Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme believes that Germany is not too far behind the major cycling nations when it comes to organizing cycling races. “These difficulties exist everywhere. In France for the big Tour de France, but also for all other races,” said the head of the Tour organization Aso to the German Press Agency ahead of the Cyclassics in Hamburg, which begin this weekend.
Prudhomme stressed how important it is that all different levels work well together. However, he did not want to make suggestions for improvement with “French arrogance”. There is a lot of potential and opportunities.
Pietsch: Organising sporting events “not easy”
A few months ago, the Aso took over the organization of the Cyclassics. The various municipalities that have to give their consent to the race are a constant challenge for organizers in this country. “It is not easy to hold sporting events in public spaces,” said Matthias Pietsch, managing director of the Society for the Promotion of Cycling, an Aso offshoot.
Hamburg’s Interior Senator Andy Grote also shared the view that “there is potential for more”. “But it is also important for us to manage to get the route as conflict-free as possible,” said the SPD politician. “In the past, we have repeatedly had situations where it was not easy in Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony either.” There will be massive traffic problems in the city.
The almost 200 kilometers will take the international sprint elite, including the Belgian Jasper Philipsen and the Eritrean high-flyer Biniam Girmay, through the inner city of Hamburg and parts of Schleswig-Holstein. 161 professionals have registered for the elite race on Sunday. The start is at 11.15 a.m.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240905-930-223993/1
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