Schleck prepared for a change of mentality? Is Andy Schleck strong enough for work hard
this winter in his recovery?

 

[Jason_Mercier]

Will be an interesting poll. Sorry for my english.

 

[Jason_Mercier]

I think the next season we'll see his 2011 level. Not the best Andy Schleck. Which for me is the 2010 guy.

 

[Jason_Mercier]

In Basso's case we all know what occured in 2009. The year of his return. Different ages, different type of riders. But also different mentality. Then in 2010 we all saw the true Ivan Basso again. It will cost a year too for Andy?

 

[Afrank]

I think he will be able to return to his best. He just has to stay focused on the road ahead and keep training and racing. He's only 27 so being past his prime shouldn't be a problem. Plus He raced Beijing, a race he never would race in his life if he wasn't in the position he's in now; so I think that shows he has the motivation to keep racing and to make it back to the highest level.

Don't agree with that narrative by the way.

 

[ferryman]

Will be an interesting poll. Sorry for my english.

Your English is fine. I'm encouraged that Andy is training through the winter and starting early for a change, Down Under. I hope/pray that the hard work ethic has finally got through to him after his write off of a season AND what he has seen this season. That is, the emergence of Froome and the comeback of Contador.

So, I voted we will see the best of Andy next year. Probably in the minority on this but I feel someone has to carry the torch now that Airstream has abandoned our boy

 

[Ferminal]

Best as in Zoncolan?

 

[The Hitch]

Dont know why yall are making such a big deal of this. He had 1 tour spoiled by a crash. pfff. Happens to everyone.

Yet for Andy Schleck its made out like its the end of his career.

Vinos crash was 10 times worse and he was 10 years older and 12 months later hes olympic champion.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

does not have the right attitude to be a champion anyway.

 

[purcell]

When have we ever seen the "best" of Andy Schleck.

He is too fragile to be of serious consideration.

 

[Carols]

Well I'm hoping we have never yet seen the best Andy has to give. With a different mental attitude and a better work ethic he could put that natural talent on display in a way we haven't witnessed to date. But can he do that????

 

[Rip:30]

With age can come a building weight of cumulative frustrations that can perhaps affect his motivations for the positive. On other hand his bros + is probably a significant and sustained stressor so I'm voting not until 2014 or beyond will we see the best Andy.

 

[ElChingon]

Its over, like previously stated doesn't have the winner attitude, will win if everyone else gives up, not quite going to happen. Evin in the year of the belly full of anger, that's all he's got.

 

[jens_attacks]

the answer is yes. and it will be this year too. enough to beat alberto and froomey? i doubt it.

 

[ILovecycling]

I think he can do it,Alberto motivates him so much.He has to finish Down Under and races in February.

 

[airstream]

Oh cowardly clowns voted for 'never'. I know their nicknames without specifying.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Andy Schleck will be back in business in 2013.

Reason: Contract uncertainty for 2014 and the fact Andy may have to carry ranking points for both brothers moving forward. Schleck is learning that being good in a professional sport is a window of opportunity which must be taken serious at all times, i.e. hes maturing in the head.

Franks positive helped with the process, allowing Andy to realize business can quickly come to a halt in this sport. I expect Andy to be competitive in LBL and TdF along with a few other races in 2013. Naive? Perhaps.

 

[Christian]

Dont know why yall are making such a big deal of this. He had 1 tour spoiled by a crash. pfff. Happens to everyone.

Yet for Andy Schleck its made out like its the end of his career.

Vinos crash was 10 times worse and he was 10 years older and 12 months later hes olympic champion.

For once I must agree with you Hitch ... people who vote "never" crack me up. Vino, Wigans, Evans, Froome ... they all have had sh*t years and they all came back argueably even stronger than before. Andy has a lot of years left in his career, if it won't be next year than the year after.

 

[personal]

...
A sabbatical year. The injury. The Frank's positive. Are those facts enough arguments for think that we'll never see the best Andy Schleck version anymore? We have some precedents. The
Basso and Contador returns. Both came back to the top. Not without strain. Is Andy Schleck prepared for a change of mentality? Is Andy Schleck strong enough for work hard
this winter in his recovery?

I'd love to see him back, but I voted "never" because I think he is mentally too fragile to come back from injury and lost racing/training time and brothers positive.
While having "won" the Tour and having enough money already.

I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Parrulo]

unless he continues with his very bad luck, he will be up there next year, no doubt about it.

i am not even worried about lack of racing from this year, he is the kind of guy that gets dropped by rojas in suisse and is up there in the tour 2 weeks later so he will be in shape.

 

[movingtarget]

For once I must agree with you Hitch ... people who vote "never" crack me up. Vino, Wigans, Evans, Froome ... they all have had sh*t years and they all came back argueably even stronger than before. Andy has a lot of years left in his career, if it won't be next year than the year after.

You could also argue that all of those riders are mentally tougher than Schleck and more motivated. I hope he does come back to his best but I won't believe it until I see some glimpses of what he can do and has done in the past. All cycling fans would love to see Froome, Schleck, Contador and others going head to head in the Tour next year. We witnessed a great battle in the Vuelta and the Tour could be just as hard fought.

 

[Capablanca and me]

yes

characters

 

[shades1]

i see theres at least 18 contador fanboys in the thread saying NEVER and praying he never gets his best back because they know for a fact a fit and healthy andy schleck is a serious threat to the golden boy !!

 

[airstream]

Being Contador fanboy is a diagnosis. What a pusillanimous view on the sport! Damn, I'm shocked. Listen up everyone who voted 'no'. Do not dream. The Legend will punish all of you so harshly that I'm afraid you will end up with following cycling.

 

[Angliru]

i see theres at least 18 contador fanboys in the thread saying NEVER and praying he never gets his best back because they know for a fact a fit and healthy andy schleck is a serious threat to the golden boy !!

Since you can't see who actually these 18 voters are, how can you confidentally say they are "contador fanboys" or simply just individuals who don't think Andy will be capable of getting back to his best? Who is to say they are Contador fans at all?

I think he likely won't be back to his best until 2014 but he will reach a decent level of competitiveness, lacking the ability to create and maintain a gap on his rivals in the mountains.