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Video: Bruyneel names Andy Schleck as "logical" team leader
Team boss also says RadioShack-Nissan will have to gamble in 2012
In an exclusive interview with Cyclingnews, RadioShack-Nissan directeur sportif Johann Bruyneel has revealed that he sees Andy Schleck as the "logical" choice to lead the team next year, regardless of his relatively young age.
Schleck has finished second in the last three editions of the Tour de France and Bruyneel, who has overseen 13 Grand Tour victories in his time as a manager, said that Schleck's recent performances in cycling's biggest race meant that he was best qualified for the job.
Bruyneel also said that he was confident in the team's ability to pull together and apply pressure to the rest of the peloton in 2012 but also stated that RadioShack-Nissan will need to gamble at times if they are to pull off the big wins that they are looking for.
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Andy Schleck
2nd GC, Tour de France 2009, 2010, 2011
Best Young Rider, Tour de France, 2008, 2009, 2010
1st Tour de France Stages: 8 & 17, 2010; 18, 2011
2nd Giro d’Italia 2007
1st Liège–Bastogne–Liège 2009
2nd Flèche Wallonne 2009
3rdLiège–Bastogne–Liège, 2011Looking ahead to 2012
The big question about Andy Schleck in 2012 will be how his move to a team run by Johan Bruyneel will affect his racing. Schleck has lacked the competitive edge that Bruyneel is famous for – Schleck’s statement that he’d rather end up in second place on the Tour de France podium with his brother Fränk in third than win the race certainly doesn’t fit the Bruyneel philosophy! But Bruyneel’s attention to detail should aid Andy through this year’s Tour – and with 96km of individual time trialling, notoriously Schleck’s weak spot, he’ll need all the help he can get, if he wants to take that elusive win.
Away from the Tour, look for Andy in the Ardennes Classics, and then aiming to become the World Champion, on the hilly Valkenburg course.