Metrics details we present the potential of Terahertz Time-Domain Imaging (THz-TDI) as a tool to perform non-invasive 3D analysis of an ancient enamel plate manufactured by Longwy Company in France The THz data collected in the reflection mode were processed using noise filtering procedures and an advanced imaging approach The results validate the capability to identify glaze layers and the thickness of ceramic materials To characterize the nature of the pigments visible near-infrared hyperspectral imaging spectroscopy and p-XRF (portable X-ray fluorescence) to qualitatively and quantitively identify the materials used The obtained information enables a better understanding of the decoration chromogens nature and to determine the color palette of the artists who produced such decorative object We also establish the efficiency of a focus which enables to perform THz imaging on non-flat samples and to attenuate artifacts obtained with a short focus lens We also report the evaluation of the internal damage state through the detection of fractures The acquired information made it possible to better apprehend the nature of the decoration chromogens and to establish the color palette of the industry that produced this type of decorative object We also demonstrate the efficiency of a focus Z-tracker and express the possibility of performing THz imaging on non-flat samples the “Manufacture des Emaux de Longwy” 1798 was the first ceramic industry in France created in the eighteenth century The enamel manufacturing process involves numerous expert artisans who know how to create it at least seven different techniques are required: modeling The transformation of crystal powder into enamel with magical luminosity is a precise task requiring a high level of skill and expertise Longwy has been producing enamels in earthenware The production of ceramic pieces decorated with relief polychrome glazes consists in printing the ornamentation in black on the raw biscuit thus surrounded drop by drop with colored enamel They used dehydrated clay to liquefy water This liquid clay was then poured into plaster molds to obtain a given shape The modeling workshop created a plaster model which was then used to create a hollow plaster mold for pouring slip The plaster mold absorbs liquid from the slip forming a crust along its walls once it reaches a thickness of 7/8 mm The excess slip was emptied after the mold was turned over and the piece was left to dry in the mold before being removed and air-dried ancient and well-known techniques consist of shaping one's clay with the help of a machine called a Potter’s wheel As the drop of enamel dries almost instantly on contact with the biscuit hence the use of the technique which consists of placing one drop of enamel next to another until the color cell is completely filled Each alveolus created by the line was then filled with colored enamel using the drip technique it was fired at approximately 750 °C overnight Picture of the plate (a) center and (b) global view of the sample (diameter of the plate: 45 cm) the THz waveform composed of a single point contains the depth profile of the sample at that point while a bi-dimensional cross-sectional image (also called B-scan) is obtained by collecting data along a trajectory the raster scan of an area generates a data cube from which different pictures of the sample can be extracted by displaying different values obtained in the time or frequency domains we mounted a laser-range gauge at a 30-degree angle near the terahertz focusing optics To keep the terahertz focus at the object surface the instrument control system performs a raster scan with a laser range gauge of 10–20 scans before the terahertz focal spot This software developed a topological map of the surface to be scanned The position of the terahertz optics is continuously updated using a topological map This keeps the terahertz beam focused on the surface of the object The software allows the user to either keep the focus on the surface of the object or to offset the focus by up to 3 mm to examine the subsurface structure We performed the extraction on a flat area of the blue substrate near the main fracture An average value of around 2.5 ± 0.1 like a standard glass and the local thickness is very large for an enamel layer around 650 µm (confirmed by an optical thickness gauge near the fracture) We show THz images based on raw THz signals obtained directly from the scan. The motorized stage allows the scanning of a surface of 200 × 200 square millimeters which is less than the total surface area of the plate. THz C-scans (two-dimensional appearance of the data displayed as a top planar view of the decoration) are shown in Fig. 2. (a) Peak-to-peak raw data of the central area of the plate terahertz map Because the pigment-colored enamel used a drop-by-drop technique it presented a slightly concave shape due to the molten procedure the THz beam was partially reflected out of the sensor and the outline of each enamel zone was detected to be larger than the real zone This irregular surface shape was also observed in the B-scan Different terahertz B-scan presented at position A and B without Z Tracker (a) and with Z-Tracker (c) Biconvex real shape of the plate extracted from t-o-f and Z tracker acquisition (b) delimitation of the flat area in the center (c) 3D representation of the phoenix in the center of the plate; the difference depth is 0.4 mm A meshed network of tiny fractures or hairline fissures in the enamel is referred to as “crazing” or “fissuring,” and it can result in the total loss of a clean appearance for food or drink different tensions develop between the biscuit and the glaze underneath The item was not designed to endure the heat stress caused by pouring boiling drinks or rinsing at temperatures higher than 80 °C The body has less physical mass because it is more porous than the glaze covering it Different expansions occurred owing to the slower rate of heating compared to the glazing layer Masses exhibit distinct contractions under cold conditions and expansions under hot conditions the link between these two materials fractures and creates cracks (a) Peak to Peak THz image with tracking Detail of the “λ” plate fracture showing the base ceramic material with fissures (a) visible image, (b) THz image, (c) 3D representation of the fracture. (a) C scan and (b) B -Scan through the main Fracture The temporal position of the peaks delimits the biscuit and the enamel layers without ambiguity Interface are numbered 1 : Air-glaze-interface a schematic layer is in insert to describe the reflected time signal at the interfaces we employed three complementary analytical techniques—THz-TDS and Vis–NIR HIS to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the Longwy plate This integrated approach allows us to better interpret the historical and technical aspects of the ceramic production processes The data showed a great variety of chromophores and pigments used to achieve a wide range of hues That showcased a noteworthy palette and color proficiency within the manufacturing industry The procedure and results for blue and green colors are detailed hereinafter as examples (a) Infrared false colors (IRFC) image; (b) false color representation of the pigment distribution determined by SAM classification; Reflectance spectra (endmembers) of (c) blue and (d) green hues most likely intentionally added to achieve the final greyish hue at the level of the paste or the level of the enamel which must resist the temperatures of ceramic firing these are oxides or combinations of oxides Our experience shows that certain metal oxides are ceramic dyes their powder is mixed with a paste or enamel provides color to the fired product Here are some examples of the most common oxides and the colors they give to an oxidized fired enamel: cobalt (blue) The intensity of the color increases with the level of coloring oxide which made the analysis very complex The intensity of the color depends on the covering power of the oxide (for example cobalt oxide 0.1% of this oxide will give a very powerful blue while the same level of iron oxide will give a tint very pale) The achieved color by an oxide also depends on the characteristics of the product in (or on) which it is introduced Let us look at iron oxide which will give yellowish tints in a paste rich in alumina and reddish tints when there is little alumina While copper oxide gives blues in alkaline enamel and greens in lead enamel Antimony oxide gives yellows (Naples yellow) in lead enamel and is practically not coloring in others it is possible to obtain intermediate shades When the quantity of oxide added to the enamel is too high The cooking temperature and atmosphere (reduction or oxidation) have an influence on the color given by an oxide The color of the oxide mixed with the raw enamel (or paste) is often very different from the color after firing These complex and unpredictable behaviors explain the need for meticulous testing but also the multitude of possibilities pure or simply mixed coloring oxides do not make it possible to obtain all the desired shades of color Manufacturers have developed very complete palettes of reliable colorings which often have similar shades before and after cooking These dyes are obtained from coloring oxides and other compounds These mixtures are calcined and sintered at high and precise temperatures The composition of these dyes is often very complex and protected Manufacturers offer palettes of dyes specific to different uses: mass dyes for clay products (paste and slip) dyes for high temperatures (or large fire colors) and dyes for low temperatures (or small fire colors) we observed clearly different reflectivity behavior correlated to some overlayer paintings such as the pink color on the trees and other colors on the Phoenix’s throat and chest An alternative analysis is under investigation to understand this clear different behavior due to chemical compounds or the presence of structural differences (nanoparticles) leading to a substantial modification of the dielectric response we used terahertz time-domain spectroscopy in reflection geometry as a tool for the earthenware art science We were able to find hidden fractures that were initiated near a large one the bilayer structure of the ceramic and the substrate underneath the surface were presented terahertz imaging with a Z-tracking system allowed for finding the real shape and dimensions of the plate We could merge temporal information with good reflectivity while keeping the distance between the sample and the sensor constant over one centimeter in altitude Such geometrical information was used to reconstruct in 3D the plate and could be extended to any non-flat object inspection We demonstrated that terahertz spectroscopy and imaging can provide very useful information for the evaluation of the damage and conservation state of ceramic artwork or artist technique Single point measurements by this technique can be used for a qualitative assessment of the internal structure of a piece while imaging can be useful for careful measurement of the geometry and provides information about the artistic procedure our terahertz imaging technique shows interesting results about the reflectivity of some colored pigments with clear differentiation We performed an intensive and non-invasive analytical technique X-ray fluorescence (p-XRF) and hyperspectral imaging spectroscopy (HSI) to characterize the glaze and the coloring agents in the decorative ceramic plate Very complex compositions with many different elements were detected and provided an interesting understanding of the ceramic industrial palette We can consider that terahertz spectroscopy and imaging will become useful tools in the field of art restoration and the earthenware community in the near future owing to their non-contact and non-destructive nature The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study available from the corresponding author on reasonable request Cosentino, A. 