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–
| 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]]
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