Tuttobiciweb article of the March of Francesco Cerruti
A face to face, frank and sincere, between two great runners of the world, that make you dream of a whole nation of Luxembourg. They are the Schleck brothers, young, beautiful and promising. Mom and Dad with their dream, the CSC's Riis, fans and supporters who have chosen these two young men high hopes for the emblem of a cycling rapidly changing face. A face to face style of 'the Reservoir Dogs, "two boys polite and decent man who" Reservoir Dogs "want to just be riding their bicycles.
1. Name?
F "Frank"
A: "Andy."
2. Date of birth?
F, "April 15, 1980" A
, "June 10, 1985."
3. Weight?
F: "63"
A: "65."
4. Height?
F "186 cm.
A "186 cm.
5. When did you start running?
F: "At 13 years: fifteen years that I run."
A: "I started at 12 years, but only 16 in a serious way."
6. What have you done so far important in the cycling world?
F: "I won the Amstel Gold Race and the Alpe d'Huez stage in the Tour de France. I was third in the 2006 ProTour. "
A: "According to the Tour and fourth in Lombardy in 2007."
7. Your goals for this season?
F "Liege, Amstel, Arrow, Tour, Olympics, World Championships and Tour of Lombardy."
A: "The road is almost the same: Liège, Arrow, Amstel, Tour and Olympics, after which it will decide whether to stop or continue to Lombardy."
8. The ride of your dreams?
F: "The Olympics."
A: "For me it's the Tour de France.
9. The race that you hate?
F: "I have no doubt that the Tour of Romandie. I love Switzerland, but three times I participated in this race many times and I retired to influence or accident. "
A: "Do not speak to the GP Cholet. I participated twice and fell twice. I swore to myself, do not I will run again. "
10. The most dangerous opponents?
F, "Bettini, Rebellin and Valverde."
A: "For the great revolutions Contador, Davide Rebellin, for the classic. Valverde is that for each other. "
11. The friends in a group?
F and A: "The best are fellow team Cancellara, Kroon, Voigt and O'Grady, but I'm not the only ones. "
12. And the enemies?
F and A: "We have so many adversaries, but no enemy."
13. Your brother is that runner?
F: "We are very similar, we are both strong in both classical and in the grand tours."
A: "It's very clever in any type of stroke, may improve time trial, the only specialty that is not good is the sprint."
14. A merit of his character?
F: "He takes things more lightly on me, I sometimes think too much."
A: "I'm younger than him, but they are very similar, I think I'll be at his age like him, so I can not tell a particularly valuable. "
15. A flaw?
F: "It's too messy."
A: "Sometimes it's too nervous."
16. What's envy, talking about cycling?
F: "No, we are very similar, as I said."
A: Nothing. If it was fast I envy him for that, but it is not. "
17. Where do you live?
F: "A Mondorf, alone, where they are also mine and Andy."
A: "A Mondorf, for now, with my parents but I just bought a house and I am moving."
18. Favorite country?
F: "Luxembourg. Italy I like a lot, but if I lived there as many my teammates, I would feel all year round retreat. I'm happier if I close my friends and especially my family. "
A: "Luxembourg: I \u200b\u200blike the mentality and way of life. Italy, however, I put it immediately after. It is a fascinating country. "
19. Are you engaged?
F and A "No".
20. Blondes or brunettes?
F: "Brunettes."
A: "Blondes."
21. Your favorite food?
F: "Pizza, French fries and hamburgers."
A: "French fries and hamburgers."
22. Your favorite sport?
F: "I like ice skating."
A "Ice Hockey. I played up to 17 years and I've come to the national youth. "
23. Hobbies?
F: "Hunting and fishing."
A: "More fishing hunting."
24. Your idol as a child?
F: 'Johnny Cash and Ray Charles. "
A: "James Dean."
25. Your cycling idol?
F, "Bettini, Rebellin and Indurain.
A: "Miguel Indurain, no doubt."
