Andy Schleck has a plan

iainf72

Try to isolate Contador.

Which might be hard as long as Klodi works for the right guy

http://in.reuters.com/article/sportsNew ... dChannel=0

mididoctors

wiggins has to calculate here because saxo will blow astana out of the race early as possable...

contador can just go with the moves and make sure he has a few gels on him

donrhummy

A couple things:

1. According to his quotes there, that's his plan to make the podium, NOT to try and win

That's not good. If you shoot for second, you might get it, but you'll never get first.

2. He makes it sound like he's attacking everyone EXCEPT contador.

Instead, he's assuming he WON'T be able to attack Contador but instead will just get him alone and then accelerate away. Not going to happen. There's only one way he's going to win: he's got to risk it all and attack Contador (along with Frank attacking him) multiple times in every mountain stage. No other way he'll take enough time from Contador to win. Especially since Contador's better at the TT.

Mettan

That's what I like to hear from Andy:

"I'm better than Armstrong in the mountains. Verbier was just the last climb, it wasn't much. It will be very different with so many big passes in the next couple of stages," he added.

"To make it to the podium, we must blow Wiggins and Armstrong up and then isolate Contador."

Good confident talk. He wants a podium minimum - we'll have to see what happens re Contador though. Be interesting to see the next battle between the two of them - have a feeling Sastre will make it 3 of them battling at the sharp end (on the remaining mouintain stages).

DavidBelcher

mididoctors wrote:

wiggins has to calculate here because saxo will blow astana out of the race early as possable...

Saxo Bank might well try the "multi-stage attack" strategy that worked so well for Sastre last year;

Stage (1) Flatter bits of road - use riders like O'Grady & Cancellara to keep the pace high before the real climbing kicks in.
Stage (2) More uphill now - bring Voigt and maybe Sorensen into play, plus Cancellara if not too bushed already, to maintain quite a high pace, hopefully cause big gaps to appear, and keep it that way until they're spent.
Stage (3) The 'proper' climb - Saxo's non-mountain specialists fall back, it's all down to the Schleck brothers now, with Andy riding for GC and Franck in a supporting role.

David

frenchfighter

Contador has been quoted as saying: I am the best rouleur of the climbers. He is also the best climber and the best Time Trialler. To beat him will be very difficult.

I like Andy's talk as it is direct and not beating about the bush. Watching him and his brother work together is something fascinating.

The point about isolation is a good one as he cannot cover every attack by himself (which is what he had to do in Paris-Nice). If Astana now work like a normal team, Lance and Kloden will cover attacks and Contador can cover Andy and Bradley.

"To make it to the podium, we must blow Wiggins and Armstrong up and then isolate Contador."
- This is hilarious!

connackers

For A. Schleck to have a realisitc chance surely F. Schleck has to become a danger to the top of the GC in the next two stages?

Otherwise Frank can attack all he likes but noone needs to follow.

Mettan

I'm hoping for some racing tommorow - however, it looks like it might be Wednesday before Saxo attacks - here's hoping though. Would love Saxo to have go on one or both of the cols - they need to keep unsettling Astana. Andy needs time on Lance and Brad - Frank wants a top 5 or 6 finish now I'd imagine.

The Alps get harder - which is good.

MrChuck

Presumably Garmin will be working for Wiggins now rather than VdV? That'll help him out a bit won't it?

Anonymous

I'm going to miss the last two days due to stupid holiday with no telly or interwebz.

DaveyL

MrChuck wrote:

Presumably Garmin will be working for Wiggins now rather than VdV? That'll help him out a bit won't it?

I think they were always working for both VDV and Wiggo, but now I guess it will be one-way traffic. It will help Wiggins though if VDV can stay up there on the climbs for as long as possible. Imagine if Dan Martin had been fit as well.

donrhummy

NapoleonD wrote:

I'm going to miss the last two days due to stupid holiday with no telly or interwebz.

Yes BUT...if you can keep yourself away from the news, etc when you come back, you can rewatch those stages online, in their entirety! I believe versus.com will show them, and possibly some others.

blazing_saddles

For Faynence, in Paris-Nice, read Le Grand Bornand at the Tour.
The trouble for Saxo Schlecks is, that unlike at Paris-Nice, Contador has a pretty useful domestique back-up.
That's unless Lance decides to "Hog" them all, or get's sent up the road to mark, but his radio then goes on the blink. :roll:

Cumulonimbus

The stage on wednesday isnt a climb to the finish but the last two climbs are really brutal and IMO real climbers' climbs going by the steepness.

