That time of the year has come,when the new "profile pics" of the Saxo Bank riders finally appear on the team website.I don't know what the riders think of this thing,but in her twisted little mind Fangirl imagines them hearing the news of the pics publication,checking the team website in a very nervous way and having 2 different kind of reactions:
1."This is my photo!?! What? Are you kidding me? I don't look this bad live!! And since when are my ears so big?"
2."Man,it could have gone much worse! Just look at the photo of the rider next to me...He looks like a monster!"
Luckily for everyone,Logic is always ready to interrupt Fangirl's crazy thoughts by remembering her that there is just one rider who could react to such a unimportant news in this way,and that one rider is Pozzatolocks who,luckily,isn't a Saxo Bank rider.In fact,Logic deeply believes that Saxo Bank guys don't care at all about their "profile pics on the team website",because they have other bigger worries.
Anyway,although Logic doesn't want me to write these useless things on my blog,here's my opinion about this year's pics.First of all,I must say that some guys' pics have got better (just think at Klostergaard and Klemme's ones),few ones have got worse (Chris Anker and Breschel's ones) and some others haven't changed at all (Nicki Sorensen,for example,had that very same haircut also in last year's pic).Then of course there are the pictures of the new riders,who have got over the "profile pic" proof pretty well.And then,last but not least,there are the pictures of the Schleck brothers which,IMO,are better than last year's one (after all,it's hard to take horrible pics of handsome guys...) :P.
RANDOM LINKS:
After talking about "useless things" (Logic,who doesn't understand Fangirl's feelings,defines everything that has to do with riders' pictures in this way),here are (few) more serious things.
First of all,"the case du week-end": http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/riccos-partner-positive-for-cera .Yesterday evening this news left me completely astonished and made me think some evil things about Riccò and his girlfriend.Anyway,now miss Rossi says that there must have been something wrong in the doping test,because she would be a criminal if she doped and fed her baby at the same time (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/riccos-partner-denies-taking-epo-cera ).Call me naiv but,since I can't believe that someone can be sooo stupid to use doping and be caught positive after their husband,for the moment I prefer to wait until the B-sample tests before of writing my opinions about this doping case.
http://blog.tv2.dk/chris.anker.ol/ :yes,Chris Anker Sorensen has updated his blog with a post in which he talks about hummingbirds (I am not joking),jet-lag and training.He also says that this year his preparation was as good as never before,and that therefore he believes he'll get some good results earlier than usual in the season.Logic was very happy to hear about this,since last year she had to bear Fangirl's complaints about the lack of Chris' victories for 10 months, and she's not going to to put up with something similar also this year.
Randomness du jour: Happy birthday Richie Porte!
PS: Post's pics by Tim De Waele. If you want to see more photos of the Saxo Bank riders,I suggest you going on http://www.tdwsport.com/ .Some pics are really nice!
sabato 30 gennaio 2010
New Saxo Bank "profile pics" plus few random links:
giovedì 28 gennaio 2010
Des préoccupations d'hiver (article about Frank Schleck):
Since the weather everywhere in Europe is still terribly cold,here's a Le Quotidien article in which Frank Schleck talks about this problem and about his adventurous winter.Enjoy (as usual,my translation from French isn't that good)!
Link: http://lequotidien.editpress.lu/les-sports/7957.html (article by Denis Bastien):
Kim Kirchen,the Schleck brothers and Laurent Didier have returned to Luxembourg after their team training camps.Unfortunately,the current weather conditions are creating them problems.
Four hours of training with very cold temperature.Although a very pale sun was shining,it wasn't easy for the Schleck brothers to pass from Fuerteventura,where they trained for 2 weeks under a hot sun (25° C),to their home in Luxembourg.
"We are forced to train,and today (ndr;yesterday) we've been out for 4 hours because the weather forecast say that it is going to snow again on Thursday.We really don't have any choice. It isn't easy to train with this freezing weather,but our first race is the Mallorca Challenge on February 7th,so we have to keep on training also in these conditions",says Frank Schleck.
The elder of the Schleck brothers is also considering the idea of flying to Mallorca sooner than planned,in case the weather keeps on being so cold.For the moment,the 2 brothers and their teammate Laurent Didier are still benefiting from the hard training sessions they've made in the last weeks.In fact,the training camp in Fuerteventura was the coronation of a winter characterised by very hard training sessions,during which the boys alternated cycling, swimming,gym and jogging.
"We haven't gained weight and when we started to train seriously I quickly realized that I was feeling well.I've made different tests and they all reassured me,since they showed me that I'm at the right point with my form.I'm in a good shape,but nearly all the team riders are in my same condition.The season already looks bright for the team",says Frank Schleck.
Link: http://lequotidien.editpress.lu/les-sports/7957.html (article by Denis Bastien):
Kim Kirchen,the Schleck brothers and Laurent Didier have returned to Luxembourg after their team training camps.Unfortunately,the current weather conditions are creating them problems.
Four hours of training with very cold temperature.Although a very pale sun was shining,it wasn't easy for the Schleck brothers to pass from Fuerteventura,where they trained for 2 weeks under a hot sun (25° C),to their home in Luxembourg.
"We are forced to train,and today (ndr;yesterday) we've been out for 4 hours because the weather forecast say that it is going to snow again on Thursday.We really don't have any choice. It isn't easy to train with this freezing weather,but our first race is the Mallorca Challenge on February 7th,so we have to keep on training also in these conditions",says Frank Schleck.
The elder of the Schleck brothers is also considering the idea of flying to Mallorca sooner than planned,in case the weather keeps on being so cold.For the moment,the 2 brothers and their teammate Laurent Didier are still benefiting from the hard training sessions they've made in the last weeks.In fact,the training camp in Fuerteventura was the coronation of a winter characterised by very hard training sessions,during which the boys alternated cycling, swimming,gym and jogging.
"We haven't gained weight and when we started to train seriously I quickly realized that I was feeling well.I've made different tests and they all reassured me,since they showed me that I'm at the right point with my form.I'm in a good shape,but nearly all the team riders are in my same condition.The season already looks bright for the team",says Frank Schleck.
However,some things didn't go well for Frank during the winter.Apart from getting married and saying that he's expecting a baby girl from his young wife Martine,Frank in fact had some problems during the winter break.
In September,for example,he underwent surgery on his left knee,then he had stitches in his ear because of an accident that happened while he was out hunting,and then he had to undergo an emergency operation on one of his fingers after being poisoned by a fish.Now,Frank smiles: "It's true,I had to go through all these things in a pretty short time.And the accident with the fish,that was strange..." Then Frank tells us this remarkable story. "In early December,at the team training camp in Fuerteventura,I caught a fish and,while I was taking it off the hook,it bit me. Fifteen minutes later,I realised that my finger had swollen,but the team doctor took care of it and 3 days later everything was ok.Then I came back to Luxembourg for the Gala of the Sporting Press.A week later,my hand was really swollen,so I went to the hospital and they operated me immediately.Then I realised that I did the right thing,since the poison of some fish can even lead to amputation,if you don't pay attention to it..."
Luckily,everything is now ok with Frank.In fact,also his knee operation went well."I was a bit worried about my knee even after undergoing the operation,but now everything's ok and I've stopped worrying myself".
In fact,right now,Frank's only concern is the bad weather.This year,the Team Saxo Bank rider would love to shine at the 'Course au Soleil','the race of the sun'."Yes,Paris-Nice will be my first little goal of the season.I'd like to test myself in that race",confirms Frank,who was second in the race last year.
mercoledì 27 gennaio 2010
TDW's pics from Saxo Bank training camp and Link about Steensen:
Yes,Tim De Waele was with the Saxo Bank riders in Fuerteventura and took some nice pics of Andy during the training camp.Here are 3 of them (you can find more pics of Andy and few ones with Breschel on Tim De Waele's website):
RANDOM LINK:
http://www.riis-cycling.com/ny_news.asp?n_id=2626 :Since for "job" (is school a job?) reasons I really do like people who love studying languages,I couldn't avoid to publish this article about the 7 language speaker André Steensen (he can speak Danish,English,German,some Italian and French,can understand Spanish and has started to learn Portuguese).Me also takes the chance to compliment André on his great laguage abilities.
http://www.riis-cycling.com/ny_news.asp?n_id=2626 :Since for "job" (is school a job?) reasons I really do like people who love studying languages,I couldn't avoid to publish this article about the 7 language speaker André Steensen (he can speak Danish,English,German,some Italian and French,can understand Spanish and has started to learn Portuguese).Me also takes the chance to compliment André on his great laguage abilities.
