Andy Schleck can win the 2012 TDF if....

We decided to to lay out how the Lanky Lux can win the 2012 Tour de France in response to this tweet @ us earlier today:

@hbstache He @andy_schleck is going to win the TdF this year. Even a good chance he'll win it twice... #againstallods

#1 There will need to be a massive crash crash like the one in 2003 that took out or hurt most of the GC contenders.  Andy will need to have Cadel, Conta, Basso, Wiggo and maybe even Levi hit the deck.  Team Nissan RadioSchack is researching what type of spectacles could cause this level of crash:

*Truth be told, Andy will need to have Frank  home as well; all that Schlooking around costs time and effort.

#2 Andy has to be okay with swapping bikes at the top of climbs (kind of a reverse Contador).  He might loose a bit of time putting on the armor & full face helmet but he at least he will have a fighting chance of making it down the descent in one piece.

#3 Andy will need Johan’s proposed UCI TT rule change to be approved.  The new rule would allow a teammate to ride Grand Tour TT’s for their leader.  "Hey Fabian take it a bit easy on your TT, save some for Andy’s."  When this idea was shared with Fabian, he responed in Fabanese “I am bit worried about Tony Martin, but he is busy with Chavenel’s pillow so it ok.  I ride hard for Andy!”

#4  A huge doping scandal could help his chances as well; something that will take out around a third of the field.  Think of what it would look like if 1998 met Op Puerto.  If Dr. Fuentez drove the Festina-mobile to the Saxo, BMC, & Sky team hotels with his cooler in the passenger seat. Andy is a lock for the top step (unless Frank bought "training plans" from Fuentez again)!

There is a chance Andy might end up as the  winner of the 2010 TDF if Conta gets  suspended.  But, Andy will always be SCHLECKnd to us!  

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What the stars of Pro Cycling are think about 2012

The dust has finally settled for the big teams and big names (except for the foot gas/dust for Geox as pictured on their jersey).  I think we might have a pretty good idea what they are thinking about 2012.  So here is our take on the things running through their head.

Cadel Evans:

-I won the Tour and now I have less riders to defend me?
-Gilbert & Thor are kidding me?
-So is Thor gonna look for the green jersey and go on all day break aways?  Is Phillipe gonna try to win every race again?
-This is GREAT...I am gonna rip someone's head off this year!
-DO NOT STEP ON MY DOGGIE!!!!!!
-Hey Contador how did that Tour treat you, mate?

Alberto Contador:

-Wow!  I love Under 17 World Cup soccer now!  So glad they all tested positive for eating bad meat.
-Having the Schlecks working with Johan is a interesting, but unless he has Lance sneak into the start house for them,  they still suck on a TT bike.
-Bjarne GO GET COBO or MENCHOV or both!!!
- It was the bad meat!
- Pistols are so cool! Finger Bang!
- I will have the chicken
- I am clean...I am clean....I am clean...
- I am the best!

Andy Schleck:

-I hope I still get to race every race with Frank.
-I really want to win the Tour or get 2nd as long as Frank is on the podium with me.
-I hope Johan is not like Bjarne - yelling at me and telling what to do & how to win.
-Next year's Tour route sucks! Too much time on that weird bike with the disc wheel.

Frank Schleck:

-I hope I still get to race every race with Andy.

-I really want to see Andy win the Tour or get 2nd as long as I am on the podium with him.

-I hope Johan is not like Bjarne - yelling at me and telling what to do & how to win.

-Next year's Tour route sucks! Too much time on that weird bike with the odd handlebars.

Phillipe Gilbert:

-I look good, the bike will look good & I will win every race I enter.

-Cadel & Thor? What about them?  

Thor:

I DEMAND RESPECT! 

I HATE JV!

Johan Bruyneel:

-FABIAN....FABIAN....F*CKING FABIAN!  YES, I CAN NOW WIN ROUBAIX!

-The Schlecks need to HTFU 

-Frank & Andy should get really used to being seperated.

