A new recruit joins the Schleck brothers on the Saxobank team: Laurent Didier. He is the son of Lucien Didier and the grandson of Bim Diederich, both former professional cyclists.
The Schlecks being the sons of Johny Schleck, and Kim Kirchen’s granduncle Jeng Kirchen being a participant in several Tours de France, Luxembourg cycling definitely lies in the genes. Schleck, Kirchen and Didier are actually three hereditary cycling monarchies.
A note of nostalgia: I remember some of Bim Diederich’s feats in the 1950’s. As we children had no bikes, we were just running and the fastest would earn the prestigious title of “Bim”. Later I met the veteran, who kept an outstanding bike shop in Pétange, Luxembourg.
Luxembourg’s champions used to have an almost impossible task at winning the Tour France in those days of national teams. It is just the numbers game that will prevent such a small country from lining up a national team of ten or so strong members. It took a combined Dutch / Luxembourg team to allow Charly Gaul to have a strong team and to win the Tour 1958. The new way of commercially sponsored team building allows someone from a small country, be it the Vatican, to win the Tour.
Interesting how strategies, tactics and technology in cycling have evolved over the last 30 years: reason, good judgment, even good science build winning (international) teams. Nationalistic emotions however drive the enthusiasm of most fans and the success of the Tour de France enterprise.
In the meantime there is another Luxembourg newcomer to the profession: Ben Gastauer. This brings the number to five, an amazing number for that very difficult profession at a time when most young people are supposed to be “ couch potatoes”.
Finally, confirming Yogi Berra, the Schlecks came to a fork in their road just after the Tour 2009, and they took it…..
Schleck 2010?
Egide Thein
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