Fuglsang looks ahead to Tour de France

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Jakob Fuglsang has gone from being RadioShack-Nissan's captain at the Giro d'Italia to a domestique for Andy Schleck at the Tour de France. The Dane had to give up his place on the Giro team due to a knee injury, and his place has been taken by Fränk Schleck.

The Danish rider was terribly disappointed at not being able to ride the Giro, but has now come to terms with the situation. “We have quite quickly set some new goals, and it helps me to look forward. Initially, I ride the Bayern Rundfahrt and the Tour of Luxembourg, and then the goal is that I should ride the Tour de France,” he told sporten.dk.

He was forced out of the Giro by knee problems, and together with Johan Bruyneel decided “that there was no reason to take a chance with the Giro. He would not risk that I be forced to retire because he would rather use me for the Tour de France.”

Fuglsang was not sure as to how all of this would affect the team's Tour line-up. “There are of course many changes on the team right now, so I do not know if that's changed on whether Fränk Schleck to ride the Tour, but I assume that he still must ride the Tour.”

As to the Tour, Fuglsang will have some opportunities for himself, “but I am at the Tour to help Andy.  I am a domestique.”

His knee injury developed whilst doing altitrude training before the Tour de Romandie, and is thought to be a consequence of his broken hand. “I had to ride differently on the bike to compensate and it may have influenced my knee.”