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Will Andy Schleck ever win anything?


Squier

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I'm really dissapointed in Andy Schleck. He's had the champ on the ropes but in a display of his dismal TT ability he let it slip. I have strong doubts whether he'll ever be on the top step of the podium.

 

He's attack on Stage 18 was one of the boldest moves of modern day cycling. An attack seemingly equivalent to those of the great Merckx. He went so early that Phill Ligget hailed it "the biggest gamble of his profesional career". He showed great class and made it stick; taking a massive two minutes on his main rivals. It was a champion like ride and a ride that surely must've won him the Tour de France. I'm convinced that should any of the big names in cycling, both past and present, have made such a massive move stick, they would've been on the top step in Paris. Andy had everything going for him. The experience of his team showed as he wasn't involved in any of the crashes. Leopard-Trek did everything right and sacrificed everything for Andy, a fact that was reinforced by Spartacus' 8th place in the TT, but when it was his turn to deliver, he blew it.

 

My concern is based on the concept of balance. Grand Tours are designed to favour a well-balanced rider. A rider than can hold his own on the flats, up the mountains, down the mountains and in the race of truth. A far cry from what Andy really is. He is a magnificent climber, one can't argue with that, but that is where the buck stops. His descending skills are suspect to say the least and his TT'ing ability is average... to be generous.

 

Andy can go out ever year and try to make three minutes on his rivals in the mountains, because, let's face it, a smaller time gap is not enough considering his TT'ing ability, but how often do you see that happen? Next year he'll have the defending champ and a resurgent Contador to deal with and I just can't see him take 3 minutes out of them.

 

I didn't want to believe this myself but the results speak for itself. At an age where Alberto Contador already had 5 Grand Tour victories Andy's accomplishments are less emphatic. Yes, we can argue that three 2nd placings at the Tour is notable enough, but somehow I don't believe that is what he was aiming for. If I was Andy I would return to the Giro and the Vuelta, because regrettably I think that is the only way he'll ever get a Grand Tour behind his name.

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The only way that either of the Schleckondbest sisters will ever win the Tour is if the organisers cancel the TT, and allow them to enter on a tandem.

Edited by Falco
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He's attack on Stage 18 was one of the boldest moves of modern day cycling.

 

You mean his,

 

and in any event, it was a bold, do or die effort. He tried his best, and like we said on the Friday afterwards, he tried and failed. he didn't get enough time over Evans on the Galibier. End of story.

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You mean his,

 

and in any event, it was a bold, do or die effort. He tried his best, and like we said on the Friday afterwards, he tried and failed. he didn't get enough time over Evans on the Galibier. End of story.

Well said Bob.

I like Andy, but he wasn't hungry enough, Evans fought hard for it, I am not ecstatic with the result but a deserved winner.

As I said previously , the playground has been leveled a bit.

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You mean his,

 

and in any event, it was a bold, do or die effort. He tried his best, and like we said on the Friday afterwards, he tried and failed. he didn't get enough time over Evans on the Galibier. End of story.

 

Thanks for that... However, you missed the "dissapoint" in the first sentence that was misspelled. ;-)

 

That is exactly my point! He made more than 2 minutes on the Galibier. That's a massive time gain! That should've been game, set and match! He just couldn't close the deal.

 

Still, I don't want to make this about Contador, but this was Andy's best chance. I doubt that he'll get to face Contador in such bad form ever again in the Tour. They also only differ 2 years in age. Andy is going to have to reinvent himself or the second step is where he'll stay.

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The only way that either of the Schleckondbest sisters will ever win the Tour is if the organisers cancel the TT, and allow them to enter on a tandem.

Thats just made my morning! :clap:

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The only way that either of the Schleckondbest sisters will ever win the Tour is if the organisers cancel the TT, and allow them to enter on a tandem.

 

laugh.gif

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He is still young and has many years ahead....watch him next year.

 

He sill has a Tour stage win and a yellow jersey to frame,not many cyclist have that.

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He is still young and has many years ahead....watch him next year.

 

He sill has a Tour stage win and a yellow jersey to frame,not many cyclist have that.

 

Still, I don't want to make this about Contador, but this was Andy's best chance. I doubt that he'll get to face Contador in such bad form ever again in the Tour. They also only differ 2 years in age. Andy is going to have to reinvent himself or the second step is where he'll stay.

 

And by the time Contador is past it, Amy will have to try and beat Pierre Rolland, and he stands a snowball's chance of that.

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This TdF had the least TT kms in a long time, and a lot of climbing. The TTT was short, and it had no prologue. I don't think they are ever going to get a TdF route that suits them better.

Imo either Schleck can win the Giro, if they make a serious attempt.

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The only way that either of the Schleckondbest sisters will ever win the Tour is if the organisers cancel the TT, and allow them to enter on a tandem.

Cancel the TT and Andy would have won. Not sure what the reference to the tandem is about.

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What is sad for me regarding Andy is that if he was so well prepared, he forgot to "train" for the TT. I mean, sure, he is not the best and all that, but if it was 30 seconds or something like that, fine, but 2:30, that is insane, especially at this level.

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What is sad for me regarding Andy is that if he was so well prepared, he forgot to "train" for the TT. I mean, sure, he is not the best and all that, but if it was 30 seconds or something like that, fine, but 2:30, that is insane, especially at this level.

 

Funny thing is, Andy seemed quite confident of his lead.

 

"Fifty-seven seconds. Well, that's a minute - it's a lot, even if he is a specialist," Andy said Friday. "I'm not a specialist. But the yellow jersey on your shoulders, it gives you wings."

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Andy was lucky to finish even on the podium aswell as Frank. Vino, Kloden, Wiggens,Horner would of all been there on the mountain stages and would of eaten him up on the TT and should AC not had had the crashes and being kicked off his bike like he was he to would of been ahead of Andy.

 

I admire the chance he took when he went 60km out, very bold move but to be honest he is so overrated as a rider. He has won nothing in fact in a long time, he focused soley on the TDF and Leige and got hammered in both. He has shocking bike handling skills, you saw that on the descent of the stage where Alberto attacked and during his TT, he was up on the bars all the time and very twitchy into corners and worst of all he cries about it when he cant handle it when no one else did? He is not a complete cyclists like Evans, Alberto, Sanchez and heaven forbid even Lance. I had alot of respect for him but after this tour not so much.

 

Also he is 26 he isnt so young anymore as it was when he was 21 with CSC, Alberto is 28 so that "he has many years ahead" doesnt fly. He should be doing it now.

 

Well done to evans thou. Huge respect.

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It was sad to see Andy lose it so badly in the TT, but at the end of the day, the best man did win.

 

My question is surely time-trialing is something you can train to get better at? How is it possible that professional cyclists can have such massive gaps on a tiny little 43km stage?

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