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87th Grand-prix François Faber - 29.03.2008 - Contern
Riders:
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As a regional race, the Grand-prix François Faber 2009 will see mostly Luxemburgish riders at the start, as well as those from the border region. But the rules allow us to invite three foreign teams to this race.
The first one comes from the Netherlands and is called PPL Belisol, a good mixture of experienced riders and young talents. It is led by Tjarco Cuppens, who is well known in Luxemburg. This former professional and masters world champion has already won two races in 2009, the Limburg regional club championships and the Grand-prix Rayego in Belgian St. Severin Marc Habets has finished second behind his team-mate in the Limburg club championships and 21st in Saint-Severin this year. He too isn't unknown in Luxemburg as he finished 8th at the Grand-prix Demi Cars in 2006, a year during which he took 12 Top 10 rankings at different races. In 2007, he has taken two wins, whereas 2008 wasn't his best year after the stop of his team PZR Racing. He has nevertheless finished 45th at the Tour de Hesbaye. Another team-mate of Tjarco Cuppens is Mark Solberg, who has also participated in the Tour of Korea in 2007. He has finished 13th at the Witte Cruis Classic in 2008 and 19th in St Severin a few weeks ago.
Among the young riders, Mitch Pluymakers has also already some references this year since he finished 5th out of the 220 starters of the race Molenbeek - Weersbek for U23 riders, in his first race in this category. As a junior, Pluymakers has taken last year 7 victories, among them the Hel van Het Mergelland. In this category, he has also finished 3rd of the Beverbeek Classic, 6th of a stage at the Keizer der Juniores (11th overall), 7th of a stage at the Ster der Vlaamse Ardennen (33rd overall) and at the Gouden Fiets Eddy Mercx as well as 9th in the Omloop Margraten. Tim Schmitz was 25th of Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne for juniors in 2008, as well as 16th at the Ster van Zuid-Limburg, a stage race over 6 days with 150 participants. He has also finished 5th of a stage at the Keizer Der Juniores 2008, an UCI category one race, as well as 9th of a stage at the Ster der Vlaamse Ardennen (47th overall out of 137 participants). Nick Mulder, another first year espoir, has won seven races as a junior. He was 2nd of a Dutch National time-trial championship, 8th of the CSC Invitational cat 1/2/3 in the United States, where he lived for a moment, and 10th of Liège-La Gleize, which is the proof that he has some climbing abilities. Yannick Jansen has had 4 victories in the junior category, among them St Katelijne Waver and Boxmeer, whereasTom Dumoulin, was 25th out of 180 riders at the Flanders Europe Classic (UCI cat 1 juniors) and has regularely taken Top 10 places in Belgian junior races.
Just like PPL Belisol, the NHT Cycling team of Tielen, near Antwerpen, is betting on the youth with a young U23 team which main goal for the beginning of the season is Liège-Bastogne-Liège for espoirs, won by Christian Poos several year ago. Despite coming from the flat country, they are all pretty good climbers and the Grand-prix François Faber is an ideal preparation for the upcoming race, just as the big Belgium races they have already ridden like Vlaamse Pijl, Beverbeek Classic or Deinze-Ieper.
Raf Van Lommel has shown his climbing skills by finishing 2nd of a stage at Liège-La Gleize 2007 for juniors, a category in which he has also taken two wins. Christophe Willems has won the Omloop Mandel-Leie-Schelde for juniors in 2007, whereas in 2008 he was winner in Zingem, Overboelare and Schellebelle as well as best climber of the Ster der Vlaamse Ardennen for juniors. Kevin Van Acker already knows Luxembourg since he has participated in the Critérium Européen des Jeunes in 2006 as novice rider, a year during which he has also finished 3rd at the Vélo d’Or Eddy Merckx. In the junior category, he was also part of the Belgian National selection and showed his climbing skills at the Tour du Val Romey Ain-Rhone-Alpes (8th overall) or at the Grand-prix Rübliland (14th overall and 4th during the last stage). Ken Hermans is double regional time-trial champion. In his first race in 2009, he has finished in the leading group of around 30 riders in Lierde. Rob Goris is a former hockey player and a complete rider, since he also compete in Omnium competitions on the track. Last week-end, he finished excellent 11th of the Zuidkempse Pijl or Grand-prix Wilfried Peeters. Before that, he has also finished 66th out of the 195 competitors at the Beverbeek classic for elite with and without contract, won by German Andreas Schillinger. Also in the first group in this tough race was Mich Vervloet who was noted one place behind his team-mates. As a junior, he was among the best in races as St Martinusprijs Kontich, Vlaams Brabantse Pijl, Ronde van Antwerpen, in Lommel and in Geel. The team from Tielen is completed by Carlo Van Droogenbroeck, another first year eapoir and Jens Van De Poel who has finished 25th in the climbing race of La Gleize 2008 and, this year, 86th of Brussel Opwijk
On the Luxemburgish side, the main protagonists will of course come from the team of Differdange, which will be in Contern with its best elements, except the injured Benoît Joachim. Former Belgian champion Ludovic Capelle, cyclo-cross specialist Nicolas Bazin, winner of the last Tour of Costa Rica Gregory Brenes, Danish rider Morten Knudsen, winner in 2006, the other Scandinavian Frederik Johansson, (winner of the Grand-prix Ostfenster 2004), Martin Johansson and Hakan Nilsson or the Luxemburgers Christian Poos and Cyrille Heymans will all be candidates for the victory. Some of the best luxemburgish U23 riders are participating in the nations cup in Portugal, but the ACC Contern hopes that most of the good home riders will turn up at the event, like the two former winners of the Grand-prix François Faber, Vincenzo Centrone and Pascal Triebel, who has just come back from a training camp.
In addition to that, there should be some riders of the border regions lining up, as well as possibly a third team invited by the ACC Contern.
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