Is Frank Schleck clean?

[adamastor]

In his favour?

- Doesn't look "invincible", even in the mountains
- from team CSC, with drastic internal anti-doping controls
- Cadel Evans likes him, and they're even friends (comment in l'Equipe today)

Against him?

- Very, very close Basso friend in 2005-2006, year where Basso was not allowed to start Tour (Frank won in Alpe d'Huez)
- never openly condemns doping. Is it because he respects his coach Riis, is it because of his family of ex-cycling pros, who are part of the old generation?
- came third in Hautacam behind 2 SD. Everybody is fuming, he should feel he was robbed of victory, as he was the one who dropped the peloton, then was made a fool of by Cobo and Piepoli. He didn't say a word against them or Saunier, except a laconic: "This proves tests work." Andy refused to give an opinion on the Ricco case.
- started career in a French team. They did not renew contract, and he managed to get a contract by Riis. Old employer surprised about his performance, as they never detected exceptional talent in him [different for Andy. Cyrille Guimard always said, HE is a natrual capable of winning the Tour one day]

Any thoughts?

 

[TheDarkLord]

Any thoughts?

Yes, I have a thought about what you describe as drastic anti-doping control. They have the same anti-doping program as Astana (as in both are Damsgaard). Do you think Astana is clean (think of their performance in the Giro after Contador was supposedly at the beach when he was informed that he was to ride the Giro)? Only if you answer yes can you entertain the possibility that CSC is clean.

 

[Prano]

Yes, I have a thought about what you describe as drastic anti-doping control. They have the same anti-doping program as Astana (as in both are Damsgaard). Do you think Astana is clean (think of their performance in the Giro after Contador was supposedly at the beach when he was informed that he was to ride the Giro)? Only if you answer yes can you entertain the possibility that CSC is clean.

the Astana program is from january 7 2008

 

[Prano]

Yes, I have a thought about what you describe as drastic anti-doping control. They have the same anti-doping program as Astana (as in both are Damsgaard). Do you think Astana is clean (think of their performance in the Giro after Contador was supposedly at the beach when he was informed that he was to ride the Giro)? Only if you answer yes can you entertain the possibility that CSC is clean.

Maybe you are the Darf lord

 

[thoughtforfood]

uh..No

 

[Prano]

In his favour?

- Doesn't look "invincible", even in the mountains
- from team CSC, with drastic internal anti-doping controls
- Cadel Evans likes him, and they're even friends (comment in l'Equipe today)

Against him?

- Very, very close Basso friend in 2005-2006, year where Basso was not allowed to start Tour (Frank won in Alpe d'Huez)
- never openly condemns doping. Is it because he respects his coach Riis, is it because of his family of ex-cycling pros, who are part of the old generation?
- came third in Hautacam behind 2 SD. Everybody is fuming, he should feel he was robbed of victory, as he was the one who dropped the peloton, then was made a fool of by Cobo and Piepoli. He didn't say a word against them or Saunier, except a laconic: "This proves tests work." Andy refused to give an opinion on the Ricco case.
- started career in a French team. They did not renew contract, and he managed to get a contract by Riis. Old employer surprised about his performance, as they never detected exceptional talent in him [different for Andy. Cyrille Guimard always said, HE is a natrual capable of winning the Tour one day]

Any thoughts?

I believe he is...

 

[OAR8]

I believe he is...

He is not. And only a matter of time before his stg. 10 test results show what he really is!

 

[Prano]

He is not. And only a matter of time before his stg. 10 test results show what he really is!

You must be wise or something...

 

[Hitchy]

No reason to believe that he's not...it's not like he's produced anything in this tour that he hasn't done before, no big surprises or super human results ...ala schumacher, ricco etc. Having said that, nothing surprises me anymore...but I'd be suspecting a fari few others before Schlek

 

[RdBiker]

I always thought he was a mediocre rider who could in his best day and with a bit of luck win a classics race or a stage in the TdF. So now I've been very surprised about his performance in the past few years when he's done very well in the classics (especially this year) and it seems he's going very well in the TdF without concentrating on it in the Armstrong way...

 

[NJK]

I always thought he was a mediocre rider who could in his best day and with a bit of luck win a classics race or a stage in the TdF. So now I've been very surprised about his performance in the past few years when he's done very well in the classics (especially this year) and it seems he's going very well in the TdF without concentrating on it in the Armstrong way...

Big plus for Schleck was that he looked to breathing through his mouth on Hautacam usually a good indication that you are working hard.

