What a Tour. Never a dull moment. Only disappointed that the overall GC championship, the winner of the maillot jaune/yellow jersey/mellow johnny will forever be marked with an asterisk for many cycling fans because of the "mechanical problems" (dropped chain) during Monday's stage 15.
Per Velo News: The coincidence of Alberto Contador’s GC differential over Schleck following the stage-19 time trial — 39 seconds, the same amount of time that Schleck lost to Contador over the Port de Balés due to a mechanical problem — wasn’t lost on Schleck"
Andy regrets losing his brother during this Tour's stage 3. This year Fränk went out after a bad crash during stage 3 when he was sent to hospital with a broken collar bone, broken in three places.
Fränk Schleck came into the Tour fresh off winning the overall at the Tour of Switzerland and the Luxembourg national road championship, and younger brother Andy has said on more than one occasion that he believed Fränk had the form to finish on the podium of this year’s Tour. “I’m satisfied with the whole Tour. I know it’s going to be different next year,” Schleck said. “It’s not been a super Tour. Personally I’m really happy, I’ve won two stages and taken the best young rider’s competition, but if I would have had Fränk out there in the mountains, it would have been a different story. I know that, my team knows that, and everyone around me knows if he would have been there, it would have been different. But we leave behind what’s behind.”
Guaranteed that it will be Contador v/Schleck all over again in 2011. Ahem...make that a Schleck v/Contador rivalry as Andy has to prove himself as a true rival, challenger to Alberto in le Tour de France 2011! I am quite certain that both Andy and his brother Fränk will challenge Contador next year during le Tour 2011. If both Schleck brothers remain healthy with no incidents (same for Contador) through-out next year's Tour, let's up the ante - if you will - and just call it what it should be...a Schleck and Schleck v/Contador fight to the end.
In my personal opinion, Alberto may have excellent domestiques helping him on his Team Astana but none better to match what the Schleck brothers can do as they pull together especially in the mountains. My advice to Alberto, go find yourself a stronger team or at least three domestiques who will be able to assist you as if you were their own brother.
My how I look foward to the 2011 Le Tour de France. Sometimes known as the "Tour de Chance" like this year seems to be for the cycling world.
Per Velo News: The coincidence of Alberto Contador’s GC differential over Schleck following the stage-19 time trial — 39 seconds, the same amount of time that Schleck lost to Contador over the Port de Balés due to a mechanical problem — wasn’t lost on Schleck"
Andy regrets losing his brother during this Tour's stage 3. This year Fränk went out after a bad crash during stage 3 when he was sent to hospital with a broken collar bone, broken in three places.
Fränk Schleck came into the Tour fresh off winning the overall at the Tour of Switzerland and the Luxembourg national road championship, and younger brother Andy has said on more than one occasion that he believed Fränk had the form to finish on the podium of this year’s Tour. “I’m satisfied with the whole Tour. I know it’s going to be different next year,” Schleck said. “It’s not been a super Tour. Personally I’m really happy, I’ve won two stages and taken the best young rider’s competition, but if I would have had Fränk out there in the mountains, it would have been a different story. I know that, my team knows that, and everyone around me knows if he would have been there, it would have been different. But we leave behind what’s behind.”
Guaranteed that it will be Contador v/Schleck all over again in 2011. Ahem...make that a Schleck v/Contador rivalry as Andy has to prove himself as a true rival, challenger to Alberto in le Tour de France 2011! I am quite certain that both Andy and his brother Fränk will challenge Contador next year during le Tour 2011. If both Schleck brothers remain healthy with no incidents (same for Contador) through-out next year's Tour, let's up the ante - if you will - and just call it what it should be...a Schleck and Schleck v/Contador fight to the end.
In my personal opinion, Alberto may have excellent domestiques helping him on his Team Astana but none better to match what the Schleck brothers can do as they pull together especially in the mountains. My advice to Alberto, go find yourself a stronger team or at least three domestiques who will be able to assist you as if you were their own brother.
My how I look foward to the 2011 Le Tour de France. Sometimes known as the "Tour de Chance" like this year seems to be for the cycling world.
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