“I won’t win the 2012 Tour de France, I won’t even be in it.” There were almost tears in his eyes as a saddened Andy Schleck admitted to a room full of journalists that injury would keep him out of this year’s headline event.
A press conference had been hastily organised by RadioShack in Luxembourg on Wednesday afternoon after rumours had surfaced regarding Schleck’s expected forfeit of the Tour.
The 27-year-old confirmed what had been widely reported in the local press overnight, namely that the injuries sustained during the ITT in last week’s Criterium du Dauphine were much worse than expected. More than a nasty gash to his hindquarters, Schleck had fractured the sacral bone of his pelvis.
Game over. No Tour. No training, even. An extended summer break beckons.
“It is the biggest disappointment of my career. I would rather have finished last on the Tour than not be able to participate at all.”
Once the dust has settled it will be interesting to see if Schleck still regards this withdrawal as the biggest disappointment of his career.
Surely missing out on winning the 2011 Tour de France despite wearing yellow on the penultimate stage will eventually be seen as a bigger blow than sitting out a race that, in all likelihood, he was never going to win in the first place.
Even my granny could tell you that Schleck has been woeful this season, amassing a catalogue of DNFs and underwhelming performances, with no wins or even top tens to talk of.
The truth is quite simple: had Schleck actually taken part in the 2012 Tour de France, what with its time trial-heavy route and its dearth of summit finishes, he might well have had more chance of actually finishing last than competing for the bona fide overall win he so clearly wants.
“Whether it’s Wiggins or my brother Frank or anyone else who wins, I won’t stand there saying, ‘you’re lucky I wasn’t there’.”
This is probably a bit of wishful thinking from Andy. Back in 2008 when Schleck’s team-mate Carlos Sastre won the Tour, the Spaniard CSC rider was probably first to admit that his victory, while entirely deserved, had a lot to do with the absence of defending champion Alberto Contador, who had been banned along with his new Astana team.
This year, should favourites Bradley Wiggins or Cadel Evans win the Tour, both of them may well admit that it could well have been a different story had the once again banned Contador been there. But I doubt very much that either rider would dwell over how Andy Schleck may have made things harder.
Such is the 2012 route and such was Schleck’s poor form, it was looking (even from the staunchest Schleck supporter) a bridge too far for the three time Tour runner-up.
As for inferring that brother Frank could stand atop the podium – well, we’ll let the guy have a little bit of sentimentally after such a blow. But we all know it won’t happen.
“I hope to be back to ride the Olympics and then my main goal will be the Vuelta a Espana.”
As is so often the case with high-profile withdrawals from the Tour, France’s loss is Spain’s gain. All of a sudden, the 2012 Vuelta a Espana takes on an entirely new dynamic.
Until today, the Vuelta was all about Contador making his almost pre-destined winning return following suspension. In a flash, the Spaniard’s good friend and most consistent rival is now part of the mix. It’s a showdown that will have the Vuelta organisers and fans alike smacking their lips.
Whether or not Schleck will be in good enough shape to take part is another question. His doctor claims the fracture to his pelvis will need four to six weeks total rest to heal – and that means no riding whatsoever.
Supposing Schleck is out for six weeks, that would give him but a fortnight to prepare for the Olympics – and let’s be honest, he’ll have little chance beating the likes of Mark Cavendish and Peter Sagan on the road race.
The Vuelta remains a more realistic option of the two – but Schleck is aware that it may not work out, and he’s prepared to revise his programme further with appearances at the world championships in Valkenburg and the Tour of Lombardy – events in which he has little previous experience.
While this could be a good chance for Schleck to try different things in his career (a bit like Bjarne Riis’s predicament at Saxo Bank), you also sense that 2012 will pretty much be a total write-off for the Luxembourger.
“I can promise you one thing: I’m 27 and I have a lot of years in front of me. What doesn’t kill you can only make you stronger. I believe I’ll come back stronger. I believe I haven’t spoken my last word.”
Schleck has been around so long it’s very easy to forget how young he is.
When Cadel Evans was 27 he had not even ridden his first Tour de France; Schleck took the Tour’s white jersey as best young rider for three consecutive years before last year’s third consecutive runner-up spot.
Earlier this season, Schleck was also awarded the 2010 Tour title in the wake of Contador’s retroactive ban.
Let’s get a few things straight. Judging by some of the vitriol and negativity cropping up over the net, you’d think that Schleck was not only the most untalented and disliked rider in the peloton, he’d also slaughtered a litter of fluffy kittens.
Granted, he’s not the best time triallist and he has not been in the best of form this year – but he still remains one of the best riders of his generation; a rider who could drop anyone (except, perhaps, a fit Contador) on a precipitous mountain slope.
Schleck has many years left ahead of him and he will undoubtedly learn a lot from this experience and come back stronger.
But whether or not he makes a return to the Tour in 2013 at RadioShack is the big question.
If anything has been learnt from the past few months it’s that both Schleck and his brother Frank have seemingly irreconcilable differences with the RadioShack management in general and Johan Bruyneel in particular.
If Schleck wants to return stronger and have a say in future Tours de France, he will almost certainly need to do so with a new team.
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