Trek-Segafredo rider Schleck to retire

Schleck will represent Luxembourg at Rio 2016 and he made his announcement at a news conference for the Olympic team. The 36-year-old counts victories at the Tour de Suisse and Tour de Luxembourg on his resume, and was third overall in the 2011 Tour de France.

Trek-Segafredo rider Frank Schleck was given a backdated one-year ban in January 2013 after a positive drugs test at the 2012 Tour.

Trek-Segafredo rider Frank Schleck has confirmed that the 2016 season will be his last.

Schleck will represent Luxembourg at Rio 2016 and he made his announcement at a news conference for the Olympic team. The 36-year-old counts victories at the Tour de Suisse and Tour de Luxembourg on his resume, and was third overall in the 2011 Tour de France.

Explaining his decision, Schleck said he wants to bow out of cycling while he is still performing at a high level. "There is never an easy way to stop doing something you love to do, but I've always wanted to retire at a level where I was still competitive and fit," he said.

"I'm really proud of having spent a large part of my life riding my bike for a living and, above all, I'm extremely thankful for the friends I have made along the way. I could mention a lot of moments that have stood out for me, but finishing on the podium of the Tour de France has to be my proudest moment as a bike rider - that memory will never be far away. 

"But, to be fair, right now I don’t want to become too nostalgic because the season is still long and I really want to give 100 per cent to the team until the very end of it."

Schleck, who had two other top-five finishes at the Tour, was given a backdated one-year ban in January 2013 after a positive drugs test at the 2012 Tour, although he continued to protest his innocence.