The paths of Grand Tour riders and Classic specialists seldom intersect, but it happens each year in the Ardennes Classics. Yesterday Frank and Andy Schleck lost out to Philippe Gilbert, but provided a clear message to their rivals that they are bang on course for a strong Tour, finishing second and third behind the best one day competitor in the sport at the moment.
The elder of the two brothers said that he was pleased with where they are at, and of the fact that they contend for both types of races.
“I think we can be very, very happy and proud of it,” he told VeloNation in a video interview outside the team bus. “I think we are one of the few riders who can ride the Classics and the Grand Tours. We are very happy about today and about the shape. When you have been there [in strong form] once already, it is easier to come back there.”
The brothers are well known for being fishing enthusiasts, and Schleck said that he was looking forward to doing some of that and to eating some different food during their upcoming break from racing. “I think the next days we are going to be on this barbeque diet,” he smiled, referring to their fondness for outdoor cooking at their fishing cabin in Luxembourg.
He said they will also use the time to check out some of the Tour de France stages, before building up their form for July via racing in the Tour of Luxembourg and the Tour de Suisse.
Moments earlier, Schleck had shown frustration with some of the questions put to him by a journalist outside the team bus.
Asked why the two brothers didn’t try to drop Gilbert after the Saint Nicolas climb, he was clearly unhappy with the question.
“Where, can you please tell me where?” he replied, tension in his voice. “It was 260 kilometres. He was sharp, he knew exactly…he was in the middle, he was watching Andy, he was watching myself. He was fast, but what could we do. We tried, we waited for the sprint, but we couldn’t drop him in the climbs.”
“But on Friday you told us you are definitely not going to take him to the sprint, and that is what happened…” the journalist continued.
“Hey, come on, that is not fair..” Schleck replied.
“Was it that hard?”
“Of course it was that hard…I said that we cannot take him to the sprint, but could not drop him. So what can we do? We didn’t really have much choice, we could not drop him. I think we had no regrets.”