After a knee injury ruled him out of the Tour de France, Trek Factory Racing’s Frank Schleck hopes to be a contender at the Vuelta a España, which begins on August 22.

The Luxembourger returns to racing at the Tour of Utah this week in hope of building up race fitness ahead of the three week Grand Tour.

Schleck has only raced one Grand Tour since returning from a doping ban in 2014, finishing 12th in last season’s Tour de France – a race he skipped this year due to a recurring injury.

“I had to renounce on being a part of the Tour de France this year because of my injury I had,” Schleck said during the pre-race press conference in Utah. “I ripped up the interior tendon in my knee and I hoped to be back quicker.

“But in Tour de Suisse I realised it’s not going to get any better. So together with the team we decided not to do the Tour.”

Having spent 10 days riding in Utah’s Park City preparing for the race, Schleck feels the American race will fit nicely in his training plan.

“It was amazing nice and really, really beautiful and we had some good training at altitude to get ready for the preparation for the Vuelta,” he said. “So the main goal is preparation for the Vuelta, but I think it will suit nicely in the training.”