New Lidl-Trek recruit gets assistance from Andy Schleck on path to recovery: "He was kind of like a personal coach for me"

Lidl-Trek didn't make many moves on the transfer market past winter, bringing in only two men with previous professional experience. Although it was not the idea, both were connected by late start to a season caused by health problems. Soren Kragh Andersen's debut in new colours was delayed until May due to a tumor in his testicle.

That means no spring classics for the rider who finished 5th at Milano-Sanremo in the past. "It is a big disappointment not to be there for the team in such a crucial part of the season," Kragh Andersen said at the time, "but sorting out the medical issue had to take priority."

An important figure on Kragh Andersen's path back to peloton was former Trek rider Andy Schleck. As a fellow Luxembourg resident, he also received support from the 2010 Tour de France winner. "He was kind of like a personal coach for me," the Dane said in an interview with IDLProCycling.

Kragh Andersen was brought into Lidl-Trek to become a key man in the Classics lineup, but he didn't get to race those at all this spring... "That actually motivated me even more, even though it hurt not to be there with them," he said. "I really have to thank the team for the support they gave me. It was a tough start, but that just makes you want to give something back."

"I am very curious how the legs will respond, especially after such an unusual build-up with all those other sports," he said ahead of Eschborn-Frankfurt. "But that decision will only be made once we see how I feel today. I definitely still lack some race intensity after being out for so long, so the main goal is to help the team and grow into the race."

Ultimately, the race went quite "well". Quotation marks because 52nd place obviously won't find a special place in the Tour stage winner's palmares. "To be honest, I’m happy. Really happy. I felt better than I could have hoped for," he said.

Kragh Andersen ended up in the second big group on the road after the climbing segement with leader Thibau Nys and teammate Albert Withen at the front, unsure what the right move would be. Ultimately, he admits that sprinting with Nys would've been the better call to make "The only regret is that we might have made a mistake by not closing the gap after the second ascent of the Feldberg. That was a shame, but I truly enjoyed being back in the race."

Kragh Andersen is currently lasted as a substitute for upcoming Giro d'Italia by his team. Is that a viable option or just a last-resort option for Lidl-Trek? Hard to say. But the 30-year-old would in any case love to get called up for Corsa Rosa: "I’m hoping for a phone call," he concludes.