-I will take so many leaders to the TDF that we can crash everyday and still be on the podium!

-We might as well win!

Bjarne Riis:

-I have Contador...

-I will steal some more races like the Ronde.....Muuuumuuuuhhhaaaa

-The Schlecks are soft

-Contador is on my team

-This bad meat excuse is actually gonna work...that was a close call!

-I hate Johan & his "super team" 

-Alberto Effin Contador rides for me!

-I am the best DS ever....I won the Tour with Sastre...WHO?  Yes, Sastre!

-You can't win Roubaix on a Trek so Fabian is screwed!

Juan Jose' Cobo:

-Maybe I should not have been smiling on the Angliru?  Was that a bit much considering my past and poor season so far?  Think that had something to do with Geox folding?

-I kinda liked the shoe farting on the front of our jersey!

Wiggins:

-What the F*ck this some bloddy bull shit Cavendish on my team...WHAT THE HELL?

CAV REALLY?  

-How am I gonna win the Tour with that little hobbit trying to win the green jersey?  

-F*******CCKKKK!!!!

-Does anyone have any taller socks? I want to take it up to my knee cap for 2012.

-Cav...SHIIIITTTT!!!!!!  

Jonathan Vaughters:

- How do my sideburns look?

- I hate Johan

- I am the smartest person ever in or around cycling

- How does my shirt look?

- I hate Lance?

- Anything we do at Garmin is better

- I miss Wiggo

- How do my trousers look?

- Bradley come back 

- I hate the UCI

- How do my loafers look?

Mark Cavendish:

- I am the fastest man in the world!

- I feel like I might cry

- The difference between myself and Wiggo is that I win, he just talks about how he might win.

- Sky is MY new team!

- I am feeling like I might shed a tear

- I am so bloody fast on my bike!

2012 should be an epic & entertaining year in Pro Cycling!

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THE SCHLECKnd TEE PRE-ORDER

Andy has started to carve out a place for himself on the podium at Grand Tours.  It's not the top step yet, so we thought we would have some fun with it. 


 We are doing a PRE-ORDER 9/19-9/30 on our new SCHLECKnd TEE $23  ($1 donated per tee to Best Friends Animal Society) available in men's and women's on athletic gray. Purchase Men's or Women's.

WE NOW SHIP TO ( The UK, Canada, Australia, Belgium and France)

Get yours during the pre-order as we might make this one a limited edition!

*A sense of humor required to place an order!  

We have had some fun writing about FRAndy this year click to catch up on past blogs!

Cycling Wiki Leaks: RadioShack Nissan Trek Memo to FRANDY

We received this memo via our Euro spy/fan.  This is the same the man that sent us the LEOPARD TREK Hotel memo so we feel he is legit.*




Dear Frank and Andy,


I am very pleased that you will both be riding on my new team.  I wanted to address a few things right away so we get off on the right foot. The goal of this team is to WIN races, we view 2nd and 3rd place as the 1st and 2nd losers. Here are a few new team rules that will go into place at the end of the 2011 season.

1. Ride together all you want in the off season, because next year you will NEVER be in the same race.  I will not have either one of you looking around for the other one. Frank you should study up on Italy and Spain.  Andy focus on France!  During Grand tours, you are not allowed to call, Skype, or send pictures to each other. 

2. We will be repossessing all but one of your bikes for the first 3 months of the off season.  The only one we are leaving you is a Time Trial bike. You might remember that bike is the one with the funny looking bars that makes the "swoosh swoosh" noise when you ride it. LEARN to ride it and get faster on it! You look like two monkeys humping a futball when you ride a TT. We will fix this!

3.  Andy this one is directed at you: We will have a bonfire at our training camp; bring every picture/note/piece of Best Friend stuff you have from your relationship with Alberto. To be honest, he thinks you're a fool and he makes fun of you every chance he gets.  He actually  referred to you as "mi perra" over race radio. (Google it - it's not kind.)

