Lech Walesa hosted Ms. Elżbieta and Czeslaw Lang on Monday (17.02.2014) along with Jerzy Borowczak, one of the initiators of the strike in the Gdansk dockyard and a close associate of Lech Walesa. The president accepted the offer to be the patron to start the 71st Tour de Pologne UCI World Tour, which this year will begin in Gdansk.
It has become a tradition that our national race will be accompanied by the most important Polish events of the past. This year’s race will begin in the Gdansk dockyard, marking the quarter-century anniversary of the Gdansk dockyard strike, which started the fall of communism not only in Poland but also in Europe. Tour de Pologne is a great sporting event, but also effectively promotes our country and it’s events to the world.
” Tour de Pologne already in its history, has promoted the Warsaw Uprising, the Year of Chopin, and the trail of John Paul II. This year Poland celebrates the 25th anniversary of free elections, that’s why we want to remind everyone that here in Gdansk it all began. It was here that sparked the change of an entire socio – political system.” – explains Czeslaw Lang, CEO of the Tour de Pologne UCI World Tour.
President Bronislaw Komorowski called 2014 the “Year of Freedom” and the Tour de Pologne wants to convey that idea to the world, that the political systems in place would not exist if not for the events that took place at the Gdansk dockyard. It was there on August 14, 1980, he began a strike of the dockyard’s crew, which after three days turned into a nationwide protest against the government of the communist society. Standing at the head of the “Solidarność” movement alongside his friend Jerzy Borowczak, Lech Walesa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983. “The Committee recognizes Walesa’s spokesman longing for freedom and peace, which – despite the unequal conditions – is unbeaten in all nations of the world” – it is said in support of the award.
Source: Lang Team