26. Your car?
F: Volkswagen Passat.
A: Volkswagen Touran.
27. Right or left?
F: "Left. Our older brother (Steve, ed) is involved in politics in the ranks of the Socialist Party of Luxembourg. "
A: "Left."
28. Believe in God?
F: "Yes, I'm not a fanatic but I think we need to ask a line to follow in life."
A: "I am a believer and practitioner."
29. After cycling?
F: "I love animals. Are not precluded from doing anything for them. "
A: "I hope I have saved up enough money to not have to do a serious job. I would like to live in the woods, surrounded by nature and travel the world to fish: my great passion. "
30. What would you say to the Italian fans?
F: "Sooner or later I will come to race the Giro d'Italy. I like your attitude, your passion, the love you have for things beautiful and cycling in particular. "
A: "I want to return to the Giro, I'm sorry I can not do this year. However, I will come back to win it. Finally, a special greeting to all the Italian girls: they are beautiful. Especially those blondes. "
the Fan Club an update on Frank and Andy:
Frank after two days in Tuscany took a break in Luxembourg and then to get ready for the Tour of Switzerland Tour de France. Same goes for Andy that, given the will of the CSC to win the Tour in 2008, last year spent the sponsor American Computer Sciences Corporation, run the Grand Boucle, not the Tour of Italy. Both will ride the World Cup and the Olympics.
The Liege-Bastogne-Liege is the oldest cycling classic, dubbed this the Doyenne, the dean, the first edition dates back to 1892.
The race takes place along a route of about 260 km, between two towns Liège and Bastogne are toghether by history.
Liège, the regional capital of Wallonia, which has 185,000 inhabitants, and which is known to historians for the battle of Liege, during the First World War, an extreme defense of the city by the Belgian army against the German invaders, which is crucial for the reorganization of the Allies on the French borders.
Bastogne, center of Wallonia, on the border with Luxembourg, has a population of 15,000 inhabitants, and had also a decisive role in World War II, the Ardennes offensive, when the Wehrmacht cirondò the city, trapping an entire U.S. division . The Allies will strenuously defended, slowing the German advance towards Antwerp, until the arrival of the legendary General George Patton's Third Army, constrinse the Germans to retreat, leaving the city completely destroyed.
The route, which takes place mostly in the massif of the Ardennes, in which Ourthe River and its tributaries have created deep valleys, is characterized by hills to climb through the valleys, which are the cotes, which decides on this classic.
is also defined the race because of the Italians Liege and its host one of the largest community of Italian immigrants in the world.
speaking Italian, big favorites for this year are Rebellin, Cunego and Bettini covered, along with Nocentini and Ricco.
Among the Spaniards, headlights pointed at Rodriguez and Valverde, attention to Evans, Gesink and Dekker.
Forte also the squadron with Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg, winner Arrow, and of course Frank Schleck, who might have the strength to pull all of the wheel. Andy instead seems to have staked everything on the Tour and will be at the service of big brother.
We wish you a good show and may the best win.
The Amstel Gold Race, the first race of the Ardennes triptych that also includes Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liège. , takes place in Holland and is now in its 43rd edition, this race is named after the home brewer that sponsors since its first edition, held on April 30, 1966.
This race is part of the Cycling World Cup since 1989 and, with the abolition of the latter, awards points UCI ProTour circuit.
record holder wins the competition is Dutch Jan Raas, with five victories, including four in a row.
It will depart from Maastricht, famous since it was signed the Treaty on European Union, for a journey that will unfold to 257.4 km in the Dutch region of Limburg. A demanding course and is ideal for runners more complete because you will face as many as 31 walls, the last of which, the Cauberg, will also be the site of arrival of the race, most likely, however, decisive action could be born sull'Eyserbosweg, hard with peaks rising slope of around 20% and placed at just under 20km from the finish.
certainly will not find an effect at the start Michael Boogerd, one of the best performers of this race could be on the podium seven times (albeit with just one win), who last winter decided to hang the bike on the nail after 14 seasons as a professional.
