Tour de Schleck: Stuart O’Grady Signs with GreenEdge | CyclingFan.net

Sounds like an Australian edition of Leopard.

Stuart O’Grady Signs with GreenEdge CyclingFan.net

Quite understandale in those circumstances. Stuart O'Grady got a promotion and doesn't know what Leopard has in it for him next year. Pay attention who else leaves, and who joins.

Luxembourg - landing pad for American bundlers

http://news.muckety.com/2011/07/28/luxembourg-landing-pad-for-american-bundlers/33721

Yes, this is well researched. To the benefit of the bundlers and hostesses of the mostess, we only remember those in Luxembourg. The seasoned career diplomats are too professional. The others are really fun. And we get access to the President. I can assure you, we love "Call me Madam". Without P. Mesta, Irving Berlin would have run out of ideas. We still cash in on Perle Mesta.

Analysis: Low-profile Evans claims spectacular Tour win

I liked this analyses, as I think it is the most accurate. It corroborates opinions expressed earlier in this blog.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/24/us-cycling-tour-idUSTRE76N2BT20110724

Schleck says he’s happy to finish on podium with brother, vows to win Tour another year

And that's a problem. Andy Schleck (and Frank Schleck) did a great Tour. They showed talent, panache and they looked overall more like old fashioned, courageous fighters. I know I repeat myself: the meticulous preparation and execution a Lance Armstrong would have deployed were not there with the Schlecks. Oh yes, I saw a picture of Andy in a wind channel. Photo-op or innovation? But Nygard's comments in this article about evaluating situations, tend to confirm that the preparation was a little bit old fashioned.

Cadel Evans prepared and executed religiously. That brought him to heaven. With less panache than Andy Schleck, but with certainly talent too, discipline and method that helped in the minutes of hardship and that most of all, brought him with significant reserves to the time trial where he could unleash that cushion of energy.

The Washington Post here has some good and enlightening comments:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/schleck-says-hes-happy-to-finish-on-podium-with-brother-vows-to-win-tour-another-year/2011/07/23/gIQA3QcRVI_story.html

Luxembourg prepares for AIFMD | asset servicing latest news | assetservicingtimes.com

It has been a long tradition in Luxembourg to be swift in the implementation of European Directives. It turned out to be of course a competitive advantage for the financial center of Luxembourg, a world leader in fund management. All is set for AIFMD and the very successful SIF got a haircut and make-up. And it got noticed, here from Asset Servicing Times:

Luxembourg prepares for AIFMD asset servicing latest news assetservicingtimes.com

Ahora: Juan Asselborn en Cuba

I didn't find out if there was a visit to Guantanamo. Did we get the Cuban vote for the Security Council seat?

Vice Primer Ministro y Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Luxemburgo, Jean Asselborn, coloca ofrenda floral ante el monumento a José Martí, Héroe Nacional de Cuba / Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Luxembourg Jean Asselborn lays a wreath at the Monument to Jose Marti, National Hero of Cuba

Photo: Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Cuba

http://www.ahora.cu/english/sections/national/4667-luxembourgs-foreign-minister-for-better-relations-with-cuba.html

Tour de France with Andy Poulidor or was it Raymond Schleck?

The weeks to come will be the time for introspection. My headline suggests that we are in an inevitable cycle of second places, that we have known with Raymond Poulidor. Both Raymond Poulidor and Andy Schleck are fine characters and talented athletes. But is Andy Schleck doomed, like Poulidor? I like to insist on some thoughts, that I put up in my blog ….. 2 years ago, and I made a reference to it already yesterday:

http://egidethein.blogspot.com/2009/07/luxembourg-tour-de-france-armstrong.html

Now, compare that blog to the following article, in French:

http://www.eurosport.fr/cyclisme/tour-de-france/2011/evans-avait-tout-prevu_sto2882793/story.shtml

The most important lesson says this:

Invité à commenter ses trois semaines de course samedi soir, Evans a eu cette phrase: "J'ai fait un Tour cohérent." On ne saurait dire mieux. "Ça a été la clé de la course", ajoute-t-il. Il a raison. Malgré quelques pépins par ci par là, comme son problème mécanique dans le Télégraphe vendredi, il a, contrairement à tous ses adversaires, évité les fautes. Celles qui vous coûtent un Tour. Le Tour parfait n'existe pas mais Evans s'en est approché. Et ce n'est pas le fruit du hasard. "C'est l'aboutissement d'un long processus, explique John Lelangue, le manager de l'équipe BMC. On a bâti ce projet autour de Cadel voilà deux ans et tout le monde s'est mis à 100% derrière lui." "Cette année, confirme Evans, nous avons planifié soigneusement: sur l'équipe, dans les stages, l'équipementier, les ingénieurs.... Tout le monde a beaucoup travaillé pour me donner le meilleur vélo de contre-la-montre. Il y a eu beaucoup de préparation."

In one word, there has been a 2 years' quasi scientific preparation for Cadel Evans. No one will ever win the Tour again without it. Talent and panache is no longer good enough.

Congratulations to Cadel Evans, the Schleck brothers, Voeckler, Contador, and actually all the others who make to Paris today. Thank you for a great show.