final day

Sunday morning, November 25th, has to be the final day of the 72th Ghent six. Official name sounds totally different: Lotto z6sdaagse Vlaanderen Gent. While the U23 riders just started their final Madison (240 laps).

This circa 45 minutes race give us some time to look back on a carrier of one of the most famous person in the six days circus. Although he is not a rider, a lot of people know of this man. He became famous when he let his mo grow. Joop Zijlaard made his appearance in the derny world in 1970. We will see the 69 year old Rotterdam citizen for the last time in a race this afternoon. In his last motor paced race he will try to win the final later this afternoon. Who with? I’ll bet you it will be Iljo or Glenn. The list of races he won is long, 9 European titles, 30 times champion of the Netherlands and even 3 Belgian ones.

At the moment we’re half way the U23 race and still the Czech and German team leading by one lap. Five other teams are only one lap down, so everything is still possible. But I must admit that Kraus-Rugovac and Hesslich-Horstmann control the race completely. The points leaders, French couple, Boudot-Barbeau really need to take a lap to win this race. If they can manage this, it almost guarantee them the first place, they have 1OOpts, the Czechs 38 and the Germans only 16pts. Scary moments with ten laps to go, when the yellow jersey came down. Fortunately they could continue the race. The stage was finally won by Germans Wotschke-Pirius. The final winners of the U23 six days are the Czech riders:

1 Jan Kraus – Denis Rugovac (40pts) 2 Nico Hesslich – Samuel Horstmann (17pts) 3 Jonas Rickaert – Otto Vergaerde (-1 lap / 88pts)

In the pro six, four teams start the final session in the same lap, O’Shea-Keisse (383pts), De Ketele-Van Hoecke (379pts), Dillier-Bartko (266pts) and Hester-Hansen (230pts). So it will be either taking a lot of points or more important a lap. And the fight for the points started immediately, Iljo and Glenn took 20 points and that was 8 more than the Belgian World champions. The following race was a missing out with a final sprint between Keisse and Van Hoecke. And once again O’Shea- Keisse are the winners.

The fastest lap was won by “the Swiss Bullet” Tristan Marguet with his fellow countryman Franco Marvulli. And guess won the first heat behind the derny…..yes Iljo Keisse with motor pacer Joop Zijlaard.

It is now waiting for the final Madison!

DAY 5

Day 5,

Just had a talk with a relaxed Glenn O’Shea. Few hours before the start of the fifth session, he is the only pro rider on the track. Don’t have to say that he has the right mentality and is really motivated to bring this mission to a happy end. I can see him already with his mate Iljo on the podium. And if you ask me it should be the top spot.  Keisse and O’Shea are really strong this week, but they must look out for De Ketele-Van Hoecke and Dillier-Bartko. But also the Danish boys Hansen-Hester are still in the running. But they are two laps down.

An extra motivation for Glenn O’Shea is the fact that he will be living in Belgium next season, cause he just signed for the Belgian-Irish team An Post – Sean Kelly of sport director Kurt Bogaert. Let’s hope Glenn can get used to our unpredictable wonderful (lol) summer weather.  

The actual situation before the fifth night:

1 O’Shea – Keisse (308pts), 2 Van Hoecke – De Ketele (305pts), 3 Dillier-Bartko (-1 lap / 205pts)

At the moment the U23 madison has just started, and there are still seven teams in the running for the victory. Although the German team might be the strongest in this field. But it are the Czech riders Kraus-Rugovac from Dukla Praha who started the race in yellow. About five meters away from me I can see a very concentrated coach of the Germans. His name? Lutz Hesslich, the former East German who won two gold medals, sprint, at the Olympics in Moscow and Seoul.

The ranking:

1 Kraus-Rugovac (29pts), 2 Hesslich-Horstmann (16pts), 3 Boudat-Barbeau (-1 lap /87pts)

Tonight the pro riders have following races to ride, they start with a sixty laps points race, which is on now and is won by Tosh Van Der Zande-Leif Lampater. Other races tonight are a missing out, a fastest lap, two Madison races, derny races and a scratch race. In between we have a women’s omnium as well.

