
Simply greatSimply love
Andy is just and only 24, he already got the white jersey in Giro and Tour, was second in the Giro, won a Liege and was an amazing helper in many many races for an amazing team used
to race as a team. Team Saxo Bank lost 2 important men in this Tour, Arvesen and Voight, but managed to bring his 2 leaders in the top 5: today in Paris Andy will be second behind a very very strong Contador and Frank 5. They have been the only racers daring to attack him seriously for the final win and for the podium.
Andy ha appena 24 anni, ha già conquistato la maglia bianca al Giro e al Tour, è stato secondo al Giro, ha vinto la Liegi ed è stato un fantastico gregario in tantissime corse per una fantasica squadra che corre come una squadra. La SB ha perso 2 uomini importanti in questo Tour, Arvesen e Voight, ma è riuscita comunque ha portare i suoi due capitani nei primi 5: oggi a Parigi Andy sarà secondo dietro a un Contador davvero forte e Frank 5. Sono stati loro gli unici ad avere il coraggio di attaccare seriamente Contador per la vittoria finale e per il podio.
I am really disappointed to read so many critical and negative comments about yesterday race and I want point out here why in my opinion Andy didn't make any mistakes on Mont Ventoux, on the contrary he showed how great he is as a racer and as a man.
Mi dispiace molto leggere tanti commenti critici e negativi riguardo la corsa di ieri e qui voglio puntualizzare perché secondo me Andy non ha commesso alcun errore sul Mount Ventoux, ma al contario ha dimostrato quanto è grande come corridore e come uomo.
Overtaking Contador in GC would have been an unrealistic aim yesterday.
Superare Contador in CG non sarebbe stato un obiettivo realistico ieri.
Wisely team Saxo Bank made the race for Frank, trying to bring him on the podium. It's not Andy for bringing up his brother here: it's a Saxo Bank rider to bring up a team mate in agreement with a team strategy. And that strategy was right: Frank is 5 now and in Paris Saxo Bank will have got a very important aim having 2 men in the top 5. In the Giro Team Saxo Bank aimed to stages wins, in this Tour to the jellow jersey, the podium, the GC. Also Frank's stage victory was for that: he was 3 then in GC.
Saggiamente la SB ha fatto la corsa per Frank, cercando di portarlo sul podio. Non si trattava di Andy che cercava di portare avanti suo fratello, qui, ma di un SB che cercava di portare avanti un compagno di squadra in accordo con una strategia di squadra. E questa strategia si è dimostrata giusta: Frank è quinto adesso e a Parigi la SB avrà raggiunto un risultato molto importante, avendo due uomini nei primi 5. Al Giro la SB mirava alle vittorie di tappa, in questo Tour mirava alla maglia gialla, al podio e alla CG. Anche la vittoria di tappa di Frank era finalizzata a questo: dopo era 3 terzo in CG.
Andy was the best on Mont Ventoux, I agree (not everybody do) and if Saxo Bank would not have others racers for the top five or podium of course he would have tryed to win the stage. But Contador was very strong too and would have followed him for sure. Probably Andy would have been defeated at the sprint, because Contador is faster then him. However he would have tryed, fighting to the end as he always does. But the team strategy was different and in my opinion right.
Andy era il migliore sul MV, sono d'accordo (non tutti lo sono) e se la SB non avesse avuto altri corridori per i primi 5 o per il podio sicuramente avrebbe cercato di vincere la tappa. Ma anche Contador era molto forte e l'avrebbe seguito senz'altro. Probabilmente Andy sarebbe stato battuto in volata, poiché Contador è più veloce di lui. Tuttavia avrebbe provato, lottando fino alla fine come fa sempre. Ma la strategia di squadra era un'altra e secondo me era giusta.
All the above it's about cycling, then there is life: you can live and fight for yourself or be part of a project, a community, a collective. Team Sax Bank has strong team worths and Schelck brothers always said that family and personal relationships are important, more important then individual success. That involves your life conception, your philosophy, your choice.
Quanto sopra riguarda il ciclismo, poi c'è la vita: si può vivere e lottare per se stessi o essere parte di un progetto, una comunità, un collettivo. La SB ha forti valori di squadra ed i fratelli Schleck hanno sempre detto che per loro la famiglia ed i rapporti personali sono importanti, più importanti del successo individuale. E questo riguarda il tuo modo di vedere la vita, la tua filosofia, le tue scelte.