Col de Romme - 8.8 km climb to 8.9 % - Category 1
Col de la Colombière - 7.5 km climb to 8.5 % - Category 1

there is hardly any space in between them either. I think that Saxobank will be looking to attack big time here and maybe have a few plans for earlier in the stage too - there is the opportunity to do some really big damage.

frenchfighter

Andy has been talking about the stage on Wednesday for a while. I think Saxo had it targetted early on. It may well prove to be the most interesting stage.

calvjones

all the GC contenders should just ignore Frank until Ventoux. He can be guaranteed t lose 2mins in the TT to Wiggins & Contador at least. Add that to his existing deficit and he's going to have to do a Coppi/Merckx type attack to really cause damage.

GeorgeShaw

Cumulonimbus wrote:

The stage on wednesday isnt a climb to the finish but the last two climbs are really brutal and IMO real climbers' climbs going by the steepness.

Col de Romme - 8.8 km climb to 8.9 % - Category 1
Col de la Colombière - 7.5 km climb to 8.5 % - Category 1

there is hardly any space in between them either. I think that Saxobank will be looking to attack big time here and maybe have a few plans for earlier in the stage too - there is the opportunity to do some really big damage.

I'm pretty sure that the both those climbs have 10+% ramps in them as well.

dennisn

Andy may have a plan but he must also overcome more than a couple of riders who will have a bit to say about him coming around them(Lance included). And any one of these
guys could have a bad day. Although I can't recall too many Lance bad days. Could he be playing possum? Laying in wait? Ya never know. Maybe he's got something left in the legs to challenge AC. I didn't see anyone else who could keep up on 15 and Lance wouldn't try. Lot of racing left to go and then again not a lot left to go. Trash talk is cheap.

blazing_saddles

dennisn wrote:

guys could have a bad day. Although I can't recall too many Lance bad days. Could he be playing possum? Laying in wait? Ya never know. Maybe he's got something left in the legs to challenge AC.Trash talk is cheap.

Some of us have known for months. Now, even Lance has an inclination. His fans, on the other hand, are still grimley trying to relive the past.
Correct that trash talk is cheap, but not as cheap as out and out bullshit.

Mettan

It's interesting that Andy says:

" " " Verbier was just the last climb, it wasn't much. It will be very different with so many big passes in the next couple of stages "" "

Ok, it's only talk - but he seems to be implying that there's alot more in the tank, especially in terms of overtaking Brad and Lance (in the overall) on the harder Alpine slopes - should be good - we need a challenger to Contador.

richa

Reckon that Sastre could be a real threat to both Brad (-2:06) & Andy (-1:26). He took 2:13 off the lead group up AdH. Could well do the same & more up Ventoux. He also often takes a bit of a climb to get into his stride, Ventoux's length will allow him this.

Mettan

RichA wrote:

Reckon that Sastre could be a real threat to both Brad (-2:06) & Andy (-1:26). He took 2:13 off the lead group up AdH. Could well do the same & more up Ventoux. He also often takes a bit of a climb to get into his stride, Ventoux's length will allow him this.

Agreed - I've said this - it'll be Bert, Andy and Sastre battling at the sharp end on the harder Alpine slopes.

frenchfighter

He thinks Frank will top Lance in the standings if this twitter is anything to go by:

Up in verbier was a good ride finish 2 behind contador congrats to him an also to lance my brother will be there the next days without him

dennisn

Mettan wrote:

It's interesting that Andy says:

" " " Verbier was just the last climb, it wasn't much. It will be very different with so many big passes in the next couple of stages "" "

Ok, it's only talk - but he seems to be implying that there's alot more in the tank, especially in terms of overtaking Brad and Lance (in the overall) on the harder Alpine slopes - should be good - we need a challenger to Contador.

I don't know? 2 minutes and 30 seconds back? And AC did seem very capable of "walkin' away" when he wants to. And there are a few others that will have to take a shot at it in the next couple of days or forget about it this year. Can't see them rolling over and just giving up. I don't think any one of the contenders is going to sit back and call it a day just yet. I think they will all try their digs. They've got to. Still AC is looking really, really,
on top of things.

Mettan

dennisn wrote:

Mettan wrote:

It's interesting that Andy says:

" " " Verbier was just the last climb, it wasn't much. It will be very different with so many big passes in the next couple of stages "" "

Ok, it's only talk - but he seems to be implying that there's alot more in the tank, especially in terms of overtaking Brad and Lance (in the overall) on the harder Alpine slopes - should be good - we need a challenger to Contador.

I don't know? 2 minutes and 30 seconds back? And AC did seem very capable of "walkin' away" when he wants to. And there are a few others that will have to take a shot at it in the next couple of days or forget about it this year. Can't see them rolling over and just giving up. I don't think any one of the contenders is going to sit back and call it a day just yet. I think they will all try their digs. They've got to. Still AC is looking really, really,
on top of things.

But how's Lance and Brad going to stop Andy in the Alps? - answer - they can't - obviously, we don't know what time AS will take back from them - we'll just have to wait and see.