Andy Schleck

Padding my resume

Published:

January 18, 16:57,

Updated:

January 18, 18:10

By:

Andy Schleck

Perhaps 'card shark' won't be on the business card...

Hi. What do you think of my ideas for my new business card? At the top Andy Schleck in bold, of course. Next line: Professional bike rider, with Tour de France contender in brackets. On the next line: Beach volleyball player and occasional babysitter.

Do you think it works, or is too much?

I know, I'll ask Bjarne Riis and see what he thinks as we're playing cards right now. Perhaps I'll wait as we're in the middle of a tense poker game and he isn't doing to well. He's down to his last few chips and I've got a pair of kings. Frank and the other players are already out. It's just me and you Bjarne. Do you feel lucky punk?

"Call," he says after I push half my chips into the middle of the table. He's on the ropes, surely he can't be bluffing. Then he says "Two aces," as his cards come down and his grin widens with each handful of chips he scoops up. What a nightmare.

Well I'm glad I won't be putting card shark on my business card.

Right now we're in Fuerteventura for our final training camp before the racing season starts. It's a great location with the temperature constantly in the mid twenties. Unlike other teams we don't need scientific analysis to tell us that this or that place is the driest in Europe. We just rely on the weather man and this time he's right on the money.

We've been taking it fairly easy in terms of training. Yesterday we went out for a three hour spin on our road bikes, returned to base camp and then hit the road for an hour on our time trial machines. To put it simply: Perfect weather, perfect roads, and perfect teammates.

It's not all work though. Yesterday we took part in a beach volleyball tournament involving the riders and some of the staff. I'll admit I'm a pretty good player, even if some journalists were laughing from the sidelines. Of course you shouldn't expect to see me playing beach volleyball in Brazil as part of my build-up to the Tour de France. Still, it was a good team bonding exercise and it was great fun.

By now I bet you're probably wondering about the babysitting reference for my business card. Well if you didn't know, my brother Frank and his fiancé are expecting their first child, a baby girl in May. It's amazing news and I'm so, so happy for them. I can't wait to be an uncle and look after my niece.

You probably think I could be a bit unreliable when it comes to looking after kids but you're way off the mark. I love kids and I'm always playing with our next door neighbour Cliff, who is a great six year-old. Whenever I come home from a long training ride he comes round to our house.

Tour Analysis

On more a more serious note my Tour de France analysis has taken up a lot of my time in recent weeks. I've studied a lot of TV footage from the 2009 race with Kim and Bjarne

We have no regrets about how the race played out but we've looked at other riders' performances. One thing we all agreed on is that next year Alberto Contador will start as the big favourite. He doesn't have to attack to win, so you have to wonder who will be the most aggressive rider.

It'll be up to guys like Lance to drop Contador on the climbs if he wants to win the Tour. I'm perhaps in the same situation but I think I have more chance of success. Last year the difference between Contador and I on the climbs was huge but what I learnt is that when he goes I need to be on his wheel straight away. That was maybe my biggest mistake in 2009. I like to ride at my rhythm but once you give Contador 100 meters, it's difficult to pull it back and he doesn't look back or give it back.

Friendly Fire

I've said before that Contador and I have a good relationship but it's not like that between me and all my Tour rivals. I'd like to think I'm a happy-go-lucky guy who gets on with anyone but I've read in the press that Carlos Sastre has been critical of our team and me personally. He said he didn't like taking advice from younger riders and to be honest that hurts.

In the 2008 Tour de France Frank and I sacrificed our chances for him. Not just on the stage to Alpe d'Huez but throughout the race. Then after the race he came out and said that we weren't committed. That really wasn't nice to hear. I pulled at the front of the peloton for entire climbs for that guy. I would really like to know what's going on in his head and why he thinks that we weren't committed.

I respect Carlos a lot as a rider and I learnt a lot from him when he was at the team. To be honest it's the first time I've ever experienced this type of problem with another rider and like I said I was really upset. However Frank was even more upset as he takes things a bit more to heart than I do. I'll still talk to Carlos at races, like I said he has my respect but he's gone down in my estimations. I hope our relationship improves in the future as I'm not the type to hold grudges.

Hey, perhaps one day we'll have our own poker game...

P.S Just so you know, I won my chips back off Bjarne.