PS: All photos,of course,were taken by Tim De Waele.Me hopes he also took some pics of the other SB riders and will publish them later on his website.Anyway,for the moment Fangirls can enjoy Andy's pics :)
martedì 26 gennaio 2010
Random Post about Jonas Aaen Jorgensen:
Yes,here's the 3rd part of the "New Saxo Bank Pro Riders Series,2010 edition".When I had the idea of starting this series of posts,Saxo Bank website didn't have any information about Didier, Jaroslaw,Porte and Jorgensen yet,so the idea of presenting them on my crappy blog seemed pretty logic to me.Anyway,the guys who work on Team Saxo Bank Website have finally decided to dedicate some articles to the new riders,therefore I suggest you taking a look on said website in order to read interesting articles about the new team riders.
Anyway,since I don't like interrupting things that I've already begun and Saxo Bank team hasn't written anything about him yet,here is my random post about Jonas Aaen Jorgensen.It is a very brief one especially because of the fact that finding information about him was really tough,even tougher than finding information about Marycz Jaroslaw.Anyway,here's the not-so-great result of my work.
First of all,Jonas Aaen was born on 20 April 1986 in Denmark and turned pro in 2006 with team GLS.He raced in that team (that changed name in Team GLS-Pakke Shop 2 years ago) until the end of 2008,when he started to ride for Team Caponordic.
This young Dane boy is 174 cm tall and weights 63 kgs.According to the Italian website Cicloweb, Jonas is a fast rider who can defend himself also on steep short climbs,while according to a post that I've read on PodiumCafé,he is a "Bettini-style" rider.He'll probably ride the Ardenne classics this spring.
Jorgensen got his first important results in 2007.In fact that year,as well as winning a stage at the Triptyque des Monts et Chateaux and the GP Stadt de Zottegem,Jonas managed to arrive 3rd in the RR Danish Championship won by Alex Rasmussen.In September then he came in 6th in the Under-23 Road Race at the Stuttgart World Championships.That race was decided in a sprint between about 40 riders and was won by Peter Velits.John Bellis,Saxo Bank rider,came in 3rd behind Sulzberger.Jorgensen was 6th,while Dominic Klemme (another rider that now races for Saxo Bank team) was 7th.2008 wasn't a great season for Jorgensen.In fact that year,after taking part in a SB training camp in Mallorca,Jonas broke one finger,couldn't train for some time and was also unable to race the Varese Worlds because of a disease whose name is ignored by my online Translater.
Anyway last year Jonas got some very good results.In fact in2 009 he won a stage at the Tour du Loir et Cher,an U-23 Scandinavian Race in Uppsala and 2 stages at the Tour of Slovakia.In said race,Jorgensen won 2 stages in a row (the last one and the previous one).
Considering that the Tour of Slovakia doesn't have a website and that I didn't manage to find any vid about the race,I have to stop my post here.Anyway,if someone of you can understand Danish and wants to know slightly more on Jonas Aaen,I suggest you taking a look at http://www.phcycling.dk/site.asp?vis=rytter&id=1 (Caponordic's website),a link on which you can find some "Nyheder" regarding him and the other team riders.
Random Suggestion: if you have some free time to dedicate to some useless cycling researches,I suggest you taking a look at the reports and live coverages of the U-23 World Championships raced few years ago,since it can be a very strange and funny experience to read things like,say, "Jakob Fuglsang attacks!" now that you actually know who Jakob Fuglsang is.
(Pic taken from Caponordic website)
sabato 23 gennaio 2010
Random post about Jaroslaw Marycz:
This is the second of the 4 posts that I'm going to dedicate to the neo-pro riders who have recently joined team Saxo Bank.After talking about Laurent Didier (chosen for nationality reasons),today it is Jaroslaw Marycz's turn.
First of all,"Jari" (as Chris Anker Sorensen nicknamed him few weeks ago because "his whole name is too difficult to pronounce") was born on the 21st of April 1987,therefore he's just 22 years old.He's 181 cms tall and weights 69 kgs.
This young boy from Koszalin,Poland,already rode some races in the professional peloton in 2008,when he was a trainee on team Tinkoff.With the Russian team,Jaroslaw rode Giro del Lazio,Trofeo Cimurri,Giro di Romagna and Gp di Camaiore.
Unfortunately,his adventure in professional Cycledom didn't last long,so last year he started to ride for Viris Vigevano team (between 2006 and August 2008 instead he had ridden for a Swiss team called FidiBc.com).
As a under 23 rider,Marycz got some very good results.In 2006,for example,he won the Trofeo Leto in Masserano (Bi) and the Gp Berna.The following year instead he won the trofeo Rovelli in Lurago d'Erba (Como) and a stage at the Tour du Loir et Cher,in France.As well as that,he arrived 3rd in the "Città d'Asti",which is one of the most important Italian races for Under 23 riders.In 2008 Marycz won the trofeo De Gasperi in Trento,the trofeo INDA a Caravate (Varese),the trofeo Fornero in S. Carlo Canavese (Torino),the Gp Berna (2nd time in his career) and the Polish National U-23 TT championship.At the end of 2008,as already said,Jaroslaw moved to team Viris Vigevano.
Before of Jaroslaw's arrive,team Vigevano hadn't won any race for 3 years.But then,"Jaro" came and won 2 races,one in Palazzolo Milanese and one in Novi Ligure.As well as that,last year Marycz won the national Under-23 TT championship for the second time in a row and also won the silver medal at the European U-23 RR championships in Belgium (on that occasion he was caught by the eventual winner,the Belgian Kris Boeckman,just 20 meters before of the finish-line).
This year Jaroslaw also rode the U-23 Time Trial and the U-23 Road Race at the Mendrisio Worlds,but didn't have a lot of luck.In fact he concentrated himself on the road race,but had a bad crash while riding downhill after just 4 laps and had to retire (that was his last race of the 2009 season,since after it he decided to leave Italy and go back to Poland for some time).
So,these are the little information that I managed to find about Marycz.According to them, Jaroslaw seems a very strong rider and also a nice boy.For example,after winning a race last year,he dedicated that victory to his 3 years old niece Nicola and to his whole team (me loves riders who behave in this way).
If you want to read more about this young rider,here are the best links I've found : http://virisvigevano.blogspot.com/ (Viris Vigevano's blog,on which you can find short chronicles of some of the races ran by Marycz and by the other team riders) and http://www.%20federciclismo.it/mondo/n24_2009/giornale.pdf (on page 20 there is the chronicle of one of Marycz's nicest victory).
So,what else to say? Let's wish Jaroslaw a nice first season as a pro and a nice career in the professional Cycledom!
PS: Pic is from http://virisvigevano.blogspot.com/2009/12/il-nostro-marycz-approda-alla-saxo-bank.html .If you click on the original pic,it appears bigger and you can even take a look to the gorgeous central square of Vigevano,one of the nicest town of Italy.
First of all,"Jari" (as Chris Anker Sorensen nicknamed him few weeks ago because "his whole name is too difficult to pronounce") was born on the 21st of April 1987,therefore he's just 22 years old.He's 181 cms tall and weights 69 kgs.
This young boy from Koszalin,Poland,already rode some races in the professional peloton in 2008,when he was a trainee on team Tinkoff.With the Russian team,Jaroslaw rode Giro del Lazio,Trofeo Cimurri,Giro di Romagna and Gp di Camaiore.
