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

[Froome19]

To be truly honest I do not think we have ever seen the best of Andy Schleck. But I do not know if we ever will. I dearly hope so but oh how difficult he makes life for himself..

 

[theyoungest]

To be truly honest I do not think we have ever seen the best of Andy Schleck. But I do not know if we ever will. I dearly hope so but oh how difficult he makes life for himself..

He was pretty good in the Tour 2010. I dare say that's the best he can be. He himself apparently thinks that he was better in 2011, well... let's just say it didn't look that way.

 

[Parrulo]

He was pretty good in the Tour 2010. I dare say that's the best he can be. He himself apparently thinks that he was better in 2011, well... let's just say it didn't look that way.

indeed, in 2011 he didn't seem to have neither the snap nor the sheer power he had in 2010 in terms of climbing.

 

[movingtarget]

He was pretty good in the Tour 2010. I dare say that's the best he can be. He himself apparently thinks that he was better in 2011, well... let's just say it didn't look that way.

Interesting comment. Maybe Contador was more off form than we thought which also explained Menchov's best ride in the Tour. I thought Schleck blew it that year and Contador's face at the end of the TT said it all, he was drained. Schleck's climbing was very impressive as was Contador's tenacity and the way he responded.

 

[airstream]

Andy was the strongest in 2009 obviously. The problem is everyone was stronger back then. It is like with Contador in 2007/

 

[darwin553]

To answer this question after yesterday's stage performance: We've seen the best Andy Schleck has to offer - an out and out climber can't challenge for the Tour win anymore.

 

[MatParker117]

I'd love to see what Sky could do with Andy particularly what Rod Ellingworth, Shane Sutton & Steve Peters could do. If Andy is put in the right structure I think we could see the best in him.

 

[karlboss]

To answer this question after yesterday's stage performance: We've seen the best Andy Schleck has to offer - an out and out climber can't challenge for the Tour win anymore.

I humbly disagree, to other contenders in not quite flat tts, in 2009, and 2011, Andy dropped 1:45, and 2:31. Yesterday it was 4:44 to Froome, but only 2:30 to Contador etc. Andy is not so dissimilar to other years, just the goal posts moved. I think Andy can get back to at least 2011 form and challenge for the podium, Froome will have to slow down for anyone else to have a shot at yellow though.

 

[darwin553]

I humbly disagree, to other contenders in not quite flat tts, in 2009, and 2011, Andy dropped 1:45, and 2:31. Yesterday it was 4:44 to Froome, but only 2:30 to Contador etc. Andy is not so dissimilar to other years, just the goal posts moved. I think Andy can get back to at least 2011 form and challenge for the podium, Froome will have to slow down for anyone else to have a shot at yellow though.

Isn't the podium and the win two different things though? So you're not really disagreeing with me if you are making another point

 

[Afrank]

To answer this question after yesterday's stage performance: We've seen the best Andy Schleck has to offer - an out and out climber can't challenge for the Tour win anymore.

Did you think he actually would be able to challenge for the win this year? His performance in the TT was expected, it was wishful thinking if you were expecting him to do much better then he did.

 

[karlboss]

Isn't the podium and the win two different things though? So you're not really disagreeing with me if you are making another point

Correct, I see out and out climber as an Anton, can win the toughest MTF of a GT, but not be in contention for the podium at all. Andy is a little more consistent than that. Which is why I disagreed, that and if Froome weren't in the race I'd regard Andy as having the tools to win.

 

[darwin553]

Correct, I see out and out climber as an Anton, can win the toughest MTF of a GT, but not be in contention for the podium at all. Andy is a little more consistent than that. Which is why I disagreed, that and if Froome weren't in the race I'd regard Andy as having the tools to win.

Nah Andy's day is done, especially with no brother. Seems to have run out of the mental qualities necessary to put in the hard work that is needed to ride into a high overall GC.

 

[Angliru]

Nah Andy's day is done, especially with no brother. Seems to have run out of the mental qualities necessary to put in the hard work that is needed to ride into a high overall GC.

Can't agree. Andy is back to his original level of self confidence in his abilities it's just that his form is still playing catch up. He'll be back to his pre-injury form/elite climbing level in 2014. Of course his ITT will remain his greatest barrier to actually winning a grand tour along with his inability to get motivated for any 3 week race unless it's in France.

 

[darwin553]

Can't agree. Andy is back to his original level of self confidence in his abilities it's just that his form is still playing catch up. He'll be back to his pre-injury form/elite climbing level in 2014. Of course his ITT will remain his greatest barrier to actually winning a grand tour along with his inability to get motivated for any 3 week race unless it's in France.

Who says he will be back? His form to me is getting worse at this year's tour not better and has been getting worse for the last couple of tours even with his brother by his side. Andy's a one trick pony who only knows how to climb, so he is no better than any other of those climbing Colombians.

 

[Afrank]

Who says he will be back? His form to me is getting worse at this year's tour not better and has been getting worse for the last couple of tours even with his brother by his side. Andy's a one trick pony who only knows how to climb, so he is no better than any other of those climbing Colombians.

He's been climbing ten times better this Tour then he has all year and all of last year. How is his form not better?

Can't really say he has been getting worse in the Tour either IMO, 2010 was great, 2011 was a little less so but was still very good due to his Galibier ride. Then 2012 was just a lost year; and this year is about returning to his previous level.

 

[darwin553]

He's been climbing ten times better this Tour then he has all year and all of last year. How is his form not better?

Can't really say he has been getting worse in the Tour either IMO, 2010 was great, 2011 was a little less so but was still very good due to his Galibier ride. Then 2012 was just a lost year; and this year is about returning to his previous level.

We may have to wait till 2015 then.

 

[Afrank]

Maybe, but I have seen good signs coming from him thus far this Tour. I think he could definitely be back to his 2010/2011 levels in 2014.

 

[Jelantik]

We may have to wait till 2015 then.

He is going to be back at his level. But he will never win any TDF again, especially if the parcours has flat ITT. With his ITT, he needs 4 legs to beat froome in the future. Not to mention, quintana is better ITT than him.

 

[Boeing]

.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?

I don't want to grow up i'm a toys r us kid and there's a million toys at toys r us that I can play with

 

[IndianCyclist]

2010 was the best Andy ever but i don't think he has the character to suffer to get back to that level. He needs somebody to push him. 2011 is the level he will achieve. A GC contender but not a winner- Sad.

 

[Christian]

To answer this question after yesterday's stage performance: We've seen the best Andy Schleck has to offer - an out and out climber can't challenge for the Tour win anymore.

I also beg to differ - what we saw yesterday was not the best he has to offer, it was an ITT by someone who barely sat on an ITT bike in over a year.

He spent all his time trying to get into decent shape - which he succeeded - he simply didn't train on the ITT bike much at all. Next year it will be a different story. Since he doesn't have to start out from flat zero anymore, he will have to spend less time focusing on elementary things such as achieving a basic fitness level, and can spend more time focusing on on the ITT.

 

[Never wait]

Andy has no killer instinct, imo he is a bit of a sissy boy, his brother is not much different either. I have met him and his brother, they are odd to say the very least. That they won't/are unable to race on different teams says a lot about the Schleck brothers mental toughness, there isn't much of it.

Andy can't time trial worth a damn, never has been able to, so his odds of winning any GT is reduced in a very large way. The only time I have seen him win a GT stage is when no one chased him,(TDF) because they knew that in the upcoming ITT he would crumble, and he did, while in the yellow jersey, at a time of his best ever production as a rider. This says it all about Andy Schleck.