欧州自転車レース追っかけ日記 A wet Winter in Luxembourg

欧州在住者が自転車レースを追い掛けてる日記とか

A wet Winter in Luxembourg

Bill Evans - Moon Beams 1962

My favorite Album by Bill Evans (Trio) released in 1962 is playing. I am listening to it and Hannah is playing at my feet. It is a wet Winter afternoon here in Luxembourg.

Luxembourg is wet all through the year. That is what I think of its weather. I sometimes saw news articles saying that a drought of some magnitude had hit the country or something like that. I always thought it had been the case.

Moss is a plant that likes wet surroundings in particular.

When I was living in Los Angeles (U.S.A.) area back in early 90s, I did not see this plant for about 2 years. The first time I saw one growing naturally was when I went to Eugene, Oregon after this "drought" of moss sighting. When I found a small patch of moss growing in the crack of some stone sculpture in a park there, I felt delighted as if I had seen an old friend who I had not seen for a while. As you can guess in Japan moss is abundant.

Here in Luxembourg it is everywhere. It grows on walls, roofs, trees, earth or anywhere it can grow as it is humid.

How My Heart Sing! is its sister album. Tunes on Moon Beams were recorded (on several separate occasions) at the same time as the tunes on "How My Heart Sings!". Moon Beams is a collection of only slow tempo tunes where Paul Motian, the drummer, used only brushes instead of sticks.

As a result the album is a collection of tunes with no hustle and bustle, which some Jazz listers (and critiques) found "dull".

It is my "take it to the coffin" album for some reasons. I have listened to it so many times and still can not get tired of it. I doubt that I will ever grow out of it.

"How My Heart Sing!" is also a good album but it can not beat "Moon Beams".

NTT Pro Cycling Team and Virtu Cycling partnership

I read about this piece of news a few days ago on cyclingnew.com. It said that Bjarne Riis is on his way back to the highest level of cycling sport.

I did not know if it was true or just a rumor as he (Bjarne Riis) had been associated with so many teams in the past and then it turned out to be false.

Now it is official. Virtu Cycling has acquired a small portion of share in NTT Pro Cycling Team.

It is like a reunion of old Team CSC personnels. Will I see him (Bjarne Riis) next year around NTT Pro Cycling Team?

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ

NTT Pro Cycling Team and Virtu Cycling partnership

数日前にcyclingnews.comで読んだニュースだと、噂ではBjarne Riisが彼が絡むVirtu Cyclingを通して、NTT Pro Cycling Teamに関係をもつことになりそうだ、ということだった。

正直あまり、信ぴょう性は無いと思った。なぜなら、リース氏の周辺では上記のような噂が絶えないからだ。過去からもたくさんの噂レベルのニュース記事はあったからだ。

しかし、本日NTT Pro Cycling Teamから正式に発表があり、現実のものとなった。　Virtu Cyclingが若干の株を取得したというものだ。NTTチームの運営会社の株を取得したということなので、NTTが直接関係してるわけじゃない。単に運営会社に資本提供してるメインの会社がNTTだということだし。

しかし、これには感慨深いものが、ある。先日書いた通り、僕が欧州に渡って応援したチームがTeam CSCで、このチームを専門に追いかけることで、顔見知りになったスタッフや選手が基本だ。その複数の人間がNTTチームに居ることを書いて、そして、今回そこに御大が加わることとなったのだ。

来年はさらに面白いことになりそうだ。

テーマ:日記 - ジャンル:日記