Unfortunately,his adventure in professional Cycledom didn't last long,so last year he started to ride for Viris Vigevano team (between 2006 and August 2008 instead he had ridden for a Swiss team called FidiBc.com).
As a under 23 rider,Marycz got some very good results.In 2006,for example,he won the Trofeo Leto in Masserano (Bi) and the Gp Berna.The following year instead he won the trofeo Rovelli in Lurago d'Erba (Como) and a stage at the Tour du Loir et Cher,in France.As well as that,he arrived 3rd in the "Città d'Asti",which is one of the most important Italian races for Under 23 riders.In 2008 Marycz won the trofeo De Gasperi in Trento,the trofeo INDA a Caravate (Varese),the trofeo Fornero in S. Carlo Canavese (Torino),the Gp Berna (2nd time in his career) and the Polish National U-23 TT championship.At the end of 2008,as already said,Jaroslaw moved to team Viris Vigevano.
Before of Jaroslaw's arrive,team Vigevano hadn't won any race for 3 years.But then,"Jaro" came and won 2 races,one in Palazzolo Milanese and one in Novi Ligure.As well as that,last year Marycz won the national Under-23 TT championship for the second time in a row and also won the silver medal at the European U-23 RR championships in Belgium (on that occasion he was caught by the eventual winner,the Belgian Kris Boeckman,just 20 meters before of the finish-line).
This year Jaroslaw also rode the U-23 Time Trial and the U-23 Road Race at the Mendrisio Worlds,but didn't have a lot of luck.In fact he concentrated himself on the road race,but had a bad crash while riding downhill after just 4 laps and had to retire (that was his last race of the 2009 season,since after it he decided to leave Italy and go back to Poland for some time).
So,these are the little information that I managed to find about Marycz.According to them, Jaroslaw seems a very strong rider and also a nice boy.For example,after winning a race last year,he dedicated that victory to his 3 years old niece Nicola and to his whole team (me loves riders who behave in this way).If you want to read more about this young rider,here are the best links I've found : http://virisvigevano.blogspot.com/ (Viris Vigevano's blog,on which you can find short chronicles of some of the races ran by Marycz and by the other team riders) and http://www.%20federciclismo.it/mondo/n24_2009/giornale.pdf (on page 20 there is the chronicle of one of Marycz's nicest victory).
So,what else to say? Let's wish Jaroslaw a nice first season as a pro and a nice career in the professional Cycledom!
PS: Pic is from http://virisvigevano.blogspot.com/2009/12/il-nostro-marycz-approda-alla-saxo-bank.html .If you click on the original pic,it appears bigger and you can even take a look to the gorgeous central square of Vigevano,one of the nicest town of Italy.
mercoledì 20 gennaio 2010
Chris Anker has renewed his contract (plus few other random things):
Although the Tour Down Under has begun,I'm not going to talk about it because I haven't found any tv broadcast of that race yet and so I can't write anything interesting or new about it.By the way,I know that Greipel has won the first 2 stages and I also know that Greg Henderson won the Adelaide City Councer Classic.
Anyway,today this egoistic blogger has got some random stuff about Riis Cycling team.First of all,a pic of the new kit has appeared on Jakob Fuglsang's twitter (http://%20tweetphoto.com/%209075522 ).I like the new kit really much and I'm glad to realise that I'm not the only one that takes pics of herself by standing in front of a mirror (little differences between me and Jakob: my "camera" isn't so glamorous as his and I will never publish a pic of myself taken by myself because of ideological reasons).
Second (and most) important thing of the day: Chris Anker Sorensen has renewed his contract (http://www.riis-cycling.com/ny_news.asp?n_id=2619) with Riis-Cycling.On the team website there is a little article about the contract's renew and here's a part of it:
Anyway,today this egoistic blogger has got some random stuff about Riis Cycling team.First of all,a pic of the new kit has appeared on Jakob Fuglsang's twitter (http://%20tweetphoto.com/%209075522 ).I like the new kit really much and I'm glad to realise that I'm not the only one that takes pics of herself by standing in front of a mirror (little differences between me and Jakob: my "camera" isn't so glamorous as his and I will never publish a pic of myself taken by myself because of ideological reasons).
Second (and most) important thing of the day: Chris Anker Sorensen has renewed his contract (http://www.riis-cycling.com/ny_news.asp?n_id=2619) with Riis-Cycling.On the team website there is a little article about the contract's renew and here's a part of it:
“Chris has an obvious potential which he repeatedly has been demonstrating at top level throughout the season. He has been through a really exciting development this last year and extending his contract with another three years was natural to me. In May, the time is ripe for him to even have a chance of running his own chance as a leader of the Team Saxo Bank line-up for the Giro d'Italia, “says team owner Bjarne Riis from the training camp on Furteventura.
“I am extremely pleased to extend my contract so I can stay with the Team for another three years. The amazing team spirit and the way Bjarne and the rest of the team thinks ahead and innovatively with an eye for the best equipment and training methods is beneficial to my future development and I know that I can continue that development at Team Saxo Bank. I will, to some degree, continue to fill out the role as a helper for the Schlecks but I am also grateful to Bjarne for letting me take on the role as a captain in the Giro d'Italia, "says Chris Anker Sørensen, adding:" As a Dane, I am, of course, proud to continue at a major Danish team.
Chris' new contract expires by the end of 2012 (just like the rest of the world,at least according to some old prophecies and things like that),so we'll be able to see him racing in Riis team at least for other 3 years.
“I am extremely pleased to extend my contract so I can stay with the Team for another three years. The amazing team spirit and the way Bjarne and the rest of the team thinks ahead and innovatively with an eye for the best equipment and training methods is beneficial to my future development and I know that I can continue that development at Team Saxo Bank. I will, to some degree, continue to fill out the role as a helper for the Schlecks but I am also grateful to Bjarne for letting me take on the role as a captain in the Giro d'Italia, "says Chris Anker Sørensen, adding:" As a Dane, I am, of course, proud to continue at a major Danish team.
Chris' new contract expires by the end of 2012 (just like the rest of the world,at least according to some old prophecies and things like that),so we'll be able to see him racing in Riis team at least for other 3 years.Talking about Chris Anker,in the last days he found the time to update his blog (http://blog-dyn.tv2.dk/chris.anker.ol/ ) with a post that has a very clear title:"It feels a bit like Christmas when the Oakley men come to visit us".After all,"The Oakley men are coming to Fuerteventura" sounds a bit like: "Santa Claus is coming to town"...
Chris also says that some tests have showed that he improved his watt power in the last 12 months.Of course,if Chris was sir Lancelot,we would have read this news not just on the Internet,but on every cycling magazine of the world.Sorry for this comparison,but when some newspapers dedicate a one page article to sir Lancelot and give it a name like "Lance says: 'I'm stronger than last year",me can't avoid to think that it should be natural for "the man of the comeback" to feel stronger than he did in 2009,but probably I'm the only one that sees things in this way and so here I stop because,after all,there must be a reason for this fact.
sabato 16 gennaio 2010
Random post about Laurent Didier:
As you already know,many Saxo Bank riders left the team in the last few months and have been replaced by other athletes.Therefore Logic believes that it would be a nice,fair and useful thing to talk about these new riders here on this blog.In fact,although some of them have already been pro for some years,other riders will make their debut in the top cycling races just now.To get to know a little more about these boys,I'll probably publish something about them in the next days (or weeks or months or years,it will depend on my will and my free time).Anyway,the concept is: sooner or later,I'll talk about them.
To start with the "new riders presentation",I'm going to talk about Laurent Didier.He's Luxembourgish,is 25 years old and has studied Engineering at University.Before of joining the Schleck brothers,he used to race in the Designa Kokken team,and this is obviously a big plus for him,since a big favourite of mine,Chris Sorensen,also raced in that team.
Just like the other 2 Luxembourgish riders of Saxo Bank team,Laurent isn't the first member of his family to reach a very high cycling level.In fact his father Lucien took part in the Tour de France for 6 times between 1978 and 1984,whereas his grandfather,Bim Diederich,won 3 Tour de France stages during his career and even managed to wear the maillot jaune for 3 days in the 1951 Tour de France.