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Raman Spectrosc. 32(5), 351–360. https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.704 (2001) Download references This research benefited from the scientific framework of the University of Bordeaux’s IdEx “Investments for the Future” program/ GPR “Human Past” designed the experiments and wrote the manuscript; FF and wrote the section of the manuscript on the data analysis All authors contributed to writing the manuscript; PM The authors declare no competing interests Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material The offsets raster trajectories of the laser gauge target point relative to the THz focus are illustrated. Implementation into the setup. Demonstration of Z tracker: (a) Peak-to-peak images B-scan and Amplitude of the FFT at 1 and 2 THz without tracking The result is a clear artifact since the metal interface is presenting different reflection coefficients varying with the time of flight out of the Rayleigh length so a loss of intensity at different frequencies only interfaces between two successive metallic levels are distinguishable in the B-scan since the distance between the focal silicon lens attached to the PCA and the target is kept constant resulting in the same amplitude of the reflected THz beam on the different metal scale at the same frequency Combining a perfect positioning of the sample and the time of flight obtained with the tracking gives a precise 3D rendering of the first interface The visible near-infrared (Vis–NIR) hyperspectral camera was positioned vertically on a translation rail controlled by the Spectral IDAQ software measured 1.30 m and enabled the horizontal movement of the camera system The two halogen lamps were positioned at a 45° angle from the sample moving along the translation rail simultaneously with the camera This synchronized movement guaranteed consistent illumination throughout the entire scanning process The hyperspectral system has an HS-XX-V10E CCD detector with a spectral resolution (FWHM) of 2.8 nm The moving camera allows for the building of a data cube where the first two dimensions are spatial (1600 pixels × X pixels) (with X corresponding to the number of pixels in the width of the image) The third dimension is a spectral dimension (840 bands) The wavelength range extends between 400 and 1000 nm the experimental conditions were a working distance of 84 cm Spectral IDAQ software provided spectra acquisition both white and dark field calibrations were conducted A Spectralon fluoropolymer (99% reflectance) was used as white reference to calibrate the reflectance spectra A following acquisition with the shutter closed was performed and used as a dark reference to quantify the detector’s electronic noise The ceramic plate was illuminated with two halogen lamps oriented at 45° from the sample The data cube was treated with ENVI 5.2 +IDL software (Harris Geospatial) False color images were generated by substituting an infrared band for the red channel and selecting two other bands in the visible range for the green and blue channels (R → 900 nm; G → 650 nm; B → 550 nm) in the ENVI software The IRFC (Infrared False color) images helped distinguish chromogen agents of similar color but different compositions ENVI's Spectral Hourglass Wizard (ENVI-SHW) was implemented to identify The processing flow implemented the Minimum Noise Fraction (MNF) technique to reduce noise and enhance data quality followed by the isolation of ‘spectrally pure’ pixels through the Pixel Purity Index (PPI) using 10,000 reflectance spectra with a threshold of 2.5 The n-D Visualizer (a 3D scatter plot) was employed to manually identify the clusters defining the dataset’s purest pixels (endmembers) the SAM mapping method visualized their distribution in the image the angle between the image’s reflectance spectrum and the chosen endmember The histogram threshold was manually adjusted for each case to ensure a close match between the spectral characteristics of the identified spatial pixels and the target endmember The tolerance range of the study varied for the hyperspectral cube Only endmembers representative of the chromophores were selected and investigated The spectra of the endmembers have all been presented as Reflectance The elemental analysis was performed using the portable Olympus Vanta VCR-CCX-G2 analyzer The detector is large 13 mm2 silicon SDD with < 140 eV FWHM resolution at Kα of Mn The spot is 10 mm or 3 mm in diameter with an integrated camera (variable collimator) Two beams (40 kV and 10 kV) are automatically sequenced Data treatment was performed using PyMCA software Hyperspectral imaging spectroscopy (HSI) and p-XRF were jointly employed to identify the coloring agents The elemental composition of the glaze was ascertained through portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (p-XRF) and calcium (Ca) were identified in all areas exhibiting the same proportions in the colored regions and the white area on the back of the plate False color representation of the pigment distribution determined by SAM classification (left) and reflectance spectra of the extracted endmembers (right) Reflectance spectra of red (left) and pink (right) hues The elemental analysis also provided the observation of other elements variations in positions and shapes observed in the SPR band are related to the changes in size and dimension of the copper nanoparticles Reflectance spectra of yellow and gold leaf Reflectance spectrum of the green ink used for the ceramic production label The samples were measured with a fiber-coupled commercial Terapulse Lx THz-TDS spectrometer manufactured by TeraView LTD The setup was arranged in a reflection configuration An 18 mm focal length silicon lens collimates the THz radiation from the emitter and focuses it onto the sample the THz radiation is reflected through the sample and an 18 mm focal length silicon lens focuses it into the receiver ten measurements at random positions on the sample were recorded followed by a single reference measurement where the sample was absent All the measurements were performed under the same ambient experimental conditions recording time traces with a length of 50 ps and 1000 acquisitions (scan speed: 60 traces/s) Before calculating the reflection function in the frequency domain as described in equation (1) the obtained time-domain signals were artificially extended to 60 ps by zero-padding to ensure that the measured pulse was positioned before the midpoint of the time window Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-69697-6 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science Paul McBride (Photo by Oliver Hardt/Getty Images) Paul McBride was just one shot off the lead and eyeing up a maiden Alps Tour victory but in the end had to settle for a tie for sixth alongside fellow Irishman Robert Moran McBride had thrust himself into contention with a blistering back-nine 29 in round two a double bogey on the third left him an uphill task One more birdie on the front got him back to level-par at the turn but once again it was his inward nine where he’d catch fire Four birdies in the first six holes got him back to within one shot of the lead but a bogey on the par-5 16th proved costly as would a closing double which dropped him back to -10 Moran had opened with a 66 to sit one off the first round lead but a one-over 73 on day two meant victory was likely out of reach He closed out the week with a five-under 67 joining McBride on -10 and climbing up to ninth in the Order of Merit Michael Young shot a disappointing final-round 75 to slip back to -3 and a tie for 34th France’s Damien Perrier ran out the winner on 14-under-par with the Netherlands’ Vince Van Veen and France’s Benjamin Kedochim tied for second a shot back In a two-way tie for fourth place at 11-under were Italian duo Jacopo Vecchi Fossa and amateur Luca Memeo FULL SCORING Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest Irish Golfer news straight to your inbox document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "a4dddf3ff1a051ec4c4ea77b842f39df" );document.getElementById("a75f86a167").setAttribute( "id" and website in this browser for the next time I comment This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy & Terms of Service apply Address:Match Play Media LimitedThe Kinsealy GrangeChapel RoadPortmarnockCounty DublinD13 A5R2 Tel: +353-1-5036090+353-1-5036099Email: info@matchplaymedia.ie © Match Play Media 2018 – 2025 | All rights reserved. No information on this website may be reproduced without written permission from Match Play Media. | Privacy Policy | Website by FlyingFish.ie Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article and educational facilities moved to the area but this has not stopped the decline of the town’s population The construction work will be carried out in several phases during the first half of November Train movements will either be adapted or completely interrupted Users of train line 70 will experience some disruption until 13 November due to work to replace crossties on the tracks Train movements will be adjusted accordingly There will also be total disruption to traffic between Luxembourg and Athus/Longwy Passengers on the Lorraine corridor could also be affected After a summer of disruption on line 90 of the Sillon Lorrain the users of line 70 have been obliged--since 1 November--to cope with changes to their journey to and from work The cause: crosstie replacement work on the Luxembourg-Dippach/Reckange-Rodange-Athus and Longwy lines The CFL is taking advantage of part of the school holiday period to replace the concrete crossties that ensure the stability of the rails Those installed on this train line “no longer meet the required quality standards.” The CFL will be replacing them over an eight-kilometre stretch following an analysis of the section which led to the conclusion that there were manufacturing defects in the sleepers.” The work will be carried out in several phases “taking into account the availability of the necessary equipment.” passengers will have to take a replacement bus Traffic will be completely disrupted between Luxembourg and Pétange via Dippach-Reckange Pétange and Lamadelaine wishing to travel to the capital will be able to use trains on the Luxembourg-Esch-Rodange line Between Bascharage-Sanem and Luxembourg and vice versa there will be two replacement buses per hour two trains will run every hour between Rodange and Athus after which they will have to use the Rodange-Esch-Luxembourg line to reach the capital there will be three trains in the morning and three in the evening 7.20am and 8.20am in the Longwy-Rodange direction 5.32pm and 6.32pm in the opposite direction Traffic will once again be completely disrupted on the Luxembourg- Dippach/Reckange-Athus and Luxembourg- Dippach/Reckange-Longwy lines and replacement buses will be provided by the CFL The CFL has also announced that some trains to and from Thionville will be cancelled in order to “optimise traffic on the Bettembourg-Luxembourg section which is particularly busy.” An extra train will be provided during rush hour on the Luxembourg-Esch-Rodange route to accommodate passengers from Pétange first-class seats will be available free of charge Twenty years after the collapse of Lorraine’s steel industry the region was earmarked for modernisation For it has fallen prey to the global sharks attracted by investment subsidies before they move on elsewhere But resistance is building up once more as Lorraine remembers its famous past battles will open just in time for the start of the new school year in France jointly financed by France and Luxembourg – similar to the P+R in Metzange – will offer 640 parking spaces free of charge for cross-border workers commuters can take trains on line 70 for a 37-minute journey to Luxembourg City but it will become "exclusively reserved for cross-border workers" afterward commuters can pick up a registration