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| Spyns votes Andy Schleck as most likely to win the 2011 Tour de France. |
There is no shortage of talent gearing up for the 2011 Tour de France. Following Contador's ban, Luxembourger Andy Schleck sees Ivan Basso as Tour de France rival number one for July. "He has class, experience, works like no other and is improving at the Tour, twice already on the podium," Schleck told Italian newspaper, La Stampa. "He will be the opponent most marked."
Basso won the Giro d'Italia last year and in 2006. He has finished on the podium twice at the Tour de France, third in 2004 and second in 2005, and this year, he wants to aim for the win. He will likely skip the Giro in May and let Liquigas-Cannondale team-mate Vincenzo Nibali lead. Schleck will be the favourite at the Tour de France, though. He finished second the last two years, both times to Spain's Contador. Contador, however, will likely lose his third title from last year and serve a doping suspension for failing a doping test at the race. Last year's yellow jersey and trophy may end up at Schleck's home. Clearly the young rider wants to win outright rather than because someone else was eliminated. Who remembers that Óscar Pereiro won following Floyd Landis's disqualification in 2006?
"I have not thought of yet," said Schleck. "I wanted to win the Tour on the road by beating Alberto. And maybe I would have succeeded, without the mechanical incident last year. Winning like this, though, is not the best. "I still hope that Alberto can prove his innocence and can race the next Tour, where I would like to beat him." Good lad that Schleck! Schleck and his brother Fränk will lead new Luxembourg team, Leopard Trek. Besides the Tour, Andy Schleck will aim for the Ardennes Classics."Before, I will aim for Amstel Gold, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and also Flèche Wallonne. But the Tour is the Tour. Milano-Sanremo? It's not made for me, too fast and too dangerous. The Giro? Sooner or later I will, but this year I will aim for the Tour. I am still too young to aim for two major stage races in a row."
To prepare for the season, Schleck has worked in the gym and has gained weight. When we met him last year in the Pyrenees, Vicky commented, "He has the legs of an 11 year old girl." I put him at no more than 140 pounds. "I worked more on strength and power, with rides not as long, but more intense, also doing a lot at the gym. That's why I got three kilos of weight [7lbs], I hope it's muscles. I also have corrected my position on the bike for time trials." General opinion is that Schleck is a weaker time trialer. Andy and Fränk will make their race debut at the Mallorca Challenge in February. Their next race will be the Ruta del Sol stage race in southern Spain.
Spyns 2011 Tour de France trip clients look forward to seeing them both in July.
Spyns is an active travel company based in Whister, BC (Canada) and Beaujolais France. Spyns specializes in 2011 Tour de France packages for both riders and non-riders. We specialize in providing clients with Tour de France bike and non-biking packages with Paris grandstand seats and VIP access. Spyns offers active holidays to Europe including trips to the 2011 Tour de France. For more information about Spyns 2011 Tour de France tours, please go to http://www.tdf-tours.com/ or http://www.spyns.com/. You can also call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.