Last year Laurent arrived 2nd in both the TT and RR Luxembourgish Cycling Championships (in the pic below here's on the RR podium together with the Schleck brothers).
Here you can find an article about him taken from cyclingnews.
LAURENT DIDIER,ENGINEERED FOR SUCCESS:
Laurent Didier was the first Saxo Bank rider to arrive for Friday's training ride in Fuerteventura.Eager to impress his employers and teammates alike,the 25-year-old engineering graduate is embarking on his first full season,having ridden as a stagiaire for the team during the latter part of 2009.
After finishing his third and final UCI blood control that every new professional must undertake before racing in a Protour event, Didier spoke to Cyclingnews. Pigeonholed as a promising climber,Didier grew up in Luxembourg,often training with Andy Schleck and graduating through the ranks alongside Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas).
However,unlike the majority of his peers,Didier decided to juggle racing with university studies until last year,following in his father's footsteps as a qualified engineer.
"Securing a degree was a really big deal for me.My father is an engineer but it helps having that buffer and safety in case things don't work out on the bike.I tried mathematics for two years but it drove me crazy and I failed after two years but I still wanted a degree and did a three-year engineering course in Luxembourg,"he told Cyclingnews.
During his studies,he rode for two German teams, Regiostrom-Senges and Kuota Senges,where he raced alongside Australian Luke Roberts (Team Milram).It was at Kuota that Didier caught the eye of Bjarne Riis and after impressing at the Tour of Denmark and then as a stagiaire,a full-time contract was put on the table.It was an irresistible offer for Didier and one that he fully intends on making the most of.
"I was top of the class in my year at university and I put in a lot of hard work.I want to do the same as a rider on this team.One day I'd like to put on the national jersey-I finished second in both the road and time-trial in 2009-but for now it's about earning my stripes with the team."
Despite the squad talking up his prospects as a climber,Didier is more cautious,admitting that while at 69 kilos he has the physical attributes,he's yet to be tested on the sport's biggest climbs.
"I did the Tour of Pyrenees and finished third in a mountain stage.I've never done that many races with long hills so it's difficult for me to say that I'm a strong climber and if that's where my ability and future lie.The races I've done have hills but not mountains,especially at the top level. I have the build and along with my weight I'm 189cm tall,so I have the body shape for it."
Didier will start his racing season in Mallorca before lining-up at Pais Vasco, the Classics and then the Giro d'Italia, for his first Grand Tour.But while racing now takes centre stage in the young man's life he's aware that growing media exposure back home is a necessity he needs to deal with.
Here you can find an article about him taken from cyclingnews.LAURENT DIDIER,ENGINEERED FOR SUCCESS:
Laurent Didier was the first Saxo Bank rider to arrive for Friday's training ride in Fuerteventura.Eager to impress his employers and teammates alike,the 25-year-old engineering graduate is embarking on his first full season,having ridden as a stagiaire for the team during the latter part of 2009.
After finishing his third and final UCI blood control that every new professional must undertake before racing in a Protour event, Didier spoke to Cyclingnews. Pigeonholed as a promising climber,Didier grew up in Luxembourg,often training with Andy Schleck and graduating through the ranks alongside Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas).
However,unlike the majority of his peers,Didier decided to juggle racing with university studies until last year,following in his father's footsteps as a qualified engineer.
"Securing a degree was a really big deal for me.My father is an engineer but it helps having that buffer and safety in case things don't work out on the bike.I tried mathematics for two years but it drove me crazy and I failed after two years but I still wanted a degree and did a three-year engineering course in Luxembourg,"he told Cyclingnews.
During his studies,he rode for two German teams, Regiostrom-Senges and Kuota Senges,where he raced alongside Australian Luke Roberts (Team Milram).It was at Kuota that Didier caught the eye of Bjarne Riis and after impressing at the Tour of Denmark and then as a stagiaire,a full-time contract was put on the table.It was an irresistible offer for Didier and one that he fully intends on making the most of.
"I was top of the class in my year at university and I put in a lot of hard work.I want to do the same as a rider on this team.One day I'd like to put on the national jersey-I finished second in both the road and time-trial in 2009-but for now it's about earning my stripes with the team."
Despite the squad talking up his prospects as a climber,Didier is more cautious,admitting that while at 69 kilos he has the physical attributes,he's yet to be tested on the sport's biggest climbs.
"I did the Tour of Pyrenees and finished third in a mountain stage.I've never done that many races with long hills so it's difficult for me to say that I'm a strong climber and if that's where my ability and future lie.The races I've done have hills but not mountains,especially at the top level. I have the build and along with my weight I'm 189cm tall,so I have the body shape for it."
Didier will start his racing season in Mallorca before lining-up at Pais Vasco, the Classics and then the Giro d'Italia, for his first Grand Tour.But while racing now takes centre stage in the young man's life he's aware that growing media exposure back home is a necessity he needs to deal with.
"I don't think the media interest can be any bigger than it is now.We Luxembourg riders get so much coverage in the newspapers now.Five or ten years ago there was very little.It's not so easy but you can get used to it.In my first interview on television I didn't even know where to look or when to answer the questions but after a few times you get used it."
Article taken from http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/engineered-for-success-laurent-didier
Pic from andyschleck.com
Article taken from http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/engineered-for-success-laurent-didier
Pic from andyschleck.com
giovedì 14 gennaio 2010
Saxo Bank vid + Random News:
In those days the effects of nearly 3 months spent without watching any cycling road race on tv have begun to show.And since I can't avoid to talk about cycling at least on this blog,here's another usual random post about many different things.
First of all,on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rAXH9uUuhQ there's a vid about the usual bike fitting that the Saxo Bank riders have to face every year.The vid features Frank Schleck, Jens Voigt,Frank Hoj and JJ Haedo,and for some Fangirls it may be a very nice thing to see.The vid has also allowed myself to notice the gap between Frank Hoj's front teeth,which is a wonderful thing that makes him enter my special list dedicated to people with this characteristic. In fact my dentist once told me that I absolutely had to do something about the gap between my own front teeth,because it was an horrible thing to see.Since that day (and after changing dentist) I started to keep a mental list about people who have this facial feature as well,because I deeply believe that it is a very classy particularity (feel free to disagree ;).
Btw,let's go back to cycling.Jakob Fuglsang's knee is really giving him problems (check his Twitter for more info) and so I can officially state that my dear online translater isn't a liar.
An interesting cycling link that I've found today is the one to Chris Anker Sorensen's blog (http://%20blog.tv2.dk/%20chris.anker.ol/entry356119.html ).He updated it yesterday and wrote that he's happy to be Jonas Aaen's roommate,"because he's a good boy and also because he's brought lots of films to watch.This is a very good thing because I watch the Spanish tv just when they show the Real Madrid-Barcelona football match",Chris writes.
Here instead there's a pic of SB new jersey.Its back is white and black,a design choice that I absolutely approve because it reminds me of the good old days back in 2007.
RANDOM NEWS NOT ABOUT SAXO BANK:
RANDOM NEWS NOT ABOUT SAXO BANK:Giro jerseys: also the Giro now has its own maglia roja,which has replaced the old "ciclamino" jersey for unknown reasons.
The Cobra's Comeback:: today edition of the Gazzetta has 2 pages dedicated to cycling.Good thing,you may think.And instead no,this isn't a good thing.At least,it isn't a good thing when one of the pages is dedicated to Armstrong and the other one is dedicated to Riccò. Yes,Riccò. The dude has answered Cavendish and Pinotti's comments about his comeback.About Cavendish,he pretended not to remember his name.About Pinotti (who,on his Twitter,once wrote "Read on magazines that cobra and salbaneo "have learnt the lesson" and dream about coming back in the Giro;it make me puke") ,Riccò said that he's hoping that Pinotti will get over his health problems soon and stop puking.What a classy man,what a champion! (now I stop talking about him because otherwise I'll end up with Pinotti's same stomach problems).
martedì 12 gennaio 2010
Saxo Bank new sponsor and 4 random links:
Yes,Saxo Bank has found a new sponsor for the team.Its name is SunGard and it is a company that provides softwares,disaster recovery services and does lots of other things (you can read about them in the following article).The company won't be the main sponsor of the team this year (or at least,that's what I understood) and will work with Riis also in 2011.
