I attended the dedication of the Luxembourg-American Cultural Center in Belgium, Wisconsin, August 6-10. Here is a moment with the Luxembourg Fun Brass Band: the Luxembourg Lion blows it to the Louisiana Tiger.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Rectification: Remarks With Luxembourg Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean Asselborn Before Their Meeting
Note some discrepancies with my original post of July 30, 2009 titled:
Luxembourg's Deputy PM Helps Secretary of State Clinton to Close Guantanamo
This is the final version:
http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009a/july/126764.htm
Luxembourg's Deputy PM Helps Secretary of State Clinton to Close Guantanamo
This is the final version:
http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009a/july/126764.htm
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Tour de France 2010: the Resurrection of Luxembourg Cyclism.
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
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
Saturday, August 1, 2009
New Luxembourg-American Cultural Center, Belgium, WI.
Are you sure you are not of Luxembourg descent? You soon get help to find out.
Many people have helped ond worked on this project of a Luxembourg-American Cultural Center in Belgium, WI. It is opening on August 8. Be there!
http://luxamculturalsociety.org/documents/HeritageWeekend2009Booklet.pdf
Latest news: the Grand Duke of Luxembourg is attending the dedication.
Egide Thein
Many people have helped ond worked on this project of a Luxembourg-American Cultural Center in Belgium, WI. It is opening on August 8. Be there!
http://luxamculturalsociety.org/documents/HeritageWeekend2009Booklet.pdf
Latest news: the Grand Duke of Luxembourg is attending the dedication.
Egide Thein
Friday, July 31, 2009
Luxembourg, Tour de France, Armstrong, Andy Schleck and Radioshack.
The rumor was a rumor!
The rumor we heard has already been denied: Andy Schleck won’t be in a Lance Armstrong led Radioshack team in 2010, but continue with his brother Frank Schleck in their affiliation with Saxobank.
As a consequence, Tour de France 2010 has already three main contenders: Alberto Contador, Andy Schleck and Lance Armstrong, actually the podium of Tour de France 2009. Andy Schleck being the youngest of the three seems to have the greatest potential for improvement, mostly in the time trials. And his age makes him a real candidate for the yellow jersey in Paris in 2010.
This is a good reason enough for him not to tie himself in with another ambitious leader of another team, Lance Armstrong.
A second look.
However, let’s have a look at what would have been or could have been, if Andy Schleck would have signed up with Lance Armstrong and Radioshack. It is not a futile exercise, but rather part of a necessary due diligence about a career move. A professional cyclist’s retirement age comes early. Many never have revenues that rise to the level of minimum wages. There might be 500,000 to 1,000,000 people on the slopes of Mont Ventoux. But no one pays a dime, contrary to what fans would have to shell out in any other type of sport. So our heroes are paid for their very hard work by their sponsors, or from winning prizes and from endorsements. A successful champion can have a lucrative second job as an official endorser. How lucrative that is, depends on the market, in which people identify with him. For Andy Schleck, that’s 500,000 people in Luxembourg. For Lance Armstrong, that’s 300,000,000 Americans or 600 times Luxembourg. This brings me to the interesting point of what if.
Yes, what if?
What if we had had an Armstrong-Schleck association within a Radioshack team? Andy Schleck would have had to scale back his ambition to win the Tour for another year: Lance wants to win an 8th Tour. But Andy Schleck would have learned from a great master. A man who won so many competitions, who overcame immense adversity, who has proven his courage, who demonstrates an unfailing discipline, who almost scientifically has dissected all aspects of cycling from aerodynamics to equipment and nutrition, who operates according to his plan, and in my mind who exerts some kind of mental dominance by just showing up. Though this looks like blind fiery fan talk, I believe this is a cold assessment of what that man is. He won seven Tours!
Even associated with Lance Armstrong, Andy Schleck had still a chance to win the tour in 2010. Indeed it is a long way to Paris. If not, with a mentor like Lance Armstrong, Andy Schleck would have been the top contender in 2011 and many years thereafter. So we are talking about fame delayed for one year, because of a self-imposed hiatus to learn from the master and help him achieve his 2010 goal.
There lies the interest for such an association for Andy Schleck. His association with Lance Armstrong drags him from a small regional European market for endorsements into the arms of a continental market. His association with Armstrong would have created that missing link to the American public, which is very ready and open to consider someone who spreads good vibes as one of their own. And as a daily viewer of the Tour on the US channel Versus, I witnessed the sympathetic comments that the Schleck brothers earned there on a daily basis. The US market for endorsements is already half open!
Next steps, if I may!
In these days of beer diplomacy, why wouldn’t you, the Schleck brothers, and Lance come by and have a beer with me, and we’ll sort it out.
And now, I have to say it, I can’t hold it back anymore: Radioschleck!
The rumor we heard has already been denied: Andy Schleck won’t be in a Lance Armstrong led Radioshack team in 2010, but continue with his brother Frank Schleck in their affiliation with Saxobank.
As a consequence, Tour de France 2010 has already three main contenders: Alberto Contador, Andy Schleck and Lance Armstrong, actually the podium of Tour de France 2009. Andy Schleck being the youngest of the three seems to have the greatest potential for improvement, mostly in the time trials. And his age makes him a real candidate for the yellow jersey in Paris in 2010.
This is a good reason enough for him not to tie himself in with another ambitious leader of another team, Lance Armstrong.
A second look.
