Press release

Cycling: 9^th edition of the Criterium «Gala Tour de France»

Sunday, September 19 in the streets of Luxembourg.

For the ninth time, the cycling club ACC Contern will organize his international criterium « Gala Tour de France  - Grand Prix de la Ville de Luxembourg ». It will take place on Sunday, September 19, 2004 in Luxemburg near the station, on a course of 950 m around Avenue de la Liberté and boulevard de la Pétrusse, with start and finish in front of the ARBED-ARCELOR building at the Place des Martyrs („Rousegaertchen“).

For the first time, this event for professional cyclists will be run in form of an OMNIUM with an individual time trial, an elimination challenge, a points race and a road race of about 30 laps, the Grand Prix de la Ville de Luxembourg! The action will be guaranteed the whole afternoon on the prestigious circuit in the center of the town.

Since the first edition of the Gala Tour de France in 1996, some famous riders have joined the palmares, with victories of Bjarne Riis (1996), Johann Museeuw (1997), Marco Pantani (1998), Richard Virenque (1999), Viatcheslaw Ekimov (2001), Laurent Jalabert (2000/2002) and Alexander Vinokourov in 2003.

Kim Kirchen will line up !

We are very pleased to announce you that, besides some famous international stars whose names will be revealed soon, Luxembourg’s champion Kim Kirchen will also be part in the race. He has shown himself at his advantage recently at the Olympic Games (6th place) and the Tour de France (2^nd place in the stage of Quimper, 5th in Wasquehal and 8^th in St. Flour) and has won a stage of the Tour de Luxembourg this year. Other of his victories are Paris-Brussels in 2003 and the Ronde van Netherlands in 2002.

More events on that day: cyclosport-race Charly GAUL, Grand Prix François Faber, Luxembourg City Inline - Skate Event and 2^nd City on Wheels – semi-marathon!

Like in the years before, the organizers ACC Contern and the Municipality of Luxembourg have planned a large program around the main race:

The circuit of the Gala Tour de France (av. de la Liberté / bd. de la Pétrusse) will be open during the morning between 10.00 and 12.00 o’clock to all the fans of « Inline Skating » and « Rollerblades », an event supported by the campaign SPORT POUR TOUS of the municipality of Luxembourg. But already earlier, at 8.45 o’clock in the morning, several hundred amateurs of cycling should have taken the start of the traditional cyclosport-race Charly GAUL towards the eastern part of the country and back. More than 700 participants are expected for that unique race in Luxembourg.

From 12.05 to 13.15 o’clock, we will have the « 2^nd City on Wheels » semi-marathon of the town of Luxembourg on the closed circuit of the Gala Tour de France whereas the first contenders are awaited at the finish line of the « Charly Gaul », in rue Zithe ! The 80th Grand Prix François Faber, regional race for junior, U23 and elite riders will take place as prologue to the Gala Tour de France 2004 – Grand Prix de la Ville de Luxembourg which will begin at 15.00 o’clock.

Please remind that the spectators can follow all these events FOR FREE, on September 19 in the town of Luxembourg.