Six Days of Gent

Belgium, November 16 - 21, 1999

Day 1 - November 16th
Day 2 - November 17th
Day 3 - November 18th
Day 4 - November 19th
Day 5 - November 20th
Day 6 - November 21st

Preview:

By Tomas Nilsson

Twelve teams will ride the 59th six days in Gent, this year called "Flandrian six days" since the regional government is sponsoring it. Silvio Martinello, who won in Munich with Andreas Kappes, is this time paired with Grenoble winning compatriot Adriano Baffi. In an interesting sponsorship arrangement, Baffi's sponsor (Mapei) is one of the big sponsors in Gent, and Martinello (Polti) will wear the Mapei-shirt, though he will don his Polti gear if (when?) he mounts the podium.

The Swiss duo Risi and Betschart, winners in Dortmund, will probably once again be the main opponents, but look out for de Wilde and Gilmore who suffered from illness in Dortmund as well as Munich. Munich revelation Bartko - McGrory are split. The latter will ride with Dane Jimmi Madsen, third in Dortmund. His partner there, Andreas Beikirch crashed in Munich and will be replaced by Stefan Steinweg in Gent.

Starting list:

1 Isaac Galvez (Spa) - Juan Llaneras (Spa)
2 Marco Villa (Ita) - Laurenzo Lapage (Bel)
3 Matthew Gilmore (Bel) - Etienne De Wilde (Bel)
4 Frank Corvers (Bel) - Andreas Kappes (Ger)
5 Scott McGrory (Aus) - Jimmi Madsen (Den)
6 Silvio Martinello (Ita) - Adriano Baffi (Ita)
7 Bruno Risi (Swi) - Kurt Betschart (Swi)
8 Tayeb Braikia (Den) - Andrea Collinelli (Ita)
9 Gerd Dörich (Ger) - Paul Van Hyfte (Bel)
10 Alexander Aeschbach (Swi) - Christian Weber (Swi)
11 Rob Hayles (Gbr) - Bradley Wiggins (Gbr)
12 Stefan Steinweg (Ger) - Lars Teutenberg (Ger)

Amateurs

The amateurs' competition also sees twelve pairs. Fresh French European Champions, Pommerau and Sassonne are favorites, but there's an interesting name in pair 11, but of course genes don't count for everything.

1 Andreas Müller (Ger) - Bernhard Wächter (Ger)
2 Damien Pommereau (Fra) - Robert Sassonne (Fra)
3 Brian Withcombe (USA) - Basil Milsal (USA)
4 Gregor Gut (Swi)- Beat Obrist (Swi)
5 David Hubschwerlin (Bel)- Nicky Vermeersch (Bel)
6 Johan Dhaenens (Bel)- Gunther Van den Bossche (Bel)
7 Bart Van der Veken (Bel)- Kenneth Van de Wiele (Bel)
8 Iljo Keisse (Bel)- Patrick Van Hoolandt ((Bel)
9 Björn Nachtergaele (Bel)- Wim Beirnaert (Bel)
10 Filip Sercu (Bel)- Nico Ruyloft (Bel)
11 Geert Dobbelaere (Bel)- Eric Bos (Ned)

On Saturday there will be a Keirin competition with some top riders:

1 Jens Fiedler (Ger)
2 Frédéric Magné (Fra)
3 Roberto Chiappa (Ita)
4 Ainars Kiksis (Lat)
5 Martin Benjamin (Ned)
6 Anthony Peden (Nzl)