ACC CONTERN                                     press-release

 

Cycling: 9th edition Kriterium «Gala Tour de France»

  Sunday, September 19, 2004 in Luxemburg-town.

 

 

We have already announced that the cycling club ACC Contern will organize its international kriterium « Gala Tour de France  - Grand Prix de la Ville de Luxembourg » on

 

Sunday, September 19,  2004, in Luxemburg-town,

 

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!

 

Thomas Voeckler and Viatcheslav Ekimov will line up !

 

Thomas Voeckler and Viatcheslaw Ekimov are the two first international stars that have confirmed ther participation at this year’s Gala Tour de France. Thomas Voeckler, Winner of the Tour de Luxembourg 2003 and French National Champion 2004, is very popular in France since he wore the yellow jersey for 10 days, from Chartres to Villard-de-Lans in the last Tour!  He showed a lot of fighting spirit and rode himself into the heart of the (female) spectators during these two weeks.

 

Viatcheslav Ekimov has finished in July his 14th Tour de France in 15 years, only in 1999 was he absent!  During these 14 participations, he won 3 stages, 1991 in Mâcon with a solo ride and then 2003 and 2004 the team-time-trial with US Postal. Ekimov was winner of the Gala Tour de France in Luxembourg in 2001, as well as Olympic champion in Sidney and second in Athens in the time-trial.

 

In Absence of Benoît Joachim and Frank Schleck, who are at the Vuelta of Espana, Luxemburgish camp Kim Kirchen will be the domestic star. He has shown himself at his advantage recently at the Olympic Games (6th place) and the Tour de France (2nd place in the stage of Quimper, 5th in Wasquehal and 8th 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. Until September 19, some other international stars should confirm their participation on the Gala Tour de France 2004

 

More events on that day!

 

Some other events will take place on September 19, 2004, before the main race: at 9.00 o’clock in the morning Start of the cyclosport-race La Charly GAUL, then the Luxembourg City Inline - Skate Event and the 2nd City on Wheels – Semi Marathon and finally around 13.15 o’clock the Grand Prix François Faber for Juniors/U23/Elite categories.

 

The action will be guaranteed the whole day on and around the prestigious circuit in the center of the town.

 

New humanitary action for children in Burkina Faso !

 

The organisators, in cooperation of the ONG «Chrétiens pour le Sahel» like in 2002, have started a humanitary action in favour of poor children in Burkina Faso. This action is supported by Michel Bationo, almost as famous as the riders in the Tour de France ! Further details on this website.

 

 

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

 

                                                                      

                                                                       For ACC Contern,

 

 

                                                           Carlo HASTERT                    Marcel GILLES