Schleck Out of Le Tour Loses

Cadel Evans has been given a major boost to his Tour de France hopes after Andy Schleck pulled out of this year's event due to injuries suffered in last week's Criterium du Dauphine race, according to his family.

Schleck was among the favourites for the 98th edition, which will begin in Liege, Belgium on June 30 and end in Paris on July 22, but will take no part after being diagnosed with a pelvis fracture in recent days.

The RadioShack climbing specialist, who has finished runner-up three times on the world's premier cycling event, had recently been crowned the 2010 champion following the disqualification of Spain's Alberto Contador for doping offences.

Schleck's joy at finally securing the yellow jersey was, however, tempered by the injuries he suffered in a crash last Thursday at the Criterium, an eight-day race which is a major tune-up for the Tour.

During a 53km time trial a strong gust of wind literally picked Schleck and his bike up off the ground and dumped him at the side of the road.

Schleck continued, but complained of leg and back pain and despite beginning Saturday's sixth and penultimate stage he pulled out after 63km.

"He couldn't pedal anymore," RadioShack sporting director Alain Gallopin told the race's official website.

"Since he crashed during the time trial, the whole right side of his body was hurting."

Schleck returned to Luxembourg on Saturday and underwent scans at the beginning of the week which revealed the extent of his injuries.

It will be the first time the 27-year-old Schleck misses the race since he made his debut in 2008 with CSC. However it will be seen by many as the nadir to a season which has been one of his worst to date.

Schleck, 27, abandoned a number of top stage races, such as Paris-Nice, the Tour of Catalunya and the Dauphine, that would have been key to building his form for the Tour, and he has complained of ill health.

At the end of May he cut short a training camp on some key stages of the Tour de France to have treatment for three days at a clinic in Basel, Switzerland on a troublesome knee.

Schleck had planned to continue his training camp in the Pyrenees mountains as of Thursday, until hospital scans at the beginning of the week ended all hopes of competing in this year's race.

Schleck's older brother Frank, who finished third overall on last year's Tour, is currently racing the Tour of Switzerland and is likely to spearhead RadioShack's yellow jersey bid this summer.

The overall favourite, however, is Bradley Wiggins.

He will aim to succeed Australia's Evans and thus become the first Briton to win the prestigious yellow jersey.

Schleck Awarded 2010 Maillot Jaune

OSM Subscribers only

Andy Schleck has received the yellow jersey as officially recognised winner of the 2010 Tour de France at a ceremony in Luxembourg.

The RadioShack-Nissan rider, who originally finished second in the race to Alberto Contador, has been promoted to first after the Spaniard was stripped of the victory due to a failed doping test.

Schleck, who had finished second three years in a row before his promotion, received the winner's jersey in his home town of Mondorf-les-Baines.

The 26-year-old has refused to celebrate his new status, however, and still says he does not feel like the true winner of the race.

"It's great to receive this jersey but for me, it changes nothing: it's not like a victory," Schleck said.

"It's not the same feeling as climbing on a podium. That said, I'm happy that this ceremony took part with people I wanted to see today."

RadioShack-Nissan team manager Johan Bruyneel was also present along with Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme.

Prudhomme said: "I can only hope that this jersey leads to others, and I think there will be others. Everyone contends that the 2012 Tour isn't one that suits Andy. But I am convinced otherwise."

It is the second time the winner's jersey has changed hands after the race due to a doping violation after Oscar Pereiro inherited the 2006 victory from Floyd Landis.