A battered and bruised family Christmas

Published:

December 29, 2009, 14:03,

Updated:

December 29, 2009, 09:47

By:

Andy Schleck

Andy Schleck talks about burning Contador and Wiggins' Sky move

The saying goes that people tend to look like their pets. It’s a stupid saying isn’t it? I mean, Michael Jackson never looked like Bubbles and Siegfried and Roy look nothing like tigers. Saying that, Paris Hilton does a pretty good impression of a Chihuahua…

And right now there’s a glaring similarity between me and my dog Minke, as we’ve both been in the wars and are feeling sorry for ourselves. As you may have read on Cyclingnews, I was involved in a collision with a car whilst out training at the weekend. I was on my way to meet my brother Frank for a ride when a car came from nowhere and pulled right in front of me. I had no time to react and couldn’t avoid the crash. Luckily I got up and realised that nothing was broken. In fact, somehow the car had come off worse with two smashed windows, a damaged door and dented bumper.

So no harm done but it’s been around 24 hours and I’m feeling really stiff now. As for Minke, it’s a totally different story but he’s looking just as bashed up. Why, I hear you ask. Well, I was out walking with my Dad yesterday - Minke was there of course - and as all good hunting dogs do, he was on the prowl in the woods. Quick as you like he was dashing down a fox hole in search of some fun.

We could hear the scrap from outside and after calling him out he eventually strutted out, grinning from ear to ear. However he’d sustained a few war wounds and now his face is swollen up. It’s so bad he’s only been able to eat soup. So here we are, sitting inside on a perfect winter’s day, staring at each other’s reflection in the television and feeling sorry for each other.

Let’s not dwell on the downside though this has been a great Christmas at the Schleck household. This year my brother Steve came over with his other half and Frank brought his fiancée too. We had a great time, eating a fantastic lunch and chatting for hours. One thing I really like sharing is how much of a life I have away from the bike. Of course cycling is important to me but there’s more to life than just riding my bike. Christmas reminds you of that, I think.

Last week I spoke to Jonathon Bellis and his dad on the phone. As you know Jonathon was involved in a horrific accident a few months ago and is back in the United Kingdom trying to recuperate. It was great to hear his voice and we’ve already decided to send him a jersey for the 2010 season. I don’t know when he’ll be coming back but we wanted him to know that he’s part of our team and that he can use the jersey as something to motivate him.

My motivation – crash aside – is high right now. We recently had our Saxo Bank survivor camp. It was great to see all the guys on the team, both old and new and we had a lot of fun. As you know Bjarne Riis’ survivor camps are etched psyche of the sport – just think of the term training camp and you’ll immediately think of our escapades.

This year we started off with a night-time mountain bike ride before making our way up a mountain for a camp fire. We had to huddle around a fire while we each wrote down one thing on a piece of paper before casting it into the flames. Whatever we wrote down, whatever trouble or problem, it would burn away into the night and not return. You’re probably thinking that I wrote Alberto Contador’s name down. We’ll you’re right, but it was only a joke and I showed the entire team, who found it hilarious. What I really wrote down has to stay a secret.

Camps and Christmas aside, this month I’ve been keeping up with the latest news and I was really surprised that Bradley Wiggins moved from Garmin to Sky. To be honest, I didn’t like the move or the way it was conducted. Okay, he was under contract and he could have broken it but the fact is he totally denied that he was moving and then suddenly he’d moved. I don’t think that was cool and he could have done it more professionally. I didn’t like how he handled it. I hope he has a good 2010 season though. I’m sure he’ll do something big.

As for my 2010 season you’re probably aware of my schedule but I can now confirm that I’ll be doing the Tour of California. I can’t wait.

There’s not much else to say other than have a great New Year and thanks again for all your fantastic support.

Andy and the dog.

Robots have feelings too

Published:

November 24, 2009, 19:50,

Updated:

November 25, 2009, 17:47

By:

Andy Schleck

Andy Schleck soaks up the sunshine in Miami and Curaçao

This month has been another action-packed adventure, taking in South Beach, alligators in the Everglades, dolphins in Curaçao, swimming with Thor Hushovd, lunch with Alberto Contador, dinner with the Sciandris, a new Specialized cyclo-cross bike and much, much more. Of course the biggest news of all is that my brother Fränk proposed to his long-term girlfriend, but we'll get to that in due course.

We'll begin with my first holiday of the year, in Miami. As you know I love the US, it’s one of my favourite destinations and last year I celebrated New Year's with Fränk and Karsten Kroon in New York City. This time Fränk, two friends and I decided we'd check out somewhere new and having always wanted to go to Miami it was an easy choice to make. We spent five days in the sun-drenched hotspot and enjoyed some well-deserved R&R. We took a trip out to the Everglades one day and saw alligators, but the highlight was the nightlife.

