Frank Schleck comes clean on his post-ban aims

FRANK Schleck says the pressure of returning to peloton racing after a 12-month doping ban will test his mental resilience.

Frank Schleck (left) takes a short ride down to Glenelg along the beach after arriving in Adelaide. Picture: Sarah Reed.

FRANK Schleck says the pressure of returning to peloton racing after a 12-month doping ban will test his mental resilience.

The Trek Factory Racing Luxembourger landed in Adelaide yesterday poised to make his 2014 debut at the Santos Tour Down Under.

It's been a long anxious wait for Schleck after the Luxembourg Anti-Doping Agency last January outed the rider until July 14 last year.

He failed a test for a banned substance during the 2012 Tour de France.

"I don't know (how I'll feel mentally),' Schleck said before facing Sunday's People's Choice Classic Tour Down Under preview.

"I believe it's going to be all right.

"It's going to take me of course a couple of days to find myself back in the peloton.

"But you get used to the stress and just squeeze out your elbows and yeah let's rumble and starting fighting again a little bit.

"But it's going to be fine it's not like I'm not used to handling a bike."

Schleck has always maintained his innocence after the ban.

The popular Luxembourger declared the banned substance entered his system through some contaminated supplement.

Schleck was found to have a banned diuretic in his system during the 2012 Tour de France before withdrawing from the race.

"Of course I've been kept motivated,'' Schleck said.

"And I am ready to race it's my passion and it's good to know I didn't do anything wrong and it has been accepted by WADA (World Anti Doping Agency) and the UCI (International Cycling Union). I was focusing on this year but we've passed that stage and now it's all racing."

Schleck was confident he would slot into racing mode effortlessly after the forced exile.

Schleck said he had been training relentlessly happily returning to centre stage amid the UCI WorldTour peloton.

"It's great I was looking forward for this day and I think I've passed this stage I'll turn the page,'' Schleck said.

"We'll focus on the season, I'm ready, I'm willing.

"I'm very, very proud to start the season in Australia I have heard a lot of good things about it and looking forward (to it)."

But the 33-year-old after joining Cadel Evans on the 2011 Tour de France podium after the Australian claimed the GC and the Luxembourger finished third overall discounted his chance of making a concerted bid for the Santos Tour Down Under's ochre jersey.

"Listen we'll see,'' Schleck said.

"I have been training hard, I did a lot of work I want to be competitive I want to find myself back in the race and that's my most important thing."

"I want to be competitive not saying that I want to win I know that I'm fit I've been training the whole year and now let's get it started."

And the Luxembourg star declared he was up for the heatwave challenge with daily temperatures set to hover around 40C until Friday.

"Good ... you have no idea where I come from,'' he said.

"It's cold, 5C.

"Of course the first couple of days I'll need to get used to the heat but I'm looking forward to get some sun tan."