The winner of the 2010 Tour (after the decommissioning of Contador), is present on the Great Loop. Retired for four years, the Luxembourger puts his eyes on the test.

Andy, what are you doing?

I'm fat, smarter, and I started working (laughs) ... No, more seriously, three years ago I set up a cycle shop in Luxembourg, "Andy Schleck cycles". There, I'm with Skoda on this Tour. I try to welcome our guests, to offer them a great day ... I am also ambassador for ASO, and I am president of the Tour of Luxembourg, where we organize various races, including a junior world cup. I like it, to be with young people. I think that as a former pro, you always have to do something for them. And then I have a family, too. I have two young children, so my days are full.

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Are you still riding?

A little. I have less time, I ride once a week. On the flat, I'm fine, but in the mountains, I have problems (laughs). But hey, I have 12 kilos more than before too (laughs) ... In any case, I still have a lot of fun riding, so it's frustrating because I would like to do more. Instead, I swim a lot, two to three times a week. But, I'm still young, and I still have all the life to ride. My children are small, they will grow up ...

You talked about your weight. Now retired, you do not have to deprive yourself anymore. It is a relief ?

Not really. In fact, it's weird. Sometimes, at night, I wake up and look at my hands, I say to myself, "But who are these hands? I have no horn on my hands, those caused by the handlebars. The legs are the same! All my life, I've been dry and sometimes, in the night, it's weird ... But you know, I still have to be careful. I took up to 17 pounds. When I was a runner, I burned between 5,000 and 8,000 calories a day, so I ate the double! It is today that I must deprive myself, almost.

"I have tremendous respect for runners"

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How do you live this Tour de France?

To be honest, when I look at runners, I wonder how could I do this race? When I see the guys climb collars, I say to myself that it is incredible, I have an immense respect for them, more than before when I was runner. I do not know how they do ...

Sky is left with two leaders. This is an explosive situation?

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No. Both are protected. It is a problem of rich. They always have three, four or five guys at the end. But if the two find themselves in the situation of rolling for each other, Froome will ride for Thomas. I think Sky is here to protect Thomas, but Froome too. The staff is aware that the short step is better for Froome. This is the only stage where Thomas can crack in the rankings.

Who is the real leader according to you?

You have to go to the Sky car and watch how the bikes are placed on it. The one on the right is always the leader.

You went to see?

Of course. And it's Thomas's on the top right. I have no doubt he is the leader. Sky is a super professional team at all levels, they will not put this jersey in danger.

Roman Bardet can attack in the Pyrenees. What could be more beneficial to Tom Dumoulin than to himself?

That's what we have to see. But I do not understand all the teams. We have seen Valverde attack in the Alps. And Nibali starts rolling behind. What happens in the heads of the sports directors? Valverde is not dangerous. It's up to Sky to ride. But no, they were in the wheel of Nibali laughing. Quintana never attacks, why does not he try to attack sooner? He follows up to 3 km from the finish, then he lets go. It's a little sad. Romain Bardet, I will advise him to attack very early in the mountain. It is the pure climber, the strongest. He may not have any more crew, but he does not need it!

Chris Froome was whistled, and even touched during the ascent of Alpe-d'Huez. What do you think ?

I find it a little disgusting. It is necessary to find solutions in the climbs like the Alpe-d'Huez, to appeal to the Army. Every 50 m there must be a policeman. We must be harder with the public. This is not the image of Sky, it is the image of cycling that suffers. The French public is particular. He does not like winners, it's a pretty funny phenomenon.

You have suffered?

No since I was not a winner. I won some stages but the Tour, I won after (Contador was downgraded for a positive anti-doping control). Contador was whistled at the start in Vendée because he won. Four years later, he did not win anymore and was the darling of the public. Fignon, it was the same. As soon as he won, he was whistled. Then when Greg LeMond arrived, Fignon became the darling ...

Do you understand that people were shocked to see Froome at first, who had undergone an abnormal control with salbutamol?

I was shocked until five days ago because it was not whitewashed. I think a rider who is not whitened should not be allowed to race. But the decision was made, everyone must turn the page. The World Anti-Doping Agency deals with all sports, and has nothing to do especially with cycling. If WADA made that decision, everyone must accept it. Many people think they are experts after reading one or two articles on the subject. But the experts are those who have studied to be able to make these decisions.

How to manage suspicion of doping, as is currently the case for Chris Froome?

If you are a professional cyclist, you are already doubtful in the eyes of many people. If we win a stage and a Tour de France, we are almost automatically classified. Those who think like that are the same people who are whistling. But I ask myself: if they do not believe in the physical effort of cyclists, why are they there? I stopped defending myself a few years ago. I passed 156 anti-doping tests, I had a biological passport, officials knew every hour I was, where I slept. If I had to leave my city, I had to send an SMS ... If someone wants to hurt me, he said: "Yes, you have passed 156 checks. But Lance Armstrong too. In this situation, the cyclist is always losing.

So there will always be this suspicious look?

I hope that will change. A Tour de France is impressive to do, I realize it by being no longer there. But when you're a cyclist, you've trained to get there. We see that with different eyes. Doubt is everywhere, it's in all sports, but we do not talk about it.