FRANK SCHLECK HAS ruled himself out as RadioShack-Nissan’s team leader for this year’s Tour de France claiming his ‘peak form is over’.
With his younger brother Andy already out due to a spinal injury, Frank Schleck may have been considered the main option for RadioShack this year in their tilt for the Tour’s yellow jersey.
But Schleck has argued he is not up to it.
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“My peak form is over, I cannot ride with the topmost and do not want to be the leader of the team,” the 32-year-old told Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad.
“If the results are looked at, there will be criticism of me and I do not want that. I am not a machine and cannot always be first rate.”
Schleck has blamed his schedule so far in 2012 for his lack of drive leading into the Tour.
“After the Ardennes classics, my unexpected participation in the Giro, the Tour of Luxembourg and the Tour de Suisse, I have too many race days in my legs,” Schleck said.
But Schleck was quick to argue that his reluctance to the lead the team had nothing to do with RadioShack’s team manager Johan Bruyneel, who had questioned his place in the Tour squad after he dropped out of the Giro with injury.
“There is no problem with Johan,” Schleck said. ”When I crashed, I spent three days fighting. I was in pain and he was very disappointed when I gave (up). Nobody can imagine how much pain you have. I am not the type to give up without a reason.
“I was not satisfied with his response in the press, but we have talked about it.”
The Luxembourg rider, who finished third in last year’s Tour, also lamented the loss of his brother prior to the 2012 edition.
“A tour with or without my brother Andy makes a big difference,” Schleck said. “We feel each other instinctively, much better than you do with team-mates. Our second and third places in the Tour de France last year were no accident.”
Frank Schleck taking a back seat at Tour
FRANK SCHLECK HAS ruled himself out as RadioShack-Nissan’s team leader for this year’s Tour de France claiming his ‘peak form is over’.
With his younger brother Andy already out due to a spinal injury, Frank Schleck may have been considered the main option for RadioShack this year in their tilt for the Tour’s yellow jersey.
But Schleck has argued he is not up to it.
“My peak form is over, I cannot ride with the topmost and do not want to be the leader of the team,” the 32-year-old told Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad.
“If the results are looked at, there will be criticism of me and I do not want that. I am not a machine and cannot always be first rate.”
Schleck has blamed his schedule so far in 2012 for his lack of drive leading into the Tour.
“After the Ardennes classics, my unexpected participation in the Giro, the Tour of Luxembourg and the Tour de Suisse, I have too many race days in my legs,” Schleck said.
But Schleck was quick to argue that his reluctance to the lead the team had nothing to do with RadioShack’s team manager Johan Bruyneel, who had questioned his place in the Tour squad after he dropped out of the Giro with injury.
“There is no problem with Johan,” Schleck said. ”When I crashed, I spent three days fighting. I was in pain and he was very disappointed when I gave (up). Nobody can imagine how much pain you have. I am not the type to give up without a reason.
“I was not satisfied with his response in the press, but we have talked about it.”
The Luxembourg rider, who finished third in last year’s Tour, also lamented the loss of his brother prior to the 2012 edition.
“A tour with or without my brother Andy makes a big difference,” Schleck said. “We feel each other instinctively, much better than you do with team-mates. Our second and third places in the Tour de France last year were no accident.”
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