Two months after winning the Tour de Suisse, Frank Schleck will line out in the Vuelta a España as one of the big contenders for overall victory. That’s how Bjarne Riis sees it, believing that the Luxembourg rider can bounce back from injury and chase the biggest success of his career.
“It is expected that Frank will go after the classification in the Vuelta,” he said, according to Politiken. “Frank was in excellent form before the Tour, and I see no reason why he should be worse-off by the enforced break. He has had to keep [in shape].”
Schleck and his brother Andy confirmed today (Thursday) that they will leave Saxo Bank at the end of the season, but Riis feels that the motivation should be there to go out on a high. Andy Schleck has already finished twice in the Tour de France, and the Danish team owner believes that it is time the brothers stepped up to finally take a Grand Tour crown.
However it may be the less-well known of the two who shines. “It is very doubtful if Andy can reach quite the same level as in the Tour de France, which was his big goal ever since the start of the season,” Riis said, accepting that the rider will be physically and mentally drained after taking the runner-up slot in Paris. “But I’m convinced that he will be more than strong enough to be able to support Frank.
Both riders lined out today in a criterium in their home country of Luxembourg, with the race marking a competitive return for the elder of the two. He broke his collarbone in three places when he crashed on the cobblestones of stage three during the Tour, and had to drop out of the race.
Their paths will temporarily separate then, with Andy going to Spain. Frank would like to compete in Riis’ home race, but it appears that he won’t get the green light to do so.
“Andy then races the Clásica San Sebastian on Saturday and has a few more appointments on his programme before a short break. He’ll then start preparing for the Vuelta,” Riis explained.
“Frank has expressed a desire to ride the Post Denmark Tour next week, but I won’t talk about it. I won’t take some of the riders out who have been counting up starting in Denmark for a long time. But Frank will get the necessary preparations. It is intended that he will do the French stage race, the Tour du Limousin, from August 17th – 20th.”
The Vuelta a España starts in Seville on August 28th with a late-evening team time trial. It finishes in Madrid three weeks later.
It is likely to be amongst the Schleck brothers’ final races before leaving the Saxo Bank team.