I was late to my son training yesterday: Tour de Suisse stage final was too exciting to turn off and I was glued to the screan almost jumping on my bed: go Steve go!!
NOW, as a Schleck fan in general and an Andy Schleck fan in particular - and in spite Andy said no - there were a few reasons to panic or to be disappointed at least: Frank was a dull copy of the attacking brilliant climber he used to be, Andy.... EHM...
Just yesterday somebody asked me: but is there Andy in Tour de Suisse? OK: he is there. He had a 'bad day': normal people do. But still... Do you need Tour pressure to be in a top shape? honestly that's bullshit. What if every pro riders would say the same? "Sorry, I need Lombardia" or "I'm not doing great I know, but keep paying me and you'll see in Milano-Sanremo!" Which team could accept such a logic? I understand and respect the idea to have few goals in a season even if using serious races as a training looks somehow unrespective. But you can't focus just on one race. What if you loose it? What if you crash or get ill - no please! - or simply find a too strong opponent?
Fortunately Steven Kruijswijk thinks different: he tries and gets what he can. In the Giro he was an amazing White Jersey - better then the already-quite-old Roman Kreuziger who should have gone for something more - and kept attacking in every stages. After the Giro he didn't go in holyday. He had some rest, of course, but evidently is in Tour de Suisse to show his name and his jersey again. Yesterday he did it: tried and managed to go. He went to the line solo and his face looked so similar to Andy's face in Liège 2009: happy, amazed, incredulous but aware to be on the way for the glory.
A stage in Tour de Suisse isn't the same as a big classic, I know. Moreover Andy's victory there was a team builded one where Kruijswik won almost alone, supported by Rabobank but not as a leader: he played his cards in a very hard finish, was strong and smart. Andy there was perfect but perfectly delivered by Saxo Bank: he started to win. I don't think that Kruijswik had made the same that morning but for sure he had started to give all and do his best.
He made my day! I arrived to the training area telling everybody: - Kruijswick won! - Sympathetic but kinda perplexed Liv's team sport directors asked me: - Who? where? Ah...! and are you coming to Giro di Toscana? -
- Dunno... When is that? -
You see, each one lives in his/her own world. You can decide in which one you want to live, I think you can. Different worlds have differents qualities, good and bad. Giro di Toscana is very close to us, in my region. But Tour de Suisse is more interesting for me because... Andy is there. BDW: is he there? Sorry, I'm joking... Happy anyway to have not payed a tiket to Swizerland.
11 commenti:
I am a Leopard fan and like the Schlecks. I have always defended Andy for his on/off form but am a bit over it really. He says he is not a one race rider but is so apparent that he is.
I really want him to win a TDF but really, could he not at least try for victory in others. Surely he must have more goals than just the TDF. And I agree- what if he does not win the TDF. All that training and focus for 49 weeks for a 3 week tour is lost. Admiration is slipping a little.
If Steven Kruijswijk was such a better 'white jersey' than Kreuziger then why didn't he win it! Your arguements make no sense.
yeah you're a little bit right. But today he was 2nd at the stage, so he tried to win. Now we also know that yesterday he just had a bad day and that he isn't in a bad shape. So we can have more hope that he will win the TDF.
This has been Andy's pattern for the last couple of years. Yeah, it's not always exciting to watch, but as a fan I choose to grin and bear it until the TdF. If anything, I think he's showing more effort in training and racing this year than last year. *shrug* To each their own. I think he's fine.
Shirey
Best coz younger, that was: Roman was fighting for pink.
About Andy: in 2007 he was second in the Giro and didn't race the Tour. In 2008 made a wonderful TdF, best young, no stage victory coz of the Sastre story, 12th in spite of his bad day. In 2009 he won Liège and was an amazing second in TdF. In 2010 he had a wrong start: crash, knee problem so he was ONLY secnd again in TdF but we know how. In 2011 no crashes, no sickness as far as we know, he's 26, he is one of the best riders in the workd... and he won NOTHNG. Will he win the TdF? I hope so. But then he will be a 26 yo racer who is pro since 2005 and just won 1 Liège and (maybe) 1 TdF. That isn't much.
Today he FAILED again to win a stage! he got the mountain jersey, good and I hope he will keep it. In GC is 20 after such an exploit.
No dears, I am not happy. For him first. But of course he can change that: I'm waiting and will be the first one to celebrate.
Ok, but today I saw him doing his best and he really wanted to get the points on the top of the mountains so for me it was very nice to see him riding today, even if he didn't won the stage.
Of course :D
If he judges his success as a cyclist as winning the TDF then that is great. I don't think anyone would argue that his progress is better than previous years in preparation for the TDF.
However one would think if you are a professional cyclist racing at the highest professional level, then you might have some more goals than just winning one grand tour.It makes (fan or not) for a very boring time to watch him for the rest of the year in other events. One would think if his record so far which includes 2 seconds at the TDF, that he could actually try for stage wins in other races.
I am a LT and an Andy fan too and I share the same thoughts. If you are a pro you have to respect your sponsors and your fans. It doesn't make sense to me to put all your eggs in just 1 basket i.e; TDF otherwise the rest of the season will become one just big yawn
Pros are also paid very good money so they have obligations. I would like to see Andy race like yesterday more often and he should also try to win other races like Gilbert, Evans and Contador do. Even Vinokourov who is at the end of his career tries to get wins.
Andy is a talented rider but he has to grow up and give his team and fans something more than TDF. What if he doesn't win it? Will we have to wait for another year?
As for LT I must say that the team tactics most of the time do not make sense at all and I am not the only one who is saying this. As a team Lt need to refine their strategies.
Agree, also about the LT strategy. In add: often it seems they have just individual goals: Andy's, Frank's, Fabians' and so on. But a team needs also eam goals, no matter who achieves them.
I think Andy is not going to do the National Championships. So you can save your money and stay in Italy. BDW I don't think you are welcome in Lux. but it's just my impression.
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