Six Day Racing

[Offtheback]

It was sad to read in CN that the current Munich 6 day is poorly attended and may be cancelled next year: as have been the Stuttgart and Dortmund 6 day races.

IMO six day racing can be some of the best and most exciting bike races you can see. Every 330 meters or so, as opposed to maybe only a couple of times in road racing.

My parents took me to the Munich 6 day when I was 10 years old. They weren't cycle fans as such, but the racing was popular with the general public in the 50's & 60's. I loved it and it started my interest in cycling.

I believe the Berlin 6 day is still very popular and it's on my to do list in the next few years. Sitting down with a Bratwurst and beer watching hand-slings at 50kph: Heaven!

 

[hmronnow]

It was sad to read in CN that the current Munich 6 day is poorly attended ...

well, it is sad to see how poorly CN is reporting o nthis event. It is now sunday and CN still only has a 1st day report. That is not impressive by a speciality news site.

 

[Offtheback]

6 days Munich & Costa Rita

well, it is sad to see how poorly CN is reporting o nthis event. It is now sunday and CN still only has a 1st day report. That is not impressive by a speciality news site.

Yes, a bit of a lag in the reporting. It sounds like it could be a great event though: a lot of fine riders participating! That's the problem of living in Beautiful Australia (30C today, blue sky....), it's not easy to jump on a ferry and go and see a Six Day ;-(

On another note, I've just been reading about La Ruta de los Conquistadores. What an event! What a multi faceted sport is the wonderful world of cycling.

 

[fatandfast]

In the Us we have wrestling,monster trucks,horse jumping,swimming,motocross and lacrosse that all have great attendance, no other reason than fantastic promotion. Some fans don't know anything about the sport but the advertisements look interesting and fun so they go and check it out.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Ghent is still very popular, and sold out every year. I hope my friend was able to catch some tickets, so i can go see it again this year.

 

[hmronnow]

Ghent is still very popular, and sold out every year.

CN doesn't seem to have noticed. Their journalistic coverage seems limited to one sentence. For instance from last night: "Danes drop down while the Swiss stay steady". Even if they don't care about commenting on the race, given that they place a picture of a rider carried away to hospital they could at least have given some info on that.

 

[hmronnow]

CN - thanks for the article about final day of the event. If I may suggest, it would be good if this article appear on the day 6 page of that race.

 

[Offtheback]

WooHoo! Aussie youngsters, Scott Law & Alex Carver win U23 Gent 6 Day. Both young with little experience on steep tracks. They did themselves proud.

Chalk up another potential pair of endurance speedsters to take over from O'Grady in the future, hopefully.

Hope they don't pick up a nicotine habit from 6 day/nights in a Belgian velodrome http://forum.cyclingnews.com/images/icons/icon6.gif

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Hope they don't pick up a nicotine habit from 6 day/nights in a Belgian velodrome

Smoking is forbidden in the velodrome in Ghent

 

[TRDean]

I'm disappointed in all the CN reporting of every 6 day event so far! I am in the US and don't see any of it and I come here and still get very little coverage...what gives? Could the poor attendance be due to the economic climate?? Bounce back next year??? I hope.

 

[hmronnow]

I'm disappointed in all the CN reporting of every 6 day event so far! I am in the US and don't see any of it and I come here and still get very little coverage...what gives? Could the poor attendance be due to the economic climate?? Bounce back next year??? I hope.

I agree. There is basically zero coverage, except for listing the results and a title per day. 6-day racing may not be TDF, but Rotterdam should be significantly more interesting than relaying non-critically what someone just wrote on their personal web-page. In addition to the sporting aspects, in the thread about Theo Bos' indoor crash, someone wrote about the riders' choice of tires - meaning there is information and opinions around to write about - just no will.

 

[hamiltonpista]

With the UCI moving track to a winter schedule, as well as the inclusion of the omnium in the Olympics, it seems that six-day events should (at least in theory) be as healthy as ever and yet...

Possibly the generally poor economy, and in regards to the German six-days, a backlash against some of the doping scandals. It seems that the backlash against doping issues in Germany has been stronger than in other parts of Europe.

Agreed that the CN six-day coverage leaves much to be desired...