4.  If you are going to do your "traditional" off season dolphin swims, make sure there is no one there to take pictures. Swimming with a porpous is completely emaskulating. Grow 2 pairs and swim with sharks if you need to get closer to nature. Don't say a word about Boonen swimming with the dolphins; he pulls more girls than most rock stars and wins cobbled classic races.

5. Scarves...lose them, ALL of them!

6.  Andy this is another one for you - if you win a stage you are never allowed to "post up." It looks as though you are having a seizure and we can't use the pictures for any PR purposes.  

7.  We will have an in-depth class for both of you about social media and the topic of WINNING!  I never want to see another Tweet like "We are ____ (fill in with words like happy, satisfied, content) to get 2nd and 3rd at ____ (fill in race/stage Amstel, the TDF, etc.) 

8. Only one of you can ride in the Luxembourg championship races.  You can decide between the two of you, but trying to figure out which one of you has those jerseys gives me a headache. Plus, there are only like 5 riders from your country so it doesn't matter much anyway; it's not like you're Belgian!

9.  Yes, you will be riding SRAM again.  Get over it; our mechanics know WTF they are doing and you will be fine.

10.Please try to pay attention when training.  No music, texting, or no handed riding. I don't want to see pictures of your skinny bodies all bloody and damaged. You two look like you escaped from a prison camp half the off season.


PS: Find out when and where Johhny Hoogerland trains and ride with him!




Kindest regards,
JB


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*We can not promise this is an actual memo from Johan, but it could/should be.

Our USA Pro Cycling Challenge preview

We have lived in CO for about a year and half, and I am still amazed by the scenery, terrain and the weather.  The latter I feel will be a deciding factor in this 1st edition of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

Most of these riders are aware that this will be the highest stage race they have done (until the ASO figures out how to add Tour of Tibet to the calendar).  Many non-CO pros are already out here acclimating to the altitude.  To give some perspective to the lack of O2, the arrival line on Alpe d'Huez is at 1860 Meters (6,102 ft).  Several of the start towns at this race are already a 1,000 ft above that.  For those riders that are not yet here getting used to the altitude, it will be a bit of a shocker.

Yesterday I went for a ride and already had 5,000 ft of climbing in when the wind picked up.  It was 95 degrees w/30mph wind on my way home.  I was in the hurt locker and was thinking about how the wind can and will change the US Pro.  You just don't know when and where it will hit you in CO.  I have been in the middle of ride that started with no wind to speak of, only to get blasted on a descent with 35+ mph gusts.  As Nick Legan and the Rapha N. America crew pointed out in their stage 1 preview (Rapha Stage 1 preview), the wind here can change the game.  That said, to win this race I believe it will require a strong GC contender and a very smart/cunning Director Sportiff.

Who does that count out?  

LEOPARD TREK and the Schleck brothers: 
Cunning and tactics are not the norm with the Lanky Lux boys.  They can climb, which is a very good thing for this race, but descending is not at the top of their skill list.  Add in some wind, rain, sleet, snow on 12,000 ft descents and this could cost them the race.  Not to mention what will happen when another team makes a move on a flat section with a wicked side wind.  We have wondered if the LEOPARD TREK director is playing Angry Birds during a majority of their races (Amstel Gold as the Schlecks escorted Gilbert to the line, or in the Pyrenees at the TDF as Andy and Frank looked for each other like Bert and Ernie). Add in the stress of their "Hotel Demands "we highlighted earlier in the season, and it might be just too much for this team. I think these two have their sights set on the 2nd and 3rd step of the podium.  Expect a quote like this at the end of August:  

Schlecks "happy" w/ 2nd and 3rd again.

Constantly Schlooking around for each other.

“We would have hoped to have one Schleck on top of the podium, but we’re proud of each other and proud of ourselves.”




Who does that favor?

Radio Shack:
They have had a very Jekyll and Hyde season so far.  They very quietly won early on in the year, but followed that up with one of the worst TDF's in recent memory.  Johan Bruyneel has many fans and an equal number of detractors, but you can not deny he knows how to win stage races.  We normally think of his victories in the context of Grand Tours, but he has dominated the US races as well.

