It is hard to remember now – as we watch the 2013 version of Schleck slogging up early-season climbs with the air of a man defeated – the level of expectation across the cycling world after the numerous successes of Schleck’s early career.
Andy Schleck’s lack of descending skills on the road has been widely documented, but the speed of his descent from Alberto Contador’s main rival for overall victory in the Tour de France to that of a domestique struggling to finish a one-week race stage has been remarkable.
It is worth recapping just how significant those early successes were. In 2007 at the age of 22 he finished second to Danilo Di Luca at the Giro D’Italia.
The following year saw him finish twelfth in his first Tour de France, collecting the first of three consecutive white jerseys in the best young rider classification.
In the three years from 2009 to 2011 Schleck finished second, first (awarded after Alberto Contador’s disqualification) and second respectively in the Tour de France, while also capturing the overall victory in the prestigious one day race of Leige-Bastogne-Liege in 2009.
To have finished on the podium of a Grand Tour four times by the time he reached the age of 26 was an achievement which marked him out as a potential great to stand on an all-time podium alongside Merckx, Coppi, Hinault et al – a true once-in-a-generation rider.
Regrettably, as in the case of so many athletes across the sporting spectrum who have shown such talent and potential in the early part of their careers, one can only help but wonder if the successes Schleck showed during this time were not the first rays in the dawn of a brilliant career, but an early and transient high-point, a precursor to a long late-career slide into obscurity.
In other words, the beginning of that familiar sporting narrative of the exceptionally gifted young athlete unable to fulfil the expected destiny of an all-time great.
It is with regret that some fans of English football recall the thought they had after Michael Owen’s career defining World Cup goal against Argentina in 1998 – that thought being something like:
“If he’s this good now, just imagine him in five years time.”
But of course, he was never quite that good again. Sadly, a glorious spring provokes a certain yearning for – and expectation of – a glorious summer.
And when such a summer does not arrive, it leaves us feeling unsatisfied, almost cheated out of something that we expected to be rightfully ours.
And so it is with our young sporting heroes. The spring alone is never enough; we always want the summer.
Yet many of us, still, are hoping to see the full blossoming of Andy Schleck’s talent – the elusive summer of this former prodigy’s career (he is, after all, only 27 years old and should be coming into his peak as a professional cyclist).
Last weekend’s Criterium International in Corsica provided some cause for optimism. Firstly, and importantly, Schleck finished the race without disgrace.
The first stage comfortably ensconced in the peloton; the second, a 7 km time-trial, 45 seconds in arrears to the winner Richie Porte.
Nothing special, certainly – but at the same time, steady, respectable, not disastrous.
Then, on the second day, an attack. Not an attack with any real menace, nothing to compare with those early, glorious years – only a simple move at kilometre 105 to join a breakaway formed by the Team Europcar trio of Thomas Voekler, Cyril Gautier and Kevin Reza.
Soon after, on the Col de Sainte Lucie De Tallano, Schleck was dropped again.
He ultimately finished almost 22 minutes down on the eventual stage winner (and winner of the overall classification), Team Sky’s Chris Froome.
It did, however, mark a comeback of sorts. As Schleck himself said post-race of his early season travails and of the stage itself, “I was never dead, just maybe asleep – but it was a nice day today.”
Never dead, but asleep. For those sports fans attracted to the romantic notion of ‘the comeback’, Schleck’s words provoke within us a certain desire to see him rise again.
To complete the journey from the top, to the bottom, to the top again. The prodigy returns – but this time older, and wiser, and tougher. This is his ambition, and his supporters’ dream.
But truly, can Schleck ever return to being a great cyclist? That is the question that echoes in the minds of team-mates, fans and rivals alike.
So let us, for a moment, reconsider stage 18 of the 2011 Tour de France – the highest finish in the great race’s history.
A tour in which Schleck had, until that point, been relatively underwhelming. And then, 60km from the finish, he attacked – and it was to become one of the defining attacks of the modern era, an audacious move which prompted the great Eddie Merckx to emerge from the sunroof of the race director’s car to scream his support.
A move which nobody had seen coming, which nobody had predicted, and which resulted in a stage win and a time gap of over two mintutes to his nearest rivals.
Such an attack still lingers in the memory, and teases out the desire in cycling fans of a romantic persuasion to see a similar act repeated, to see Schleck once again at the ‘Tete de la course’, pursued but not caught; a victory not gained by careful calculation of wattage, but from God-given talent and a natural instinct for bike-racing.
Perhaps it is too much to expect such a victory from Schleck again; we should simply accept the fact that as an athlete he peaked early and his best days are already in the past.
And yet, with time still on his side, the faint hope remains of that rare progression in the career of a prodigal athlete: the transition from a promising spring to that of memorable summer.
