With thanks to Elle for sending me the link - at last, confirmation that the back of the kit does not feature anything revolting or scary,
unlike this kit which Barbara so kindly brought to our attention:
After seeing certain tee-shirts that Andy and Jakob have been wearing ("still" wearing, come on girls, make them throw them out!) we were all getting a bit worried about what was going to appear on the new kit. But it's ok, it's quite grown-up:
It is, in fact, identical to the front.
Oh good!
The shorts are black, they have Nissan in big letters across their backsides, which pleases me, and yes! the "O" logo is still there, although it's been lifted up a bit, which is not a bad thing.
Also, the shorts are shiny black on the outsides of the legs, but nice safe matte black on the, er, modesty panel. Well done, whoever designed them.
Weirdly, they seem to have the name "Leopard" written along their sides, which is what we'll be seeing a lot of in the camera-bike footage. Pity they didn't follow Sky's lead and put the riders' names on the side... but that's a small quibble.
There were lots of other photos there, too - errr, it was Facebook I think - and some of them were just begging for comments. I tried to resist. Really, I tried.
But I couldn't.
So here, for your amusement, is my version of the training camp.
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| Camera man falls off bike whilst filming |
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| "Come on mate, we'll race you!" |
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| "How did you keep your yellow armband up? Everyone else's has slipped down." |
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| Fabian receives instruction on where his riding style can be improved. Frankie listens in amazement. |
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| Lux National jersey: check! Lux national jersey - errrrrr.... |
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| I have to carry ALL these bottles? |
|
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| "Don't come crawling to me for help - it's your turn, you carry them!" |
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| "OMG, how am I going to carry all that lot?" |
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| "Ha ha! I don't have to carry the water today!" |
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| "So, where shall we attach the carrier for the water, then?" |
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| "Dude, I'm getting thirsty, who's got the water?" |
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| "Where's the water, then?" |
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| "Come on lads, follow me, let's GET that water!" |
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| "Shall we search them and see if they have any water?" |
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| "Shhhhhlllllllluuuuuuuuuurrrrrrp" |
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| Brave Cameraman spots Illicit Water Drinking |
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| The Water Thieves |
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| The Last Water Smuggler |
Did you see this on Twitter?
ReplyDeleteCycling News forumer saying that Andy Schleck is engaged to Ms Jil. Unsure of the veracity but many congrats if true!
Proof that you haven't lost your mind Coug!
BE
Some photoshop (sand in the background), and these photos could be a cartoon about the Dakar of cyclists. Ride through the desert with no water... :P
ReplyDeleteNarce
Well, there you go, you heard it here first!
ReplyDeleteNarce, what a great idea, that would have been brilliant! However, photoshopping takes aaaaaaages, so you'll all have to just imagine it.
Coug
*gets out sewing machine to do those flags*
I must say, Aurelien Duval looks like he just won a date with "Charlott" in that first photo.
ReplyDeleteCoug, you crack me up. Cameraman falls off and modesty panel, indeed.
Speaking of things confusing, is it just me, or has Andy's hair colour turned a more pronounced shade of brown? I saw photos from the team presentation, and was told it was a lighting effect, but unless the same lighting guy is following the team around, and using the same brown hair-ifying filter, I would conjecture that Pete and Tink are sharing hair dyeing products. A very couple thing to do, actually. My parents do that :)
Hey Figgy - do you know, I was wondering about Andy's hair colour, too! It does indeed seem to be a bit darker than it used to be. Perhaps he hasn't been out in the sun much in the last couple of months?
ReplyDeleteI am resisting making any comment about sharing hair dye products.
Although I would like to share a girly problem: my hair is currently dyed very dark brown (dark as yours, Leelu!) and I'd like to dye it red again for a while: but how do I get it dyed lighter? The roots grow out in my own shade of Boring Brown, so the new dye "takes" on that hair, but makes no impression on the previously dyed hair. So I get dark brown hair with red roots: looks so weird that I have to re-dye it dark again. Same thing happens if I use a light brown dye: nicely dyed light brown roots, dark rest of head, looks ridiculous, end up over-dyeing it again.
Help! I'm trapped in dark hair for ever more!
Coug
*who apparently IS a girly girl, after all*
Hey Coug - my challenge is just the opposite. No matter what color brown I would use - it would go brassy red. So I just stopped using those products. I then got highlighting for awhile and that worked really well (and was easier on my scalp) - but I can't afford that anymore so it's au natural now. Which turns out to be grey in the back and brown in the front (and generally looks like Ipve gotten it highlighted). Go figure!