I still feel annoyed that the only super human performer at the moment won't be caught. Sitting on a beach in Barca wondering what to do with his last dose of (new) EPO probably.

 

[classic1]

Did anyone actually notice that Schleck got dropped by the SD boys on Hautacam?

 

[RdBiker]

Did anyone actually notice that Schleck got dropped by the SD boys on Hautacam?

Did anyone actually notice that Schleck dropped Evans and Menchov.

 

[thunder]

Did anyone actually notice that Schleck dropped Evans and Menchov.

RdBiker, Menchov and Evans gave them the rope. They had eyes on each other.

Menchov and Evans will mark each other to Paris and it will be decided in the chrono. Atleast that is what my esteemed friend confusedfan said

 

[Geoff Vadar]

Hey Thunder you should send Classic1 a PM commiserating him on Collingwood's most recent performance. I did. He loved it and asked if more people could do the same.

 

[adamastor]

Heulot in yesterday's Ouest France. The subject is that Saunier Duval was on organised doping program, but in what concerns this thread he said:

"In Hautacam, I ignored the first 3 (Piepoli, Cobo, SCHLECK). Behind them, I saw proper cycling, that lloked like something normal. One could actually read the brand on the turning wheels..."

Again, they all think Schleck is in it too, but how can he do it without being detected (I clearly use detected, not caught) by the Damsgaard system?

Source (French)

 

[Leafer]

Heulot in yesterday's Ouest France. The subject is that Saunier Duval was on organised doping program, but in what concerns this thread he said:

"In Hautacam, I ignored the first 3 (Piepoli, Cobo, SCHLECK). Behind them, I saw proper cycling, that lloked like something normal. One could actually read the brand on the turning wheels..."

Again, they all think Schleck is in it too, but how can he do it without being detected (I clearly use detected, not caught) by the Damsgaard system?

Source (French)

Schleck looked like he was really suffering to stay with the two SD riders, and of course in the end he couldn't stay with them and actually ended up cracking pretty good. So I'm a bit surprised that Heulot lumped him in with the SD riders - I wonder if he meant Ricco instead of Schleck, ie Ricco along with Piepoli and Cobo?

 

[Chavez]

I'm not exactly Joe ProTour here, but Schleck has struck me as a bit of a second-rater - certainly a pretty elite athlete, but just doesn't have that special something to put him over the top into the elite category.

Watching the tour this year, he still has that look; though the S-D guys getting nabbed for doping certainly makes his failure to seal the deal on the Hautacam less of an indictment of his ability. Plus he has these going for him...

- Doesn't look "invincible", even in the mountains
- from team CSC, with drastic internal anti-doping controls

...and I chalk these two "negatives"..

- never openly condemns doping. Is it because he respects his coach Riis, is it because of his family of ex-cycling pros, who are part of the old generation?
- came third in Hautacam behind 2 SD. Everybody is fuming, he should feel he was robbed of victory, as he was the one who dropped the peloton, then was made a fool of by Cobo and Piepoli. He didn't say a word against them or Saunier, except a laconic: "This proves tests work." Andy refused to give an opinion on the Ricco case.

...as a side-effect of him desperately needing a personality implant.

 

[MintID]

I don't think you can say Schleck is doped based on his performance on hautacam.

First of all, the favorites probably saw Sastre as more of a thread and 'allowed' schleck to ride away.
second, piepoli looked bored to death and was probably riding well under his capabilities (same goes for ricco). even so, Schleck got dropped twice.
third, the favorites regained some time on schleck once he wasn't riding with the SD riders.
By riding at their pace he was probably riding a bit over his limit hence he cracked.

Andy, Frank and Sastre is probably the best climbers left in the tour so I'm not too surprised that frank put in some time on his competitors.
I hope Sastre and the schleck can do the same today and put some pressure on Evans. Lets face it CSC is the team making this race exciting.

 

[adamastor]

I'm not exactly Joe ProTour here, but Schleck has struck me as a bit of a second-rater - certainly a pretty elite athlete, but just doesn't have that special something to put him over the top into the elite category.

Watching the tour this year, he still has that look; though the S-D guys getting nabbed for doping certainly makes his failure to seal the deal on the Hautacam less of an indictment of his ability. Plus he has these going for him...

...and I chalk these two "negatives"..
...as a side-effect of him desperately needing a personality implant.

Point taken and, well, accepted at moment. Maybe I'm to tough on the Schleck brothers, as I would expect them to be much tougher in their opinionon dopers.