Frank Schleck failed to obtain the results he had hoped for in his first year back after his doping suspension, the Tour Down Under, as he could only manage 31st overall. Nonetheless, he leaves Australia with a positive feeling, claiming that his performance was more due to tactics and strong crosswinds than bad legs on the climbs.

When he arrived in Adelaide for the Tour Down Under, Frank Schleck was hopeful that he would be able to battle for the win in his first race for more than 18 months. Coming back from a ban for his positive test for Xipamide at the 2012 Tour de France, the Luxembourger was eager to show that he still has what it takes to win a WorldTour race.

It wasn't to be for Schleck who lost time already on the Corkscrew climb on stage 3 where he was unable to match the best. When he was also dropped in the crosswinds on the top of the Willunga Hill in Saturday's queen stage, he ended the race back in 31st, 6.27 behind winner Simon Gerrans (Orica-GreenEDGE).

The results may now have been what he had hoped for but Schleck remains upbeat about his performance. In fact, he insists that the results were not due to bad legs on the climbs but more a testament to the difficult circumstances and a young team.

“I got thrown into cold water," he said. It was a very hard race for me to start with: very sketchy, a lot of tactics and as a first race back it was a hard test. My legs were good, but tactics-wise we made mistakes and we will learn from this and now we are looking forward.

"It was not a race that suits me; it is not a climber’s race," he added. " You have to come here with a lot of experience but we have a team with a lot of young kids and I believe they learned a lot.  I hope we can come away with a positive feeling. For me I am content. I have good form. I know I lost this race in tactics - in the crosswinds. I can go back with a very good feeling and that is the most important.”

The final stage ended in a bunch sprint in the city of Adelaide and Trek had entered the race with ambitions for their young sprinter Danny van Poppel. The team took control to bring things back together for a sprint but in the end their sprinter could only manage 18th.

“The team did a great job,” van Poppel said. “On the last four rounds with the whole team on front it was a little bit goose bumps; it was very nice to see everyone working hard for me.  But in the end everyone came from the left and right and I was sitting a little bit too far back to sprint for the win.

“I am happy that I am feeling better, the whole week I felt like I was getting better each day and today I finally felt that I had power in the legs for the sprint, so that gives me confidence for the next races,” he continued. “It could have been better today but the most important is that I get a good feeling for the next races and I come out of this motivated."

Van Poppel was supported by his brother Boy in the finale but despite having raced together at Vacansoleil in 2013 the lead-out needs to be fine-tuned.

"A lot of people think that we have ridden a long time together but only in the Tour de France we did the race together and we need to work together to get more experience to get a perfect lead out," Danny said. "I think we are in a good way with it.”

Boy agreed with the assessment.

“It’s only January and this is the first lead out that we did together this season," he said. "I am quite happy that even if Danny did not win, I know he is super strong and that in the future we can play with these big boys.”

Schleck's next race will be the Tour of Oman while Danny van Poppel is scheduled for the Tour Mediteraneen.