The Schleck brothers have gone separate ways once Fränk was out of the Tour de France when he crashed and broke a collarbone on a cobblestone section on stage 3. For the first time they are reunited at a race at the start of the Tour of Spain in Sevilla. After finishing in second place behind Alberto Contador in Paris, Andy took a rest while Fränk resumed training hard. The elder brother also got married one week ago.

"I've done only one race", explained Fränk who put a number on his back again for taking part in the Vattenfall Cyclassics in Hamburg on August 15. "It would have been good to ride the Tour du Limousin but that was hardly compatible with my wedding on August 21. There are more important things in life than bike races and that day has been wonderful."

A happy man, Fränk doesn't hide his ambitions for the Vuelta. "My head is 100% focused on that goal", he said. "I'm motivated. I have fully recovered from my crash although my collarbone was broken in three pieces. I've done a lot of training behind scooter. After four or five days of racing at the Vuelta, I'll be ready."

"I want to go for the GC", Fränk added. "If I've got the same legs as at the Tour de Suisse, I can win the Vuelta." In the Schleck family, Fränk is the one designated as the leader for the Tour of Spain. "But we're always two leaders", he notified. "Andy is always there to create a surprise. I hope he won't drop me in the climbs." Andy prefers not to promise anything: "The form of the Tour de France, it's only once a year", he said. "If I'm well, I'll stay with Fränk for the third week."

"Climbs in Spain are shorter than at the Tour de France", Fränk added. "The other difference is that we haven't gone and previewed the route of the Vuelta before the race. But I know that it's always up and down."

Fränk has identified the adversaries he fears the most: "Caisse d'Épargne always has a strong team", he said. "Nibali is a favourite as well as Sastre and Menchov who will ride together with Geox next year." Andy thinks the same. He dared to predict the final podium in three weeks in Madrid and concluded with one of his typical jokes: "Schleck, Nibali, Menchov will finish in that order. But I'm not giving the first name of the Schleck..."

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