form on-site on Monday 2 September (between 6am and 9am) or Thursday forms are available at the Grand Longwy reception desk or via email to the township committee at accueil@grandlongwy.fr Magnetic cards will be distributed to registered users at service points in Longwy station starting in October Van Aert loses overall lead after lengthy breakaway on roads to Longwy a day that will be long remembered for previous leader Wout van Aert’s sustained but doomed onslaught at the head of the race The Jumbo-Visma man ultimately conceded his yellow jersey to Pogačar but only after repeatedly splitting the field in the opening kilometres and then sparking the three-man break of the day with a little under 150km to go and he must have sensed that self-immolation was the most likely outcome and he was the last survivor of the three-man break before his move was eventually snuffed out with 11km remaining Rafal Majka and Brandon McNulty marshalled a reduced front group up the 2km haul to the finish and although Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) defiantly opened the sprint from distance Pogačar delivered an emphatic response careering clear to win the stage comfortably from Michael Matthews (BikeExchange-Jayco) David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) and Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) The 10-second time bonus for stage victory sufficed to lift Pogačar ahead of Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) in the overall standings and into the yellow jersey with Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) now third at 31 seconds Roglič looked to have weathered the dislocated shoulder he suffered on Wednesday but he remains some 2:27 adrift of the seemingly untouchable Pogačar because the strongest guy went in the breakaway,” Pogačar said “Lots of guys were pulling in the peloton I was thinking that he would come to the finish Powless spent much of the day believing he might inherit yellow if and when Van Aert’s assault fizzled out and he produced another strong showing to finish in the front group which featured all of the podium contenders but there was simply nothing to be done in the face of Pogačar’s final acceleration “As soon as we saw Wout in the break we can let him burn himself and try to go for yellow in the end',” Powless said the bonus seconds at the finish took it away.” the same uphill finish in Longwy produced a Peter Sagan stage victory the front group was populated largely by GC riders but even the fast finishers who survived the cut couldn’t match the ferocity of Pogačar’s sprint “It wasn’t a pure sprint because we rode the last two climbs really hard,” Pogačar said I guess I had good legs to push at the end.” There were suggestions at the start that this might prove something of a transitional day as the peloton recovered from the rigours of the cobblestones the previous afternoon though Matthews had a word of warning before the race left Binche “The key point is actually the start to see who is going in the break,” he said “I think it’s going to be an unexpected race today.” the principal aggressor was the maillot jaune himself A searingly fast opening phase saw 52.5km covered in the first hour of racing and that startling speed was due largely to Van Aert’s impetus with the peloton repeatedly splitting and reforming in his wake Van Aert eventually forced his way clear with 148km remaining bringing Quinn Simmons (Trek-Segafredo) and Jakob Fuglsang (Israel-Premier Tech) with him and the peloton seemingly accepted there was little point in trying to reason with the maillot jaune when he was in this mood The offensive bore faint echoes of his rival Mathieu van der Poel’s defence of yellow on the road to Le Creusot at last year’s Tour this all-out assault was perhaps more reminiscent of Eddy Merckx’s aggression on the road to Marseille in 1971 Merckx’s boundless energy was diverted towards the clear goal of trying to regain the yellow jersey from Luis Ocaña was already in the overall lead and he is part of a team with two riders targeting final overall victory but his decision to race against all logic as well as against the entire peloton made for gripping viewing who would eventually take fourth on the stage Not even a slipped chain on the Côte des Mazures and a later bike change could discourage Van Aert who built a maximum lead of just under four minutes He later picked up full points at the intermediate sprint but it was clear that his eyes were on a grand exploit rather than managing his substantial lead in the green jersey standings Alpecin-Deceuninck and EF Education-EasyPost combined to lead the chase behind but Van Aert and Simmons maintained a buffer of two minutes as they entered the final 50km The pace in the bunch picked up thereafter with German champion Nils Politt particularly effective and he eased clear of Simmons with 30km remaining yet Van Aert still maintained a 30-second advantage deep into the finale even as Ineos Grenadiers massed in pursuit He was eventually recaptured just after the category 4 Côte de Montigny-sur-Chiers with 11km remaining and the day’s spoils would fall to Pogačar who inherits yellow in time for the first summit finish at La Planche des Belles Filles The two-time winner is already in a commanding position atop the overall standings offers an obvious chance to land a most telling blow “Tomorrow is one of the climbs where you need to go full gas from bottom to top but you can explode pretty fast because there are super “It's good that I know the climb up to the last 1km and then I hope that I have as good legs as I have had until now.” Results powered by FirstCycling By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy On the ninth day of Christmas, Dior Maison gives to us its new homeware creations — namely the Astro vase and an assortment of festive decorations Working with the historic French masters of enamelware, Manufacture des Emaux de Longwy (founded in 1798), and the Italian artist Pietro Ruffo, Dior Maison’s Astro vase comprises a cream fired earthenware design that’s embellished with beautifully delicate depictions of constellations The World Heritage Centre is at the forefront of the international community’s efforts to protect and preserve World Heritage partnerships for conservation Ensuring that World Heritage sites sustain their outstanding universal value is an increasingly challenging mission in today’s complex world where sites are vulnerable to the effects of uncontrolled urban development Our Partners Donate Take advantage of the search to browse through the World Heritage Centre information Fortifications of Vauban consists of 12 groups of fortified buildings and sites along the western They represent the finest examples of the work of Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban (1633-1707) The serial property includes towns built from scratch by Vauban a mountain battery and two mountain communication structures This property is inscribed as bearing witness to the peak of classic fortifications Vauban also played a major role in the history of fortification in Europe and on other continents until the mid-19th century L’œuvre de Vauban comprend 12 groupes de bâtiments fortifiés et de constructions le long des frontières nord Ils constituent les meilleurs exemples du travail de Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban (1633-1707) Cette série comprend des villes neuves créées ex-nihilo des enceintes urbaines à bastions et des tours bastionnées une batterie de montagne et deux structures de communication en montagne Ces sites sont inscrits en tant que témoins de l’apogée de la fortification bastionnée classique typique de l’architecture militaire occidentale Vauban a joué un rôle majeur dans l’histoire des fortifications en influençant l’architecture militaire en Europe mais aussi sur les autres continents jusqu'au milieu du XIXe siècle  يتألف من 13 مجموعة من المباني والمواقع المحصَّنة على طول الحدود الغربية والشمالية والشرقية لفرنسا، والتي تعرض أجمل أمثلة عن عمل سيباستيان لو بريتر دو فوبان (1633 – 1707)، الذي كان يعمل مهندساً عسكرياً لدى الملك لويس الرابع عشر يشمل الموقع أربع مدن شيِّدت من لا شيء بفضل فوبان، وست قلاع بُنيت على أراضِ منبسطة، وجدراناً محصَّنة في المدن، وأبراجاً محصَّنة ومقراً للسكن وهناك أيضاً ستة حصون جبلية، وستة حصون بحرية، وحصن جبلي مجهَّز بمدفعية ثقيلة وبنيتا اتصال جبليتان أدرج الموقع كشهادة على أهم التحصينات الكلاسيكية التي تميزت بها الهندسة المعمارية العسكرية في الغرب كما اضطلع فوبان بدور بارز في تاريخ التحصين في أوروبا، وصولاً إلى القارة الأمريكية وروسيا وآسيا الشرقية Тринадцать фортификационных комплексов вдоль западных северных и восточных границ Франции представляют собой лучшие образцы архитектурного творчества Себастьяна Ле Престра де Вобана (1633-1707 гг.) Эти строения – лучшие образцы классических фортификационных сооружений типичных для западноевропейской архитектуры военного предназначения Вобан внес большой вклад в развитие фортификационного строительства не только в Европе Este sitio está compuesto por 13 grupos de edificaciones y sitios fortificados situados en las fronteras norte que constituyen el mejor ejemplo de la obra del ingeniero militar de Luis XIV Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban (1633-1707) varias torres-baluartes y una torre atípica una batería de montaña y dos estructuras de comunicación en zona montañosa Estas construcciones se inscriben en la Lista del Patrimonio Mundial por ser representativas del periodo de apogeo de la construcción de bastiones clásicos característica de la arquitectura militar occidental Vauban ocupa un puesto importante en la historia de la arquitectura militar defensiva y la influencia de sus obras se extendió hasta el continente americano The work of Vauban constitutes a major contribution to universal military architecture It crystallises earlier strategic theories into a rational system of fortifications based on a concrete relationship to territory It bears witness to the evolution of European fortification in the 17th century and produced models used all over the world up to the mid-19th century thereby illustrating a significant period of history Criterion (i): Vauban’s work bears witness to the peak of classic bastioned fortification typical of western military architecture of modern times Criterion (ii): Vauban played a major role in the history of fortification The imitation of his standard-models of military buildings in Europe and on the American continent the dissemination in Russian and Turkish of his theoretical thinking along with the use of the forms of his fortification as a model for fortresses in the Far East bear witness to the universality of his work Criterion (iv): Vauban’s work illustrates a significant period of human history It is a work of the mind applied to military strategy The property guarantees the integrity and authenticity and reflects the various facets of Vauban’s work Its legal protection is satisfactory; the administration by the State and the local authorities provides satisfactory guarantees and responses regarding the natural and tourism risks involved Pooling experience in the areas of restoration and enhancement of the properties within the Network of Major Vauban Sites has already begun • World champion Sagan wins 212.5km stage between Verviers and Longwy• Matthews second while Dan Martin came in third Cycling has never seen anyone quite like the Slovak, whose strength cannot be matched in this kind of uphill finish, rising just under 100 metres in two kilometres, after a five-hour slog south, mainly into a headwind. At 300 metres to go, as he wound up for the sprint against Michael Matthews, Greg Van Avermaet, Daniel Martin and Arnaud Démare – all names to be reckoned with on their day – the cleat on his right shoe detached itself from his clipless pedal. Read moreIn a flash the Slovak had to fish around with his foot to put it back in the pedal He was stalled for less than a second but that should have been more than enough to wreck his