Andy Schleck: Rider Profile

ANDY SCHLECK

Date of birth: 10/06/1985

From: Luxembourg

Team: Retired

Previous teams: Team CSC (2005 - 2008), Team Saxo Bank (2009 - 2010), Leopard-Trek (2011), RadioShack-Nissan (2012-13); Trek Factory Racing (2014)

Andy Schleck career profile

Andy Schleck has only been a professional since 2005 but is already considered a potential Tour de France winner after finishing second in the 2007 Giro d'Italia and winning the best young rider's white jersey at the 2008 Tour de France.

Schleck rode for CSC as a stagiaire at the end of the 2004 season when just 19 but immediately impressed team manager Bjarne Riis and was quickly given a place in the team alongside his older brother Frank. He only won the Luxembourg national time trial title in his first full season but stood out from his peers for his maturity and talent. In 2006 he won two stages in the Sachsen Tour and the climber's jersey in the Tour of Britain.

He impressed at the 2007 CSC training camp in California, beating his brother in a final test on a climb, and was given a full racing programme that included the Giro d'Italia. He cleverly rode a conservative race; letting the Italians fight it out, but was consistently strong in the mountains and moved passed Eddy Mazzoleni in the final time trial to finish 1-55 behind winner Danilo Di Luca. He also won the white jersey as best young rider.

In 2008 Schleck finished fourth at Liege-Bastogne-Liege after sacrificing his chances to help his brother in the finale of the race. He prepared for the Tour de France by riding the Tour de Suisse, finishing sixth overall.

Andy also sacrificed his own chances to help Frank in the overall standings in the 2008 Tour de France and celebrated when Frank pulled on the yellow jersey after the stage to Prato Nevoso in Italy. Later in the race, while Frank struggled in the Alps and lost the jersey to team mate Carlos Sastre, Andy continued to ride strongly and proved he has the necessary recovery to be a contender in Tour de France. He also took the white jersey from Italy's Vincenzo Nibali.

Schleck used his Tour de France form to finish fifth in the Olympic road race in Beijing. He was in the decisive breakaway but his poor sprinting left him without a medal.

After the departure of Carlos Sastre from the CSC/Saxo Bank squad to Cervelo, Schleck and brother Frank became joint team leaders for the 2009 Tour. Schleck finished second behind Alberto Contador at the 2009 Tour, establishing himself as one of the world's leading climbers.

A year later he was involved in one of the most controversial Tours to date, dramatically losing the race lead when he dropped his chain while attacking Alberto Contador. The Spaniard won in Paris, but tested positive for clenbuterol and subsequently lost the race title due to a back-dated suspension. Schleck duly inherited the 2010 Tour title.

Schleck's final victory was stage 18 of the 2011 Tour de France and second place overall behind Cadel Evans, which was followed by three years troubled by injury and indifferent form. He announced his retirement from the sport in October 2014.

Andy Schleck results
2011
Tour de Suisse; mountains classification
Tour de France; stage 18

2010

National time trial championships

Tour de France; stage eight

Tour de France; stage 17

Tour de France; overall (Contador's win annulled due to doping ban)

2009

Tour de France; young riders' classification

Liège-Bastogne-Liège

Tour of Luxembourg; stage two

National road race championships

2008

Tour de France; young riders' classification

2007

Giro d'Italia; best young rider

2006

Sachsen Tour; stage three

Sachsen Tour; stage five

2005

Luxembourg national time trial champion

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