Tour de Georgia:
3 of 6

Tour of California:
4 of 6

Tour of Missouri:
1 of 3

Levi is not a true climber by any means, but he can hang tough with most of them.  He has shown he can handle the extreme altitude with his victory at the Leadville 100.   It does appear that Levi has better "luck" on this side of the Atlantic, so we will have to see if that continues here. Levi raced against many of these riders at ATOC and his team won the race in dramatic fashion.

Garmin-Cervelo:
After a very impressive TDF by Tom Danielson, they look poised to shake this race up.  As a CO based team, they know about the altitude and the weather they will encounter.  I predict that this team will animate this race from start to finish.  They have 3 cards to play with Ryder, Christian and Tommy D.  Teams won't be able to mark all three of them, and a breakaway move on a hot and dry day when the wind picks up could actually steal this race.  Ryder fits that bill perfectly and I would expect he gives it a go on several occasions.

Rabobank:
This Dutch team knows a bit about how to deal with wind and the elements.  Robert Gesink is a world class climber, if he is recovered from his TDF injuries, he could be on the podium.

The big ?'s for me:

Cadel Evans:
Will he be riding this to maintain his World #1 ranking, or as a glorified post TDF criterium to help his US based Team add to their marketing strategy?  It is hard to imagine that one would come to race at this altitude and not be here to win.  A Tour win is a dream come true for any rider; there has to be a bit of complacency that sets in right? Since 2009's Worlds, Cadel has surprised us, so I would expect him to throw us another curve ball in CO.

Dark horse:
Could an "unknown" win this thing?  The GC guys might let a solid domestic climber go away and gain minutes only to regret that situation later.  Even at the TDF, they almost had a surprise from Voeckler.  This race is not that long, if 3-5 min. is given, it could stick.

We are sure of a few things; this race will be beautiful and filled with the highest level of suffering any cycling fan can wish for.  VIVA CO Cycling! VIVA USA PRO CYCLING CHALLENGE!

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Schleck Brothers: What if other GC guys had a brother?

So we know now that Cadel Evans will win this addition of the Tour de France, and once again Andy Schleck will be in 2nd place.  I have 2 main thoughts about the Schlecks:

#1 Is Andy happy with 2nd?  It appears based on his answer to the interview questions, post Amstel Gold (Schleck Bros towing service used by Gilbert) and today, that he sees 2nd as an achievement.  For some riders, like Tom Danielson, even 9th can be an achievement, but 2nd place should not be satisfactory for Andy. I have said it before and I still feel this way, I think Andy is a nice guy!  I would want my kid to go ride with Andy and get his autograph, etc.  However, I don't think he is a "killer" that has the IT to win the Tour de France.  Merckx, Hinault, Big Mig, Pantani, Lance and Contador had it, but I don't see that in Andy.  I can not imagine any of those guys in the prime of their career being pleased/enjoying 2nd place. I can not picture them saying things like this:

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#2 Imagine what it would look like if those mentioned above had a brother that was close to their form.  Can you imagine the wicked damage the Merckx brothers or Armstrong brothers would cause? That is my main challenge in being able to root for the brothers Schelck; they just don't use all their tools.  Imagine if Frank attacked and they had to follow, only to launch Andy and on and on.  One of them would win and the other would be in the top 10 or a bit lower.

No question these guys knew how to play the #'s!

Look at how Mapei rode in the classics, that could be done by the Scheck brothers in a Tour. They have everything you need to rip apart the field, except the Killer instinct.  Others will argue that they still love the brothers and someday they will win one.  If it was a nice guy contest they are right up there, but Grand Tours are war for GC guys.  They are not ready to do everything they need to win the GC war. Until that changes, I see lower podium steps, and only lower steps, in their future.

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TT showdown: Lanky Lux vs Spirited Aussie should be epic!

