Andy Schleck (Leopard Trek) and Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-Sungard) will start the Tour de France on Saturday as the big race favourites. The two cyclists have finished the race in first and second place for the last two years, with Contador winning both editions. There’s still a cloud hanging over the Spaniard’s head as he tested positive for Clenbuterol last year. The case has been taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which will make a final ruling in August.
Speaking to Eurosport, Schleck said he hardly thinks of Contador’s troubles but is rather focused on upgrading his previous Tour finishes to the top step in this year’s event. The Luxembourger was racing the Tour of California this year while Contador was dominating the Giro d’Italia.
“I did not see many stages because I was in the United States,” said Schleck. “But what I saw, I thought was impressive - more than the previous years. He attacked 5 kilometres from the finish and finished 50 seconds ahead.
“I think that if I am at the top of my form, I can follow him and even be better than him in the mountains. I can beat him.”
Contador will be going to the Tour de France having only raced the Spanish national road and time trial championships since his victory in Italy. The defending champion’s team is filled with climbers to support him in the mountains, which only start on stage twelve. This has lead pundits to believe general classification hopefuls should attack his Saxo Bank-Sungard team in the first week of the race.
Andy’s brother and co-leader Frank added, “The start is in Vendée and Brittany. There are dangers there. The race will be along the coast with the wind in Brittany. The riders need to be very cautious.”
Another deciding factor in the race will be stage fourteen. The race will negotiate five ascents before finishing on the tough Plateau de Beille. Every rider who has won the stage on this climb in Tour history has gone on to win the race.
Upon hearing this, Frank joked, “I did not know this. We have an interest in winning over there then. We have no choice.”
Alpe d’Huez will be the final mountain stage in this year’s race but, in contrast to when the mountain was used previously, it will only be a short 109km stage. However, it by no means is an easy stage, as riders will first have to tackle the Col du Télégraphe and the Galibier.
“I think that for the general classification, nothing will happen before Alpe-d'Huez,” Andy stated. “Starting on the Telegraph, with the Galibier ahead and a descent of 80 km at the top of the Galibier, possibly with adverse wind, it is risky. There will be a breakaway but the favourites will wait until the last climb in my opinion. I don’t see any of the favourites attacking from far out.”
The Schleck brothers have spent most of their careers riding under the guidance of Bjarne Riis at Saxo Bank-Sungard. They left the team this year to join the new Luxembourg based Leopard Trek team. Riis in turn landed the signature of the sought-after Contador. Fans and experts wait with baited breath to see if these changes will have a significant outcome on the race.