I'm not a typical party boy; I enjoy a nice restaurant and a bar with close friends so each night we'd pick a restaurant and try something new. One night we pitched up at Max Sciandri's dad's place. He owns a fantastic restaurant and with Max being in town we had to check it out. Over dinner Max leaned over and whispered, "Andy, have you ever been to a fashion show?" "No Max, never," I replied somewhat cautiously. You can guess where we ended up, can't you? To be honest it was a bit weird seeing all the models come out in strange clothes but then again it had its benefits too.

Next stop was Curaçao, my off-season resting spot for the last four years. This year my whole family came out so it was even more special than usual and I still enjoy it just as much as my first visit. Along with the criterium there's always something to do there. Leo, the organiser, always puts on a good show for the riders and their families and friends at the Lions Dive and Beach Resort. So I got up to the typical shenanigans - swimming with dolphins, although I've done it so many times I think they recognise me now. There was one German guy who was scared of the dolphins and refused to get in the water with them but a quick pet talk from Fränk and I, during which we informed him that dolphins are loveable creatures, and he was soon splashing around like a kid in the water.

But for me the best moment, by far, was on the night of the barbecue. We were all on the beach and the organisers laid on a fantastic fireworks display from a boat out at sea. I was standing next to Fränk and he turned to me and said, "Is now a good time? Shall I ask her?" A couple of minutes later and in view of everyone Fränk got down on one knee and asked Martine to marry him. We all waited with bated breath, our hearts in our mouths but when she broke the silence, tears in her eyes, and said yes it was incredible. Fränk is not just my brother, he’s my best friend and Martine, we'll, she’s a great girl and I know that they'll both be very happy together.

The rest of the vacation flew by as I fluttered my time away in between lunching with Alberto Contador to swimming with Brice Feillu and Thor, having a few beers and doing a bit of exercise.

Is it strange that so many riders from different teams spend their vacation together? I don't think so. Alberto Contador is a normal boy and like me he enjoys the solitude you can find after a long hard season. It’s the same with Thor. One thing I can tell you is that cycling is far from our minds and we hardly talk about it. The common perception is that we're robots: trained from birth to ride our bikes, programmed and conditioned to suffer, travel and race and follow team orders. But the truth is we're like any cross-section of society. Some of us are good, some bad, some funny and some serious. We're not robots and having time away from racing and the media is really important.

But now I'm back home, my batteries are recharged and I'm really excited about starting my training for 2010. I'm never one to put too much pressure on myself but I know that next year is going to be the most important year of my career so far. I've got time on my side but last year I went to the Tour de France as a contender for the top ten but next year I'll be going there as one of the favourites. I think there will be five of us in contention - Contador, Armstrong, Wiggins, Frank and myself. There are maybe five other guys who could do well but these five will probably decide the race and the podium.

I'll be talking to Bjarne Riis, my team boss, on the 29th and in that meeting we'll decide on my race programme. Right now it looks like I'll be kicking things off with the Tour of Majorca, in Spain. I'll probably stay there for a few days after the race in order to train but once again my first big goal will be the Classics and defending my title in Liège. From there I might do the Tour of California as I really like the race and it could suit me. The next big goal is of course the Tour. Can I peak in twice in a season? Yes, and I think my can peak even higher for the Tour. Of course the Tour is the most important race of the year but having Liège in your palmares is a pretty cool thing as well.

Testing times

Now I must love you and leave you as I need to fill out my Whereabouts form. I've talked about this before but I still have reservations about some of the aspects involved. I know that it’s necessary and important but sometimes it can be a pain and I worry about missing a test. I'm not trying to fire holes in the sport, I'm just being honest. For example, I have a colleague who was thrown a surprise party one night. He had a few drinks and decided to stay at friends rather than drive home. The next morning the tester arrived and he had a missed test.

I'm all for testing, I have nothing to hide so if people want to follow me around the clock that’s fine but I think the system could be more flexible. It seems we're paying for the mistakes of riders before me. I know it’s part and parcel of being an athlete and I applaud all efforts for a clean sport, so this is more of an observation than a rant. But what if I want to go on a cruise one year? I have no idea how that would work with the Whereabouts system. Perhaps the testers will come with me or chopper in Apocalypse Now-style. I don't know. Cycling is my passion and my job but it’s not my life. Like I said, we're not robots.