Andy will be in the start house in the Maillot Juane.  The question is will he have it on later in the day?  Cadel is one of the best Time Trialists in the world and seems to be in the best form of his career. He has also shown us that he can avoid bad luck for a full 3 weeks.  Andy is not built like a time trailist, doesn't look the part, has not performed well in TT's past.  All that said the same was said about Sastre vs Evans in 08.  Some how someway Sastre was able to put in the TT of his life to keep the jersey.  The only thing we are sure of is that one of these "brides maids" is FINALLY getting hitched.

Here are some recent battles that happened at the end of the TDF (Floyd vs Oscar, Marco vs Jan).  It doesn't always end as you would expect, so we are excited to see how it turns out!  Take our poll on the upper right of this page to let us know how you think it will turn out!

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CYCLING WIKI LEAKS: LEOPARD TREK have a NEW BIKE for the Schlecks ?

We want to share BREAKING NEWS on the 2nd rest day of the Tour de France. The Schleck brothers have a solution for their separation anxiety.  As seen earlier on in Le Tour, when Frank went up the road "He really missed his lil' brotha!" Andy was also seen, looking around for Frank when he is getting separated on the big climbs.

After experimenting with a few others options including: A child harness leach system, helmet mirrors and picture lockets, a solution has been found.  

Fans spoke and they listened! Some fans suggested earlier on in the Tour via Twitter "The Schleck brothers should just ride a tandem!"  The brothers are taking advice and going forward with THEIR new bike.  The UCI weighed in, saying "We can not understand this decision, but as long as the seat is level...um...SEATS are level they are allowed to ride a tandem."

 So here is a 1st look at the new Schleck Mobile!

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The curious case of Andy Schleck

Let me start off by saying that I will be rooting for Leopard Trek to have some glory at the Tour this year.  I could not have been more impressed with the way the team handled the death of a teammate.  They are a class act, and I hope they keep Wouter Weylandt in the front of everyone's mind.

HUGS make "Angry" Tummies all better

That being said, let's talk about the Tour:

I have to ask the the question, can Andy Schleck win the Tour de France?  Can he beat the likes of Contador/Riis, Evans, Basso and the rest?

After watching races all year, all I can wonder is....WTF is up with Andy Schleck and his form/racing tactics/media comments?  I can understand some of the events of the year like racing ATOC with a heavy heart.  But as I am looking at the entire season, you have odd moments all around with the "Schleck Bros towing service" of Phillipe Gilbert at Amstel Gold.  Most recently, getting dropped at the Tour de Suisse and then being pleased with a 2nd place to Thomas De Gent the next day. Andy, you lost the stage to Thomas De Gent, not the ghost of Fausto Coppi, why are you happy with that showing?  Do you expect to see De Gent on the big climbs next month?

I think some good points are made in the recent VeloNation article: http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/8779/No-panic-for-Andy-Schleck-despite-poor-Tour-de-Suisse-performance.aspx  but, I think one point is missed.  Last year his results were similar prior to Le Tour, but he had Bjarne Riis in the Team car.  I know many wondered what Riis was really up to last year with Schleck vs Conta etc.. but you can't deny Riis knows how to win (by rook or by crook) and wanted the TDF for his resume.

I'm not sure who is in Andy's ear piece this year. From watching the races, I would assume it's a combo of Forrest Gump, Alan from the Hangover and Michael Scott.

Heard over race radio during Amstel Gold "Don't attack him, he is a nice Walloone!"

There are athletes that are "killers", they just have that IT quality and they know how to seize the moment. Cyclists like Merckx, Hinault, Lance and Conta have it.  In other sports you have Tom Brady, MJ, Kobe etc..