However, let’s have a look at what would have been or could have been, if Andy Schleck would have signed up with Lance Armstrong and Radioshack. It is not a futile exercise, but rather part of a necessary due diligence about a career move. A professional cyclist’s retirement age comes early. Many never have revenues that rise to the level of minimum wages. There might be 500,000 to 1,000,000 people on the slopes of Mont Ventoux. But no one pays a dime, contrary to what fans would have to shell out in any other type of sport. So our heroes are paid for their very hard work by their sponsors, or from winning prizes and from endorsements. A successful champion can have a lucrative second job as an official endorser. How lucrative that is, depends on the market, in which people identify with him. For Andy Schleck, that’s 500,000 people in Luxembourg. For Lance Armstrong, that’s 300,000,000 Americans or 600 times Luxembourg. This brings me to the interesting point of what if.
Yes, what if?
What if we had had an Armstrong-Schleck association within a Radioshack team? Andy Schleck would have had to scale back his ambition to win the Tour for another year: Lance wants to win an 8th Tour. But Andy Schleck would have learned from a great master. A man who won so many competitions, who overcame immense adversity, who has proven his courage, who demonstrates an unfailing discipline, who almost scientifically has dissected all aspects of cycling from aerodynamics to equipment and nutrition, who operates according to his plan, and in my mind who exerts some kind of mental dominance by just showing up. Though this looks like blind fiery fan talk, I believe this is a cold assessment of what that man is. He won seven Tours!
Even associated with Lance Armstrong, Andy Schleck had still a chance to win the tour in 2010. Indeed it is a long way to Paris. If not, with a mentor like Lance Armstrong, Andy Schleck would have been the top contender in 2011 and many years thereafter. So we are talking about fame delayed for one year, because of a self-imposed hiatus to learn from the master and help him achieve his 2010 goal.
There lies the interest for such an association for Andy Schleck. His association with Lance Armstrong drags him from a small regional European market for endorsements into the arms of a continental market. His association with Armstrong would have created that missing link to the American public, which is very ready and open to consider someone who spreads good vibes as one of their own. And as a daily viewer of the Tour on the US channel Versus, I witnessed the sympathetic comments that the Schleck brothers earned there on a daily basis. The US market for endorsements is already half open!
Next steps, if I may!
In these days of beer diplomacy, why wouldn’t you, the Schleck brothers, and Lance come by and have a beer with me, and we’ll sort it out.
And now, I have to say it, I can’t hold it back anymore: Radioschleck!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Luxembourg's Deputy PM Helps Secretary of State Clinton to Close Guantanamo
A link to a video of a visit by Mr Jean Asselborn, Deputy PM of Luxembourg to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Washington, July 30, 2009.
http://secretaryclinton.wordpress.com/2009/07/30/video-secretary-clinton-deputy-pm-of-luxembourg/
http://secretaryclinton.wordpress.com/2009/07/30/video-secretary-clinton-deputy-pm-of-luxembourg/
Monday, July 27, 2009
Luxembourg, Tour de France and Schleck and Schleck.
Luxembourg, Tour de France and Schleck and Schleck.
There are many reasons for this feature about the Tour de France to appear in this blog.
There is first of all the best performance of Luxembourg participants in the Tour in more than fifty years by Andy Schleck, finishing second and his brother Frank Schleck finishing fifth in the overall race. Never since Charly Gaul won the Tour in 1958 has there been such a successful Luxembourg presence.
There is first of all the best performance of Luxembourg participants in the Tour in more than fifty years by Andy Schleck, finishing second and his brother Frank Schleck finishing fifth in the overall race. Never since Charly Gaul won the Tour in 1958 has there been such a successful Luxembourg presence.
Egide Thein, Cyclo Cross Millebaach, Luxembourg, ca 1963.There is also a bit of personal nostalgia, as a long time ago I was among the handful of aspiring champions in my small hometown of Beckerich, Luxembourg, dreaming about winning the Tour de France one day. My comrades in pedals were Johny Wiltzius, Marcel Holtgen and Gusty Petry. We joined the Union Cycliste de Dippach as Cadets and Juniors. It was a prestigious club to which belonged Charly Gaul and a certain Johny Schleck, Frank’s and Andy’s father. So far, I haven’t won the Tour de France yet. But Lance Armstrong is not foolish enough to count me out yet.
Emile Lamberty, Pierre Meyer, Marcel Holtgen and Egide Thein of Union Cycliste Dippach, Luxembourg ca. 1963.
And finally, there is the unavoidable link between banking and Luxembourg. The Schleck brothers ran for team Saxobank, a sexy bank in Denmark. This makes our two brothers, Banker’s Schlecks. They traveled 3,500 km over the Tour, and that makes them Traveler’s Schlecks. Over time Frank became Andy’s water bearer: he was the Bearer’s Schleck, whereas Andy saw his second place guaranteed. Yes, you got it. Andy was the Guaranteed Schleck. As the best young rider, he earned the white Jersey, which made him the Blank Schleck.
It is really a marvelous story for the Schleck Book.
I watched the Tour daily and with great pleasure, on a US channel, “Versus”, with outstanding professional comments, and on French TV5 America, great pictures and endless meaningless verbiage. It took an interview with French President Sarkozy on TV5 to get some excellent comments about the great event and indeed about the riders. The news even trickled down to my local newspaper, the “Naples Daily News”, which showed pictures of Frank and Andy. Of course there was one with Andy showing his now legendary tongue. Did you know that if kids do that, they are told in Luxembourgish that they let the “Schleck” out?
Congratulations to Frank and Andy! This was hard work, good tactics and good emotions. Thanks for a very good job. How come you are not at UC Dippach?
Egide Thein
PS. I hear that Lance Armstrong, for his next year’s team, wants to sign the Schlecks?
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