Of course I think this is a very good news for the team and I hope Bjarne will soon find another sponsor for his riders.Allez guys!
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/sungard-signs-on-as-sponsor-for-team-saxo-bank
US IT firm signs on for one year as minor sponsor
Team Saxo Bank has signed US-based SunGard as a new sponsor for the team this year. The information technology firm will not serve as name or co-sponsor, but the news gives some much needed morale support to the team after Saxo Bank announced they would terminate their support at the end of 2010.
SunGard is one of the largest privately owned companies in the US, with annual revenue exceeding $5 billion. According to its web site, it “provides software and processing solutions for financial services, higher education and the public sector. SunGard also provides disaster recovery services, managed IT services, information availability consulting services and business continuity management software.”
“This agreement sends a very strong signal, and it could not come at a better time,” team manager Trey Greenwood told sporten.dk. “It is a real scoop for our team.”
While the amount of the sponsorship was not announced,it was speculated to be anywhere from one million dollars to “several million dollars”.According to Greenwood, “it is not enough to be a co-sponsor,but it is big enough to change some things for us.”
Team owner Bjarne Riis did not dismiss the notion that the sponsorship might be expanded in 2011.“It is a great sponsor who wants to be here. Whether it could ultimately become something more remains to be seen. The important thing is we get them on board and we now show them what we have to offer, " Riis told sporten.dk.
Greenwood added,“Compared to the exposure you get as our sponsor,you will certainly get back more than you paid for.”
That is exactly what the company is hoping for.“We see a great potential to improve SunGard's brand awareness and visibility as a global IT business by sponsoring Team Saxo Bank.We are pleased that SunGard now stands stand side by side with one of professional cycling's leaders,” according to a statement issued by Brian Robins, SunGard's director of marketing.
The agreement provides the team with more than moral support, though.It “means that we can pass this year on the same or slightly higher level than last year.And we can keep a level we can be happy with and start with some of the steps we'd like.”
US IT firm signs on for one year as minor sponsor
Team Saxo Bank has signed US-based SunGard as a new sponsor for the team this year. The information technology firm will not serve as name or co-sponsor, but the news gives some much needed morale support to the team after Saxo Bank announced they would terminate their support at the end of 2010.
SunGard is one of the largest privately owned companies in the US, with annual revenue exceeding $5 billion. According to its web site, it “provides software and processing solutions for financial services, higher education and the public sector. SunGard also provides disaster recovery services, managed IT services, information availability consulting services and business continuity management software.”
“This agreement sends a very strong signal, and it could not come at a better time,” team manager Trey Greenwood told sporten.dk. “It is a real scoop for our team.”
While the amount of the sponsorship was not announced,it was speculated to be anywhere from one million dollars to “several million dollars”.According to Greenwood, “it is not enough to be a co-sponsor,but it is big enough to change some things for us.”
Team owner Bjarne Riis did not dismiss the notion that the sponsorship might be expanded in 2011.“It is a great sponsor who wants to be here. Whether it could ultimately become something more remains to be seen. The important thing is we get them on board and we now show them what we have to offer, " Riis told sporten.dk.
Greenwood added,“Compared to the exposure you get as our sponsor,you will certainly get back more than you paid for.”
That is exactly what the company is hoping for.“We see a great potential to improve SunGard's brand awareness and visibility as a global IT business by sponsoring Team Saxo Bank.We are pleased that SunGard now stands stand side by side with one of professional cycling's leaders,” according to a statement issued by Brian Robins, SunGard's director of marketing.
The agreement provides the team with more than moral support, though.It “means that we can pass this year on the same or slightly higher level than last year.And we can keep a level we can be happy with and start with some of the steps we'd like.”
RANDOM LINKS
http://blog.tv2.dk/chris.anker.ol/ :Chris Anker Sorensen has updated his blog with a funny list of "Goals achieved during the 2009 season".In said list,cycling is just very briefly mentioned.
http://blog.tv2.dk/chris.anker.ol/ :Chris Anker Sorensen has updated his blog with a funny list of "Goals achieved during the 2009 season".In said list,cycling is just very briefly mentioned.
http://www.sporten.dk/cykling/dansk-stjernerytter-skadet :according to Sporten.dk,Jakob Fuglsang is having some problems with his knee and his training camp may already be over after just one day.Me warmly hopes that the online translater is not telling me the truth and that,in case my online translater isn't a liar,Jakob's problem isn't too serious.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/saxo-press-conference :link to SB press conference.I've watched it this afternoon and I've really liked it,also because it rememberd me why I like the Schleck brothers so much.
http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=7900&status=True&catname=Latest%20News The title of this interview,"You gotta love Kenny Van Hummel",speaks clearly about its topic.
domenica 10 gennaio 2010
New Saxo Bank jersey:
The Australian RR Championships have been held today and have been won by Travis Meyer,brother of Cameron,who is just 20 year old.He broke away on the final lap of the race and never looked back,holding a 31 second margin over breakaway rival David Kemp (Fly V Australia) all the way to the finish line in Buninyong.
"My first ever road national title and to do it in my first race in elite men,it is an unbelievable feeling.I can’t quite describe what it feels like,"said Meyer."To win the road race after [my brother] Cam’s just won the time trial,to have two national champions in the same team and in the same family,it is just unbelievable.People are going to know my name in the ProTour ranks just because I have got the jersey on, to win it after guys like Robbie McEwen, Stuart O’Grady, Matt Wilson, for me to be able to do that and I am only 20 in my first year on the ProTour it hasn’t quite sunk in yet".Well,winning your first race as a pro and becoming National champion together with your brother is something really nice,so I think we have to compliment on the Meyer's brothers.
Anyway,from Fangirl's absolutely egoistic point of view,the Australian championships were important especially because Baden Cooke was racing in them."Who cares?",you may ask.Well, Fangirl cares because Baden showed off the new Saxo Bank jersey for the first time in 2010. Here's a pic by Shane Goss:
"My first ever road national title and to do it in my first race in elite men,it is an unbelievable feeling.I can’t quite describe what it feels like,"said Meyer."To win the road race after [my brother] Cam’s just won the time trial,to have two national champions in the same team and in the same family,it is just unbelievable.People are going to know my name in the ProTour ranks just because I have got the jersey on, to win it after guys like Robbie McEwen, Stuart O’Grady, Matt Wilson, for me to be able to do that and I am only 20 in my first year on the ProTour it hasn’t quite sunk in yet".Well,winning your first race as a pro and becoming National champion together with your brother is something really nice,so I think we have to compliment on the Meyer's brothers.
Anyway,from Fangirl's absolutely egoistic point of view,the Australian championships were important especially because Baden Cooke was racing in them."Who cares?",you may ask.Well, Fangirl cares because Baden showed off the new Saxo Bank jersey for the first time in 2010. Here's a pic by Shane Goss:
It is darker than last year (like Didier had already predicted few weeks ago) and the shorts are completely black.The helmet still looks like last year's one,and also the rest is pretty much similar to last year's jersey.Me hopes that this jersey will be easy to see during the races (unfortunately I can't understand whether the back of it is black or white,so I can't give an opinion about this).Anyway,so far I like the new kit and I believe it is better than other team's ones (*Columbia,Lotto,Radioshack and Astana*).