chances he got going again and had more than enough to hold off Matthews “I was lucky to find my pedal again at the right moment and that the finish was a long way away,” he said A few yards behind came a 25-rider group that included pretty much every favourite bar Simon Yates who managed to get on the wrong side of the split and dropped eight seconds who had made it known that stage wins and the King of the Mountains prize are his priorities only Richie Porte showed his hand in any sense putting in a single impressive burst of speed in the final kilometre but even so looking as if he was more interested in attempting to enable a stage win for Van Avermaet than trying to snatch a few seconds On Monday he was channelling both Lemmy from Motörhead (bizarre facial hair) and Anna Wintour (eyes peeking out through vast fringe) plus a set of vast Who on earth knew why but with Sagan it never seems to matter for example using his devastating cornering ability to constantly pile the pressure on the opposition when in a breakaway or riding with utter clarity of vision in the wind the key to his defence of his world title last September it is that he is so good he may easily be taken for granted As cycling’s only champion with serious internet and youth appeal he was last year’s transfer prize and he opted to become the centre of a revamped Bora–Hansgrohe team Being his own master rather than banging heads constantly with his previous boss From being odds-on to take a sixth green jersey that now looks as close to a certainty as anything on two wheels can be View image in fullscreenThe pack pass supporters during the 212.5km third stage of the 104th edition of the Tour de France Photograph: Philippe Lopez/AFP/Getty ImagesFroome is equally far from being an Identikit champion the triple Tour winner is getting quietly on with his campaign; three days in it is going to plan apart from any lingering effects of Sunday’s crash which would have been expected to be felt here He moved up the standings to second yesterday behind Geraint Thomas and he has an advantage over his opponents which is more than healthy the topic du jour has moved seamlessly from whether their skin suits might be in breach of the rules to whether the British squad has enjoyed the best Tour start in its eight attempts with the closest of Froome’s potential rivals now 33sec behind the triple winner On the stage to Vittel on Tuesday the focus switches back to the flat-road sprinters who lost time as expected here and will not challenge Thomas for the yellow jersey Kittel does not have quite the impregnable air of Sagan and he faces stiff competition from André Greipel but a second victory will set him up for a dominant run to match Cavendish’s last year The Grand Longwy Agglomeration, which includes some 21 communes, plans to set up a ‘green brigade’ by the end of the year to combat the dumping of rubbish and catch the perpetrators. The Rue du Prieuré in Longlaville is one of the main dumping areas in the region. The site is located on a large industrial wasteland and is easily accessible and out of sight. It is also just a few hundred metres from the border with Luxembourg. Elected representatives in the region say they have photographic evidence of commercial vehicles bearing Luxembourg licence plates dumping rubbish there on a daily basis. The waste, often from building sites, is left at the side of a road, at the edge of a wood or near a field rather than paying for landfill disposal or recycling. The purpose of the ‘green brigade’ is to incorporate sworn officers who will be responsible for combating illegal dumping, catching the perpetrators and issuing fines. The neighbouring Pays Haut-Val d'Alzette conglomerate, which includes Villerupt and Audun-le-Tiche, has already been using a similar scheme. “They issued some 700 to 800 fines in their area last year,” said Kamal Charhi, head of the ecological transitions department at the Grand Longwy Agglomeration. We would target the main black spots, which we know well The exact form that the Longwy green brigade will take has yet to be defined. “We are currently working with a consultancy firm, in particular on its size: one officer is not enough, ten seems to be too many for the area,” said Charhi. “The tasks of this brigade will be based on the powers of the municipal police, and there will be cooperation with the national police. We would target the main black spots, which we know well.” The brigade will also have an awareness-raising role, working with schoolchildren and residents. The problem of illegal dumping is linked to “the different rules for waste treatment in France, Belgium and Luxembourg," according to De Carli. But the mayor also blames travellers who have set up temporary camps in the region. “There are between 250 and 300 caravans in the area. That’s as many as in the Greater Nancy area. “These are people who go to work in Luxembourg and come back with rubbish every evening,” De Carli said. SummertimeLuxembourg bathing season has officially startedWater management agency reports good water quality as bathers return to Grand Duchy lakes Survey showsPremiumLuxembourgers ready to make climate sacrifices, but worry others are not Four in five in Luxembourg want to reduce their energy and resource consumption, but believe individual efforts to be futile EconomyHousing affordability remains low, OECD says in Luxembourg reportEconomic survey calls for housing and pension reforms and economic diversification in the Grand Duchy Wine industryAnalysisPremiumReport on forever chemicals in Luxembourg wine faces criticism Study shows ‘no acute health risk for the consumer’, food agency says in response to report by NGOs Global 2000 and PAN Europe Family timeExplore Luxembourg’s best family walking trails in a new book Encounter nature with this new book from the creators of 201 circular walks, which contains 33 child-friendly interactive trails and is now available in English The L Word Are your ducks lined up for this weekend’s water race fun?From Melusina to the country’s water towers, columnist Sarita Rao writes about Luxembourg’s love affair with water TFAForever chemicals found in Luxembourg wine After analysis confirmed PFAS and TFA in Luxembourg water samples, environmental campaign extends warning to wine Earth Day 2025Premium‘Telling a better story’: climate movement marks Earth Day and a fresh startSince 2019, the climate movement has dwindled from thousands to hundreds. 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Further information on cookies can be found in our privacy policy France – Shaking off an equipment glitch in the furious finishing sprint Peter Sagan bagged his eighth career Tour de France stage victory on Monday with an impressive display of power and quick-thinking on a short Geraint Thomas of Team Sky retained the yellow jersey he’s held since the opening stage in Germany But he is not planning to hold onto it for ever: The team’s goal is for three-time champion Chris Froome to be wearing the jersey when the Tour rolls into Paris on July 23 Thomas and Froome got through Stage 3 unscathed the main goal for them and others eyeing overall victory rather than stage wins The pack of riders stretched like a piece of string into single file on the fast winding downhill into Longwy before the final climb on Nuns’ Hill that seemed tailor-made for the strengths of Sagan showed he’s in fearsome form by powering away from the pack in the first stages of the climb But Sagan was watching closely behind him and never let Porte get too far ahead Sagan seemed to be cruising to victory until his right foot slipped out of his pedal in the last few hundred meters `What’s happening?“’ the Slovak star of the German Bora-Hansgrohe team said But he quickly recovered without losing speed clipping his foot back into place and holding off to the line Michael Matthews showing no apparent side effects from a crash on wet roads on Sunday that shaved skin off his buttocks Although a mere speed bump compared to the mountain ascents to come in the Alps and Pyrenees the 1.6-kilometer (one-mile) uphill in Longwy was testing enough to give an early inkling of the fitness of some of the top riders who used to be a teammate of Froome’s at Sky before switching to BMC “It showed that he’s in great form and will always look to use his legs to gain some time,” Thomas said Porte finished the stage in the same group as Froome and Thomas – two seconds behind Sagan and other riders who went all out for the stage win “It’s good for the confidence just to have a bit of a crack,” Porte said Other overall contenders who finished in the same group included Nairo Quintana A sterner test of their relative strengths will come on Wednesday on a tougher climb to the Planche des Belles Filles ski station their main goal is not crashing and losing time That was easier said than done as the pack picked up the pace toward the end of what otherwise was a fairly leisurely 212.5-kilometer (132-mile) ride through the dense forests and plunging valleys of the Ardennes The last hour “was a hell of a fight,” Porte said so it’s nice to get through that one unscathed.” Sagan is one of the Tour’s most colorful characters It isn’t as coveted as the yellow one but is still a solid measure of overall strength Sagan planned to allow himself a celebratory drink “You’ve got to celebrate every victory,” he said “But if I drink alone they call me a drunkard Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible Get the day’s top sports headlines and breaking news delivered to your inbox by subscribing here © Copyright 2025, The Spokesman-Review | Community Guidelines | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed 'That was the most important thing – that the team all worked in the same direction,' says Trek-Segafredo leader Contador: I don't want to rely on feats to win the Tour de France Tour de France: Stage 3 finish line quotes Tour de France: Stage 3 highlights - Video Sagan bounces back from error to win in Longwy Bouncing out of the saddle in his own distinctive style it looked for the briefest of moments as though a stage designed for the Peter Sagans and Greg Van Avermaets of this world would be decided by the overall contenders Porte's intent was clear and as he rose out of the saddle Contador looked to match the Australian as the sprinters and remaining GC men sat a few meters back when Contador began to drift back it looked as though he was struggling Porte pressed on and opened a gap before eventually being swallowed up by the rest of the field – his opportunistic move snuffed out in the headwind as the road flattened "Today was a hard day with that final," Contador told Cyclingnews as he spun the lactic acid from his legs "In the last 60 kilometres there was lots of fighting but for me it was good because the team was incredible with John Degenkolb and Koen de Kort on the flat and then with the climbers who helped me That was the most important thing – that the team all worked in the same direction I lost some positions in the end but in the first tough kilometre I passed to the front Then when I was there Richie attacked in front of me At the first moment I decided to go with him but then in the final the wind was strong and I decided to stay back and be calmer I think that was the right decision because in the end the guys with more power went for it in the sprint If I had attacked then maybe I wouldn't have followed but overall it was a good day because there was no crash We didn't want to lose any time to rivals." Only time will tell whether Contador's decision was based on the fact that he predicted the bunch would come back to him and Porte or because he didn't have the legs to follow the Australian but the Trek leader was asked if he was on the limit when Porte accelerated we were going very fast and also I came from the middle of the pack to the front in less than half a kilometre He attacked hard and I think I could follow him but if I had gone with him then