Tuesday, August 24, 2010

No worries, mate....we're moving to Luxembourg!

It's a tough week to be an Australian pro racer, I guess.  And the worst possible thing you can do as an Aussie is apparently win at the Eneco tour.  Robbie McEwen (Katousha) shows some late-season form in winning Stage 1...
and then Aussie track star and now road pro Jack Bobridge (Garmin) wins stage 5...
and both are snubbed from the Australian world's team for Mathew Hayman and Wesley Sulzberger?  Who is doing the math on this one?  I'm certainly not discounting the abilities of either Hayman or Sulzberger, but they haven't been truly competitive since the spring, while both McEwan and "Jacky Bobby" are racing well NOW.  If performing well at the Eneco tour spells trouble for the selection to your respective country's world team, then Andre Greipel should be worried, as yesterday he took his second stage there.  And consistent with nobody from HTC Columbia knowing how to execute an appropriate victory salute as they cross the line, Greipel busted this one out in Heers, Belgium as he won.

(This photo reminds me of how my grandmother used to try to pry her dog's ancient lips open to spray this stuff into her mouth called "happy breath" in an attempt to squelch the distinctive odor that can only come from a 15-year-old Miniature Schnauzer's mouth.  There's just something impressive about the ability of those Germans to purse their lips: both Andre and Heidi....)

But for all this worrying, someone who is certainly not worried, according to cyclingnews, is Bjarne Riis.

Despite losing the Shlecks, his directeur sportif Kim Andersen, Jakob Fuglsang, and likely both Stuart O'Grady and Jens Voigt to the new Shleck-tastic Luxembourgian team as well as watching Matti Breschel leave for Rabobank, Riis is content with the three Spanish amigos of Ben, Dan and Jesus (Noval, Navarro and Hernandez.)  And the article published by cyclingnews regarding Riis' lack of concern is accompanied by three photos of Bjarne looking definitely NOT worried:

While Bjarne is busy not worrying in Denmark, the country of Luxembourg is also not worried, and in fact rejoicing in celebration, and not just because Frankie got married on Saturday...


but because Andy has become a national hero and is beloved by all Luxembourgian children....take this photo he posted on Twitter of himself with some kids who painted a mural for him:

"Message: Nice welcome gift! Big Hugs to the kids in my street for this!!!"

If you are having difficulties making out what is on the front of Andy's t-shirt as he sits amidst the gaggle of children, you can see it better here....because it's the exact same shirt that teammate Jakob Fuglsang is wearing at the post-Tour gala......I'm sure the boys especially liked to hug him while he was wearing this...to get a better view....
There's nothing that weird about two friends sharing a shirt, is there?  I mean, Contador and Shleck are also friends....so maybe Bert will share his Maillot Jaune with Andy for a bit.  I think Andy must feel virtually naked without it....as was depicted in another gift Andy received from "his biggest fan, Sigrid (8 years old), also posted on Twitter.

"Message: Just got a painting from my biggest Fan 8 year old Thanks Sigrid :)"

I'm guessing that's Contador on the right, pantsless, but in the Maillot Jaune with the big smile, and Andy on the left with the Luxembourgian flag over his head, frown on his face and wearing nothing but a black hole in his chest where his heart should be?  All that's missing is the dropped chain...

Ok - so maybe somebody is a little worried in Luxembourg....

2 comments:

  1. The three photos of Bjarne Riis NOT looking worried is fantastic! Really cracked me up.

    As for the shirt: a little embarrassing around kids and grandmas, but it's the "hey everybody, I'm not gay!" shirt.

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  2. David.....If you have to say it with your mouth or a shirt then chances are you are.....I do see a lot of Marylin Monroe hanging in some of my friends apartments...who happen to be of that orientation..... Who cares? I do like his shirt though....Says frat boy all over it.

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