Luxembourg brothers concede that they will have to attack in 2012 to step up from 2011 second and third places
Andy and Fränk Schleck (Leopard Trek) have reacted largely positively to to the route of the 2012 Tour de France, which was launched in Paris today, according to lequotidien.lu. The Luxembourg brothers finished second and third in this years race, behind Cadel Evans (BMC Racing), but with their team’s merger with RadioShack in 2012, with Johan Bruyneel coming across as team manager, both feel that they have a chance to finally win the race.
“The Tour de France is made to create suspense,” said elder brother Fränk. “It’s a very, very good parcours since the big leaders will be forced to attack more; it will be very interesting to see.”
The 2012 race will have 96.1 individual time trial kilometres, against just 42.5km this year. Neither Schleck brother has shown proficiency against the clock in the past, with Andy losing the yellow jersey in last year’s penultimate stage time trial, but Fränk is remaining positive about their prospects.
“The time trials will be good for suspense,” he said, diplomatically. “I don’t see it negatively, but it will be necessary to reconnoitre the course.”
The extra time trial kilometres, as well as a reduction in mountaintop finishes from four to three, mean that the riders like the Schlecks, who are not proficient against the clock will have to try to take time in other ways.
“The big leaders will have more attack in the mountains and take responsibility,” he explained. “There are more mountains than last year; there are 25 cols where there was only 23 in 2011. We mustn’t forget that it is a stage race that lasts three weeks so it’s going to be tough and tiring!
“We still have things to do, we have not had our last word,” he continued. “We will face the challenge of Cadel and we will try to beat him. To finish second and third last year was already great, a dream. Now, we’ve not yet finished our careers, and we have a team that will be very strong. “
Andy Schleck too noted the extra time trial kilometres but hopes that the introduction of Bruyneel, who won the race seven times as Lance Armstrong’s manager and twice as Alberto Contador’s, will help him to improve in the discipline. The three-time runner-up also recognises that the lumpy, and often exposed, first week will make the first part of the race similar to that of the 2011 edition.
“The opening days will be very nervous as they were the previous year,” he said. “Then there are 25 mountain passes, against 23 this year, and a lot of kilometres against the clock. Of course, I’d rather have more mountains and less against the clock, but I’m not disappointed. I take things as they are; I am working on my time trialling. I have the best environment possible; especially in the field against the clock.
“It will be ridden offensively in the early stages,” he added, “in the interest of the riders and the public who do not like to wait and see. If we wait, we lose…”
With the route having been accidentally leaked last week Johan Bruyneel, who will take the reins of the newly merged RadioShack-Nissan team next year, knew what to expect. With the long time trials working against the Schleck brothers, Bruyneel feels better about the course now that the details have been added to the simple start and finish towns that were known before.
“I am more optimistic than when I entered the room,” he said. “I’m not necessarily very happy but I don’t feel that it is mission impossible. The advantage for Andy Schleck is that he won’t be the favourite and will have nothing to lose. These are two necessary conditions for pulling off a coup… On a course like this, we can try something big, and afterwards, it will succeed or not!
“It a good Tour for Alberto [Contador],” he conceded. “Among the favourites, there is Evans who is better than him in against the clock, but not always.”