I'm not sure that I could follow the others if we are caught A more accurate reflection of Contador's form will come on stage 5 when the race hits the first true mountain summit of 2017 at La Planche de Belles Filles Contador will have no choice but to follow if and when the attacks begin Stage 5 is going to be completely different," he admitted What I don't know is who will take responsibility of controlling the peloton on the climb We will follow and wait for the best moment for us At the moment there's many riders in front of me Subscribe to the Cyclingnews Podcast he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France With the help of the excellent editorial team he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners For the Cartier Azabudai Hills boutique in Tokyo designer Laura Gonzalez has created a ceramic wall decoration that is glazed using a unique technique Founded in France in 1798 (just one year before the Revolution) Manufacture des Emaux de Longwy revives the tradition of decorative enamel “frescoes” the house collaborated with designer Laura Gonzalez to create an eye-catching mural Gonzalez stylized a wisteria in full bloom and transformed it into an exuberant The design was made into five panels that were later mounted on the wall This is not the first time that the Manufacture des Emaux de Longwy has collaborated with contemporary designers – India Mahdavi José Levy and Pierre Gonalons are just some of the talents that have been called upon to make creative contributions The latest creation for Cartier sets a new standard for the size of decorative panels crafted using this technique It is also a fascinating encounter between contemporary taste and manufacturing tradition The largest diffusion magazine in the luxury & design world Privacy Policy(function (w,d) {var loader = function () {var s = d.createElement("script") tag = d.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.src="https://cdn.iubenda.com/iubenda.js"; tag.parentNode.insertBefore(s,tag);}; if(w.addEventListener){w.addEventListener("load" false);}else if(w.attachEvent){w.attachEvent("onload" loader);}else{w.onload = loader;}})(window but with a block headwind for most of the day it made for a long day in the saddle Tour de France: Sagan goes long to win in Longwy Tour de France: Brown keeps Cannondale-Drapac in polka dots Tour de France: Alberto Contador calls caution in first uphill test Tour de France: Matthews too far back ahead of Longwy sprint Tour de France: Demare ready for win in Vittel putting defending champion Chris Froome into second at 12 seconds The Tour de France stage six takes place on Thursday The Tour de France stage six will be 219.9km long Stage six of the Tour de France 2022 starts in Binche, and finishes 212.9 kilometres later, in Longwy. As today’s stage runs through perfect breakaway country maybe some overall contenders will be tempted to slip a beer from the renowned brewing town of Binche in their back pocket to quench their thirst on the race’s longest stage – maybe. The Tour de France stage six takes place on Thursday, July 7. It will start at 11.15am BST, and is estimated to finish at 16.29 BST. The Tour de France stage six will be 219.9km long. RouteDistance to goAnticipated Time (BST)Binche220.2km11.15Carignan73.9km14:44Cote de Montigny sur Chiers14.9km16.08Longwy0km16:29Tour de France stage six route Although the parcours looks like a nailed on day for the break to succeed, the punchy finish could well mean any escapees will be hunted down by a peloton packed with riders who’ll fancy their chances of success.  The finale is a little different from the one where Peter Sagan won in 2017. It’s been beefed up significantly with the addition of the Côte de Pulventeux 6km from the finish. Averaging 12% for 800m, it should shake out some wannabe stage winners. Following that, the riders will hit the Côte des Religieuses, which winds for 1.6km up to the finish, the gradient briefly reaching 11%. The climbs aren’t long enough for Ardennes Classics riders to prevail, so once again we're looking at the likes of MVDP. But make no mistake, the GC riders must be at the front too. A first stage win for Tadej Pogačar? The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox! Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1 *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1 The reigning champion timed his sprint perfectly on the undulating course to win his first stage of this year's Tour de France Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) powered to victory on stage six of the Tour de France, perfectly executing his sprint in the final 400 metres to cross the finish line first, and consequently move into the yellow jersey, too.  Pogačar's UAE teammates Rafał Majka and Brandon McNulty led him up the final climb of this year's longest Tour stage, before the Slovenian launched his sprint at the front of the pack. Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) initially overtook him, but in the end the reigning champion had too much strength and speed towards the line.  Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Quinn Simmons (Trek-Segafredo) and Jakob Fuglsang (Israel-Premier Tech) created the first breakaway in the day that stuck, with the trio's lead growing to four minutes. However, Fuglsang dropped off the front midway through the race, with Simmons also unable to match the pace set by Van Aert. Consequently, Van Aert had to complete a 30km solo attack if he wanted to win another stage of this year's Tour, as well as extend his lead on GC. This didn't come to fruition, however, with the Belgian caught by the peloton with 11km remaining in the race. Van Aert would soon relinquish control of the yellow jersey as well, falling off the back of the peloton. Therefore, Pogačar will wear the yellow jersey for stage seven tomorrow, which concludes with a summit finish on La Planche des Belles Filles. An action packed day on the cobbles for stage five of the Tour de France caused plenty of movement within the general classification, with Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) the biggest mover up to second place.  However, Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) just about managed to hang onto the yellow jersey, which he lined up wearing once again for the longest stage of the 2022 Tour - a 220km ride from Binche to Longwy. Starting in Belgium, the race headed through the Ardennes before finishing in France.  The race started with a hectic battle to get into the breakaway, with riders such as Van Aert, John Degenkolb (Team DSM), Quinn Simmons (Trek-Segafredo) and Brent Van Moer (Lotto Soudal) all attempting to make moves. Strong winds also started to affect proceedings, causing the bunch to spread out as echelons formed.  Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux), Benoît Cosnefroy (AG2R Citroën) and Toms Skujiņš (Trek-Segafredo) eventually managed to create the first break of the day after 15km. A group of four riders, led by Van Aert, soon counter-attacked as they tried to bridge across the gap, but were unsuccessful in their attempts as the peloton quashed the attempt.  Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) decided to attack himself afterwards, and Amund Grøndahl Jansen (BikeExchange-Jayco) soon joined him in his endeavour. Van Aert continued to drive the peloton on from here, with the front three riders a minute ahead after the opening 30km of racing - Wellens and Jansen were stuck halfway in between.  In a lively start to the race, the attacks from the peloton continued to come, most notably from the yellow jersey wearer. However, he couldn't quite manage to get away from the bunch, despite his best efforts in bringing other riders, such as Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) along with him. Due to the pace in the peloton, plenty of riders were dropped off the back. With the average pace for the opening 70km of racing above 50kmh, stage six was certainly a frantic one. The breakaway riders were caught around this point, unable to maintain the intensity required to stave off the peloton behind.  Eventually, though, a trio of Wout Van Aert, Quinn Simmons and Jakob Fuglsang (Israel-Premier Tech) stole a march on the other riders. They quickly built up their lead to over a minute, the peloton eventually settling to allow them the gap following a hectic opening 80km.  On the approach to the Côte des Mazures, the first of three categorised climbs, Van Aert suffered an issue with his chain. However, the Belgian managed to quickly get it back on his bike and catch Simmons and Fuglsang up the hill. Once the peloton had summited the Côte des Mazures, the breakaway's lead stood at 2-30. With 100km remaining, the time gap stood at four minutes. The majority of the riders who were dropped earlier on in the race also managed to make it back onto the peloton, albeit having worked extremely hard to do so. However, with Bora-Hansgrohe, UAE Team Emirates, EF Education-EasyPost and Alpecin-Deceuninck working at the front of the bunch, the breakaway's lead was slowly diminishing.  By the intermediate sprint at Carigan, coming with 75km left, the gap dropped below two minutes. Van Aert picked up the maximum points here though, further extending his lead in the points classification.  Shortly afterwards, though, Fuglsang pulled to the side of the road, leaving just Simmons and Van Aert to plough their furrow at the front of the race. Their continued to push hard, working together to keep their gap to the peloton at two minutes. This was the time gap with 50km to go.  Over the next 20km their lead started to fall, dropping to just a minute as the peloton started upping the tempo. With 30km remaining, though, Van Aert dropped Simmons, the American rider unable to match the pace the Belgian managed to set. With EF Education-EasyPost dragging the bunch along, Simmons was caught 4km later.  Van Aert not only managed to stave off the pressure from the peloton at this point, but actually extend his lead to 1-10 at the front. Despite his phenomenal efforts, the peloton soon started to eat into his time over the next 15km, the gap falling to just 20 seconds.  The final 15km of the race featured plenty of undulations, adding an extra dimension to the ride to Longwy.  Eventually, the bunch caught Van Aert with 11km to go on the stage, and soon surpassed him as he dropped out the back, opting to fall out of contention of the yellow jersey with his audacious but nonetheless commendable attempt for the stage win.  On the penultimate climb of the day up Côte de Pulventeux, an 800m ascent at 11%, Alexis Vuillermoz (TotalEnergies) attacked. The Frenchman picked up the mountains classification points on offer, with Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) also making an attack of his own with 4km remaining.  Vuillermoz couldn't gain too much ground by himself, though, with Jumbo-Visma, UAE Team Emirates and Ineos Grenadiers all powering along to keep pace. He still had the lead heading up the final climb with 2km left, but was caught with 1.3km until the finish line.  Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) dragged Pogačar up the hill on the final kilometre, and, with 400m Pogačar launched his sprint. Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) initally overtook his fellow countryman, but the reigning champion fought back to comfortably cross the line with a couple of metres in reserve. Consequently, finishing first earned Pogačar crucial bonus seconds on GC, helping him to move into the overall lead of the Tour de France, taking the yellow jersey away from Van Aert. Powless finished in the same group as Pogačar, but couldn't gain any extra time with a higher finish, and has to settle for being four seconds behind the Slovenian.  Staff WriterRyan is a staff writer for Cycling Weekly After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer.  