You also have the "Never gonna get it" club: Lebron James, Karl Malone, the Buffalo Bills, etc.  This has nothing to do with how good a person they are, or what they do out of their sport, they just CAN'T win the big one.  Last year for about 17 hours, I thought Schleck was the MAN and had found IT!  He was so pissed he had his "Stomach full of anger" and wanted his revenge.  Apparently he took a Pepto flavored GU because by the time he crossed the line his tummy was all better. He got played (and he didn't really care) on the Tourmalet. So I just can't picture him owning his moment in 2011, if and when it presents itself.  He has even said this Tour isn't about revenge and he is looking past last year. Funny,  the GREATS wouldn't be looking past it; they would be thinking about it 24/7 until they WON!

The other challenge for Andy Schleck in the 2011 Tour is his bro Frank Schleck. Last year some felt not having Frank was a disadvantage later in the race.  I disagree.  Every time I see them race together they are looking for each other and waiting up for each other. This could work out if they had the tactical ability of even Donald Rumsfeld but we know they can't take advantage even when it's 2 on 1.

I will bet on Conta, Evans, Basso, Gesink and Van den Broeck but not on the very likeable, kind, nice (but soft) Schleck brothers.  They could totally be bluffing Edward Norton style and if they come on strong and show no mercy, then I will be the 1st to admit I was wrong:

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The Story I wish 60 Minutes would tell. The real "current" state of #cycling

Here is my short take on this topic:

I will admit that I was and will always be a fan of Lance Armstrong.  I got into cycling based on reading his book and watching the Tour.  I attended the Tour 4 times, and have had the chance to meet and ride with him on 2 occasions.  Lance is not why I love my bike, why I love to ride, why I own a cycling tee shirt company.  He simply opened my eyes to the sport and I became consumed by it.
I was and will be a fan of Tyler Hamilton as well. Regardless of what he took to increase performance he wasn't taking anything for the pain of the broken shoulder or c-bones he raced with.  He is hard as nails and that is undeniable.
That said, I agree with those that bring Merckx into this.  Perhaps The "Cannibal" is the JFK of cycling and Lance is Bill Clinton.  Either way I have to ask what we gain with this deep dive into the late 90's and 2000's.  We know EPO, transfusions etc were the norm in that time period. We know cyclists have doped for decades; the Mt. Rushmore of cycling is filled with those that have taken the needle as outlined in Bill Strickland's article Lance Armstong's End Game.
"To us, today, Eddy Merckx is the greatest cyclist who ever lived, not a fraud who tested positive for a stimulant while leading the 1969 Giro d'Italia and had his 1973 Giro di Lombardia win stripped for the same. Joop Zoetemelk is the hardman who started and finished 16 Tours—a record—and won one. He's not a reprobate who was caught doping at the 1979 Tour, received a paltry penalty of a 10-minute time addition, and maintained his second-place podium spot. Jacques Anquetil is the five-time Tour winner who in 1961 took the yellow jersey on Stage 1 and wore it all the way to Paris, not a boastful cheater who said, during a French television interview, "Leave me in peace—everybody takes dope." And Fausto Coppi is il campionissimo, the champion of champions, not an admitted doper who said on Italian television that he only took drugs when necessary—"which is nearly always." 
Overall, Eddie and Lance have both done more good than bad, in and out of the sport. They are both human, both are great athletes and both have made mistakes like all of us.  We might want perfection in our athletes, but I'm not sure why, since none of us are? The facts about Eddie don't change the way I feel when I watch "A Sunday in Hell", and neither will any revelations about Lance change the way I felt on those mountain stages of the Tours I attended.
The current state of doping in cycling is more testing, better testing, more positives, and more targeted testing.  I would rather the US government take the tax dollars and put it into funding more Juniors testing since these kids are the future and in the most tempting position.

When I say I believe Lance has done more good than bad, this is a personal example.  He went out of his way to help me sending a message to my best friend's dying mother.  

I have to say, that I wish that 60 Minutes focused on how the cycling community is mourning the loss of Wouter Weylandt and how the entire global peloton has come together to pay respects and help his family.  I was watching live when it happened, I was stunned and heart broken like every other cycling fan.  What I have seen since that day, is a beautiful outpouring of emotion and good feeling from his Team, Sponsors, and fans.  That is what is CURRENTLY happening in cycling and this is the story that I wish the "non" cycling masses would be told this Sunday.

