Top Cyclists to look out for in 2011 Tour de France
Alberto Contador
Alberto Contador is a Spanish professional cyclist, born on December 6, 1982. Contador was in Discovery Channel’s team when he won 2007 Tour de France. He has won the 2008 Giro d’’Italia, the 2008 Vuelta a Espana, the 2009 Tour de France, the 2010 Tour de
France with the Astana team and 2011 Giro d'Italia with Saxo Bank SunGuard team.
The 28-year-old has the honour of being the first Spanish and fifth racer in history to succeed in all three Grand Tours of road cycling. He is considered as the best stage racer and climbing specialist across the globe. He has developed himself into an
all-rounder, someone who can perform exceptionally well in different aspects of the game.
Contador started competing at an amateur level at the age of 15, after he joined the Real Velo Club Portillo from Madrid in Spain. He did not face any victories in the initial two years, but his skills were not hidden from anyone. His climbing skills earned
him a nick-name Pantani, after the Italian road racer cyclist Marco Pantani, who was considered as one of the best climbers in professional road racing.
The Spanish cyclist experienced his first victories after winning a number of mountain classifications on the Spanish amateur cycling calendar. He had to leave the school at the age of 16 as he signed with the team of Manolo Saiz and joined lberdrola-Loinaz
and won Under-23 Spanish Time Trial Championship in 2001.
Andy Raymond Schleck
Andy Schleck was born in Luxembourg on June 10, 1985 and is the youngest amongst his two brothers. Andy Schleck also rides for Leopard Trek, the same team his older brother, Frank Schleck, rides for. Johny Schleck their father participated in Tour de France
and Vuelta a Espana between 1965-1974. Andy Schleck has also won stage 8 of the 2010 Tour De France.
The 26-year-old joined VC Roubaix cycling club in 2004 and impressed the Sport's Director, Cyrille Guimard. Schleck was considered as one of the biggest talents and was compared with Laurent Fignon.
Schleck was 18 years old when he won the 2004 Fleche du Sud Race. He made his debut in a Pro Tour race at the age of 19 after signing a professional contract with CSC.
The 2005 National Championships were shared amongst Andy Schleck and his brother, Frank Schleck. Andy won the Individual Time Trial and Frank took the road race. Andy took an eight-week break after he took a crash in the GP Cholet, before he finally returned
for Volta a Catalunya. Andy finished 23rd overall at the Sachsen Tour and won the major mountain stage.
Andy won the young rider classification in 2007 Giro d”Italia and was second in general classification followed by Danilo Di Luca. He finished fourth at the Giro di Lombardia after his brother, Frank, crashed with six kilometers to go.
He won the Younger rider classification in the Tour De France in 2008 and continued his winning-streak. Andy’s biggest winning year was 2009 as he became the first Luxembourg rider, since Marcel Ernzer in 1954, after a remarkable win in Liege Bastogne Liege.
Schleck grabbed the second spot in 2009 Tour de France. He was ahead of Lance Armstrong and behind Alberto Contador.
He was only 39 seconds behind Alberto Contador to win the 2010 Tour de France 2010. For the third time Andy won the Young Rider Classification.
Andy and his brother, Frank, announced to leave Team Saxo Bank at the end of 2010 as they plan to form a new Luxembourg-based team with Kim Anderson, former Saxo Bank director. Alberto Contador was hired to fill Andy Schleck's gap in Team Saxo Bank.
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