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.
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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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Founded in 1891, Cycling Weekly and its team of expert journalists brings cyclists in-depth reviews, extensive coverage of both professional and domestic racing, as well as fitness advice and 'brew a cuppa and put your feet up' features. Cycling Weekly serves its audience across a range of platforms, from good old-fashioned print to online journalism, and video.
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