The off-season has arrived

Published:

October 26, 2009, 14:34,

Updated:

October 26, 2009, 18:42

By:

Cycling News

Andy's still busy with a trip to Spain, the Tour presentation and home construction

The storm has finally passed and I'm back where I started, staring out of the window at my parents' home in Luxembourg. Just like that day in February when I outlined all my hopes for the season, it's a cool, crisp morning. It's as if the season hasn't even happened.

My parents' garden hasn't changed. The bushes and grass seem no different. A bit of paint has faded on the garage door and a few dead leaves sit on the window ledge but that's it.

For me, though, it's been a huge experience and a breakthrough season. From the Classics to the Tour to the Vuelta and Worlds; there have been so many emotions and experiences. I'll save them all for another month's blog.

I've been kept busy since my abortive ride at the Worlds. The last few days have been spent in Madrid at Specialized's - our team's bike sponsor - expense. They flew me and Burry Stander out and had us compete in a kind of cycling celebrity death match. Okay, maybe that's a bit extreme, but for anyone who isn't familiar with Burry, he's the World Under-23 mountain bike champion and most importantly, he's quick. Very quick.

For a laugh - and I use that term lightly - Specialized had us ride up a 12-kilometre climb with me taking the road path and Burry fighting his way up the off-road trail to the top of the climb before swapping bikes and giving each other's sport a go. As you would expect we both dominated our disciplines but I had a great time on the mountain bike. I do a bit of it during the winter here in Luxembourg but it's been a while since I've been on a mountain bike. It was a lot of fun.

Of course, no corporate event would be complete without a night's hospitality and in the evening we went to watch the Champions League match between Real Madrid FC and AC Milan FC, from Italy. It was a great match that ended in defeat for Real but we had a good time nevertheless. I'd never been to the magnificent Estadio Santiago Bernabéu before, but seeing the players perform on a stage totally different to mine was fun.

Tour de France wardrobe malfunction

And speaking of stages, I was on one myself at the recent Tour de France route presentation in Paris. I've already talked about the route itself in the press, I'll reiterate that I like it. It seems like a tough parcours and one that will be selective. The only aspect I don't like the look of are the cobbled sections in the first few days. They're dangerous and a contender could easily lose the race there or crash. Is that necessary in a Grand Tour? I'm not so sure. I think guys like me and the Belgians will be fine, we're used to riding cobbles, but some of the Spanish riders will be pretty nervous.

The presentation itself was a lot of fun and you'll have all seen my wardrobe malfunction when I was seated between a suited and booted Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador in what I can say was more relaxed attire. Why the casual look, Andy, I hear you ask. Well, I went last year and a suit didn't seem necessary and to be honest I don't really like them. But when I walked in this year everyone was wearing them; from the riders to the press. Even the people taking coats were dressed to impress.

So there I am, seated between the Tour winner and a Tour legend and what's the first thing Lance says to me? "Hey Andy, where's your suit man?" "It's okay, Lance. Riders under twenty-five don't need them." My fashion sense might not be that slick but my quick-fire responses are.

Lots of people have asked what it was like sitting between Lance and Alberto that day. Did they have a quick thumb war as they shook hands? Was Lance wearing a hand buzzer to shock his Spanish rival? Did Alberto slip kryptonite into Lance's pocket? Of course none of those situations transpired. We chatted freely in fact, about the route and what we'd been up to since we last met.

That might be hard to imagine but rivals on the bike aren't always sworn enemies off the bike. They chat and text each other from time to time and it was nice to actually see them. Of course some riders get on better with others but everything was kept cordial. Of course next July I'd like us to be standing in those same positions, with me in the middle and Lance and Alberto on either side of me on the podium in Paris.

New house

So what's my plan for the rest of 2009? I'm going to take a bit of time off the bike to relax and take a vacation. As you all know I love America and in a few days I'll fly out to Miami with my best friend from back home, before heading to Curacao for 10 days. I want to enjoy my time off but I would be lying if I hadn't thought about next year's goals and how I'm going to achieve them.

Perhaps one of my biggest goals will be to finally have my new house completed. The building process was started from scratch but it has been going on for too long. Right now they're working on the fittings in the bathroom and kitchen. The upside of building from scratch is that I can decide on every detail, like having a television in my bathroom. Don't laugh, I'm serious. It's a necessity that all bathrooms should have.

After I get home from training the first thing I do is stick on MTV. Now I can do that and watch it while I shower. Makes perfect sense, doesn't it? The builders didn't see it that way, though. They looked at me like I was crazy when I explained this to them. But it's my casa and I want things done right.

