Fränk René Schleck, born on April 15, 1980, in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, is a retired professional road bicycle racer renowned for his prowess as a climber and puncheur.
He competed at the elite level from 2003 to 2016, establishing himself as one of Luxembourg’s most prominent cyclists in the modern era.
Coming from a lineage steeped in cycling tradition, he followed in the footsteps of his grandfather Gustave Schleck, who raced professionally in the 1930s, and his father Johny Schleck, a domestique who supported Tour de France winners Jan Janssen and Luis Ocaña during his career from 1965 to 1974.
Fränk’s professional journey was marked by intense rivalries, sibling teamwork, and notable highs and lows, including a doping suspension that tested his resilience.
Siblings
Fränk’s younger brother, Andy Schleck, born on June 10, 1985, became the more celebrated figure in the peloton, clinching the 2010 Tour de France title retroactively after Alberto Contador’s doping disqualification and earning runner-up spots in 2009 and 2011.
The two brothers frequently raced as teammates, most famously sharing the Tour de France podium in 2011 with Fränk in third and Andy in second, the first siblings to achieve such a feat in the race’s history.
They turned professional together on Team CSC in 2005, later co-founding the Luxembourg-based Leopard Trek squad in 2011, which evolved into RadioShack-Nissan and eventually Trek-Segafredo.
The eldest sibling, Steve Schleck, carved a different path as a politician in Luxembourg, steering clear of the saddle but remaining a supportive figure in the family’s cycling narrative.
Career
Schleck’s professional odyssey began humbly as a stagiaire with Festina in 2001 and CSC-Tiscali in 2002, before securing a full contract with Team CSC—later rebranded as Team Saxo Bank—in 2003.
His early years were a slow burn, with no victories in his first four seasons, but flashes of potential emerged, such as podium finishes in late-2005 classics like the Züri Metzgete and Giro dell’Emilia.
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The 2006 season ignited his breakthrough, starting with a fifth place at Paris-Nice and culminating in a solo triumph at the Amstel Gold Race, followed by a prestigious stage win on Alpe d’Huez during his Tour de France debut, where he finished 10th overall.
This propelled him into a leadership role alongside brother Andy, as they helped Carlos Sastre secure the 2008 Tour victory.
By 2009, Schleck notched another Tour stage win on the Verbier climb, finishing alongside Andy and Contador, and claimed the Tour de Luxembourg for the first time since 1983.
The brothers’ departure from Saxo Bank in 2010 led to the creation of Leopard Trek, a Luxembourg powerhouse that merged with RadioShack in 2012.
Schleck’s form peaked in 2010 with an overall Tour de Suisse victory and a fourth-place Tour de France finish, but 2011 brought his career zenith: third overall at the Tour after aiding Andy’s runner-up effort.
Turbulence struck in July 2012 when a positive test for the diuretic xipamide during the Tour de France resulted in his ejection from the race and a 12-month suspension, backdated to July 2012 and reduced from two years due to lack of intent.
He returned in 2014 via Italy’s De Nardi team and the Luxembourg military program, riding for Trek-Segafredo until his 2016 retirement at age 36, closing a nine-decade family cycling chapter.
Accolades
Schleck’s palmarès gleams with a blend of Grand Tour heroics, classic conquests, and national dominance, underscoring his status as a Luxembourg cycling icon.
His crowning road race achievements include five Luxembourg National Road Race Championships in 2005, 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2014, often shared or split with Andy in the time trial events.
In the one-day classics, his 2006 Amstel Gold Race victory stands as a solo masterclass, outpacing rivals like Stefan Schumacher and Alessandro Ballan in a rainy Dutch Ardennes showdown.
Stage race triumphs further bolster his resume: the 2009 Tour de Luxembourg, 2010 Tour de Suisse general classification, and 2011 Critérium International, where he outclimbed contenders like Pierrick Fédrigo.
Grand Tour highlights define his legacy, with two Tour de France stage wins—the iconic 2006 queen stage to Alpe d’Huez and the 2009 Verbier summit finish—plus a 2015 Vuelta a España stage victory mirroring his father’s 1970 feat.
Overall, he logged consistent top-10s: 10th in 2006, fifth in 2008, fourth in 2009, and a career-best third in 2011, all while supporting team leaders.
Additional accolades encompass the 2007 Giro dell’Emilia and podiums in races like Paris-Nice, Tour de Suisse stages, and the young rider classification in his debut Tour.
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