Joe
Guest
Now that schleck sucks! everyone seems to be eager to criticize him. They say he doesn't have that killer instinct, and he never had it. Really? So what was attacking and winning on Morzine or the tourmalet in 2010 or the. Galibier in 2011 mean? Yes, he lost time on descents, but that was a nerve problem, not a biking problem, and he has had great descents in the past, I.e., col d'Izoard in 2011. If you watch the video of that descent, he was taking a ton of risks. People say he never showed up to any race but the tour or LBL, but really, he's a pure climber, they don't win anything, besides mountain stages. Van Impe never won anything besides the tour and a stage in the vuelta, and pantani never had any major wins not in a grand tour. To win a week long stage race, you have to be able to time trial, something schleck can't really do. As far as the one day races go, LBL is more than most people have own, and Froome this year never looked close to winning any one day race, and contador, van Impe, and pantani haven't won it either. After the hip injury, he probably won't ever be able to win the tour again, but who knows? Anything can happen, and maybe he could come back with some specialized training. He'd have to really work on time trialling, and some people just aren't good at it. But let's stop all this criticizing him just because of the injury people.
Whiteline
Guest
You guys are deluded. They are or were on the GEAR!!!! Get your heads out of the samd - ed, I'm with you. Didn't Merckx admit somewhere along the line???
Greg OFlaherty
Guest
Thanks for the comments, guys. I agree that Schleck lacks the mental toughness and killer instinct of a Contador, but it’s this combination of natural talent and mental frailty that makes his performances so intriguing (for me at least). He’s very much a confidence rider and seems to need a lot of support from his team, not least brother Frank. Contador, on the other hand, always seems to have an unshakeable self-belief and is not so reliant on others: even when the legs are not there, you sense his will to win is always 100%. And Matt, you are absolutely right about the injury being a key factor – but to be honest, things weren’t looking too promising for Andy prior to that based on his results in the early part of the 2012 season.
Kate Smart
Expert
Agreed Andy Schleck is a target for those who like to knock. I think this is a great article Greg and makes some fantastic points. To have been so successful so young and to continue at that level indefinitely is very difficult. It's such a shame to see him though. He's clearly lacking the mental toughness of a Contador. I saw an interview with him a few years ago, where he was talking about how his life wouldn't end if he never won the Tour, and whilst that's correct, it's not the attitude when you are in your mid-twenties trying to win the thing. I am a Schleck fan, sorry Lee, but I do agree that he needs a teaspoon of concrete!
ed
Guest
Yes, they were so sooky when the pave was included in the 2010 Tour (frank crashed out) and when it rained on about stage 2 (through the ardennes) during the 2011 tour. Need to harden up.
matt
Guest
First of all I think it is important to mention the fractured sacrum suffered being a contributing factor in the 'speed of his descent'. There is no doubt many critics and even Andy himself (given he raced in Beijing last year) probably underestimated the training required to get back to the level to be able to even stick with the pro peloton. Boonen has struggled so far and his lay off was much shorter in comparison. Andy is always going to be an easy target for knockers due to extraordinary results early in his career, non all encompassing attitude to bike racing and the fact he is really only seriously interested in two races per year (LBL and TdF). Only time will tell but I for one am hoping Andy gets back to somewhere near his best because cycling is missing those steely eyes present on the tourmalet '10 and galibier '11.
Lee Rodgers
Expert
Very thorough and interesting piece, Greg, thanks for the read, went well with my muesli! Personally I was never convinced by Andy or Frank, they just looked too subdued, too tame and too mutually dependent to be considered even in the frame for future greatness. Contador is a good comparison - slight, small, boyish, yet he has the steel in his eyes and was strong enough and then some to take on Johan and LA when they were all at Astana. The Schlecks on the other hand mope about looking pretty glum, complain about wet descents (how dare it rain!) and seem to never have realised that a great rider trains his weaknesses as well as his strengths. About as robust as two wet lettuce leaves. They had the natural talent to go very far and to win a decent race or two, but not that extra, unknown quality that makes great from good. Overrated even at their best, their days are very much numbered. Harumph!
Zeb Woodpower
Roar Guru
With Andy its not just his physical decline since the Critérium du Dauphiné crash but his mental state as well. I am sure everyone is aware of the criticisms regarding his descending skills and the time that he lost in the 2011 Tour as he clutched the brakes all the way down the hill. Simply having finished the Critérium International should be a confidence boost for him and with his attack on Stage 3 he showed that there is some intent to race and not just to pin on the bib and have a nice piano for a week. Perhaps this is the year where Andy takes the Vuelta seriously and fulfills his potential. Otherwise young Bob Jungels could quite quickly replace him as the star of Luxembourg cycling.
ed
Guest
I hope not but maybe his results were achieved with some assistance - that can't be ruled out. He did ride under bjarne and brother frank used Fuentes & is now doing time for a different matter. Over the last couple of years he has usually been pretty ordinary pre Tour (more so this year), I am thinking Tour of California where he has been dropped early on the climbs & then six weeks later riding off the front at le Tour. How does that happen? Would be great to see him back, an interesting case in sports physcology.