For the first time in five years, the Schleck brothers will not be together at the start of the Tour de France. With Andy Schleck out due to injuries, Fränk Schleck must face the Tour alone, “but this belongs to the rider's life.”
The younger Schleck announced on Wednesday that he had suffered a fractured sacral bone in his pelvis in a crash at the Tour de Suisse, and would not be able to ride the Tour. He was to have been the team captain for RadioShack-Nissan.
“This shows once again that we do not always master the situation," Fränk Schleck said, according to sporza.be.
“Of course I would rather have Andy at my side, but this belongs to the rider's life. His forfeit is disappointing for him, for me, for the whole team. But at the same time we must not speak of a disappointment.
"What his absence will mean for me? I haven't had time to think about that. I've heard from Andy a few times, but we didn't talk about my Tour.”