Updated: Andy Schleck out of Tour de France through injury in "biggest disappointment" of his career

'Both brothers are still under contract for 2013, they're not going anywhere.'
when did contracts mean anything in professional sport?

Guardian reporting that Schleck's confirmed he's out of the TdF.

Dissapointing, partly because even off colour he's a great rider and would have lit up the mountain stages, but also because with Contador and Schleck missing there'll probably always be the questions hanging over Wiggins if he wins that it was against a field missing two of the best riders in the world.

A win's a win and you have to beat the riders that turn up but who, hand on heart, wouldn't expect Contador to win this year's TdF if he was racing?

I agree that Andy Schleck was never really likely to win this year. Whilst he is capable of a long breakaway like last year on the Galibier, that only earned him around 2 minutes on Cadel. Wiggins would wipe that off him in any one of the three TTs but he also has the strength of Team Sky with Froome, Uran, Porte, EBH or Rodgers all capable of closing down breakaways.

I think the biggest threat to Wiggins is a 'chute' and that there'll be 188 other riders trying to keep upright for 3 weeks. Read the first couple of chapters of Cav's book to understand just how hard it is to get out the neutralised zone in one piece! Having said that, Wiggins has become a lot more savvy in the regard over the last year or so.

Obvs he just wanted to race Alberto

I think Wiggo's mum has just got a load of ninja's killing off the rest of the peleton.

Anyone else wondering if this injury is a little 'convenient' given his form and team argy-bargy?

That's the brothers bucktooth moving to a different team in the winter then.

Sounds nasty - I wonder how Johann has taken the news?

Re Frank - as many have said I agree that they have hindered each other as much as helped each other in the past.

Wiggo - TBH IMHO I didn't really think the Schlecks posed a threat. His biggest rival is Evans other than a 2nd teir rider making a sudden leap up to the top echelon. I suspect that other than the tension of if Brad can do it, that it will be pretty dire viewing wise for the GC. I think Brad just needs to do what Cadel did last year and I can just see it being a game of eyeball to eyeball sitting on each other and seeing who comes out on top in the TTs. Unless CE can get a couple of decent gaps on BW on descents and make them stick.

Of course the danger is if it becomes a BW/CE watch and wait game someone else might steal it from them.

Ouch.

It also means Andy vs Bertie on the Vuelta

It's the best thing that could have happened for Frank though. He can now ditch the wing mirrors and forget about nursing little brother Andy up those hills. The Brothers Schleck have always been a case of the whole being less than the sum of the parts in my opinion.

It will be "Cuddles" next!

The odds on Wiggo drop even further