For you non quiche eating folks....
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War or not, the Turn cyclist of Qatar will take place
"IF a TANK crushes a runner, the insurance does pay?" Philippe Raimbaud, general manager of the team
cyclist Brioches the Baker, had never put similar question. The prospect to take part in the Turn of
Qatar, of January 31 at February 4, gives the opportunity of it to him.
Neighbor of Iraq and the main thing headquarters of the American army for a possible attack against
Iraq, the small emirate - which invested approximately 1 billion euros to offer offices and hangars
to its hosts - could find himself in the heart of a conflict.
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And runners with.
Information taken, Philippe Raimbaud knows now that "the insurers of the sporting groupings do
not cover the war risk". For as much, none of the fifteen teams registered for the race plans to
be withdrawn. "I see the organizers badly taking the least risk, we trust them fully", testifies
Marc Madiot, the manager of FDJeux.com, another French formation which must take the direction
of the Gulf.
"We are attentive, but it there does not have a reason for concern, affirms Jean-Marie Leblanc,
general manager of Amaury Sport Organization (ASO), the technical person receiving benefits of the
Turn of Qatar.Je has just spent one week to Doha, where a marathon was recently run, and I noted
there that the continuous normal life. And then we have a permanent contact with Qatar."
The contact in question is a associate of the victorious quintuple of the Turn of France, Eddy
Merckx, to which the cyclist Federation of Qatar - created for the occasion - entrusted the
organization of the second edition of its Turn. Between two stays in the emirate, it affirms that
"Qatar is the surest country of the world" before supporting that "the climatic conditions are too
bad in the north of Iraq to make it possible to the Americans to attack before March or April".
Maybe after the competition. "And even if a war bursts during the Turn, there will be no risk in
Qatar: it is a State which remains neutral, like Switzerland ", continues it. And to recall: "During
the war of the Gulf - in January 1991 -, I was in Dubaï - another emirate of the area for a sporting
competition, and we had not had any problem."
Hamad Al-Nuaini, secretary of the very young Federation cyclist qatarie and managor of the race,
want to be reassuring more. "All the teams confirmed their presence. There is no reason to fear
anything. Everyone here works hard so that all occurs well."
Stéphane Mandard
Robert Chung wrote:
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