World champion's sibling is happiest when he helps his brother make history Tour of California: Sagan wins in Morro Bay Peter Sagan's Tour de France stage-winning silver S-Works Tarmac Tour de France: Porte shows intent on first uphill test It was a performance that repeated itself at the Tour de France on Monday, when Juraj hit the front of the bunch throughout the early kilometres to keep the breakaway in check so that Peter could fly up the Côte de Religieuses in Longwy and take his first win of the 2017 Tour It's a familiar pattern for the brothers who are separated by just 13 months: Juraj opens the door and Peter bursts through on his way to another level Juraj was the first of the Sagans to get into cycling taking up the mountain bike when he was "nine or ten," with Peter following him into the sport two months later Peter's exploits as an up-and-coming cyclist are well known having won a junior mountain bike World Championship and then going second at the cyclo-cross Worlds and the junior Paris-Roubaix While Peter was lighting up his final year of junior racing Juraj was slugging it out on the Continental circuit finishing his first year in the U23 ranks with an 11th place finish at the 2007 World Championships in Stuttgart "I was good in the junior category," Juraj Sagan told Cyclingnews during an interview in California and after we don't have a lot of the managers in Slovakia and I didn't know anyone." Juraj Sagan landed a ride with the South African Konica Minolta team in 2008 so I went to the UCI camp for three months and then after I was still in the Continental team in Slovakia By 2009, Peter had joined Juraj on Dukla Trencin but they would be separated again when Peter signed a two-year deal with Liquigas-Cannondale for 2010 and 2011 but his stay there would be short lived after Peter and the team asked him to re-sign his contract with Liquigas," Juraj said Peter and Juraj Sagan at the Tour de Suisse (Bettini Photo) The brothers' proximity in age means they are as much best friends as siblings They room together at the Tour de France rather than having Peter in a single room like most team leaders They spend their down time at races playing Nintendo and they often travel together when they're not competing They spent several weeks ahead of the Tour of California training in Lake Tahoe following the California race to prepare for the Tour "We room together because there is not a big difference," Juraj Sagan said so we felt that our sister was a little bit like mom She always controlled us and all these things he did his job and was not at home with us Now we have a very good relationship with him we had always fun and always we did training together and everything Peter Sagan has said that having his brother on the team helps keep him comfortable "It's also nice when when we have the races together but when we have a different program it's still good that we are in a great team and we can stay together for example just for the training camps Slovakian champion Juraj Sagan leads the peloton (Tim De Waele/TDWSport) Juraj Sagan wants to make it clear that he's not on the team to act as a security blanket for his brother He's a solid domestique whose level has steadily risen over the past nine years as a pro who also coaches the Slovakian national team said Juraj's condition has especially come up over the past two seasons good helper and he's the guy from the first moment to the last moment," Valach told Cyclingnews Juraj Sagan said he benefited from changes Tinkoff made to his race schedule last year The program has allowed him to excel in races that suit him and build toward his goal of racing in the Tour as his brother chases stage wins and the green jersey they changed the program after the first Classic in Dwars Door because I also did a very good race there," Juraj Sagan said "Then I did all the Classics until Roubaix and I was very happy that when I came here to this team the Classics have clearly captured Juraj Sagan's attention "It's a special atmosphere there at the Classics," he said while admitting the jury is still out about his prowess on the cobbles "I tried just last year for the first time I think I have very good technique from the mountain bike for example at Flanders I am OK for the climbs with the cobbles The Classics exposure paid off with one of Juraj Sagan's best results as a pro when he finished 14th in this year's Gent Wevelgem where Peter came in third behind late escapees Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) and Jens Keukeleire (Orica-Scott) "It was something special after hard work all the day "I was there after Peter a little bit stopped with a small crash I was in the main group and I said to [teammate Sam] Bennett 'We have to do also the sprint for the WorldTour points.' I was lucky I had better wheels to follow and got the result." Juraj Sagan achieved one of his career goals this week when he started his first Grand Tour with his brother and then helped Peter collect his eighth Tour de France stage win He's riding the race in the Slovakian national jersey that he first won last year Although he dreams of a "nice victory" of his own like any good domestique his goals are built around others He takes special pride in the two consecutive world championships Peter won for Slovakia with just Juraj and countryman Michael Kolar for help and he'd obviously like to repeat that – in fact he knocks on wood after talking about the possibility Juraj is just going to enjoy the ride that started innocently so many years ago on the MTB trails outside of Žilina when you are kids you do it always for the fun," he said when asked if he ever imagined cycling taking him this far I was thinking more about being a professional Subscribe to the Cyclingnews Podcast. Growing up in Missoula Pat competed in his first bike race in 1985 at Flathead Lake He studied English and journalism at the University of Oregon and has covered North American cycling extensively since 2009 as well as racing and teams in Europe and South America Pat currently lives in the US outside of Portland Aggressive showing from Lotto Soudal on stage 3 Giro d'Italia: Hansen's Grand Tour run continues despite crash Thomas made some efforts in the beginning of the race and eventually I was part of a nice front group of six riders but it soon became clear that the peloton was aiming for the victory and the gap was always limited," said Hansen Frederik Backaert (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) and Romain Sicard (Direct Energie) starting to lose cohesion the move from the peloton saw Lilian Calmejane (Direct Energie) and Pierre-Luc Perichon (Fortuneo-Oscaro) bridge across to join their teammates The move gave the breakaway greater impetus and drive Hansen explained the presence of danger men De Gendt and Calmejane also served to kill the breakaway's chance of a win "Thomas made a very smart move to bridge the gap with the front group together with Calmejane and Périchon I immediately helped Thomas as much as I could," the 36-year-old said of his Belgian teammate "The peloton panicked for a moment as they knew the capabilities of Thomas and Calmejane the breakaway could not survive until the end With his and De Gendt's chances extinguished Hansen sat up to conserve his energy ahead of tomorrow's sprint stage into Vittel were Lotto Soudal would aim to deliver Andre Greipel to the stage win Having enjoyed his first break of the 2017 Tour Hansen added that when he isn;t looking after Greipel he will aim to add to his Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana stage wins I'm sure that I will feel the effects of today's stage in the days to come," said Hansen who finished over 11 minutes down on stage winner Peter Sagan in Longwy there is another chance for the sprinters and I will do my best to assist André Greipel in the finale I am feeling very well and I hope this feeling stays for the remainder of the Tour de France so that I can be in another breakaway later on." the 24-year-old explained he didn't believe the break would stay away but had promised himself he would b aggressive regardless "I promised at the start of the Tour that I'd ride offensively and I'm glad I was true to my words today," said Calmejane "I attacked instinctively from the bunch when I realized the breakaway was going nowhere Adam Hansen and Romain Sicard sacrificed themselves for Thomas De Gendt and myself We would have needed a great De Gendt for taking the breakaway further but with the headwind and because the peloton was full of resources the antagonist of the legendary Don Camillo he is also a communist and a convinced Marxist Ruckert has held the chairmanship of the "Kommunistesch Partei Lëtzebuerg" (KPL) which is celebrating a milestone birthday this year a monument has now been erected just opposite the house where the KPL was launched The plaque affixed to it is adorned with a hammer and sickle We conducted the interview with KPL President Ali Ruckert (66) last Wednesday on the premises of the Zeitung vum Lëtzebuerger Vollek in Esch/Alzette of which Ruckert has been editor-in-chief since 1995 named after one of the founders of the KPL and the first communist deputy Lëtzebuerger Journal: Happy 100th birthday Doesn’t your party sometimes run out of breath at such an advanced age Ali Ruckert: Of course it's difficult to be politically active in these Covid times That’s why they say: a rolling stone gathers no moss If you had to name just three highlights from the long history of your party there was the founding of the Communist Party on January 2 when it split off from the Socialist Party The latter did not want to abolish the capitalist exploitative system A second high point was the so-called Muzzle Law After a corresponding law had already been voted for in parliament the government was so sure of its cause that it even organized a referendum on June 6 a narrow majority of citizens voted against the muzzling law and the Communists gained in prestige We shouldn’t forget that when the Nazis invaded Luxembourg on May 10 the KPL was the only political party that decided to go underground instead of dissolving like all the other parties the Communist Party was a resistance movement from the beginning but it was also joined by some socialist trade unionists who opposed the dissolution of their party This in turn strengthened the role of the KPL within the Resistance and contributed to the rise of the Communist Party after World War II – a time when the KPL had over 4,000 members and provided the Minister of Health in the National Union government Rugby Club Luxembourg players pictured on Sunday the squad was in good physical shape but started nervously conceding a soft try under the posts within the first few minutes As the match developed RCL grew in confidence and responded with a try from a strong run by James Wheeler which allowed Mitchel Galea to return to hooker and his line out throws were spot on allowing RCL to dominate in these set pieces Mitchel was rewarded with a try after great support play before Robin Dex put the visitors two tries up at half time A crowd of about 100 sports-starved Longwy fans turned up for the match and they were rewarded with a fine second-half battle where RCL (Kenans) and Longwy traded tries before the 60-minute drinks break with the score at 12-26 The final quarter of a thoroughly entertaining match saw RCL pull away with four more tries from Robert Amelung (1) and Maxime Kenans (3) to leave a flattering score of 12-52 for the visitors The match was play in a tremendous spirit with both sets of players clearly delighted to be playing rugby again The next match for RCL is an intra-club match on Saturday 26 September at Cessange where the RCL Luxembourg Qualified Players take on an RCL Rest of the World selection This is the first in a series of domestic fixtures to promote Luxembourg Rugby sponsored by Wildgen Luxembourg law firm. Due to covid-19 restrictions, supporters must book tables of up to 6 people by emailing [email protected] To keep to date with other upcoming events, visit the