So lot’s of fun till 1.15am

NIGHT 3 OF THE GHENT SIX

Thursday night, 7pm. Funny when you walk into the front door of the velodrome and you have to say g’day to 3 persons. Not very unusual, but all of them are either World or Olympic champions. The first one is World champion Omnium and all the way from Swan Hill, Australia. And also silver medal winner in the team pursuit. This 23 year old Aussie is one of the top stars in this race. Only 13 points keeps him away of the first place after two nights. With his mate Iljo Keisse they will try tonight to take the lead. Strange to see him walking around in Omega –Quick Step colors instead of Jayco.

Second man Belgian World champ Madison Kenny De Ketele, always friendly and that costs him time, he stops few times for a chat, a pic or an autograph. Kenny’s new look makes me think of Danny Clark or would he be a member of the Mo-Vember club. Yes, he has a real black moustache. And let’s hope it brings him luck.

The third guy is probably the less knowing rider of the 3 trackies.  Lasse Norman Hansen from Denmark. He is the Olympic gold medal winner Omnium.  Only twenty years old, and already a possible podium chaser, with his team mate Marc Hester.

At this moment the teams are trying to beat the best time of Keisse – O’Shea on the fastest lap (8.74sec for the 166m). No one seems to go faster tonight. So the flowers are for Iljo and Glenn.

The new record was set last night by Tristan Marguet who teams with Franco Marvulli. (8.57 sec) They beat the 10 years old record of South African Jean Pierre Van Zijl.

In the meantime the midfield and the stands are getting full with spectators. Everybody gets ready for the first Madison of the night. After 16 minutes in this 45min + 10 laps Madison still 6 teams in the lead. The Swiss-German team Dillier – Bartko looks very strong tonight. It wouldn’t surprise me if these two will finish very close in this ongoing Madison. The race has been neutralized because of crash of Marc Hester and Tim Mertens. Someone mist his drink bottle and the track got wet and slippery. Fifteen minutes to go and Keisse attacks again. Dillier and Bartko alone ahead, but the world champions and Keisse – O’Shea are always close.

The final is full on now, Still the “ teams leading with 5 minutes and 10 laps to go. Also the Danish riders Hester and Hansen want to take a piece of the cake.

Ok 10 laps to go, We’re building up to a close sprint with 4 teams , Iljo Keisse is the  fastest sprinter!!His mate Glenn O’Shea brought him at the right spot for the final lap! Well done guys.

And now I am off for a well deserved beer! Cheers

Ghent sixdays 2012

I think I was about nine years old when I came to my First six in Ghent. My grandfather, who rode the track as an amateur, introduced me to what would become THE sport of my life. Those were the days of Patrick Sercu, Peter Post, a young Eddy Merckx, but also Dieter Kemper, The Phenninger brothers and many others. In that period the riders rode more than five hours. I would almost say today the boys have a luxury live. I remember that on Wednesday afternoon we, the school kids, could come to the track for a special children afternoon. That included special races, sprints, point races etc…  In those races the riders couldn’t win money or points, but sweets, caps, photographs etc, that they throw out in the in the cheering crowd. Hundreds of little boys and girls and some schoolteachers tried to grab some of the gadgets. Even for these races some of the riders became famous, I will always remember Willy Debosscher and Gerben Karstens who were always up for a joke on the track. Willy turning around and riding in the opposite direction or Gerben was knocking a box of candy out of the hands of a rider, only for the pleasure of the kids.

Another thing that disappeared is the special students championships. One early evening in the six days the local Uni students could race their National student’s championships. Don’t have to tell you that lots of supporters turned up that night and beer was flowing.

When I later came back to the sixes, early 80’s, the famous time of some of the best Australian track riders began. Guys like Danny Clark, Don Allan, Gary Wiggins, Tom Sawyer. Don’t have to tell you that after few events the Ghent crowd loved the Kangaroos.  Danny would become the biggest star in those years, together with Don, and later with Anthony Doyle. But also with local star Etienne De Wilde. The same Etienne De Wilde who would guide Matt Gilmore trough his first sixes. Unfortunately now these years we don’t see many Australians on our Ghent track. Only Glenn O’Shea and Leigh Howard been present in the last few years. Despite great results and even winning the U23 sixes we haven’t seen the Law brothers or Alex Carver back in “het Kuipke”

But tonight, the before the start of second stage of this seventy second edition, we have at least a Victorian leader. Glenn O’Shea leads the pack with local man Iljo Keisse together with 3 other formations.

Will be back soon.