2011 Leopard Trek season

Though he won a stage with a long solo breakaway in the mountains, and wore the race leader's yellow jersey for a day, Andy Schleck was runner-up at the Tour de France for the third consecutive year.

After a solo escapee was caught by an elite 12-rider group that came clear of the peloton, Klemme timed his attack on the day's final climb with precision and stayed out front for victory by eight seconds over Kevyn Ista.

Thor Hushovd, Alessandro Ballan, and Juan Antonio Flecha marked his moves, but did not contribute any work, instead simply holding Cancellara's wheel.

The tactic was nearly successful, as the younger Schleck brother occupied first position on the road with only 500 m (1,600 ft) left to race, but a chase pack led by Gilbert overhauled him at that point.

[58][59] At La Flèche Wallonne, Andy Schleck worked for brother Fränk, taking pulls at the front of the main field to help chase down the morning breakaway.

[62] Despite the spring classics season ending without any victories, Nygaard stated he felt satisfied with the many high placings the team had achieved, particularly in the face of Gilbert's clear strength.

[63] Additionally, Leopard Trek became the number one team in the UCI's rankings after Liège–Bastogne–Liège, a position they had occupied, to no small amount of criticism, before the season and before they officially existed.

[64] Nizzolo closed out the team's early-season account by with a podium finish at the inaugural ProRace Berlin, taking second in the mass sprint behind Skil–Shimano's Marcel Kittel.

Part of a late breakaway, he occupied third position on the road until the final moments, when Gilbert and his Omega Pharma–Lotto teammate Jürgen Roelandts surpassed him, leaving him fifth on the day.

[72] O'Grady then narrowly missed out on taking a first solo win in three years in Isbergues, losing a two-up sprint to Saxo Bank–SunGard's Jonas Aaen Jørgensen and settling for second place overall.

[74] The next day, trainee rider Rüdiger Selig won a selective sprint finish at Binche–Tournai–Binche, beating out former Tour de France green jersey winner Baden Cooke and a field including seven first-division teams.

[75] Zaugg then showed signs of his coming late-season form at the Giro dell'Emilia, finishing in ninth place 33 seconds back of the solo winner.

At the Giro del Piemonte, Bennati made each of the day's selections, first a 31-rider group that formed at the 85 km (53 mi) to go mark and then a 14-rider break in the race's final kilometer.

[88] The elder Schleck brother held his advantage through the flat stage and individual time trial on day two of the three-stage race, emerging as overall victor.

The race paid tribute to Weylandt by holding a moment of silence before its first stage and allowing the Leopard Trek team to lead the peloton into the neutralized zone, as well as all organization, staff, and riders wearing black armbands.

[98] Cancellara dominantly won the 2.6 km (1.6 mi) prologue individual time trial, finishing five seconds the better of Team Europcar's Damien Gaudin.

The team missed out on the event's final podium but nonetheless showed strongly overall, with Fuglsang, Fränk Schleck, and Monfort all finishing in the top ten.

[113] A short time later, Weylandt's body was airlifted off the descent and taken to a nearby hospital, where the pathologist conducting the autopsy concluded that the Belgian had sustained a basilar skull fracture, and had died immediately upon crashing.

Other teammates, as well as Farrar, members of Weylandt's former team Quick-Step, and Giro director Angelo Zomegnan were all in attendance, along with hundreds of cycling fans assembled outside the chapel.

The leader was probably Andy Schleck, entering as runner-up in the past two Tours de France[N 2] and three-times running winner of the young rider classification, an award for which he was no longer eligible.

Both Schleck brothers managed to stay at the front of the race ahead of two major crashes toward the end, which led to riders such as Samuel Sánchez and Alberto Contador losing a minute and 20 seconds.

The overall standings did not change until stage 9, when a breakaway group involving Thomas Voeckler gained sufficient time that the veteran Frenchman became the new race leader.

With 2.5 km (1.6 mi) remaining in the stage-concluding climb to Luz Ardiden, the elder Schleck brother broke free of the group of the race's top riders in pursuit of two down the road.

[131] The team set about taking time back in the high mountain stage 18, ending with an hors catégorie arrival at the Col du Galibier.

[137] Leopard Trek's squad for the Vuelta a España consisted of Bennati, Cancellara, Fuglsang, Monfort, O'Grady, Viganò, Wagner, Zaugg, and Rohregger.

Bennati was speculated to be a contender for the Vuelta's sprint stages, while for Cancellara the race represented an opportunity to hone his form ahead of the world championships.

Cancellara's fourth-place ride was perhaps a disappointment, in that he finished a minute and 27 seconds slower than the stage winner Tony Martin, the rider seen as his chief rival for the world championships time trial.

[151] While team officials for Leopard Trek initially denied the rumor,[152] and Bruyneel refused to address them altogether,[153] the merger was confirmed by both sides on September 6, with five days remaining in the Vuelta.

[155] Bruyneel's arrival effectively ousted Brian Nygaard, who immediately left his position as the team's general manager; it is unclear who, if anyone, succeeded him for the remainder of 2011.

[166] With 58 riders – excluding Wouter Weylandt, after his death at the Giro d'Italia – competing for Leopard Trek and Team RadioShack during the 2011 season, a battle for places on the squad ensued.

A man in his fifties behind the wheel of a car, as seen from the driver's side. He is looking out the opening left by the rolled-down window, to the left of the car.
Kim Andersen , formerly a sporting director for Team Saxo Bank , was one of the driving forces behind Leopard Trek's formation and held that same position with them in 2011.
A man in his mid-twenties wearing a cycling jersey with black sleeves, a white torso, and a blue stripe separating them, along with red-framed glasses. He is looking to his left off-frame.
Dominic Klemme , pictured here prior to Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne , was the first rider to win a race in the team's history.
A road racing cyclist wearing a jersey with black sleeves, a white torso, and a blue stripe separating them. He is smiling, and also wears sunglasses with red lenses and a blue and white helmet.
Fabian Cancellara was a marked man at the spring classics, but his many high placings gave him the world number one ranking after Paris–Roubaix .
A road racing cyclist wearing a red and white jersey, styled after the Swiss flag.
Oliver Zaugg , pictured here riding the 2009 world championships road race , won the monument classic the Giro di Lombardia for the first race victory of his professional career.
A road racing cyclist in a jersey with black sleeves, a white torso, and a blue stripe separating the two. His bicycle is only partly visible, and spectators watch from behind a roadside barricade.
Daniele Bennati , pictured here at Gent–Wevelgem , was greatly successful at the Circuit de la Sarthe , winning three stages and the points jersey. He also won a stage each at the Tour of Austria and the Tour de Wallonie later in the season.
A pair of road racing cyclists in the team's black, white, and blue jersey, riding around a traffic island that features a large green sculpture of a bicycle. Spectators and motor vehicles are visible behind roadside barricades in the background.
Maxime Monfort leads Andy Schleck during stage 18, prior to the latter's eventual solo victory.
A road racing cyclist in a yellow skinsuit, wearing an aerodynamic helmet. His bicycle is not visible. Spectators watch from the roadside.
Team captain Andy Schleck wore the yellow jersey for one day in the Tour de France , but his performance in the stage 20 individual time trial while wearing that jersey was insufficient to win him the Tour overall.
A smiling man in his forties wearing a black polo shirt with a wide lapel.
Team ownership sought out Johan Bruyneel to become the team's new manager for 2012, believing his experience at the helm of nine Tour de France winning teams would be crucial to their ongoing success.