Tour de France remains biggest goal for Luxembourg brothers; could target Valkenberg Worlds
Despite advice to do so from Eddy Merckx, the greatest ever cyclist, Fränk Schleck has confirmed that he and younger brother Andy will not be riding the Giro d’Italia; to win or otherwise. In an interview with velochrono.fr, the Luxembourg champion, whose Leopard Trek team will merge with RadioShack to form RadioShack-Nissan next year, maintained that the main aim, once more, will be to win the Tour de France.
“I can confirm it,” said the elder of the Luxembourg brothers. “With Andy, we will not do the Giro.
“What matters is the Tour,” he explained. “We love the Tour; we have already had very, very good results at the Tour; it’s a race that makes us dream. This is the number one goal and we both need to be in great shape to win.”
With more time trial kilometres than recent years in the 2012 Tour de France route, the race looks more suitable for reigning champion Cadel Evans (BMC Racing), or three-time winner Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-SunGard); should the latter escape suspension from his clenbuterol positive, which is about to be heard by the Court for Arbitration in Sport (CAS).
Despite this, which was the reason Merckx recommended targeting the Giro, the Luxembourg champion is determined that the brothers will put everything into the French race.
“The course is as it is and we will fight,” he said. “We will study it in detail and adapt our strategy. But for now, it is too early to talk about that. What is needed is that we are in very good condition. We will then have a real chance to win.”
One of the factors that could put a Schleck on the top of the podium, after a total of four appearances on the podium’s lower steps between them, could be sports director Johan Bruyneel, who moves across with the RadioShack contingent. The Belgian was behind the wheel for all seven of Lance Armstrong’s Tour victories, as well as Contador’s first two, and could make the difference this time.
“Johan has extraordinary experience,” said Schleck. “He’s a true leader who can guide a team. He will bring us a lot especially, in time trials…”
Both riders have lost out considerably against the clock in past races, with Fränk losing a possible podium place back in 2007, and Andy losing the yellow jersey to Evans on the penultimate stage this year.
“Andy has already started working this area,” explained Fränk. “We are working on fitness, indoors, to make stronger back muscles and thighs that are needed in time trials; we will also do wind tunnel tests and work on a vélodrome with Trek.
“To win the Tour, it is essential to progress in this area,” he acknowledged, “although we will never be specialists like Fabian Cancellara. But we must also grow in the mountains since we failed to drop a rider like Cadel Evans in the last Tour de France.”
Both riders have ridden a similar programme in recent years, with races like Paris-Nice and the Vuelta a Pais Vasco leading up to the Ardennes Classics, where both have excelled. Schleck confirmed that next season will go a similar way, but with a hillier World championships to this year’s race in Copenhagen, Denmark, both might try to remain competitive to the end of the season.
“Except one or two little things that could change,” Fränk confirmed. “There is for example the World Championships in Valkenburg at the end of the season, on which, with Andy, we would be competitive. That will be one of the goals of the season.
“Maybe I’ll do the first two months of the season a bit more quietly in order to be fresher late in the season,” he continued. “There is also the choice between the Dauphiné and the Tour of Switzerland, in preparation for the Tour. This may be the main change in our program. We have seen that Evans took advantage of the Dauphine in July. We will discuss this with Johan and Kim [Andersen].
Fränk also confirmed that, while they no longer live together, the two Schleck brothers remain almost constant companions on the bike, with the majority of their training rides ridden together.
“I would say eight [times out of ten],” he confirmed. “Sometimes he calls me and says, let me go alone, I want to be quiet, I’ll do two hours nicely. But normally, we still go together. He lives 200 metres from my house so it’s pretty easy. But then he is always late…”