2004 test events face no problems
Three more test events started without mishap yesterday at Olympic venues around Athens, while a fourth event, archery, ended at the Panathenaic Stadium in the city center. A canoe and kayak flat-water meeting at Schinias near Marathon, where rowers faced severe problems last week, went smoothly, as winds abated. At the Markopoulo Equestrian Center, the three-day event, combining dressage, a cross-country course and show-jumping, began without a hitch, as did the time trial for the Under-23 European Road Cycling Championships. However, Sunday’s road race for the cyclists will close large sections of the center of Athens. On Saturday afternoon, certain roads in the central areas of Athens will close to traffic from 5 to 7 p.m. for the cyclists’ training session. On Sunday, traffic will be stopped completely from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. along the course, which begins at Omonia Square and goes through Patission and Alexandras avenues, Ippocratous St, Academias Ave and Kanari St up to and around Lycabettus Hill, Gennadiou St, Vassilisis Sophias and Amalias avenues, Dionysiou Areopagitou, Apostolou Pavlou, Ermou and Athinas streets. Traffic will be closed on Stadiou Street as well as several roads leading to it. Bus schedules will be heavily affected from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Notably, the E95 line connecting Syntagma Square to the airport will not operate. For details on altered bus and trolley bus schedules call 185.