ReplyDeleteI've noticed Andy's hair color changing as well. Getting closer to Frankie's color. Wonder if Frank was more blood in his youth? My son was always more on the blond side like Andy but after he turned 25 it just got darker and darker. To his Dad's color (dark brown). So perhaps it's just growing up. Perhaps it's less time baking in the sun. But I think he's just growing up.
BE
I meant Wonder if Frank was more blond in his youth?
ReplyDeleteBE
LOL! "Was Frankie a Vampire, out for Blood, In His Youth?" shock horror headlines. "Frank Schleck rushes to help Johnny Hoogerland off the barbed wire."
ReplyDeleteSorry, sorry, getting carried away...
Elle, I guess that grey at the back and brown at the front is better than the other way round - at least when you look in the mirror, your self-image is of a young, brown-haired person!
Oh, and Figgy, it seems that TinkerJil has a blonde sister and a very dark-haired little brother (go stalking on Twitter for the pic), so who knows what colour their offspring's heads would be?
(*covers hand with mouth and sniggers at thought of sending devoted fangirls into a decline with the suggestion that Andy and TinkerJil might be starting a family*)
(Of which there is NO SUGGESTION as of yet! None at all!)
Coug
Shutting up now, before I get in trouble.
Who knows? Genetics are a funny thing. I conducted one of those control experiments in high school (it was a unit about Mendel's Laws and the dihybrid cross), and apparently mine was the only one that deviated from the expected result. My science teacher at the time told me in no uncertain terms, that, had Mendel gotten my results, it would have set genetics back by 200 years. Er.
DeleteNah, my stalking days are over. Devoted fan girls need to swiftly get over it, or take up my clone-a-cyclist mantle. Still accepting applications!
Hair dye... sorry Coug, I've never dyed my own hair, and the last time I got it coloured, I was setting back genetics by 200 years.
Uh-oh.....Jakob is having second thoughts it seems....
ReplyDeletehttp://www.velonation.com/News/ID/10872/Jakob-Fuglsang-Im-not-certain-that-I-want-to-be-here-right-now.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+velonation_pro_cycling+%28Cycling+News+%26+Race+Results+%7C+VeloNation.com%29
And - I'd really rather have my hair grey in the front....I like my grey - it's like my wrinkles - I worked hard and really lived to get them. When I see brown in the mirror - it is shocking to see that I look "older" from the back.....and as it get's longer and gather it into a knot to clip in the back - the knot is grey and it looks like a hairpiece that doesn't match. I am sure it will all even out one day.....
BE
Too many hens in the hen house...
DeleteBE, can I say that I love that you like your grey hairs? I'll never fathom cosmetic surgery. I want the lineaments of my face to say something about the experiences I've had, the years it's seen, and the life I've led. Not to be an amorphous, ageless mass of botulin!
Su
ReplyDeleteSusan....I totally agree - obviously. I could not imagine getting some of the "youthful" treatments out there today. I earned these puppies!
And....Jakob just tweeted to not believe what you read from the press...so he's either back peddaling or the writer blew it. Regardless, I hope he is happy with RSNT. I hope he shines.
BE
GreenEdge finally officially unveiled! http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gallery-greenedge-one-year-on-finally-a-reality
ReplyDeleteBrisbane Gal
I think Jakob was doing some back-pedaling with those tweets BE. Because that story (as far a I can tell) stems from a video interview he did in Danish. Not much you can do about denying stuff when it's come out of your own mouth and is on camera for the world to see! Anyway, I've been told that he basically did say he didn't really have a choice about staying and that depending on how things go this year, he'll be looking for a new team for 2013 and beyond. Go Jakob, go!
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, in Australia... confusion abounds at the first pro-race of the season and the team started off being referred to as Radioshack Leopard. Uh-huh. :|
Leelu
I am not sure how the RSNT web person is handling things. On twitter - they still come thru as Leopard - but when you click on it - the new name is on the website. And they do still have Leopard on their sides - it's all very confusing.
ReplyDeleteBE
Oh yes, I forgot - I did read something yesterday that spoke about the "new" RSNT jerseys being unveiled on the 17th at TdU.
ReplyDeleteNew jerseys????
BE