Schleck brothers plan a new approach

The brothers Schleck have revealed their respective racing schedules for the upcoming season and Andy Schleck has penciled in a trip to the Tour of California as part of his 2010 racing calendar.

The Saxo Bank captains see a few new twists in their approach toward the 2010 Tour de France, where the brothers will aim for outright victory between one of them. Andy rode to second last year while Frank won a stage and finished fifth.

Kim Andersen, sport director at the Saxo Bank team, shot down rumors that the brothers were due to race the Tour of Flanders, but confirmed that Andy will try his hand on the cobblestones, including a planned start at Ghent-Wevelgem.

Andy will race three cobblestoned semi-classics, with Ghent-Wevelgem, Travers a Flanders and Harelbeke, in large part to give the younger of the two brothers a taste of the bumpy roads ahead of the 2010 Tour, which will see cobblestoned sectors in the first week.

The pair will debut at the Mallorca Challenge in early February, with Frank taking a run at the overall at Paris-Nice after riding to second in 2009 while Andy will try to win a stage at Tirreno-Adriatico.

The spring classics will remain the top early season focus, with Frank – a former winner at Amstel Gold Race – and Andy, as defending champion at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, lining up as favorites at all three of the “hilly” classics from Amstel to Flèche to Liège.

In what’s good news for U.S. fans, Andy will travel to the United States to compete in the Tour of California while Frank will race at home in the Tour of Luxembourg.

The final preparation for the Tour will follow the roads of Switzerland, with both brothers lining up for the Tour du Suisse.

Tentative 2010 race schedule for the Schleck brothers

Feb. 7-10: Mallorca Challenge – Andy and Frank
Feb. 21-25: Ruta del Sol – Andy and Frank
March 6: Monte Paeschi – Strade Blanche – Andy
March 7-13: Paris-Nice – Frank
March 10-16: Tirreno-Adriatico – Andy
March 20: Milan-San Remo – Andy and Frank
March 22-28: Tour of Catalunya – Frank
March 24: Travers a Flanders – Andy
March 27: Grand Prix E3 – Andy
March 28: Ghent-Wevelgem – Andy
April 5-10: Vuelta al País Vasco – Andy and Frank
April 11: Klasika Primavera – Andy and Frank
April 18: Amstel Gold Race – Andy and Frank
April 21: Flèche Wallonne – Andy and Frank
April 25: Liège-Bastogne-Liège – Andy and Frank
May 16-23: Tour of California – Andy
June 2-6: Tour of Luxembourg – Frank
June 12-20: Tour de Suisse – Andy and Frank
June 27: Luxembourg national championships – Andy and Frank
July 3-25: Tour de France – Andy and Frank