This week Lidl-Trek announced the signing of Bernhard Eisel to be part of the women’s team sports director group and now another veteran of the sport is back. Luxembourg icon Fränk Schleck has found his way back into pro cycling, only now with a new role.“It feels amazing to be back. This team means a lot to me, and there’s a real sense of pride and familiarity returning to a place with so many good memories,” Schleck said in a press release. “Coming in from the outside, I could immediately see the energy and direction of the project. The October camp showed me how committed everyone is to pushing standards, and it’s exciting to now be part of that process”.
Shleck was a rider that has achieved a lot throughout his career, which from 2011 to 2016 – his final year in the peloton – were raced in the same structure that is today the American team. Hence he was always connected to it in some way, but 10 years after his retirement from the sport, he returns in a role to guide the riders from behind the wheel now.
“Personally, I want to contribute as much as I can on and off the field and help the team reach the next level. Success for me is seeing us achieve our collective goals. I’m grateful for the opportunity and I’m looking forward to sharing my experience and knowledge with the team.”
Schleck, now 45, has won races such as the Tour de Suisse, Amstel Gold Race and Giro dell’Emilia throughout his career. However his most notable performances were at the Tour de France, where together with his brother Andy, they attacked Alberto Contador throughout the whole 2009 edition, and then finished together on the podium behind Cadel Evans in the 2011 edition.