PARIS – Andy Schleck traveled to Paris today to be part of the presentation ceremony of the 100th edition of the Tour de France -- a balanced three weeks, with two individual time trials offset by four mountain top finishes and a testing final week in the Alps.
The most remarkable feat in the parcours is l'Alpe d'Huez on stage 18. The Alpine climb features in a whole novel way in the 2013 Tour, with the peloton set to scale it twice in the final of the stage.
Andy Schleck: "I believe it's a really hard parcours. It already starts in the first days, with the Grand Départ given in Corsica. I know the roads there quite well, from racing the Critérium International, so I'm looking forward to it. After that we go back to continent, have a TTT and then gradually move over to the Pyrenees, with two mountain stages. They are maybe not the hardest, but in the Tour every stage is important."
The 2013 race will have one team time trial (in Nice on stage 4) and two individual events, one around the Mont Saint-Michel (33km) and one hard time trial from Embrun to Chorges (32km).
Team Manager Luca Guercilena, who accompanied Schleck in Paris: "This Tour, the 100th edition, is very well balanced between flat stages, mountain stages and time trials. I believe it is a good Tour for Andy. The TT's are not too long, so he should be fine. There are 'only' four uphill finishes, but that doesn't mean the other stages are easy. A lot of stages have a lot of climbing and/or are really long. It will be a challenge for all!"
"I see the Alps, and especially the 242 km stage to the Mont Ventoux as the key to win the race. I expect that the heat will be a factor on that stage", says Schleck. "Overall, I think I can't complain about the parcours. I want to forget about my 2012 season as soon as possible. My injury is still not completely healed, but I can ride my bike relatively well. We'll see how it goes for the preparation for the Tour. I'll be racing a lot in order to be fit, that's certain."
An important subject of conversation at the Tour de France presentation was the USADA case against Lance Armstrong, with Andy Schleck repeatedly asked by the press for a reaction. Schleck: "What has happened in the past has been really bad. We cannot just put it aside. But on the other hand: most of these things are from the past and we need to draw a line. The young generation, and I count myself in that, has nothing to do with this past and we are the victims of it, in a way. So I'm saying: let's not forget about what has happened, but let's take lessons from it and move on."
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