 

[hmronnow]

Possibly the generally poor economy, and in regards to the German six-days, a backlash against some of the doping scandals. It seems that the backlash against doping issues in Germany has been stronger than in other parts of Europe.

Henrik Elmgren from Denmark (involved with the copenhagen 6day) made an interesting remark about the folding of munich 6day: http://www.feltet.dk/index.php?id_parent=1&id=28&id_nyhed=23744

He pointed out that if they had some 50.000 paying spectators and were not able to meet ends, then there is something wrong on the organizational level. Indeed, as far as I know the number of spectators just fluctuate a bit, but has generally gone up over the years. What has happened is that the budgets (percieved required) have gone up more.

Agreed that the CN six-day coverage leaves much to be desired...

Well, it is pristine...

 

[velodromeorguk]

organisers have been sending me pr

http://www.velodrome.org.uk/ballerup6d10.html

 

[hmronnow]

Copenhagen 6day

Rasmussen and Morkov won a very tight race, where lead changed for every sprint in the final hour.

This race (and several other of the season's 6es) has been very exciting. I do not understand why it gets so little coverage. Media coverage can boost a sport - absense can dwarf it.

Does anyone know if there exist footage from the race in the public domain?

 

[Cerberus]

Rasmussen and Morkov won a very tight race, where lead changed for every sprint in the final hour.

This race (and several other of the season's 6es) has been very exciting. I do not understand why it gets so little coverage. Media coverage can boost a sport - absense can dwarf it.

Does anyone know if there exist footage from the race in the public domain?

The last 5 minutes of the race are here.

 

[hmronnow]

The last 5 minutes of the race are here.

Many thanks

 

[gillianreynolds]

A six or six-day is a track cycling race that lasts six days. Six-day races started in Britain, spread to many regions of the world, were brought to their modern style in the United States and are now mainly a European event. Initially, individuals competed alone, the winner being the individual who completed the most laps. However, the format was changed to allow teams (usually of two riders each), one rider racing while the other rested. The 24-hours a day regime has also been relaxed, so that most six-day races involve six nights of racing, typically from 6pm to 2am, on indoor tracks (velodromes).

The overall winner is the team which completes most laps. In the event of teams completing the same number of laps, the winner is the team with most points won in intermediate competitions (see points race). As well as the 'chase' to gain laps over competitors, a typical six-day programme will include time trials, motor-paced, intermediate sprint and elimination races. In the main 'chase' or madison events (so-called after Madison Square Garden in New York where the two-man format was devised), both riders may be on the track at the same time, taking it in turns to race, hand-slinging each other back into action.

Thanks@!!!

 

[CobbleStoner]

just got my tickets for the Amsterdam zesdaagse next week, so stoked to finally go to one, gotta cheer for Danny Stam, farewell season. Niki and Iljo also look good, can't wait.

 

[durhamwasp]

In the process of booking up for the Rotterdam zesdaagse at the start of January, taking in the first 2 days of racing.
Anybody been? Atmosphere on youtube videos looks great! How much is a pint and a croquette?!

 

[CobbleStoner]

In the process of booking up for the Rotterdam zesdaagse at the start of January, taking in the first 2 days of racing.
Anybody been? Atmosphere on youtube videos looks great! How much is a pint and a croquette?!

I will be there too, we should have a pint together, I'm sure beer and croquettes are cheap there, it's not really a trendy or chic thing, thankfully

 

[durhamwasp]

I will be there too, we should have a pint together, I'm sure beer and croquettes are cheap there, it's not really a trendy or chic thing, thankfully

Sounds good mate!

Many of you going? Theres 3 of us. Will let you know when its booked up.

What seating section would you recommend? Looking at the plan, the only blocks available are Ae, Af, Ag, Ah, Ai and Aj along one side, and then the corner sections of C blocks. Are the other tickets released later?

 

[CobbleStoner]

congrats to Kenny DeKetle and Robert Bartko in winning the Gent 6. another tough, fast 6 nights of racing that saw a couple of lead changes and non-stop attacking in the chases.
Zurich next!

 

[durhamwasp]

Cant wait til 5 weeks time when im at the Rotterdam 6!

 

[El Pistolero]

Keisse wins again in Zürich