Is Andy a rider overrated?
victorponf
Posts: 1,187
Just 8 victories in his career, the most important Lieja and 2 stages in the Tour (1 a Bertie gift, I remember when Lance did the same with Pantani, a true champion that didn´t accept the gift)
I think he hasn´t a very professional attitude, just riding for the Tour and no winning it.
Now he came to the Vuelta and lose 14 min in the first stage, when will be win a GT? When contador is retired.
I think is going to be the new Poulidor, he has to learn from Rominger, trying to win Giro and Vuelta too, and figth Contador in the Tour.
Sorry for my censored english
I think he hasn´t a very professional attitude, just riding for the Tour and no winning it.
Now he came to the Vuelta and lose 14 min in the first stage, when will be win a GT? When contador is retired.
I think is going to be the new Poulidor, he has to learn from Rominger, trying to win Giro and Vuelta too, and figth Contador in the Tour.
Sorry for my censored english
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What would you have done differently in the 2010 Tour?
Strava is not Zen.
Don´t accept Contador gift in Tourmalet, no accept Contador frienship
Andy seems happy to go for the Tour every year but it appears as though to make up for the work his team do for him in the Tour he has to repay the favours over the course of the year.
A personal grievance I have is how he seems to wait for Frank when he should reall ybe riding for himself.
Re this Vuelta, his performance yesterday was most likely not because he hasn't got form, rather he is only there for one reason only - to cause damage in the mountains to help Frank. To do that best of all, he will save himself whereever necessary. Cancellara was also well down y'day, most likely for the same reason. Astana's domestiques were often well behind when it didn't matter. He doesn't want to win and he isn't looking for later season form.
My guess is that the time loss yesterday may have been tactical. He is at the Vuelta to help Frank win. He might as well take it easy in the less complicated stages, then go at 100% in the ones where he can be useful to give Frank an advantage. With a healthy time deficit Andy can hopefully go up the road, then have Frank bridge up to him.
Should say I had no idea he'd lost time so if he was ill, crashed etc ignore that !
it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
I think he just don´t try to follow the bunch, he hadn´t a suffering face, and even Petacchi arrive 6 min before him!
It may well be the world's best super-domestique has been posturing as a captain for a while...
Andy goes GT to enjoy the beach (Vuelta 2009 and 2010)
Agree with this. I think it's a question of motivation rather than talent. He seems content to soft-pedal around every race that isn't the Tour or the Ardennes classics. It's a shame really.
He's not my favorite rider, but I think he's certainly one of the most professional riders. He is willing to wait and aim for the biggest races and he will eventually win them (just like Poulidor did win a GT). You're focussing to much on winning, he's a 25 year old who has finished on the podium in a GT three times. If you say he has just 8 wins, you're basically saying that a stage win in the Sachsen Tour is more important than 2nd place in the French Tour.
He is ridiculously good, and for such a young rider, knows how to peak at just the right time.
Not a massive AS fan but I'm glad at least someone is challenging Contador otherwise I wouldn't even bother watching the TdF, he's still young to (unfortunately for him though so is Contador).
:roll:
You have totally convinced me that Andy Schleck is an amateur. I mean he didn't even win the Tour. He should quit cycling, grow a beard and live in complete isolation for the rest of his life.
He seems like one of those riders who, to use Kelly's quote about Ardilla, "needs a right fookin' drillin'" from the DS to get him sufficiently motivated. Unfortunately, it looks like his new squad for 2011 could be more pandering, less "drillin'".
Perhaps he should have signed with Lefevre for a year.
They send a kid to ride the Giro and he gets 2nd in his first GT and then this family thing of I've got to ride for big brother.
He showed the world he is a potential GT winner and all he has done since is mark time and got another 2 second place GT podium when big brother is not there. ??
He needs some cut and thrust bike racing to teach him elementary stuff like the right time to change gears .
Albert won't be riding the Paris-Nice next year (well he has proved his point there) and Andy should at least try it or at least do something to regain the respect we had after that first Giro.
I just say that he is really good but if his attitude doesn't change he is going to just focus in the Tour to be second, and that's a pity whit his conditions.
Hey Charley Gaul won the Tour and did just that! A better punishment is deserved, shurely?
@gietvangent
I agree with this.
I will be interesting to see how he gets along away from Riis, who comes across a fatherly, protective and controlling. By contrast AC has had quite a tough route the past few year, but has still come out of it with the big wins.
With AS I get the feeling that he needs to 'man up', all this stropping and pouting after the chaingate stage didn't do much to endear him to me. But the guy undoubtedly has talent.
Plenty of time to adjust and develop into the "next best thing".
The problem seems to be that AC is nearly the same age and much more mature. To defend a GT title when your health is indifferent and your form far from what you desire is quite an impressive achievement. Still plenty of time.....
Other than AC, who else is going to challenge him(at the moment anyway)?
"Nice Guy Andy" would suit him.
I think his biggest problem is that he is a skinny tall guy with no 'haut' power. He is a lovely climber, very elegant in hsi form but lacks a punch and so when a more compact overall rider manages to stay with him then they have the advantage of the kick. Regardless if the more compact rider managers to stay with him then on the TTs the advantage is very much in facour of his competitors.
Andy Schleck will never win le Tour de France, his nemesis Contador is just overall a far superior and complete package and in 2-3 years we may see a new breakthrough athlete who will become far superior.
If they decide to make le Tour 60% mountainous then perhaps through his alpine endurance he may gain the edge but i cannot see ASO designing a course so biased.
Riis wins ..... it all seems as if Schleck was calling the shots by realisign his ambition but really it seems as if this is just directed from the ego of his brother and father who again are blinkered by their own limited ambition.