Today is a great day for Andy and for us. To be on the final podium of Tour the France is something that only few can dream and the most never achieve. It's fair that he enjoys this day without any sorrows or complaints or criticisms. It's his day. And it's beautiful to see two young racers who prefer team and brotherhood worths to individualistic and egoistic aims. Everybody's mouths are full of words against doping but does anybody see that only a different philosophy of life can change cycling world? Contador on the Gazzetta says that Andy Schleck didn't any mistakes and I hope that my favourite reporter, M.Pastonesi, will change his mind about this stage that has been beautiful, thrilling and strongly fighted to the last. Andy attacked 8 times for his team, not (only) for his brother and was great... as usual.
Oggi è un gran giorno per Andy e per noi. Essere sul podio finale del TdF è qualcosa che soltanto in pochi possono sognare e che la maggior parte non raggiungono. E' giusto che si goda questo giorno senza alcun dispiacere o lamentela o critica di sorta. E' il suo giorno. Ed è bello vedere due giovani corridori che preferiscono i valori della squadra e della fraternità rispetto ad obiettivi individualistici ed egoistici. Tutti si riempiono la bocca di parole contro il doping ma nessuno vede che soltanto una filosofia di vita diversa può cambiare il mondo del ciclismo? Contador sulla Gazzetta dice che Andy Schleck non ha commesso alcun errore e io spero che il mio cronista preferito, M.Pastonesi, cambi idea riguardo questa tappa, che è stata bella, avvincente e combattuta fieramente fino all'ultimo. Andy ha attaccato 8 volte per la sua squadra e non (solo) per suo fratello ed è stato grande... come sempre.
Andy made a very hard work for to bring his brother on the podium and in my opinion he would have won today stage if he didn't keep on trying till the last minute to get this aim. When he went away with Contador it was too late: Garate and Martin, in a breack from the first kms were already at the sprint in the awfull wind of Mount Ventoux top. Garate won, Martin was 2 and Andy 3. Contador didn't work for Armstrong but Armstrong was glued to Frank's wheel. I'm not happy to see him on the podium in Paris but must admit that today he was strong. Chapeau! Bravo to Nibali too: he was with the best racers nearly till the finish.
wonderful to seWhat a day today!! Yesterday morning Kimberley, Marleen and I woke up early and drove half a day to reach the Alpes and watch the stage 16 of the Tour – or better, to watch Andy and Frank racing there. My Dutch friends are my guests for their holydays in Italy and I'm happy to share my adventures on the Tour with others Schleck fangirls.
So we stoped in Prés-St.Denis, where the road was closed, we ate something in a bar watching the Tour in tv and went up on a curve to watch it in real when the race passed by there. And then we came back to the bar to see the end. It was a sad day. We saw Andy and Frank. I avoided to take pics to watch Andy properly. But Saxo Bank worked a lot for nothing: at the end Andy was still 5 (even if Frank was 8) and moreover Jens Voigt crashed and retired. I was a bit sad last night.
We slept in an hostel with Fede and his nice family and today morning we went to Bourg St.Maurice to see the start of stage 17. There was a lot of people, Saxo Bank team bus came last and was parked far away from the bariers so we could only take few pics.
I was lucky anyway: I met the photographer G.Noesen with his family, Andy looked at us smiling when we called him I took a good pic of Frank at the start, interviewing by RTL. Oh, thanks George for the beautiful pics you gave me and for the secret mission you accepted to carry out for me.
After the start we went back to that nice bar in Près-St.Denis to watch the Tour on tv and... what a stage!! Andy attacked with Frank and the went to the finish alone with Albert Contador (happy to leave behind Armstrong and Kloden). Frank won the stage, both Schleck was on the podium and in GC Andy is 2 now and Frank 3. Contador kept the jellow jersey (and Andy the white one of course).
dW, 3 by SB site, 4 by Getty image]
e didn't spend all in this stage and of course he was right, because there a
re too many stages left and ke
eping the jellow jersey would not be easy. Rinaldo Nocentini lost it today after 8 days: a record for Italian cycling. And George Hincapie lost it too yesterday after he got it by a brave breack away: he must say 'thank you' to his team mate Cav who pulled the group in the finish for the green jersey. There is a justice: Cav didn't get it and went behind in GC as a penalty because of his uncorect behaviour in the sprint, when he closed Husvold against the barrier.
[Pics by Bettini]
rlasse Andy, ma ho visto anche Lance farlo una volta o due. Sembrava una conversazione fra un campione giovane ma sicuro di sè e una vecchia leggenda del ciclismo ancora - o di nuovo - in sella.
[Pic by Paul Ernster]
