Credit: ACL
Following the launch of the "Maison du Motard" motorcyclists' alliance, the Automobile Club du Luxembourg (ACL) has announced the creation of a new alliance for cyclists: the "Maison du Cycliste".
On Friday 16 July 2021, the ACL, the SCRIPT service (Service de Coordination de la Recherche et de l'Innovation pédagogiques et technologiques) of Luxembourg's Ministry of Education, Children and Youth and the Luxembourg Cycling Federation (Fédération du Sport Cycliste Luxembourgeois - FSCL) signed the Maison du Cycliste charter.
By providing information on the advantages of cycling and its different practices, providing assistance to and training cyclists, whilst also participating in the public debate on mobility, the Maison du Cycliste aims to be the missing link between cyclists and public authorities at a time when soft mobility is becoming increasingly popular.
"As a key player in mobility in Luxembourg, the ACL encourages multimodal and individual mobility respectful of all and is mobilising for greater tolerance between [road] users. This project is a real opportunity to provide a framework for training by bringing together all the players and a network of experts in the same place, on our Mondercange site", explained Jean-Claude Juchem, Director of the ACL.
In addition, the Maison du Cycliste will benefit from the ACL's expertise in areas such as two-wheeled electromobility, assistance and breakdown service through its service offers such as "Bike assistance" for cyclists in the event of an incident. This offer is free for members and allows them to have their bicycles repaired on site or to be dropped off at their final destination with a simple phone call.
As a real training centre for all bicycle users, the Maison du Cycliste is part of a context where the development of eco-mobility is encouraged by the authorities.
“More and more people are choosing the bicycle as a means of transport. Learning it should be an integral part of basic education programmes, just like swimming. In addition to the training that will be given on the Mondercange site, the Maison du Cycliste will offer information materials and educational tools in order to participate in the promotion of cycling through activities and events”, summarised Luc Weis, Director of SCRIPT. As such, SCRIPT's "Bicycool" initiative has been crisscrossing schools across the country for two years to educate young people about cycling.
Developing the use of the bicycle as a sustainable and safe means of transport by educating the cyclists of tomorrow will be one of the main missions of the Maison du Cycliste. “This is a place where we can work safely with the youngest, especially with schools. For the FSCL, using the Mondercange track is also a new tool that will allow us to train our young licensees in technique and endurance. By participating in the Maison du Cycliste, we also hope that the federation will be perceived in a different light by the public, beyond our professional sporting missions", emphasised Camille Dahm, President of the FSCL.
