Fränk Schleck 3055796 225845901 2008-07-15T17:50:19Z 143.231.249.141 Add Kim Kirchen as the person who succeeded Schleck as Luxembourgian Sportsman of the Year {{Infobox Cyclist | ridername = Fränk Schleck | image = Frank Schleck.jpg | image_caption = | fullname = Fränk Schleck | nickname = | dateofbirth = {{birth date and age|1980|4|15}} | country = {{LUX}} | height = {{height|m=1.86}} | weight = {{convert|67|kg|lb st|abbr=on|lk=on}} | currentteam = Team CSC | discipline = Road | role = Rider | ridertype = Climber/Classics Rider | amateuryears = <br>2000<br>2001<br>2002<br>2002 | amateurteams = ACC Contern<br>De Nardi<br>Festina ''(stagiaire)''<br>Chateauroux<br>Team CSC ''(stagiaire)'' | proyears = 2003&ndash; | proteams = Team CSC | majorwins = Amstel Gold Race (2006)<br>Tour de France, 1 stage (at Alpe d'Huez)<br>Tour de Suisse, 1 stage<br>{{LUX}} National [[Bicycling terminology#open road race|Road Race]] Champion (2005, 2008) | updated = [[June 29]], [[2008]] }} '''Fränk Schleck''' (born [[15 April]] [[1980]]) is a professional [[Road bicycle racing|road bicycle racer]] from [[Luxembourg]] riding for [[Team CSC Saxo Bank]]. Before 2005, Schleck was joined by his younger brother [[Andy Schleck]] on Team CSC Saxo Bank, and they split the 2005 national championships between them, with Fränk winning the [[Bicycling terminology#open road race|road race]] and Andy winning the [[Individual time trial|time trial]]. Their father [[Johnny Schleck]] was also a road bicycle racer, professional between 1965 and 1974. Fränk's greatest achievements include a [[2006_Tour_de_France%2C_Stage_12_to_Stage_20#Stage_15.2C_Tuesday.2C_July_18:_Gap_-_L.27Alpe-d.27Huez.2C_187.C2.A0km|tough mountain stage]] in the [[Tour de France]] which finished on the [[Alpe d'Huez]], as well as the [[2006 Amstel Gold Race|2006 edition]] of the [[Amstel Gold Race]] [[cycling classic|classic]]. ==Biography== After riding for the [[Military of Luxembourg|Luxembourg military]] sports programme, he moved to [[Italy]] to ride for [[De Nardi-Pasta Montegrappa]]. In 2001, he tried out as a [[Bicycling terminology#Stagiaire|stagiaire]] for [[Festina]], but when the team folded after the season, Schleck was left with no contract. He contacted Team CSC manager [[Bjarne Riis]] through their common youth coach [[Marcel Gilles]] of the [[ACC Contern]] amateur team.<ref>[http://www.cyclingnews.com/riders/2005/interviews/?id=frank_schleck05 Flying high close to home], ''CyclingNews'', December 1, 2005</ref> Schleck rode 2002 as a stagiaire on Team CSC. He signed a pro contract in 2003, as Riis had a vacancy following a failed attempt to sign the former [[Tour de France]] winner [[Jan Ullrich]] as well as Ullrich's helping riders.<ref>[http://www.csc.com/mms/cycling/en/ne/na/articleDetail.jsp?id=1404 Schleck: Ready for More in ‘06], ''CSC'', October 21, 2005</ref> Schleck's breakthrough came in 2005, with three podium places in the last month of the season. He finished all three races behind [[Paolo Bettini]] ([[Cycling at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games - Road Race Men|2004 Olympic Road Race]] winner) and [[Gilberto Simoni]] (two times [[Giro d'Italia]] winner), losing [[Züri-Metzgete]] to Bettini, the [[Giro dell'Emilia]] to Simoni, and finishing third behind both in the [[Giro di Lombardia]]. Schleck ended 2005 ranked 13th on the [[UCI ProTour 2005#2005 ProTour Individual Rankings|2005 ProTour riders list]]. He extended his contract with Riis and Team CSC until 2008, one of three riders in the team with a three-year contract. The 2006 season started with a fifth-place finish in [[Paris-Nice]]. After a crash in the [[Vuelta al País Vasco]], he suffered a concussion.