Other opinions?
venerdì 8 gennaio 2010
Saxo Bank to end team sponsorship:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/saxo-bank-to-end-team-sponsorship
http://www.riis-cycling.com/ny_news.asp?n_id=2602
Once again,the team of the Schleck brothers is having financial issues.In 2007 Csc announced the end of its sponsorship,in 2008 there was the bankrupt of the IT-Factory,few weeks ago some riders left the team because the financial situation wasn't so nice,and now Saxo Bank is going to end the team sponsorship.The last 3 years han't been wonderful from this point of view,have they?
http://www.riis-cycling.com/ny_news.asp?n_id=2602
Once again,the team of the Schleck brothers is having financial issues.In 2007 Csc announced the end of its sponsorship,in 2008 there was the bankrupt of the IT-Factory,few weeks ago some riders left the team because the financial situation wasn't so nice,and now Saxo Bank is going to end the team sponsorship.The last 3 years han't been wonderful from this point of view,have they?
Of course I welcomed the news in a very Fangirlistic way.In fact as soon as I saw the headline of the news,I let the Fangirl in me come out and she immediately stated: "I hope that the guys eventually burned also the SB flag when they were in South Africa for the training camp and went to build that bonfire"
Logic instead,after scolding Fangirl for her rude manners and her evil thoughts,said: "Uncle Bjarne is an expert in solving problems of this kind;the team (in spite of Arvesen,Kolobnev,Bak and Kroon's departures) is strong;this year the riders will probably win some important races;therefore the team will find a new sponsor and will be able to continue racing also next year".Of course Logic didn't talk about what may happen if the team doesn't find a new sponsor because she didn't want to frighten Fangirl,but I guess that everyone can imagine it...
Anyway,now I suppose it's high time I stopped talking about my opinions and publish the Cyclingnews article about the fact...And let's hope Bjarne will find a solution to this problem once again!
Team Saxo Bank is the next team in search of a new title sponsor. The bank will stop its sponsorship of the Danish team the end of 2010, when the current contract expires.
In a press release issued Friday, the team announced the end of the relationship. “We have enjoyed a fantastic partnership with Saxo Bank and I know that at the end this season, we can all look back on two and a half years of outstanding results and a lot of shared success,” team principal Bjarne Riis said.
“We will continue to work together with Saxo Bank to activate the sponsorship throughout this year and we have high expectations for the 2010 season.”
The search for a new title sponsor has already begun, Riis said. “We have one of the strongest teams in the world that includes some of our sport’s biggest profiles. The experiences and challenges of the last two years have prepared our company for this challenge. We are better organized and positioned to handle this challenge now, than ever before.“
The Danish bank took over sponsorship the summer of 2008, and was co-sponsor along with CSC for the remainder of that season. It took over as sole title sponsor as of the 2009 season.
Saxo Bank has never announced the amount of its sponsorship, but the team's success has helped increase its global brand awareness. It was immediately boosted by Carlos Sastre's victory in the 2008 Tour de France, and the performance of the Schleck brothers in 2009. In last year's Tour, Andy Schleck finished second overall and Fränk Schleck was fifth.
Logic instead,after scolding Fangirl for her rude manners and her evil thoughts,said: "Uncle Bjarne is an expert in solving problems of this kind;the team (in spite of Arvesen,Kolobnev,Bak and Kroon's departures) is strong;this year the riders will probably win some important races;therefore the team will find a new sponsor and will be able to continue racing also next year".Of course Logic didn't talk about what may happen if the team doesn't find a new sponsor because she didn't want to frighten Fangirl,but I guess that everyone can imagine it...
Anyway,now I suppose it's high time I stopped talking about my opinions and publish the Cyclingnews article about the fact...And let's hope Bjarne will find a solution to this problem once again!
Team Saxo Bank is the next team in search of a new title sponsor. The bank will stop its sponsorship of the Danish team the end of 2010, when the current contract expires.
In a press release issued Friday, the team announced the end of the relationship. “We have enjoyed a fantastic partnership with Saxo Bank and I know that at the end this season, we can all look back on two and a half years of outstanding results and a lot of shared success,” team principal Bjarne Riis said.
“We will continue to work together with Saxo Bank to activate the sponsorship throughout this year and we have high expectations for the 2010 season.”
The search for a new title sponsor has already begun, Riis said. “We have one of the strongest teams in the world that includes some of our sport’s biggest profiles. The experiences and challenges of the last two years have prepared our company for this challenge. We are better organized and positioned to handle this challenge now, than ever before.“
The Danish bank took over sponsorship the summer of 2008, and was co-sponsor along with CSC for the remainder of that season. It took over as sole title sponsor as of the 2009 season.
Saxo Bank has never announced the amount of its sponsorship, but the team's success has helped increase its global brand awareness. It was immediately boosted by Carlos Sastre's victory in the 2008 Tour de France, and the performance of the Schleck brothers in 2009. In last year's Tour, Andy Schleck finished second overall and Fränk Schleck was fifth.
When the bank signed the sponsorship agreement with Riis Cycling in 2008, it noted that the team “has the international reach and name recognition that means we will be able to get our message our to most of our client groups around the globe. We love the sport, and believe that together we will be winners.”
The bank now says it had been a good ride, but that the tour was over. “We recognise that the sponsorship has given us a great branding opportunity and increased our name recognition around the world. However, we also have to acknowledge that the sponsorship has not been ideal in reaching our narrow target group,” according to a statement by bank co-CEOs and co-founders Kim Fournais and Lars Seier Christensen.
“We have to take this seriously and after 2010 we will use our marketing funds differently. It is our belief that a sponsor with a broader profile will achieve much more from sponsoring the cycling team.”
They said that they look forward to celebrating many new victories in 2010. ”Saxo Bank’s sponsorship runs another year and we are already looking forward to the season to come. It goes without saying that we will support Team Saxo Bank and exploit the sponsorship to the full throughout the next year. As a company we still love cycling and we couldn't have hoped for a better collaboration with the team.”
But the team has had financial difficulties since 2008. IT Factory was announced as a co-sponsor, but had to back out of the deal when it went into receivership. Since then, the team has continued to search for a new co-backer.
Last month, team manager Bjarne Riis admitted that financial considerations forced him to have a smaller team with a reduced race schedule for the year. (pic by Cyclingnews)
martedì 5 gennaio 2010
Interview with Frank part 2:
His father and his brother were in front of the tv.At the last moment they had decided to stay at home,letting the colourful buses from Luxembourg ride towards Holland without them.It was the 16th of April 2006 and at that time just few people knew something about Frank Schleck. The most careful supporters had noticed him in the finale of the 2005 Tour of Lombardy,the one won by Bettini.On that occasion,the victory of the race was decided by a sprint and Riis’ rider came in 3rd,although he had given the impression of being the strongest climber between the riders that were with him in the last kms of the race.
In the Amstel finale,that day,things weren’t very different.Together with Frank there were Bettini,who kept on attacking,and Rebellin,that kept on stopping the Cricket‘s actions.There were Boogerd,who was as motivated as usual,and Wesemann,that was full of energy.But at a certain point,the lanky Luxembourgish moved to the left side of the road and attacked.
At home,on that couch that used to see at least a cycling race pro day,the old Johnny and the little Andy started to jump and scream.And evidently,their support arrived to Frank’s heart, since the young boy managed to achieve a wonderful solo victory,riding in a very determined way,just like his brother did the following year on the Zoncolan climb.
“Let alone the supporters”,Frank says with a smile."The other riders knew me and,when I attacked,I could hear few screams before of leaving all the sounds behind me.That first victory made me understand that,after all,in these legs there is something worth working for. Obviously,when the other riders know you better,it is harder to make the difference.For example,if during the 2007 Liége I had been a bit less famous,perhaps Di Luca would have let me 5 seconds of advantadge and I would have won.But Danilo is a champion and he grabbed his chance of winning in a perfect way".
In the Amstel finale,that day,things weren’t very different.Together with Frank there were Bettini,who kept on attacking,and Rebellin,that kept on stopping the Cricket‘s actions.There were Boogerd,who was as motivated as usual,and Wesemann,that was full of energy.But at a certain point,the lanky Luxembourgish moved to the left side of the road and attacked.
