Tour for Bjorg
The number 143 is forever reserved, a minute of silence at the start of the first stage and a special Young Riders Classification. This is how Tour de Pologne 2020 will commemorate Bjorg Lambrecht.
The race will start on August 5 from the Silesian Stadium in Chorzów. Symbolically, on the anniversary of the tragic accident.
– Bjorg will be with us forever. We will never forget him. The decision to reserve the number 143 was made a few months ago unanimously. But we want to cultivate this memory in a variety of ways – says Tour de Pologne general director Czeslaw Lang.
The classification named after Bjorg Lambrecht will award the best young athlete (up to 23 years old) in the Tour de Pologne peloton, and the first stage will pay tribute to these unique circumstances. – There will be a honorary start at the Silesian Stadium. And at the start proper we will stop to celebrate Bjorg with a minute of silence – adds Lang.
Team Lotto-Soudal, the debut team of Lammbrecht as a pro, is planning to come to Poland with a very strong squad, including the 2016 Tour de Pologne winner Tim Wellens, John Degenkolb – an excellent sprinter, Thomas de Gendt who won stages in all the Grand Tours, and Tomasz Marczynskit – the favorite rider of the Polish fans.
We want to pay tribute to Bjorg’s memory as well as thank the organizers and the Polish fans for all their amazing support. They were with us and encouraged us in the most difficult moments. We will never forget that, just as we will never forget Bjorg. The number 143 is featured on our team cars and is in the official team communication. I am very glad that, at the end of the race, the best young cyclist will receive a special Bjorg prize. It will be extremely symbolic – says the head of the Lotto-Soudal team, John Lelangue.
For Tomasz Marczynski it will be the ninth start at Tour de Pologne. Sure, the memory of Bjorg is such an additional motivation for all of us. I believe it will give us strength in crucial moments. We want to fight for the highest goals, so that we can dedicate this success to him. I will certainly have something symbolic with me, in memory of Bjorg. Maybe it will be a symbol on my helmet, maybe on my shoes – says Marczynski.
On July 1, we will know more details about the route of the 77th edition of Tour de Pologne. On this day, the stage race will be presented in a special edition of “Sports Evening” on TVP Sport and on tvpsport.pl.