Schleck hoping for strong ride

By Shane Stokes

CSC rider Frank Schleck comes to the Tour de Suisse after a strong fourth place in 2005. He was just five seconds off the podium place time of Jan Ullrich then, and if he finds the right form the Amstel Gold winner could be a dark horse for the overall.

Speaking to Cyclingnews before the start of stage one, he said that he was a little in the dark as to how the race would go. "I don't know what my form is like, I have no idea," he stated. "I was going okay in Luxembourg, I was good there, but the following week I didn't feel so good. I will see how I get in the first couple of days and then I will tell you more.

"I'd like to do well here all right. This is a great race. There are good roads, good hotels and it is very well organised. I really like to come here. Every year it is very, very hard, but that is part of the game. If I can get a good result then that is good, but if not then it is no problem. I am here without any pressure to prepare for the Tour de France. That is the most important thing."

Schleck says that the selected riders will go to France in July certain the team can do very well. "The mood is very good at the moment. We know we can win the Tour, so the morale is great!"