At home,on that couch that used to see at least a cycling race pro day,the old Johnny and the little Andy started to jump and scream.And evidently,their support arrived to Frank’s heart, since the young boy managed to achieve a wonderful solo victory,riding in a very determined way,just like his brother did the following year on the Zoncolan climb.
“Let alone the supporters”,Frank says with a smile."The other riders knew me and,when I attacked,I could hear few screams before of leaving all the sounds behind me.That first victory made me understand that,after all,in these legs there is something worth working for. Obviously,when the other riders know you better,it is harder to make the difference.For example,if during the 2007 Liége I had been a bit less famous,perhaps Di Luca would have let me 5 seconds of advantadge and I would have won.But Danilo is a champion and he grabbed his chance of winning in a perfect way". “Also Cunego knew me,that day on the Alpe d’Huez,and I knew him.At first we rode side by side,but then we started to study each other.He was riding with a very hard gear on and I thought that he was a really strong man.Every time we had to face a hairpine turn,he used to get up on his pedals and I could his leg swelling".
"I was trying to ride as agile as I could and to stay sitted on the saddle as long as possible.Then at a certain point I noticed that Cunego had begun to move himself on the saddle,just like you do when you start to feel uncomfortable on it because you‘re tired.And so I waited until the following turn and there I attacked with all my strength.I thought: 'if I turn my head and he‘s still behind me,I collapse on the asphalt'.After my attack I kept on watching the road in front of me until the last meters of the race; there I finally turned my head and I saw that Cunego wasn‘t behind me.And when I realised that I had won on the Alpe d’Huez,well,I was very happy".
This happened in 2006,in the Tour de France ruined by Basso,Ullrich and Floyd’s cases.
Now Frank seems to have freed himself from the armchair's torpor;he leans forward,with his folded arms on his knees.He’s got used to the interviews about his brother,but you can realise that this doesn’t annoy him because,he explains,"Andy’s not just my brother-he's also my best friend”.
“The little boy”,he says with a crafty smiles,"could win the Giro even this year,I’m sure of this. Last year he surprised even me.To say the truth,he actually made me cry.Last year,as he was climbing the Zoncolan,I was in Germany.The previous evening,instead of focusing myself on my race,I was very nervous because of that terrible Giro climb.I talked to Andy on the phone.I was so nervous...Instead Andy-I know him and he confirmed me that later-was as calm as usual.He knew that the decisive moment was arriving,but he lived it as a nice challenge.And watching him racing in such a determined way,I'm not ashamed of saying it,brough tears to my eyes and so I started to cry".
"The Giro is a wonderful race.In Italy there are true supporters,but unfortunately the schedule decisions aren’t often made by the riders.I’m sure that my brother will try to convince Bjarne to bring him at the Giro,and I’m also sure that the 'Chief' hasn’t closed the 'Giro-door' yet,but I also know that our sponsor just cares about the Tour.”
After Frank’s victory on the Alpe d’Huez the old Johnny,convincted that he would have had to wait some more years before of witnessing Andy’s first great victories,went to Frank’s room,knocked on the door and found Riis inside it.They joked together and hugged each other as men from the North of Europe usually do,and then they started to talk about Frank’s chances of winning the Tour.They agreed that Frank could climb well and that he had some problems in the TTs,but they also agreed that,after all,there weren’t lots of TT specialists around.
“The Tour”,Frank says with realism,"is the race that every rider dreams of winning.There you always find lots of riders that suddenly begin to ride as strong as they’ve never done before.But I’m not Armstrong,the Tour isn't the only race I think about.I like the Classics.The Liége,yes,but also the Tour of Lombardy,the most wonderful race of the World.The lake,the woods,the sun that suddenly appears after a turn on the Ghisallo…Last year I was strong.Very strong.I’m not saying I would have won,but actually I couldn’t see anyone that could beat me.And instead I crashed.If I had had a bit more luck,I would have ended the 2007 season with a podium at the Worlds (ndr;in that race he was 4th behind Schumacher) and with a victory in the Lombardy Tour.You may think that my 2007 season was disappointing,but actually I’d be happy if I could get the same results also in 2008...”
"The Tour is great,but it leaves time and space also for other races.To win it you need experience,shape,a strong team and the right mentality.Then in 2008 there will be the Olympic Games,even if it won’t be easy to get used to different situations in just few week time".
The Schleck brothers will live the Beijing adventure together and it will be a bit like when,years and years ago,the 3 little Schleck brothers used to run around their father in the Luxembourgian woods,making all the wild animals run away.
Steve,the oldest brother,isn’t a cyclist anymore,but Frank pays a lot of attention to his advice.
“Our passion for cycling is very deep”,he smiles."Also after the end of our careers,we will all keep on using our bikes.When you grow up with other 2 brothers,you learn to take your space and perhaps Andy is the one who had more advantdges from this situation.Of course between us there aren’t just smiles and laughs.When I realise that the little boy is angry,I know that it’s better to leave him alone.And he knows that the same worths for me.Btw it's nice to discover that sometimes we think the same things at the same moment.It’s nice to get up the day when your new bike will arrive and realise that your eyes shine as they do on the Christmas day,when you open the presents.At our home we live cycling in this way and we couldn’t do any different".
“After toasting for my Amstel’s victory,my father immediately warned me not to forget who I was and where I come from.There are many people that change personality after the first few victories.Instead I like thinking that I haven’t changed at all.And I’ll take care of my brother,so that he won’t change after the first victories either.Big brother's word!”.
lunedì 4 gennaio 2010
2008 article about Frank,part 1:
This is an article by Enzo Vicennati written in February 2008 for the magazine Bicisport (see http://fede-myblog92.blogspot.com/2009/02/interview-with-andy.html to read the article about Andy written by the same journalist).Part 2 is coming in the next days.
FRANK,THE BIG BROTHER WHO WANTS THE TOUR:
He’s the oldest of the Schleck brothers.He’s already won an Amstel Gold Race and the Alpe d’Huez stage at the Tour.He still remembers the day when his father asked him to take care of his brother Andy.The little boy wanted to become a cyclist.He used to follow Frank during the training sessions and he never gave in.The challenges.The talent of the young brother and the sacrifices of the elder.The common dreams.The excitement for the new bike and the excitement for the gifts under the Christmas tree.And now the project of the Tour,of the Liége and of the Tour of Lombardy,"the most beautiful race in the world".
5 years ago,few days after the beginning of the spring season,Johnny Schleck beckoned his son Frank.The boy left the bike that he was preparing for his daily training session and went near to his father.
“Look at your brother.Have you noticed how much he wants to go out training with you? And have you noticed how he rides uphill? That boy will go far,even Guimard thinks it.I spoke to him the other day and he told me that,in all his life,he's seen just other 3 riders as strong as Andy. And these riders were Hinault,Lemond and Fignon“.
Frank didn’t say anything,just nodded his head.He knew that Andy was a strong boy and that sometimes he would push himself beyond prudence's limits rather than give in.At that point, Frank thought about the beginning of his career.He remembered his sufference in staying away from home and the period he spent in Italy with Stanga.He remembered the few motivations he had in that period and the desire of giving up cycling-a desire that he felt when some French ds told him that they didn’t need him in their teams,because “we can find riders as good as you everywhere here in France”.If Riis hadn’t arrived,Frank admitted,his life would have been completely different.
"The youngest boys",he said to his father while laughing,"always find a smooth road in front of them".
“Hey,come here”,he said to his brother after few seconds.”Let’s see if you’re really as strong as people say..."
Since the 2 Schleck brothers started to race for the same team,people can look at them and immediately understand what "being brothers" means,although they are deeply different from one another.In fact Andy seems to find easy things that for other people are terribly hard,whereas Frank seems a solid,calm,simple and stubborn man that knows he will have to work very hard to achieve the goals that already shine in the future of his younger brother.