RCL Facebook page France  © Photo credit: LT archivesPascal Mittelberger ShareFrench authorities are unclear how they will enforce an inspection regime at Luxembourg’s border that takes effect on Friday after earlier assuring they will not slow traffic on the main motorway between Metz France has said its reasons for imposing border controls through April - the maximum under the 1985 Schengen treaty creating a borderless EU - included ensuring its security against terrorists, criminals and human smugglers. France also intends to check identity documents at its borders with neighbouring Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Belgium for the maximum six months allowed under the treaty. Luxembourg Interior Minister Léon Gloden said earlier this month that his French counterpart assured him that that checks will be restricted to secondary roads near the border and not the A31/A3 motorway connecting the two countries. Friday’s start of French border checks will bring the number of European countries that have launched inspections to seven, including Germany, Italy and Austria. Norway and Sweden plan to impose similar controls later in November. German police said they found 13% fewer illegal entries during the first three weeks after the country imposed controls at all land borders than the previous three weeks, the DPA news agency reported on Thursday. Germany’s federal police encountered 3,464 foreigners seeking to enter the country without permission between 16 September and 6 October and more than 2,000 were simply ordered to go back, the government said in response to a lawmaker’s questions. Public holiday 10 things to do on the 9 May Europe Day holidayVisit Robert Schuman’s house, head to the Mult-Culti festival in Bertrange or take a guided tour of the Europa Experience Robert Schuman The story behind 9 May celebrating Europe Day Luxembourg-born Robert Schuman delivered the Schuman Declaration, a speech widely known for setting the foundations of today’s European Union Financial regulationEU urged to scrap rules that force short-sellers out of shadowsThe EU has signaled openness to some changes made to ensure its financial industry can compete with global peers EU institutionsPremiumStandoff over union representation at Luxembourg’s largest EU employerUnion seeking permission to operate within European Investment Bank at loggerheads with bank over recognition process HealthIn Luxembourg, majority of alerts on high-risk products concern cosmetics 79% of alerts issued in 2024 were for cosmetics, according to the annual report of the European alert system Safety Gate Anti trust finesApple, Meta hit by €700m in EU fines after Trump threatsEU regulators levied the penalties — €500 million against Apple and €200 million against Meta — under its Digital Markets Act EU bodiesPremiumTwo Luxembourg-based EU bodies embroiled in immunity row ECA has refused to lift immunity for several staff as part of a fraud investigation being conducted by EPPO Regulation divergencePremiumLuxembourg businesses caught in Trump rules uncertaintyAs the Trump administration clamps down on DEI, the EU is seeking to soften many of its sustainability and due diligence reporting requirements World champion Peter Sagan won an uphill sprint to claim stage three of the Tour de France as Britain's Geraint Thomas retained the yellow jersey Tuesday's fourth stage is a 207.5km race from Mondorf-les-Bains to Vittel and it is expected to end in a bunch sprint finish wearing the best young rider's white jersey celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the sixth stage of the Tour de France over 220 kilometres from Binche to Longwy Defending champion Tadej Pogacar powered clear to win stage six of the Tour de France and take the overall lead after the peloton denied Wout Van Aert what would have been a remarkable solo victory in the yellow jersey Arguably the two most exciting talents in the men's peloton dominated the story on the longest stage of this year's Tour Belgium and Longwy that were raced at a ferocious pace an average speed of 49km an hour seeing the peloton get home half an hour earlier than predicted For the first 210km it was all about Van Aert on what would be his last day in yellow the Belgian driving the pace on home roads as he powered the breakaway clear then emerging as the last survivor as he tried to take on the peloton alone for the final 30km But after he was reeled in 10km from Longwy - sitting up and finishing some seven minutes down - Pogacar took over following a late attack from fellow Slovenian Primoz Roglic up the short final climb and then powering away from Michael Matthews to take a win he was able to celebrate short of the line The Ineos Grenadiers' Tour debutant Tom Pidcock came home fourth just ahead of team-mates Adam Yates and Geraint Thomas but all were left trailing in the wake of Pogacar "Every time I win it's even better," the UAE Team Emirates rider said The first two hours were crazy and the strongest guy went in the breakaway "Lots of guys were pulling and in the end the peloton was stronger When we came to the climbs I was feeling good and the team did an incredibly good job of bringing me to the perfect position so I'm happy." Speaking before his yellow jersey was confirmed he said of taking the race lead: "I wouldn't mind it for sure I'm super happy to take the win and anything else is a bonus We will think about this in the next days." Pogacar now leads overall by four seconds from Neilson Powless With the first summit finish to come on La Planche des Belles Filles on Friday Van Aert would have known the yellow jersey was not going to be his for much longer given the mountains to come but he chose to go down swinging after a remarkable opening week of the Tour for the 27-year-old Having finished second in all three of the opening stages on Tuesday he rode away from the peloton late on to take a stunning solo win into Calais Then he sacrificed his own ambitions on the cobbles of northern France on Wednesday to salvage Vingegaard's race after injury and incident hit Jumbo-Visma on a chaotic day on the cobbles he then took on the Tour's longest day in aggressive fashion The break would take a remarkable 80km to form but Van Aert's determination to be in it kept the pace relentlessly high then Quinn Simmons gave a puff of the cheeks and a shake of the head as Van Aert went alone to try to defend a minute's advantage for the final 30km of the race it was another superb ride for his considerable collection "For sure the yellow jersey is nicer than the green one but I've enjoyed the yellow and I'll enjoy the green as well," he said so I was well aware that it would be a mission to stay up there till the end But I've wanted to honour the Maillot Jaune and share the moment with the crowd." The closure was revealed in a response to a parliamentary question given by Infrastructure Minister François Bausch Responding to Justin Turpel's question Minister Bausch confirmed the Lorraine Region's plans to close the line because of a lack of demand The line is served by only two return journeys per day which are used by a maximum of 100 passengers there are around 600 passengers using the Thionville-Luxembourg direct train many people from Thionville would rather change at Bettembourg to catch a train for Belval than take the existing Thionville-Belval-Longwy line “Following the proposal from the Lorraine Region the direct train line linking Thionville - Belval - Longwy will be abolished in 2016,” Minister Bausch wrote adding: “The rolling stock will be re-allocated to the Thionville – Luxembourg line where demand continues to grow and where the need is greatest.” He added that the timetable for bus line 398 Saint Charles - Longwy – Rodange is under consideration to serve passengers using rail line 60 serving Rodange - Belval – Esch-sur-Alzette – Luxembourg Do not miss the news - sign up to receive the wort.lu newsletter in English delivered to your inbox six days a week. PoliticsLuxembourg lawmakers divided over Israel-EU relationsAttempt to find unified position on extension of EU-Israel trade agreement failed during divisive committee meeting World of workJob market last year grew at slowest pace since financial crisisLuxembourg created fewer new jobs in 2024 than any year since the 2008-9 banking crisis Public administrationGovernment to create administration overseeing housing aidNew office aims to improve access to housing support and reduce delays AustraliaAustralians mark election day with 'democracy sausages' and in 'budgy smugglers'Australians fired up barbecues and wore tight-fit swim trunks called "budgy smugglers" to voting centers as they welcomed election day on Saturday (3 May) with some unique and quirky traditions. GrantsEU to propose €500m package to attract researchersPlan to double grant amount by 2025 and continue support in 2026 and 2027 Costs of six million eurosPremiumBus drivers unable to drive cost Luxembourg firm €6m annually Some given odd jobs or are idle, but could soon be employed by municipal councils World of workSpain to move ahead with plan to cut work week to 37.5 hoursThe bill is set to face a lengthy approval process in Parliament, where it’s uncertain to have enough backing from lawmakers Innovation and educationLuxembourg opens drone school to boost safetyEducation ministry has launched a civilian drone school, where pilots can hone their skills and share ideas Contrary to what was stated in an initial press release by the Luxembourg National Railway Company (CFL) This was communicated in a second press release they have received an update from the French SNCF that the technical problem on the French train network would be fixed "soon." CFL has arranged for substitute bus services to transport train commuters to their intended destinations For the latest information and further details on routes impacted by this situation, please visit www.cfl.lu ShareResults from Sunday’s first round of the French legislative elections were a tour de force for Rassemblement National and its allies, who came out well ahead with 33.2%, a historic score that could open the doors of power to the far right for the first time. Some seat projections for the future French National Assembly envisage a strong relative majority for the RN and its allies – or even an absolute majority – in the second round next Sunday. This box contains embedded content from Facebook that wants to read or write cookies. You did not give permission for this. In Thionville West, which includes the communes of Hayange and Florange, Laurent Jacobelli (RN) received 46.36% of the vote, falling short of an outright victory in the first round. He will now face Céline Leger (NFP) on Sunday. She received 28.98% of the vote. In Meurthe-et-Moselle, in the constituency which includes Longwy and Mont-Saint-Martin, Frédéric Weber (RN), a first-time candidate, won the most votes with 43.46%. He will face incumbent Martine Etienne (NFP) in the second round. Etienne received 28.49%. Valérie Maurice (Majorité présidentielle), with 17.98% of the vote, is eliminated. In Moselle, the RN came out on top in the first three constituencies, those of Metz and its suburbs. In the first, Grégoire Laloux won the most votes with 39.81%. Next Sunday, he will face incumbent MP Belkhir Belhaddad (Ensemble, 27.59%). Vincent Félix (NFP), who came third with 26.10% of the vote, is expected to withdraw. In the second constituency, Marie-Claude Voincon (RN) came first with 37.48% of the vote. Outgoing MP Ludovic Mendes (Ensemble) followed with 30.22%. NFP candidate Victorien Nicolas (26.61%) withdrew and called for a vote for Mendes. The electoral battle was very close in the third constituency. Victor Chomard (RN) came out on top with 35.32% of the vote. He was trailed by Nathalie Colin-Oesterlé (UDI), who won 34.66% of the vote. Outgoing MP Charlotte Leduc (NFP), who also qualified for the second round with 28.27%, is expected to withdraw if she follows Jean-Luc Mélenchon's call