ORIGINS Andy Schleck on his first bike races

Regardless of their backgrounds, the top stars of professional cycling all share one thing in common — a story of fulfilled promise.

We’ve all heard it before, “This kid has real potential.” Sometimes it pans out, but most often it doesn’t, for any number of reasons. Talent, motivation, support, dedication, mental toughness, instinct and intelligence all play a role in developing a diamond in the rough into a champion bike racer. And even when all those factors line up, at some point, each rider must come to his own epiphany moment, the instant when he decides to pursue a professional career in the world’s most demanding sport.

In an exclusive feature, Origins, in the June issue of VeloNews magazine, Tom Boonen, Mark Cavendish, Heinrich Haussler, George Hincapie, Michael Rogers, Andy Schleck and Jens Voigt reveal their paths into the sport, from aspiring junior to the podium steps of the sport’s biggest races.

In the comings days, VeloNews.com will post video outtakes from the interviews behind the magazine feature. Last week we presented videos on Tom Boonen and Mark Cavendish. Today’s features Andy Schleck. All Origins videos.
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