After yesterday’s confirmation that Jakob Fuglsang will miss the Giro d’Italia due to injury and subsequent speculation that Fränk Schleck will be called up to replace him, the RadioShack Nissan team has confirmed that this will indeed be the place.
Schleck, who finished third behind Cadel Evans (BMC Racing Team) and his own brother Andy Schleck (Leopard Trek) in last year’s Tour, had previously said that he didn’t intend doing the race.
However he will now do so, at the request of the team. Fuglsang had previously been targeting a top five finish, but scratched due to inflammation of the articular capsule and ligament of the left knee.
“My season was directed at peaking in the Tour”, said Schleck. “But when you think about it, this situation creates opportunities. For sure, I will come to the start with a different preparation than the other GC riders, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.
“My condition is not so bad and it can only grow the coming weeks. The Tour of Italy is one of the big monuments of cycling as well, so it is at least a big challenge for me.”
Schleck’s brother Andy was second in the 2007 Giro d’Italia, finishing less than two minutes behind the winner Danilo Di Luca in what was his first Grand Tour.
He hasn’t done the race since, though, focusing instead on the Tour de France. He finished second in the past three years, although his 2010 runner-up slot was converted to the winner’s position when Alberto Contador was disqualified earlier this year.
Like his younger brother, Fränk Schleck has only ridden the race once before. He finished 42nd as a 25 year old in 2005.
“I see a lot of opportunities for Fränk as well as for the team”, said the RadioShack team manager Johan Bruyneel. “Fränk is a born leader and a team needs a leader. Moreover – though bad luck and circumstances did not provide the right results - he has shown in the last few weeks that his condition has already reached a high level.”
Bruyneel drew comparisons between the Luxembourg rider and Alberto Contador. “I am confident he can surprise us in the coming weeks,” he said. “It all reminds me of the 2008 Tour of Italy when, one week before the start, we got an invitation for the race. In the end we won the overall.”
It remains to be seen how this will affect Schleck’s plans to ride the Tour de France alongside his brother. In recent years it has proven very difficult to ride well in both races, although this year’s Giro is considered both more balanced in terms of difficulty and also features fewer transfers.