The Amstel Gold Race, a race is a favorite Italian riders in the last six editions have brought home eight podium finishes with three victories, with Michele Bartoli (2002), Davide Rebellin (2004) and Danilo Di Luca (2005) .
At the start this year both Schleck brothers, Frank supported by a good shape and the good results obtained previously, Andy indecipherable in a physical condition due to low returns so far shown .... However, a good luck to both!
The Milan-San Remo is one of the most important cycling races on the international circuit, and is the first great classic on the calendar of the cycling season. From 1989 to 2004 the race was part of the World Cup circuit, and from 2005 to 2007 was included among the tests UCI ProTour. In 2008, along with other more classical and the three major stage races (Tour of Italy, Tour de France and Vuelta a España), the Milan-San Remo is out of the ProTour circuit, have also been some changes, for now interim, the traditional route.
known as the Spring Classic or the Super Classic, is the most important and famous one-day race that takes place in Italy, and with a length of about 290 km is also one of the longest. The route and mileage have remained virtually unchanged since the first edition, which is a particular rarity in major international classic.
Per l'Edizione 2008 della Corsa Italiana, Giunta alla 99 ° consacrazione sono state invitate 25 squadre:
New features for the ride of March are the addition of a slope because of Aurelia temporarily closed at a gallery of Noli forcing the group to a brand new difficulty, placed at 100 km to go, then they find themselves in Finale Ligure, in the usual final Riviera with the Heads, the Cipressa and Poggio . The route of the very classical Journal, scheduled for Saturday, March 22, stretches for 4 km.
also due to work in progress, the goal of 99.a edition will be transferred to the Lungomare Italo Calvino, at the Piazzale Dapporto and no longer in via Roma, a traditional goal of "Classic Spring" or being Cavallotti as happened on several occasions.
The organizers of La Gazzetta dello Sport / RCS Sport, therefore, took note of a construction site for the spillway Course Model in place and that made it impossible for the positioning of the various logistical and organizational structures, have decided to begin a new era of Sanremo with a new arrival.
Two brothers, a road that separates different races to find the same result: a victory. Frank is committed to "Race the Sun" this year sees the bad weather but the French star, Andy is enjoying the sun while taking part in Italy's Tirreno-Adriatico.
The 2008 Paris-Nice, which began Sunday, March 9, when it was given the "move" to that of Amilly and will end Sunday, March 16 in the traditional setting of the Promenade des Anglais in Nice stretches along 1230 km, divided into seven stages and a preliminary time trial, all in France. In the fourth stage of the race also rediscover the legendary Mont Ventoux.
The days prior to departure were marked by bitter controversy between the ASO, the organizer of the competition, and the UIC, which threatened to severely punish the riders taking part in this race "rebel" , recently released from their calendar. Another source of disagreement and conflict has been the exclusion of Alberto Contador, English cyclist the winner in 2007, which could not take off and defend the trophy won last year, as part dell'Astana, team involved in numerous doping scandals during the last season (when it does not, however, Contador was a member), to which the ASO banned to participate in every event they organized.
Less stormy organizing a Tirreno-Adriatico in the tradition, which began in Civitavecchia and ends with the classic findings of a San Benedetto del Tronto, a city that was the scene of the last goal all editions of this race, except for the first, the 43rd edition of the Corsa dei Due Mari conter to a total of seven stages including a 26-kilometer time trial, for a total of 1123 km and will the scene on Wednesday, March 12 to Tuesday, March 18 and will be the ideal test-bed for the Milan-Sanremo, this year scheduled for Saturday, March 22, the eve of Easter.
So far only negative note in the land of Alps, with Fr ä nk Schleck leading to a fall in the second stage, plagued by bad weather, in which he violently slammed the back and both shoulders against a rock wall. From "Italian front" instead of Andy shows a good hill start, so much so that often managed to stay hooked to the best men, revealing excellent signals in what for him is a little more than a workout.
