Frank Schleck will return to UCI racing on Sunday in Hamburg with the Vattenfall Cyclassics. His appearance in the 216 kilometer ProTour one day classic will be his first since his crash in Stage 3 of July's Tour de France. Schleck did take part in the Gala Tour de France criterium in Luxembourg on the 29th of July, but Sunday's Cyclassics will form the starting point for his real return.
Looking at Sunday's traditionally fast and only somewhat selective course, Schleck is keeping an open mind and hopes to stay upright and get some solid racing in.
"I've never done the race before, so it will be a premiere of sorts for me. I think the race will be very fast, even with the climbs of the Waseberg (crucial 16% climb). In particular, the final three laps will be very nervous. I hope that nothing bad happens, because I hope to head to the Vuelta in good health."
Frank will head to Spain at the end of the month with brother, Andy, but the normally inseparable duo have spent a fair amount of time apart in the post-Tour days.
"I haven't been able to train much with my brother Andy, because after the Tour de France, he was either not riding much or was taking part in Post-Tour criteriums. However, I rode a lot with Laurent Didier, and the training went very well."
With the former Amstel Gold winner back to full health and the training on the right trajectory to hopefully allow for a solid ride in Spain in September, it would seem Schleck would be a solid candidate for the overall if only because he'll be one of the few riders starting the race in Sevilla on August 28th fresh. Most of the contenders for the overall at the Vuelta will be on their second consecutive Grand Tour, or in the case of outside favorite, Sastre, his third of the year. Schleck, however, feels that the claims of freshness from his missed Tour de France might be a bit overplayed.
"Freshness is relative. After a race like the Tour de France, you're not actually all that physically tired. It is more the mental side and the pressure, so you can keep going until at one point your body just won't cooperate anymore. Although I wasn't able to finish the Tour, I was still exposed to the mental stress, but I'm not physically tired."
As the two-time Tour de France stage winner wraps up his conversation with wort.lu, he notes an interesting point. While Schleck hopes to enjoy some success in the three week lap of Spain, his eyes are already on 2011 and a win at the Tour de France. In Schleck's eyes, and in the opinion of many, a race like the Vuelta is the perfect way to finish out the season and head into the winter with excellent form and a huge base from which to build off of, something he would not have if he were to have passed up the season's final Grand Tour.
"We want to win the Tour de France next year. With that in mind, I'm of the opinion that I need to race a three-week tour this year. I do not know what results I can manage at the Vuelta. I'll need to take it day by day and see how the race goes."
While his goals remain modest, it's hard to believe that one of the world's best climbers will not profit from this year's difficult circuit of Spain. The first step on the road to Sevilla will begin Sunday.