for a barrage against the RN in the second round. In the constituencies of Saint-Avold and Forbach, the outgoing RN MPs Alexandre Loubet and Kévin Pfeffer were re-elected in the first round. Both were elected for the first time in 2022. In the constituencies of Sarreguemines and Sarrebourg, the RN candidates are ahead of the outgoing LR members of parliament, and in both cases it will be a duel in the second round. In the first two constituencies of Meurthe-et-Moselle, two NFP candidates came out on top: Estelle Mercier, with 37.63% of the vote, and Stéphane Hablot with 39.91%. They will both face RN and Ensemble candidates in the second round. In the fourth constituency, Dominique Bilde (RN) came out on top with 43.7% of the vote. Le Républicain Lorrain newspaper is projecting a possible three-way run-off. Incumbent MP Thibault Bazin (LR) qualified with 33.21%. Barbara Bertozzi-Bievelot (NFP) qualified with 20.59%. Incumbent Dominique Potier (NFP) came out on top in the fifth constituency with 43.47% of the vote. On Sunday, he will face Louis-Joseph Pecher (far right), who received 30.45%. The other candidates did not qualify. Anthony Boulogne (RN) came first in the sixth constituency with 44.53% of the vote. He will face the outgoing La France insoumise MP Caroline Fiat (NFP) on Sunday. In Meuse, Maxime Amblard (RN) came out on top in the first constituency with 47.95% of the vote. In the second constituency, outgoing MP Florence Goulet (RN) won an absolute majority. Finally, in the Vosges, the RN came out on top in two constituencies, while two Divers droite candidates came out on top in the other two. The RN will be in the second round in all four Vosges constituencies. (This article originally appeared on virgule.lu. Translation and editing by Alex Stevensson.) ElectionsRomanian far-right leader scores first-round election winDissatisfaction with ruling establishment due to corruption and poverty evident in election results Reception of refugeesAnalysisUkrainian refugees feel limits of Luxembourg reception systemWithout housing or employment, some refugees are being sent back to the reception centre where they first arrived in 2022 Australian electionsAustralia’s PM Albanese Is Re-Elected With Expanded MajorityAlbanese will enter his second term as a Labor hero after leading his party to successive election victories British politicsNigel Farage’s Reform upends UK politics with election surgeReform has won 465 local council seats in UK local elections German politicsGerman AfD party categorised as extremist by security agencyauthorities will now have enhanced powers to monitor the party as a potential threat to democracy Employment regulationsSunday work is increasingly common in LuxembourgData unveiled as conflict between government and trade unions, including on Sunday working rules, heats up In parliamentPremiumParliament quizzes Bettel on Rwanda NGO Foreign minister defended his ties to the organization in wake of questions about delay of EU sanctions 100 days of TrumpPremiumHow Donald Trump’s honeymoon turned sour so quicklyTariffs, spending cuts and concerns of immigration over-reach drag on the president’s approval ratings in his first 100 days Luxembourg's emergency services were called to Niederkorn after a house had caught fire on Rue de Longwy Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire within an hour and the road was reopened to traffic shortly before 2pm The 30km border strip between the three countries covers an area spanning from Sierck-les-Bains in Lorraine to Bastogne in Wallonia via Cattenom, Thionville, Audun-le-Tiche, Longwy and Arlon. The overall area has seen its population rise by 35,000 over a decade, reaching 505,040 inhabitants. This growth is attributed to new housing developments and the region’s accessibility to Luxembourg’s labour market. The French side of the border has seen significant population increases in areas like Sierck, Cattenom, and Thionville, according to data from the French statistical institute INSEEE. Between 2011 and 2022, these areas recorded growth rates ranging from 7% to 10%. Smaller villages have experienced even more dramatic changes. For instance, Merschweiller’s population surged by 57%, from 185 to 290 residents. Similarly, Volstroff and Stuckange saw increases of 44% and 42%, respectively. These jumps are largely attributed to the development of new housing estates that attract families seeking suburban lifestyles. While not all these municipalities directly border Luxembourg, they share a common advantage: easy access to major roads leading into the Grand Duchy. Merschweiller is just minutes from Schengen and the A13 motorway, while towns like Volstroff and Stuckange are near the A31. On the Belgian side, the province of Luxembourg has also experienced steady growth, though proportionately less pronounced due to the larger size of its municipalities. The areas of Arlon, Bastogne, and Neufchâteau collectively gained over 14,000 residents between 2014 and 2024. Arlon added the most inhabitants in absolute terms Martelange recorded the highest percentage increase at 17.34% with its population rising from 1,759 to 2,064 this growth is closely tied to proximity to major transport routes like the E411 motorway we collected population figures for 119 communes on the French side of the Luxembourg border and 24 communes on the Belgian side These are the latest figures released by France’s National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) on 19 December with population data from 2022 We have compared them with figures from a decade ago these are the populations of the arrondissements of Arlon with the populations on 1 January 2024 compared with those on 1 January 2014 (This article was originally published by Virgule. Translation and editing by Kabir Agarwal) Demography Luxembourg City’s huge population growth explained in 5 graphsWhich nationalities are the most represented? Which districts have seen their population grow the most? We've taken a closer look The L Word Expat or immigrant – what’s the difference? As Luxembourg celebrates the Festival of Migrations, columnist Sarita Rao examines what exactly defines an expat versus an immigrant or foreign worker Vox PopLuxembourg expats: Does the Grand Duchy feel like home to you?Luxembourg Times hits the streets of the capital to get the views of immigrants to the country Multicultural ‘Something different’ promised by Festival of Migrations organisersFrom fusion music to stand-up comedy, this year’s festival hopes to surprise audiences with something different. Read our programme picks for 15 & 16 March PopulationLuxembourg’s birth rate among lowest in EUEU witnessed a record drop in births in 2023, with the Grand Duchy in the bottom five of countries across the bloc PensionsLuxembourg pension reserves to run out earlier than previously forecastLatest projections show reserve should be exhausted in 2045 rather than in 2048, as was announced less than six months ago DemographicsLuxembourg City’s population grew to over 136,000 last yearThe capital added close to 1,500 residents in 2024, expanding at a slower pace than in previous years DemographicsPremiumEU births drop to new low as strains on younger generations mountDearth of children expected to heap pressure on state finances Very large area and large scope for development An unusual announcement has been posted on various real estate sites this week: the church of Saint-Jules is for sale for 190,000 € according to the Republican Lorrain If the diocese does actually vacate the premises it will be in part because no mass has been celebrated there for more than three years parish priest of the seven parishes of Pays-Haut only Wednesday services were celebrated in the morning at the sacristy Maintaining an empty building is expensive Especially for a community that can not afford to repair the church you have to learn to live differently and to accept [to separate]" says the vicar The cost of repair works is estimated at 30,000 euros for the rehabilitation of the building and the repair of the heating "There was a lot of investment to commit [...] while the church no longer has the same use it has known in the past," said Michel Petitdemange bursar of the diocèse au Républicain Lorrain Entering in Schmëtt near the Belgian border they will race 115km from north to south The first cyclists are expected to reach Luxembourg shortly after midday on Monday and road closures will be lifted after the car signalling the last cyclist has passed Cyclists are expected to leave Luxembourg through Esch-sur-Alzette at around 4.30pm to 5pm they will set off from Mondorf-les-Bains at around 12.10pm and will cycle 11km Spectators who wish to drive to watch the race at Mondorf-les-Bains should take the Altweis (N11) motorway exit and follow the signs to find a parking place Only authorised emergency vehicles will be able to take the Mondorf-les-Bains motorway exit The Croix de Mamer on the A6 will be open on July 3 but the N6 access towards Kehlen or Mamer will be closed from 11.30am On the A4 there will be a diversion in place at the exits towards Foetz and between Foetz and Mondercange from midday On the A13 the Croix de Schifflange exits will be closed from midday on July 3 On July 4 all sliproads towards Schengen will be closed from 7am until 1pm A number of other roads will be closed. To find the complete list click here Some roads will be closed travelling from Luxembourg to France On Monday cyclists are expected in Longwy at around 5pm Many roads will be closed in both directions from midday until around 6pm The RN 52 junction will be closed on Monday from midday until 6pm: Exit 11 Villers-la-Montagne and the sliproads towards Longwy and Metz On Tuesdsay cyclists will race from Mondorf to Vittel For further information about cross-border roads click here For the latest information on the day visit mobilite.lu or call 24 65 24 65 Luxembourg police will also give information via their Twitter page and the Automobile Club Luxembourg (ACL) will have information on their website. (Heledd Pritchard, heledd.pritchard@wort.lu, +352 49 93 459) A violent robbery attempt occurred on a bus at the Route de Longwy stop in Luxembourg City/Merl at around 4.20pm on Tuesday afternoon She had to be taken to the ER for treatment and several police units were on the lookout for them on the Boulevard Prince Henri in the city centre Officers apprehended three of the young men An investigation was opened against the fourth suspect The two minors were transferred to the Security Unit ('UniSec') in Dreiborn while the adult suspect was arrested and brought before an examining magistrate on Wednesday morning Route de Longwy will be closed under construction from the house number 315 onward until the freeway on-ramp and Rue de Strassen The road will be closed both ways but the interchanges will remain accessible Bus lines 5 and 6 will be affected by this closure Boulevard Robert Schumann will also see works from 9pm Friday until 5am Saturday The boulevard will be closed in the direction of Limertsberg A detour will lead through the tunnel by the Schuman Roundabout The crossroads between the N5 and N34 will be shut for traffic from Friday 7pm until Monday 6am. Motorists in direction of Luxembourg will be diverted via Strassen and will rejoin the Route de Longwy near the “Les Thermes” swimming pool. In the other direction, from Luxembourg to Dippach, the Rue de Strassen will not be accessible and a diversion will be set up via the Rue des Aubépines and Val Ste Croix. At the A6 motorway exit, the N34 in direction Luxembourg-Merl will also be closed, but an alternative route will be signposted. Additionally, one lane on the A6 in direction of Arlon will be closed between Croix de Cessange and the Strassen interchange on Saturday from 7am to 6pm, and from 11am to 8pm in direction of Gasperich. The motorbike rider was seriously injured in the incident The SAMU (first responder) service had to be called to Route de Longwy.