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Despite the absence of the big stars, due to the density of the International UCI calendar, the cyclo-cross in Contern has an interesting range of contestants, with several favourites for the win.
As usual, the Belgians will be the most represented in Contern with more than 10 riders. The one with the biggest palmares should be
Arne Daelmans. The three times winner of the cyclo-cross in Muhlenbach has become professional only late at 28 years. But since 2001, he has scored some very important victories like in Rijkevoersel, Lille or Oostmalle and first-class placings like on the Koppenberg (2nd in 2003), at the GP Adrie Van der Poel (3rd in 2004) or at the Belgian National Championships (4th in 2003 and 2004). Unfortunately, the career of the tall Belgian was brutally interrupted in Summer 2004 due to a nasty crash in the Regio-Tour. A broken knee has prevented Daelmans from riding well for over a year and he has planned his come-back for the season 2005/2006.
David Willemssens is the double and actual Belgish Champion in the elite without contract category. During the season 2004/2005, he has recorded an impressive list of 11 victories, and he has also already opened his account this year with a win in Knesselare.
Defending champion Björn Rondelez, is also awaited on Sunday in Contern. He has more and more focused on MTB in the last years with ten victories in the summer 2005, but remounts on his cross-bike each winter to participate in the big races. His best result in this season so far is a 12th place in Aardoie.
David Meys, the runner-up of Rondelez last year in Contern assures the presence on October 30 of the complete podium of the previous edition because Emil Hekele is also on the startlist.
After a very promising 2003/2004 season in the U23 category with 6 victories in top-crosses and a 2nd place overall in the Superprestige, Klaas Vantornout has known a difficult period in his first elite year notably due to health problems. But he has well prepared this season and his work has paid off last week-end with a 2nd place in Kayl, just a few meters behind the winner Lukes.
Tom de Kort, another Belgian rider who has well prepared the season, has already scored 3 wins this season: in Essen, in Heusden and in Zwijndrecht. His 4th place in Kayl shows that he can also defend himself in bigger events.
The other riders from our Neighbour country should be Nico Clarysse (former Belgian junior champion), Geert Wellens, brother of Bart and winner in Silvelle (Italy) in 2004, as well as Christophe Roodhoofd
Ondrej Lukes wins in Fehraltendorf (Photo: radquer.ch)
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Among the contracted riders, the in-form man of the moment is without doubt the Czech rider
Ondrej Lukes, (Junior World Champion in 1991), winner this season of 3 races already: in Fehraltendorf (Switzerland), in Ostelheim (Germany) and in Kayl (Luxembourg) last week. In addition to that, a series of good places in the Budvar-Cup in his home country are also on his account for the season's beginning. He knows well the cross in Contern, for having finished in fourth place in 2003 and second in 2002 behind Tadeusz Korzenievski.
The multiple Polish National Champion and winner of the cross in 2002 will be at the head of a team of 5 riders with among others Slavomir Pituch (winner of the GP Comat in the junior category, also in 2002).
On the Czech side, there will also be Emil Hekele, 7th of the U23 World Championships in Poprad and third last year in Contern. Some places among the Top 10 in events in his home country, in Switzerland and in Germany witness about his progression since last winter.
He will be accompanied by Pavel Adel, winner of the Grand-prix Comat in the junior category in 2000 who has finished two weeks ago for his first season in the elite circuit as 10th in Ceska Lipa, a race of the Budvar Cup,
and by Jan Chrobak, 6th last year in Contern.
Germany will be represented by Johannes Sickmüller , who has won a race of the Deutschland-Cup in Güstrow already this year. He was runner-up at the German National Championships and rides MTB in the summer.
Joachim Parbo, 3rd in the Danish championships is well-known in Luxembourg, and this year, he is the only representative from Danemark to travel accross the continent in order to represent his country in the international races.
The best Luxemburgish riders should also be at the start in Contern like the actual National champion Gusty Bausch who has had a very nice season begin, evergreen Pascal Triebel or Jérôme Juncker and more .
The cyclo-cross for WOMEN initially foreseen at 14h00 before the men's race has been cancelled by the organizers due to the lack of interest from the riders. Despite their efforts, the number of contestants would not have been decent for an international event.
2ème Grand-prix de la Commune de Contern >>
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