84th Grand-prix François Faber - April 29, 2006 - Berbourg
Riders:
|
As a regional race, the Grand-prix François Faber 2006 will surely see a lot of Luxemburgish and Belgian riders lining up, but also some riders of other nations, because the rules allow us to invite three international teams to the start.
The first one comes from Switzerland and is named Team
MegaBike Macom Orbea. The only Roman squad in the Swiss elite category brings to Luxemburg a young team with among others two members of the
The team of UVCA Troyes will come to Hostert with a canidate for victory in the person of Julien Laidoun, a former professional rider at AG2R and Mr Bookmaker.com. The Frenchman has realized some promising results as a pro with a title of Best climber at the Tour de Poitou-Charentes 2005, a 13th place at the Tour of Denmark 2004 won by Kurt-Asle Arvesen and he has also shown himself in the Vuelta à Espana in 2004, but his career has been broken by several accidents. In 2006, Julien Laidoun has already had several good placings like in the Circuit des Ardennes or during some races in France. He will be supported by David Han, who has celebrated 4 victories in 2005, among them the Grand-prix Aix-en-Othe and also 4 victories 2004, among them the title of champion of Champagne on national leval and the final of the Trophée Bianchi. More riders at the UVCA Troyes are the always offensive Benoît Drujon (5 victories in 2005 and 2 wins in 2004), Thomas White (3 successes in 2005), and Séphane Félix (6 wins in 2005). On the French side, we should also have the young and talented Gael Bernard at the start, who is well known in Luxembourg for having celebrated numerous victories in the youth categories, for example at the Grand-prix Comat in Contern in 2002. Since that time, the rider from the Lorraine region has gone a long way and his goal is now to be as successful in the U23/elite category.
From Belgium, there will be the Bastin brothers, of whom the younger, Raphael, surely has to be considered among the best Amateur racers in Wallonia. His best year was 2004, when he won among others the Spar Arden Challenge and was also at his best at the Tour de la Dordogne. In the year
There will also been a delegation from the Saar in Germany with the Team Physiodom Tri-Sar, composed of Felix Willems, winner this year of the race in Saarlouis-Steinrausch and 4 victories in 2005, of Markus Zingen who had animated the Grand-prix Ostfenster 2004 for a long while (15th) and who has had three victories in 2005, Ivan Ordonez (multiple Mexican MTB champion), Marius Lautwein, Marcel Rothstein, Manuel Serrano, Martin Masson and Florian Salzinger.
On the Luxemburgish side, the biggest challenger will surely come from the continental team of CCI Differdange, whose riders are used to the first places in the races of ACC Contern, with notably Vincenzo Centrone, winner of GP Ostfenster 2005 and of Grand-prix François Faber 2002, their scandinavian bloc with Morten Knudsen, Frederik Johansson (winner last week-end in Belvaux), Michael Kristensen and Hakan Nilsson (2nd at Grand-prix Ostfenster a year ago) and with Eddy Forner, Frank Dressler, Manuel Reuter or Tino Fernandez. Also to be watched are the riders of LC Tétange with Pascal Triebel (winner of last year's Grand-prix François Faber 2005 and of Grand-prix Ostfenster 1995), as well as the actual Luxemburgish champ elite without contract Daniel Bintz or Christian Weyland.
In total, around 100 riders are expected to line-up in the race.
|