Farewell to a friend

Just like last month I'll end by saying goodbye to someone on the team who is leaving for pastures new. Last month it was my good friend Karsten Kroon and this time it's another amigo, Brian Nygaard. Some of you may know him while others may not be familiar with him. For those who aren't, Brian is our Saxo Bank press relations manager. He's been with us for a long time and shared in many great wins and stressful moments.

Throughout that time he's been a gent, a total professional and always someone I could seek out and talk to. He's off to Sky next year, in search of new challenges and new goals. It might be a little weird seeing him around a different bus in 2010 but one thing that won't change is our friendship. Good luck, Brian.

A rollercoaster month

Published:

September 8, 2009, 21:43,

Updated:

September 9, 2009, 09:10

By:

Andy Schleck

After pulling out of Vuelta, Schleck readies for worlds

As summer draws to a close and autumn sweeps in, I've noticed a few changes develop in me over the last few weeks. Whether it's welling up at pictures of newborn children or saying farewell to teammates as they leave for new pastures, it's certainly been another rollercoaster month of emotions and experiences. Last time we caught up, I was about to start training for the Vuelta - my second Grand Tour of the year - but unfortunately, as you're probably aware, that race didn't go to plan and I was forced to abandon.

I turned up with a little bit of form, but in all honesty I was riding into the unknown and unsure of my fitness. In the prologue, I had really bad legs, but as the race went on I started to feel better and by the time Vaconsoleil's Borut Bozic won his stage, I was felling stronger.

However, the day after the time trial, I'd come down with stomach cramps and a fever. During the stage I was throwing up and I had no energy at all. I knew the writing was on the wall when I came down to breakfast that morning, but even so, I didn't want to give up. I struggled through the stage as far as I could but in the end when you're sick you're sick and it's better to stop than carry on and harm your body.

Mind you, the Vuelta wasn't all doom and gloom that day. In fact it was one of the happiest days I've had with the team. On the eve of the race we all knew that Stuart O'Grady's wife was expecting the couple's third child and at 3:00 am, the night before I pulled out, Stuey got the call from his wife: she was going into labour. That morning we came down to breakfast and were greeted to Stuey grinning from ear-to-ear and staring at a picture of mother and baby on his camera phone.

We all crowded rounded, patted him on the back and gave him our warm congratulations. It was all really emotional. Cyclists spend so many days on our bikes, suffering and away from our families and when moments like that come around, they really knock you for six. Fränk and I had tears in our eyes. The latest addition to the O'Grady clan is Taylor Grace and she's a beautiful, bouncing baby girl.

People always ask me what I dream of, what my greatest desire is. It's not winning the Tour de France, it's not even wining the Worlds or Olympics. It's hoping someday that I'm still healthy, that I'll have a nice wife and healthy children in my life. Okay, cycling is a part of my life, it's a job and of course I like it; it's a passion that burns deeply and drives me, but in reality it's just a small part of my life. As we crowded around Stuey that morning everyone shared that feeling. Maybe it's our bond as cyclists or just homesick men. I don't know.

But of course it wasn't long before we started to make jokes. We bought a robotic parrot and took it on the bus that morning. It records anything you say and had us in stitches as we listed to the director give his talk for the day. "I like" or "Stuey is a daddy again," came the robotic heckles as the directeur sportif looked around to see us cramping with laughter as he tried to give his instructions. At the end of the stage we gave the parrot to Stuey, who'll give it to his little girl when he sees her. It was great atmosphere in the team that day and it was a shame to leave.

I'm home now and resting up, hoping that I can still start training in a few days and kick start my Worlds preparation. I'm willing to race there but if it's not possible and I'm not 100 percent, then I won't travel. If I do go, it will be hard to beat guys like Damiano Cunego, Samuel Sánchez and Alejandro Valverde, who by then will have had three weeks of racing in their legs. Of course, they didn't do the Tour de France either, so they could also be a little fresher than me too.

But Luxembourg could have a really strong team in Switzerland this year. The only problem is that the three potential leaders are all out of form or recovering from illness. Fränk, my brother, is at the Vuelta and is soldering on with a dodgy knee, I'm at home sick and Kim Kirchen is recovering from illness, too. I heard last week that Kim has moved to Katusha. I hope that he has a great year next season. He's 31 now and with so many strong riders at Columbia, maybe it will be good for him to go to Katusha. Personally, I wish him all the best.

