For the first time since 2008, Andy Schleck will go into the Tour de France without enjoying a protected status as he will line up at the event as a domestique for his brother Frank and Haimar Zubeldia who are targeting the overall standings. Hoping to one day return as a contender in his own right, the 2010 champion has no problem working for his teammates and enjoys having less pressure on his shoulders.

Since he broke his pelvis at the 2012 Criterium du Dauphiné, Andy Schleck has been nowhere near his best. Having achieved no results at all this year, he faced the risk of not getting selected to the Tour de France, something that would have been impossible just a few years ago.

When Trek announced their roster two days ago, Schleck was included on the list but general manager Luca Guercilena made it clear that the 2010 champion is not a protected rider. Instead, he will be expected to work for his brother Frank and Haimar Zubeldia who goes into the race with a focus on the GC.

The new role is a dramatic change for Schleck who has been used to being the main rider in the race. Only in 2008 he went into the race as a support rider for Frank and Carlos Sastre but since then he has been the undisputed leader of his teams.

However, Schleck is realistic about his situation and knows that his results have not been good enough to have a more dominant position in his team. In fact, he is looking forward to his new role.

“Of course I am happy to do the Tour,” he told Cyclingtips in an interview. “I will go in with a different approach…I am not one of the favourites this year. I go into the Tour trying to help Fränk and Haimar [Zubeldia] to do a good overall. I will be the man who will pull for them in the climbs. That is how I am thinking, that is the line I will take to go into the Tour. To be there to help them.

“It is hard to say what they can achieve. Frank was already on the podium in the past, so I believe that maybe he can be there again. Haimar has been in the top ten a few times already. I believe that both of them can do a good overall. I estimate top ten should be possible for both of them, perhaps easily so, and I even believe top five for one of them.

“When you are a leader and you fail by not winning the Tour, people aren’t happy with it. For example, when I was second in the Tour, the press didn’t say ‘Andy was second in the Tour.’ They said, ‘Andy lost the Tour.’ So in the end, despite finishing second in the hardest sport event in the world, I was a loser.

“But when you are a helper and you do a good job, everybody is happy with you. I will go with this mentality in the Tour this year. It takes a lot of weight off my shoulders, and I am really happy with it.

I" hope that by not having the pressure to take the yellow jersey and to win this Tour, maybe I can be more free and do a good result. To find good shape and to do a decent performance.”

Schleck has shown no sign of his previous form but claims that he started to feel good at the end of last year's Tour. In fact he hopes to one day line up at the Tour as a team leader again.

“Last year I was really good in the end of the Tour, especially on the last really hard stage," he said. "I stayed with Maxime [Monfort] so he could hold on to his place because he helped me so much over the years. But I believe if I went that day full gas on my own, I could have finished in the top five on the stage.

“The biggest problem is now I need to show again that I can win a Tour. That is the first step, to show it is achievable. Then I need to have the team built around me. To have eight guys who have no personal ambition but who go to the Tour with one objective, to just be there for me."

After the Tour, Schleck will focus on the USA Pro Challenge, the Worlds and Il Lombardia.