Two Swedish riders are ready for the WorldTour in 2015. They are even brothers. According to Eurosport.se, Tobias Ludvigsson's 20-year-old brother Fredrik has signed a two-year contract with Giant-Shimano. He has earned the deal despite going through surgery which makes it uncertain when he will be back on his bike.

Fredrik Ludvigsson impressed the cycling world with a great spring season in which he won the French Boucle de l'Artois. This year he has been riding for the Giant-Shimano development team but all year he has had problems with the blood flow in his right leg.

He had a choice: to undergo surgery or stop his career. One week ago he underwent surgery in the Nertherlands.

The problem is caused by a damaged artery which limits the blood flow to the leg.

"All year it has been really tough. You don't get any blood to the leg and it feels like the entire leg disappears. In fact you only have one leg to use for your riding and that is pretty annoying," Ludvigsson says on the phone from the Netherlands where he will stay for a few days to be close to the hospital.

Now he faces four weeks of total rest. Later he will start with very light training, swimming and only 10 minutes of cycling three times a week. He expects to be back at the end of April or in May if everything goes according to plan.

"So I don't miss too much," he says.

The problem has not prevented his contract negotiations with Giant-Shimano where his three year older brother Tobias is already riding.

"It has been really nice. I have not had to be worried about not having a contract. I have had support from the team and they have helped me."

He has signed a contract for two years.

"Of course it is a dream. It is the goal to ride among the best at the highest level. So it's great to be able to do so at the same team as my brother."

When the doctors found out what was wrong, it was not clear what would happen. At least not for his parents.

"I had a choice. The doctors said "You have two possibilities - either you stop riding or you undergo surgery." Then you have to consider the situation carefully: is it really worth it? I made the decision after talking to my mum and dad and then I just had to do it. To continue riding.

"To me, it was pretty easy but my mum and dad asked: is it really wort it? To risk your life. But for me, it was a pretty easy choice."

The operation took more than two and a half hours. The doctors have strengthened the artery in the leg and claim that everything went well.

"The doctor told me that it went well. He found more damage a bit further down the artery which had not been discovered during the tests. So they had to use an extra vein from the leg. It was good that they discovered that extra damage. Otherwise it would not have been better.

"Now things feel good. The last few months have been a bit hard as I just had to wait. I had to rest before the operation and now I have another couple of months with rest. It will take a long time to get back to my usual level. But now it feels good. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel."

He has to start his first year as professional without being able to compete.

"That is really hard. The first months it will be all about watching and learning and doing your best. Then we'll see how far it take me. I have been told that I don't have to feel any kind of pressure and that it is better to learn in the first months or the first few years."

Next year the Ludvigsson brothers are likely to be the only Swedes at the WorldTour level. Jonas Ahlstrand will join Cofidis and it is still uncertain where Fredrik Kessiakoff will end up.

During the winter, Frederik Ludvigsson will move into Tobias' appartment in Girona. His dream is about to start.

"I don't think I have realized it yet. When we start to ride together, I think it will start to sink in."