Brussels  - Belgian professional cyclist Frederiek Nolf was laid to rest on Saturday in the west Flemish town of Kuurne.

So many people wanted to pay their last respects to the 21-year- old Topsport Vlaanderen rider, who died in his sleep during the Tour of Qatar on February 5, that several hundred people did not fit into the church, the Belgian news agency Belga said.

Belgian sport minister Bert Anciaux and former Head of State Yves Leterme were amongst the mourners for the cyclist, who was given a guard of honour by his former team-mates.

Brussels  - Belgian professional cyclist Frederiek Nolf was laid to rest on Saturday in the west Flemish town of Kuurne.

So many people wanted to pay their last respects to the 21-year- old Topsport Vlaanderen rider, who died in his sleep during the Tour of Qatar on February 5, that several hundred people did not fit into the church, the Belgian news agency Belga said.

Belgian sport minister Bert Anciaux and former Head of State Yves Leterme were amongst the mourners for the cyclist, who was given a guard of honour by his former team-mates.

Brussels - Belgian professional cyclist Frederiek Nolf was laid to rest on Saturday in the west Flemish town of Kuurne.

So many people wanted to pay their last respects to the 21-year- old Topsport Vlaanderen rider, who died in his sleep during the Tour of Qatar on February 5, that several hundred people did not fit into the church, the Belgian news agency Belga said.

Belgian sport minister Bert Anciaux and former Head of State Yves Leterme were amongst the mourners for the cyclist, who was given a guard of honour by his former team-mates.

Brussels - The European Union's executive on Friday approved a German plan to fight recession by providing an additional 900 million euros (1.2 billion dollars) in state support to medium-sized companies trying to fund research and development.

The latest German plan, which targets companies which employ up to 1,000 staff until the end of 2010, is in line with EU rules because it is limited in time and scale and is aimed at boosting innovation, the European Commission said in a statement.

Brussels - Registration of new cars in Europe plunged by 27 per cent in January, compared to a year earlier, as the auto industry continues to suffer from tight credit and reduced consumer spending, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) announced Friday in Brussels.

January 2009 sales volume was 958,500 vehicles, the lowest total in two decades, the ACEA said in a press statement.

The new EU member states were worst hit, with Romania and Hungary seeing declines of more than 50 per cent in new car registrations, while the Czech Republic posted a drop of 12.3 per cent.

Brussels - Shares in troubled Dutch-Belgian bank Fortis plummetted Thursday after shareholders rejected a plan to break up and nationalize the bank, one of Europe's highest-profile victims of the global financial crisis.

The share price quoted on the Brussels stock exchange fell 17 per cent as markets opened Thursday. By mid-morning shares were trading at 1.19 euros (1.54 dollars), some 10 per cent below Wednesday's listing.