"After all,Andy’s always been a big angel",Frank says with a smile."I immediately realised that he was stronger than me,a rider understands it if another cyclist still has something to give when all the other guys are already riding at full gas or are very tired.I immediately saw his talent and,even if I made a lot of promises to my father,I never managed to keep him in check.I’m always afraid that he can fall and get hurt.And I don't envy him at all,he's my brother! Perhaps having him at my side gives me even more motivation.Of course I’ve got lots of personal dreams as well.This year for example I’d like to win the Liége,the Lombardy and arrive on the Tour podium.I want to fight for my dreams and so,even if they won’t come true,I won’t have any regret,because I’ll know that I did everything I could to make them become reality“.
Although he can speak Italian well,Frank prefers to give interviews in English because he feels more confident when he speaks that language.His English is fluent and he talks in a calm and harmonic way.The armchair slowly becomes a confessional and you realise that all the miles he rode during the winter and during the races have allowed him to reflect on lots of things.He watches you in a serene and direct way,he often smiles and he faces every topic in a relaxed way.He remains calm even when we tell him that,after Riis’ confession in 2007,his team risked to fail.
“What happened with Riis has been shock",he admits,"but we rallied all together and we started to talk.What should have we done? There were some people who were really happy because they thought that Csc Team was going to disappear.We heard them as well,but what could have we done with them? Actually,at that point we did the only thing that true men do when they have to face hard moments.We watched each other in the eyes.We called Bjarne and we asked him what was going on.He told us his story and,all together,we decided to go on.Being filled with indignancy or turning our backs on Bjarne would have been a very hypocrite thing to do.We were very united and managed to leave the past behind".
“We are the only ones that can leave problems behind,it is useless to wait for someone else to come and help us.Lots of people talk,but we’re the only team that has done something credible in the war against doping and in fact now lots of other teams are using our same methods.We’re out from the doping crisis because we accepted it.If we had let panic or emotions take over us,like lots of people in the cycling world do when some things happen,we wouldn’t have been here now. But behaving like that would have involved the destruction of years of hard work.Inside the team there are men and women who have a family,we couldn’t accept to see things end in this way,just because of a bad story that happened 12 years ago..."
(pic by BCullinan/Pez)
He’s the oldest of the Schleck brothers.He’s already won an Amstel Gold Race and the Alpe d’Huez stage at the Tour.He still remembers the day when his father asked him to take care of his brother Andy.The little boy wanted to become a cyclist.He used to follow Frank during the training sessions and he never gave in.The challenges.The talent of the young brother and the sacrifices of the elder.The common dreams.The excitement for the new bike and the excitement for the gifts under the Christmas tree.And now the project of the Tour,of the Liége and of the Tour of Lombardy,"the most beautiful race in the world".
5 years ago,few days after the beginning of the spring season,Johnny Schleck beckoned his son Frank.The boy left the bike that he was preparing for his daily training session and went near to his father.
“Look at your brother.Have you noticed how much he wants to go out training with you? And have you noticed how he rides uphill? That boy will go far,even Guimard thinks it.I spoke to him the other day and he told me that,in all his life,he's seen just other 3 riders as strong as Andy. And these riders were Hinault,Lemond and Fignon“.
Frank didn’t say anything,just nodded his head.He knew that Andy was a strong boy and that sometimes he would push himself beyond prudence's limits rather than give in.At that point, Frank thought about the beginning of his career.He remembered his sufference in staying away from home and the period he spent in Italy with Stanga.He remembered the few motivations he had in that period and the desire of giving up cycling-a desire that he felt when some French ds told him that they didn’t need him in their teams,because “we can find riders as good as you everywhere here in France”.If Riis hadn’t arrived,Frank admitted,his life would have been completely different.
"The youngest boys",he said to his father while laughing,"always find a smooth road in front of them".
“Hey,come here”,he said to his brother after few seconds.”Let’s see if you’re really as strong as people say..."
Since the 2 Schleck brothers started to race for the same team,people can look at them and immediately understand what "being brothers" means,although they are deeply different from one another.In fact Andy seems to find easy things that for other people are terribly hard,whereas Frank seems a solid,calm,simple and stubborn man that knows he will have to work very hard to achieve the goals that already shine in the future of his younger brother."After all,Andy’s always been a big angel",Frank says with a smile."I immediately realised that he was stronger than me,a rider understands it if another cyclist still has something to give when all the other guys are already riding at full gas or are very tired.I immediately saw his talent and,even if I made a lot of promises to my father,I never managed to keep him in check.I’m always afraid that he can fall and get hurt.And I don't envy him at all,he's my brother! Perhaps having him at my side gives me even more motivation.Of course I’ve got lots of personal dreams as well.This year for example I’d like to win the Liége,the Lombardy and arrive on the Tour podium.I want to fight for my dreams and so,even if they won’t come true,I won’t have any regret,because I’ll know that I did everything I could to make them become reality“.
Although he can speak Italian well,Frank prefers to give interviews in English because he feels more confident when he speaks that language.His English is fluent and he talks in a calm and harmonic way.The armchair slowly becomes a confessional and you realise that all the miles he rode during the winter and during the races have allowed him to reflect on lots of things.He watches you in a serene and direct way,he often smiles and he faces every topic in a relaxed way.He remains calm even when we tell him that,after Riis’ confession in 2007,his team risked to fail.
“What happened with Riis has been shock",he admits,"but we rallied all together and we started to talk.What should have we done? There were some people who were really happy because they thought that Csc Team was going to disappear.We heard them as well,but what could have we done with them? Actually,at that point we did the only thing that true men do when they have to face hard moments.We watched each other in the eyes.We called Bjarne and we asked him what was going on.He told us his story and,all together,we decided to go on.Being filled with indignancy or turning our backs on Bjarne would have been a very hypocrite thing to do.We were very united and managed to leave the past behind".
“We are the only ones that can leave problems behind,it is useless to wait for someone else to come and help us.Lots of people talk,but we’re the only team that has done something credible in the war against doping and in fact now lots of other teams are using our same methods.We’re out from the doping crisis because we accepted it.If we had let panic or emotions take over us,like lots of people in the cycling world do when some things happen,we wouldn’t have been here now. But behaving like that would have involved the destruction of years of hard work.Inside the team there are men and women who have a family,we couldn’t accept to see things end in this way,just because of a bad story that happened 12 years ago..."
(pic by BCullinan/Pez)
domenica 3 gennaio 2010
Andy Schleck voted Luxembourger of the Year,brother Frank marries on NY's Eve:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/andy-schleck-voted-luxembourger-of-the-year
It was a big weekend for the Schleck brothers, as Andy was named Luxembourger of the year and older brother Fränk got married.
Andy Schleck, 24, won the vote conducted by broadcaster RTL, with 22.5 percent. Second was Thierry van Werveke, a popular actor who passed away in 2009 from cancer at the age of 50, and third was the country's leader, Premier Jean-Claude Juncker. Fränk Schleck was fourth.
The younger Schleck finished second overall in the Tour de France, as well as winning Liège-Bastogne-Liège-Bastogne-Liege and his national road championship.
Fränk Schleck married his girlfriend in a civil ceremony on New Year's eve. The couple had gotten engaged at the Amstel Curacao race in November. The church wedding is planned for August (read more about this on http://www.wort.lu/wort/web/sport/artikel/65614/fraenk-schleck-hat-geheiratet.php ).
(pic:Point 24)
It was a big weekend for the Schleck brothers, as Andy was named Luxembourger of the year and older brother Fränk got married.
Andy Schleck, 24, won the vote conducted by broadcaster RTL, with 22.5 percent. Second was Thierry van Werveke, a popular actor who passed away in 2009 from cancer at the age of 50, and third was the country's leader, Premier Jean-Claude Juncker. Fränk Schleck was fourth.
The younger Schleck finished second overall in the Tour de France, as well as winning Liège-Bastogne-Liège-Bastogne-Liege and his national road championship.
Fränk Schleck married his girlfriend in a civil ceremony on New Year's eve. The couple had gotten engaged at the Amstel Curacao race in November. The church wedding is planned for August (read more about this on http://www.wort.lu/wort/web/sport/artikel/65614/fraenk-schleck-hat-geheiratet.php ).
(pic:Point 24)
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