Trek Factory Racing in holding pattern with Andy Schleck
With Bauke Mollema joining Trek in 2015, Andy Schleck's place on the team is in doubt, especially with his debilitating knee injury
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BELORADO, Spain (VN) — Trek Factory Racing is in a holding pattern concerning the future of Andy Schleck.
The younger of the Schleck brothers still has not fully recovered from what may be a career-ending knee injury suffered in a stage 3 crash at the Tour de France. Trek confirmed Friday it has not re-upped Schleck for 2015.
“The situation with his knee is not optimistic,” Trek team spokesman Tim Vanderjeugd told VeloNews. “He is out on his bike, and he comes back after an hour or an hour and a half, and it’s still swollen. He has to ice it up after every ride. It’s not encouraging.”
The 29-year-old is still trying to recover from the crash and resulting surgery to repair ligament and cartilage damage to his knee. Doctors reported that he ruptured both collateral and cruciate ligaments, and tore his meniscus.
Trek re-signed his brother, Fränk, to a two-year contract extension this week, and has recruited Belkin rider Bauke Mollema to lead the team in grand tours.
Team officials said they are waiting to see if Schleck can fully recovery from his injury before talking about the future.
“It doesn’t really make sense to talk [about] a contract with a rider who is that injured,” Vanderjeugd said. “We are not saying he is off our radar, but we have to wait to see how the knee evolves.”
The Schleck brothers have raced together since Andy turned pro in 2005, but it’s possible that Frank could race alone on Trek next season.
There have been some rumors reported in the Danish media that the younger Schleck could join Danish squad, Cult Energy, but Trek sport director Kim Andersen denied those reports in a Luxembourg newspaper.
Schleck’s once-dazzling career has been stuck in the mud since he crashed out during the 2012 Critérium du Dauphiné, fracturing his sacrum. Since then, he’s struggled to complete races and post results and started this year’s Tour without any GC ambitions.
With Mollema poised to join the team in 2015, Andy Schleck’s future with the team is in doubt.
Vanderjeugd said Mollema would likely be the team’s lone big-name arrival for 2015.
“We’re not done signing yet, but for the big names, that will be it,” he said of Mollema. “We have a lot of good young riders, and we want to keep working with them, and develop their talent … With Mollema coming in, with Frank, I think we’re set for the GC. I don’t think that the team will be that different next year.”