The Ghent 6
The UIV Cup – Memorial Foré
“This field is a lot stronger then last year” Alex said while waiting for the start. “ Where we, last year, took two laps the first night and then controlled the race, we have to work a lot harder staying at the top. Especially the Brits are strong. We misjudged a few changes and that cost us three sprints last night.” Coach Tim Decker: “we must stay attentive and concentrated to avoid this mistakes.”
For young Jackson (17 years old!!) it is the first big six day race. He said: “Apart of some club races we didn’t ride many Madison’s together.” “After Ghent we ride in Zurich and then fly home for the Nationals, two days later. There Alex will ride with Jackson’s older brother Scott, i will ride with Jordan Kirby” Jackson told me.
The positive fact of this hectic night is that Jackson and Alex took over the lead from the English duo Mould – Yates. After they won the fastest lap, 166 meter in 9’13, they gathered enough points to be the virtual leaders. Then it was a task to stay in yellow trough the madison. Not only the boys had to look out for the British and Swiss couples, but also to try to avoid the dangerous riders in the field. Riders not used to race madisons and riders struggling to get around, missing changes etc...
It actually started already in the warm up, when the American riders Williams (USA champion pursuit) and his partner Marans (USA junior champ madison) came down. God knows how, cause noone around them, not even going fast and on the straight line! But the damage was of the worst kind! Both broke their collarbone.
With eleven teams we started the 200 laps madison, 5 sprints for the points included. As soon as the gun was fired, the Kiwi and his Belgian mate took of. No reaction of any other team, cause these two guys were 11 laps down. But that would be the reason for what happened later on. These boys took a lap and almost immediately got dropped. From then on they struggled to get around the track, exhausted. And the lack of concentration caused the next crash. On full speed, for the first sprint, five riders rode into the back of the much too slow Kiwi. Riders sliding from the banks, wheels flying around, broken forks and the race neutralised for a while, then stopped for 10 minutes. Brian Ligneel saw his changes to win disappear, cause the good riding Deweer ended in hospital. The organisation decided to make the race shorter, and started again with 8 teams out of the 11 for hundred laps and 2 sprints.
And that is where the green and golds took advantage. Winning the first sprint and second in the final one, gave them a bag full of usefull points.
- Carver – Law (33 pts) AUS
- Imhof – Dillier (23 pts) SWI
- Mould – Yates (22 pts) GBR
- Lander – Kreutzfeldt (-1 lap – 7 pts) GER
- Longo – Nicolo (-2 laps – 6 pts) ITA
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