Finally due to return to competition today after almost four months out of action due to injury, Andy Schleck will follow up his participation in the Binche-Tournai-Binche Memorial Frank Vandenbroucke with a ride in next week’s Tour of Beijing.
The latter has been confirmed by RadioShack Nissan Dirk Demol. “He wanted to start in the Vuelta, but could not. It was the same story for the USA Pro Cycling Challenge and the GP Fourmies,” he told SudPresse. “Now the doctors gave him the green light, and his pain in training seems to be over.
“Both he and the team wanted him to race this season. Following Binche he will also do the Tour of Beijing.”
Providing things go to plan, the news is a big plus for the Luxembourg rider. He crashed in the time trial in the Critérium du Dauphiné in June, suffering a fractured sacrum. He hoped to return for the Tour, then hen that proved impossible, the Olympic Games, and then the Vuelta. Each target proved impossible, and it is only today when he is able to start racing.
Getting in kilometres of competition is important, as it will give him a base prior to the winter. According to Demol, Schleck will continue training right through until next season.
“He will very soon start his winter preparation,” he confirmed. “Given his long period of inactivity, he does not really need a break.”
Meanwhile Schleck’s mentor Kim Andersen was said that he believes the rider can return to the top of the sport.
“I think he can definitely still be a future Tour de France winner. He has had an incredibly bad year, but that does not mean that he can not be a future Tour de France winner,” he told Sporten.dk.
“Most big star riders have a bad year at some time. This has just been extremely unfortunate for Andy Schleck. It has not made it easier with everything that happened to Frank.”
Frank Schleck tested positive during the Tour de France, and is currently waiting to see what the repercussions will be.
After a route weighted towards the time trialists this year, the 2013 Tour de France is expected to be much more mountainous. Andersen said that if this proves to be the case, that it will serve to act as a big motivation for Schleck.