<ref>[http://www.team-csc.com/ny_news.asp?n_id=862 Schleck Crashes Out], ''Team-CSC'', April 5, 2006</ref> He made his comeback in the [[Amstel Gold Race]] that month. Sitting with the favorites with ten kilometers to go, Schleck broke away alone up the Cauberg in [[Valkenburg]] for a solo finish while team mate [[Karsten Kroon]] disrupted the chase. Three days later he finished 4th in [[La Flèche Wallonne]] after a vigorous ride up the [[Muur de Huy]] where [[Spain|Spanish]] rider [[Alejandro Valverde]] proved unbeatable. Schleck's form continued days later with the [[Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2006|Liège-Bastogne-Liège]] race, where he rode at the front for much of the latter half and finished 7th. In the Tour de France, he won stage 15 from Gap to [[Alpe D'Huez]], where he broke away from [[Damiano Cunego]] 1.5km from the finish. He is known for the way he keeps his knees in while pedaling. He also rides a high cadence when climbing. ===2007=== Schleck had a solid start, taking 9th in Paris-Nice. In the Amstel Gold race, he crashed with 47km to go, eventually finishing 10th. His recovery continued at the Flèche Wallone where he finished 7th, but the day before Liège-Bastogne-Liège, it was announced that he had a fractured vertebra. He rode despite the injury and launched the decisive attack a few kilometers from the finish with [[Danilo di Luca]]. Di Luca attacked with one kilometer to go and Schleck faded to 3rd. Schleck won the fourth stage of the Tour de Suisse, taking the yellow jersey; he eventually finished 7th. He could only manage 17th at the Tour de France but was part of the successful attack in the world championship, finishing fourth. == Major results== {{Palmares start}} ;2005 : 13th - [[2005 UCI ProTour]] individual standings : 7th Overall, [[2005 Paris-Nice|Paris-Nice]] : 4th Overall, [[2005 Tour de Suisse|Tour de Suisse]] :: 2nd, [[2005_Tour_de_Suisse#19-06-2005:_Ulrichen.2C_100_km.:|Stage 9]] : {{LUX}} National [[Bicycling terminology#open road race|Road Race]] Championship : 2nd, [[2005 Züri-Metzgete|Züri-Metzgete]] : 3rd, [[2005 Giro di Lombardia|Giro di Lombardia]] ;2006 : 3rd - [[2006 UCI ProTour]] individual standings : 1st, [[Amstel Gold Race]] : 10th overall, [[Tour de France]] (and Stage 15 win: [[Gap, Hautes-Alpes|Gap]] - [[Alpe dHuez|L'Alpe-d'Huez]]) ;2007 : 1st, Stage 4, [[2007 Tour de Suisse|Tour de Suisse]] : 1st, [[Giro dell'Emilia]] : 2nd, [[Coppa Sabatini]] : 3rd, [[Liège-Bastogne-Liège]] ;2008 : 2nd, [[2008 Amstel Gold Race|Amstel Gold Race]] : 3rd, [[2008 Liège-Bastogne-Liège|Liège-Bastogne-Liège]] : {{LUX}} National [[Bicycling terminology#open road race|Road Race]] Championship {{Palmares end}} ==Teams== *2003 - [[Team CSC]] *2004 - Team CSC *2005 - Team CSC *2006 - Team CSC *2007 - Team CSC *2008 - Team CSC Saxo Bank == References == {{reflist}} == External links == * [http://www.schleck.lu/ Fanclub for the Schleck brothers]. * [http://www.team-csc.com/person_profiles.asp?p_id=17 Team CSC profile] * [http://www.cyclingpost.com/profiles/csc/article_001245.shtml Fränk Schleck profile] {{s-start}} {{s-sports}} {{s-bef|before=[[Kim Kirchen]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Luxembourgian Sportsman of the Year]] |years=2006}} {{s-aft|after=[[Kim Kirchen]]}} {{end}} {{Team CSC}} <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] --> {{Persondata |NAME= Schleck, Fränk |ALTERNATIVE NAMES= |SHORT DESCRIPTION=[[Road bicycle racer]] |DATE OF BIRTH= [[1980-04-15]] |PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Luxembourg]] |DATE OF DEATH= |PLACE OF DEATH= }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Schleck, Frank}} [[Category:Luxembourgian cyclists]] [[Category:Luxembourgian Tour de France stage winners]] [[Category:Olympic cyclists of Luxembourg]] [[Category:Cyclists at the 2004 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:1980 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from Luxembourg City]] [[da:Fränk Schleck]] [[de:Fränk Schleck]] [[es:Frank Schleck]] [[fr:Fränk Schleck]] [[it:Fränk Schleck]] [[lb:Fränk Schleck]] [[nl:Fränk Schleck]] [[ja:フランク・シュレク]] [[no:Fränk Schleck]] [[pl:Fränk Schleck]] [[pt:Fränk Schleck]] [[fi:Fränk Schleck]] [[sv:Fränk Schleck]]