Stunned by the death of Wouter Weylandt

I had my day planned out, I was going to eat breakfast, watch the Giro and head out for a long day of training.  I am still sitting on the couch feeling numb after today's stage.  I was not a cyclist when Fabio Casartelli died, I was not watching the stage of Paris Nice when Andre Kivilev lost his life, but I was watching today. 


 I will never forget the images of them cutting Weylandt's helmet off.  The scene of the cars and the riders telling the cameras to get away.  I hoped and prayed for the next 40 minutes that he would recover.  We all just learned that he died from his injuries. I hope he felt no pain, and was gone the moment he fell.  I am so very sorry for his family, friends, and teammates.  It is rare that an athlete dies while participating in their sport; I can only recall a few others (Hank Gathers, Ayrton Senna, Reggie Lewis, Dale Earnhardt and Carla Swart).  I have the same questions now as I did when those athletes lost their lives.  Is it more sad or somehow a better ending for their life that they left this earth doing what they love?  Many people of the same ages have died in a hospital bed or in a car wreck.  All deaths are sad, whether the person is 99 or 24; they all leave a hole in the lives of those that loved them.  I can only hope that somehow, dying while doing that which they loved, was a better end.


RIP Wouter Weylandt 

GILBERT OWNS the Schleck brothers

This pic is even better than the "look" on the Alpe...it's like the "look" against 2 Jans!  UNREAL!

Cycling Wiki Leaks: LEOPARDTREK rallies "NEW" Coaching consultants after #Liege loss

After getting owned by Phillipe Gilbert in the final, the Schlecks realize they really miss "MR.60" Bjarne Riss. Team LEOPARDTREK was scrambling to take away the Schleck's shoe laces, belts and scarves before they got back to the team hotel. Post race, the brothers quickly tried to right the ship by getting back into their normal routine; Frank went out and crashed his bike several times and Andy cuddled with his stuffed dolphin and skyped with Alberto Contador (who laughed at him! and admitted he called Gilbert this A.M.)

Social media was buzzing with phrases like these being thrown at the team:
"Trek bikes, if the 2nd and 3rd step are good enough for you"
"We're #2...We're #2!"
"PussycatTrek"

Other reports are coming in:

Mercedes has asked the team to remove the grill "Benzo" emblem from team cars and donate them to inner city youth trying to make a go in the hip hop scene.

Charly Gual's family asked the Schleck's to consider changing racing licenses to represent Turkekashan for 2012.

Mario Cippolini was so stunned by the Schleck's "mangina tactics" that he said he will not be able to have sex today.  This is the 1st time in history he HAS EVER SAID THIS!

Jens and Fabian are planning to go on a 400+ watt average 12 hr training ride during a hurricane or blizzard to try to forget who they ride with.

Once again, our euro connections have produced another internal Team LEOPARDTREK memo disclosing a secret team meeting after the rough loss at Liege Baston Liege. Fearing major sponsor issues, the team has reached out to a group of "consultants" for help.  They are looking to assemble a group of amazing athletes and some of the finest finishers in sports history:

The 90's Buffalo Bills:  Leopard is looking to fly in the entire team to perform a Saxo Bank style survival camp with a flag football game to help with team building and tactics in the last few minutes of an event.  Scott Norwood will advise the Schleck's to line up on the left side going into final K to avoid being wide right!

Zinedine Zidane: He will be brought in to help the Schleck brothers work on composure in the final few minutes of an event when the eyes of the world are all watching.  He is a master of keeping his calm and using his head when needed.

Jan Ullrich:  The Team tried to bring in The Kaiser, but he actually declined the invite.  Jan Ullrich sited that he has actually won the Tour and said, "Ich war also keine Eins Hündin".  He admits that he would get a bit chubby, got outwitted and had some issues but he was not scared to try and win.  He also sited that he won a Gold Medal...so please leave him to his beer and wiener schnitzels.

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