But the transfer mill has been in full swing now for a while now and riders have been moving teams for some time now. On the downside it's meant that we've lost one of our most liked and respected riders in Karsten Kroon, who has joined the ever-improving BMC squad for 2010. He let me know a few weeks ago that he'd signed for them and it came as a big blow for me personally.

Karsten is a great friend but at the end of the day money talks and there wasn't enough budget for him to stay with us. Over the years, he's worked his arse off for our team and been a tremendous ally in the Classics. Of course, at Amstel Gold I was there to try and help him win but in races like Liege, he was a real warrior for us. We'll definitely keep in touch, but Karsten, if you're reading this, thanks and best of luck. We'll all miss you.

Tears, criteriums and rumors

Published:

August 11, 2009, 16:59,

Updated:

August 11, 2009, 17:12

By:

Cycling News

Andy looks back at the Tour and forward to the Vuelta and Worlds

Whoever said big boys don't cry has never had the summer I've had. 38 days straight on the bike; a podium place in the Tour de France; a national title and a huge criterium in my home city. Since I rolled down the start ramp at the Tour in Monaco, it's been an emotional adventure and now, as I sit by my local lake fishing with just my dogs for company I can finally appreciate it all.

And what an adventure it's been. My whole year revolved around the Tour. From building up my stamina at our training camp in December to testing out our new Specialized bikes and racing in the spring – it was all about peaking for those three weeks in July.

I won't bore you by a blow-by-blow account of the race but I'll share a behind the scenes moment that will stick in my mind for as long as I live. The team were on the bus for the final stage in Paris. There was a lot of laughing and joking, everyone happy that the Tour was finished and we'd be so successful. But for me it was a really seminal and personal moment in my life.

It sounds silly but we'd spent three weeks on the road together and shared the huge highs and of course the deep lows that come with professional bike racing. There were Frank's and Nicki's stage wins; Jens and Chris crashing out and of course my place on the podium – a whole rollercoaster of experience and emotions.

But it was that moment of finality on the bus when I realised that the Tour was coming to an end. I'm not ashamed to admit that I was welling up.

No rest for the wicked

Since the Tour I've barely had time to stop and take stock. First there was a post-Tour party with my team and then the crit circuit began.

I must admit I like criteriums. They don't really suit me as s rider – there are no climbs – but the main thing I enjoy is the crowds and the support from the fans that turn out in their thousands to cheer us on. After a three-week race it's a real honour so race for so many people on such small circuits.

My final crit was in the Luxembourg capital and the crowds were incredible. We're a small nation of only 380,000 inhabitants but there were over 50,000 on the streets cheering us on.

A lot of kids see Frank and I as role models now and that puts pressure on us, but I'm happy to shoulder it. If I can do anything to help kids get into cycling that has to be a good thing.

Sport is such an important part of life when you're growing up. It doesn't have to be cycling, it can be anything, but staying active is a really important part of your life.

I remember when I was in school and everything revolved around cycling before and after school. Of course there was homework but there was never really much time to go to parties or head into the city that much. I missed out, but I think that was a good thing as some of my friends who went down that path haven't ended up in good places.

Rumor mill churning

Talking of pressure though, it really increased during this year's Tour de France. I don't see the media as a big distraction. I've been second at the Giro and from that point on there have always been expectations on me at every race I turn up for, but that's my job and I can handle it. People question my age but I've been a pro since the age of nineteen and this is my fifth year in the ranks so I've been around the block and know what it's all about.

But whatever you do as a rider you can't stop the media speculating. At this year's Tour I spoke to Lance Armstrong and guess what, there's a headline that I'm going to ride for him next year. I spoke to Alberto Contador and guess what, we're working together against Armstrong.

All I can say on the transfer front is that I have a contract for next year with Saxo Bank and I will respect that. There was never even a chance I'd change teams. Whether or not I'll be in a team with Armstrong one day, I don't know, as I don't know what will happen in the future. But for now I'll focus on next year and perform as best as I can for the team I'm with. We have a super team around me and Frank with great support and a brilliant bunch of staff and riders so why fix what isn't broken?

Next stop: Spain

Of course my season isn't finished just yet as I have the small matter of competing in the Vuelta to contend with. It'll be my first time in the race and I'm looking forward to it. In fact it'll be the first time I've ever ridden two Grand Tours in the same season.

My training starts today but I'll gently build up for the race as I want to still be in form for the world championships which start just a few days after the Vuelta's finishes.

Wish me luck, and if you spot me chatting to any other riders don't worry, I'm not looking for a contract!