In 2014 Andy Schleck wants to return to the level that saw him win the Tour de France in 2010 and finish 2nd in 2009 and 2011 but to contend for the win in the world's biggest race  he will have to go up against the seemingly invincible force of Chris Froome. Pointing to historic facts, the Luxembourger is, however, unfazed by the Brit and is more impressed by Nairo Quintana.

Having endured to disastrous seasons since being narrowly beating into 2nd by Cadel Evans in the 2011 Tour de France, Andy Schleck showed glimpses of life in the this year's edition of La Grande Boucle. On several occasions, he gave hope that he can find back to the level that has seen him finish on the podium three times despite ending the race in 20th overall.

In 2014 Schleck will be reunited with his brother Frank who returns to the Trek team after serving his suspension for a positive test for Xipamide at the 2012 Tour de France. The Luxembourger is hopeful that this fact and a full season of racing under his belt will finally allow him to leave his health issues behind after struggling to overcome the effects of his broken pelvis sustained in the 2012 Criterium du Dauphiné.

In an interview with L'Equipe, Schleck tells that he still believes that he has five or six Tours left in his career and that his goal remains “to win the Tour again by finishing in yellow on the Champs-Élysées.” To achieve that lofty ambition, he will, however, have to beat Chris Froome who has firmly established himself as the world's best stage racer in the past season.

However, Schleck is completely unfazed by Froome's performance in this year's Tour despite the Brit taking the yellow jersey on the very first mountain stage and keeping it all the way to the finish. Comparing Froome's times with his own from his best days, he thinks he is fully able to go up against the mighty Brit.

“He [Froome] is very strong, but he was only seven seconds quicker up Ax-3 Domaines this year than I was in 2010,” he said. “And the previous year, on the Ventoux, I went up as quickly as he did this year, after I had attacked at the bottom and then ridden stop-start at the finish."

In fact, Schleck is more impressed by the rider who finished 2nd in this year's Tour.

“Those are only indications but Froome doesn’t amaze me any more than that," he said. "His acceleration is very strong; after that, he goes up like it’s a time trial with a strange style… He impresses me less than [Nairo] Quintana.”

Schleck's own Tour win was only awarded when Alberto Contador was stripped from the title following a positive test for clenbuterol. Schleck is still undecided whether he truly feels that he is the winner of the race.

“Yes and no… I should have beaten Contador, I was stronger than him. I was in yellow when he attacked me on Port de Bales when my chain slipped. Was that deliberate? I wasn’t sure. Contador was attacking everywhere, without warning.”

In the beginning of the year, Schleck had a very difficult time and was almost unable to even finish races. At that time, he was rumoured to have problems with alcohol but vehemently refused those allegations.

"I heard that and it made me laugh," he said With the internet, everyone can spread gossip,” Schleck said. “When [former team backer] Flavio Becca heard a guy saying that he’d seen me drunk here in Luxembourg, he summoned me to his office immediately. Just to note that I was at the Tour de Suisse at the time!

“It was the same thing in the Algarve. Somebody had apparently seen me in a state at the disco, even though I only ever went out in the evenings to go and eat in a Mexican restaurant with my mother. These are only malicious rumours.”

In 2014 Schleck will focus on the Ardennes classics and the Tour de France.-