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Andy Schleck with a full schedule building up to Tour de France

published 21 December 2012

RadioShack-Nissan rider with “as many races as possible”

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Road map to success? Andy Schleck weighs up his options in the woods of the Luxembourg Ardennes.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Andy Schleck has his toughest challenge ahead of him as he continues his comeback to the top(Image credit: Tim Vanderjeugd/RadioShack-Nissan-Trek)

Andy Schleck in his first race back after fracturing his hip in June(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Andy Schleck wants to ride as many races as possible in his build-up to the Tour de France, starting with the Tour Down Under and ending with the Tour de Suisse. “A busy schedule, but it is what I want,” he said.

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He told Wielerrevue.nl that he has asked to ride as many races as possible in the early part of the season. “I think it's important for me that I have as many races in my legs when I go the start of the Classics,” he said.

The RadioShack-Nissan rider will open his season at the Tour Down Under for the first time, to be followed by the Tour of the Mediterranean, Tour du Haut Var, GP Nobili, Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico, Criterium International and the Tour of the Basque Country.

From there, he will probably head to the Tour of California and wrap up his preparations with the Tour de Suisse, before heading to the start of the Tour de France in Corsica.

“A busy schedule, but it is what I want,” he said. “I am very motivated to show that I am still a good rider. I want to show it again. Attacks, maybe win a race. That's why I told the team, give me as many races as possible!

“Of course, the first races are tricky, because last year I've missed so much. But what motivates me is that I want to win again.”

A crash in the time trial at the Criterium du Dauphine early last June left him with a fracture in his pelvis. Not only was he forced to miss the Tour de France, Olympic Games and the World championships, he did not return to racing at all until Binche-Tournai-Binche, some four months later.