New deal for Schleck

The 26-year-old from Luxembourg has signed a new three-year deal after a superb year in which he finished 11th overall in the Tour and third in the ProTour rankings.

And he has been touted as a Tour GC contender by sports director Kim Andersen.

He told the team website: "Frank has joined the ranks of the big profiles this season and all he really has to do is to continue the way he's doing right now and I predict him to be among the top-five in Tour de France within the next two years.

"His third place in the ProTour rankings is a testimony to the fact that he's an all-round rider and he should continue to do different types of races. His two victories this season show that he has the ability to win the great classics as well as the toughest mountain stages."

Schleck though was a little less ebullient about his immediate chances in the Grand Tours.

"It's important for me that I'm able to do different types of races, because I'm not ready to take on the part of a captain in the big stage races yet, which is why I would like to continue to assist Carlos Sastre in the Tour for now," he commented.

"This does not mean I won't get the opportunity to make some results of my own and I still have a lot of ambitions as far as the classics and the ProTour go.

Schleck's brother Andy, a highly regarded 21-year-old neo-pro, has signed a two-year contract extension.