63rd Zesdaagse Van Vlaanderen-Gent - 6D

Gent, Belgium, November 18-23, 2003

2002 results Schedule Preview Teams Past winners Photos

Schedule

Day 1 - November 18
Day 2 - November 19
Day 3 - November 20
Day 4 - November 21
Day 5 - November 22
Day 6 - November 23

Gilmore and Wiggins hungry for a win at Gent

By Nick Rosenthal, fatnick.com

Gilmore and Wiggins
Photo ©: Nick Rosenthal

The 63rd edition of the Zesdaagse van Vlaanderen-Gent, better known as the Ghent Six, will run from Tuesday, November 18 through Sunday, November 23. It's one of the most popular Sixes, and the crowds are always appreciative of the action in Gent's Kuipke.

The 2002 Ghent Six saw the regular pairing of Bruno Risi and Kurt Betschart score a hard-earned win ahead of some fierce competition. This year, the newly made up team that came second in 2002 will be hungry for revenge: Ghent's own Matt Gilmore was paired for the first time with Britain's Bradley Wiggins in the 2002 Ghent Six, and they are a remarkably effective combination. Gilmore and Wiggins can also be sure of having the local crowd behind them, as they were both born in Ghent while their fathers were themselves racing on the six-day circuit.

Matt Gilmore and Brad Wiggins are both very keen to win the Ghent Six in 2003, and Wiggins is in great form. The only slight question mark against their form is Gilmore's condition following a "vehicular mishap" on the way back from the recent Munich Six, a car crash which has left him a bit battered and bruised, and with reports of a pulled muscle. But Gilmore is tough and has bounced back from worse, and he had the good sense to lay low and rest, choosing to miss the European Derny title in order to be back on song for his home six day race.

Other riders to watch include Switzerland's top six day pairing of Risi and Betschart, who should never be underestimated, but they may well be ready for a bit of a rest after two hard earned wins in Dortmund and Munich. Robert Slippens and Danny Stam are very quick, and could well make the podium. But Fat Nick's money for an outside flutter has to be double world champion Franco Marvulli and Alex Aeschbach.

Throw in a few Belgian beers (for the spectators, anyway!), a nice tight 170 metre track, and oodles of atmosphere, and you can see why Fat Nick has been looking forward to this race. And the race is "under new management" this year, with new owners and new ticketing arrangements. The good news is that former six-day ace Patrick Sercu remains firmly in charge of sporting matters, so exciting racing is guaranteed.

Teams

Bruno Risi/Kurt Betschart (Swi) Labo Van Vooren
Andreas Kappes/Andreas Beikirch (Ger) Real Homes
Scott McGrory (Aus)/Robert Sassone (Fra) VDK
Robert Slippens/Danny Stam (Ned) Evosoft
Matthew Gilmore (Bel)/Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Mercator
Jean-Pierre Van Zyl (RSA)/Marco Villa (Ita) Saey/Deschacht
Jimmi Madsen (Den)/Lars Teutenberg (Ger) JDK-RDM
Iljo Keisse (Bel)/Franz Stocher (Aut) Tartuffe
Dimitri Defauw (Bel)/Gerd Dörich (Ger) AVS
Rob Hayles (GBr)/Marty Nothstein (USA) Rail-Pass
Steven Deneef/Wouter Van Mechelen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
Franco Marvulli (Swi)/Alexander Aeschbach (Swi) Van Eetvelde

Past winners

2002 Bruno Risi (Swi)/Kurt Betschart (Swi)
2001 Matthew Gilmore (Bel)/Scott McGrory (Aus) 
2000 Matthew Gilmore (Bel)/Silvio Martinello (Ita)
1999 Jimmi Madsen/Scott McGrory (Den/Aus)
1998 Silvio Martinello/Marco Villa (Ita)
1997 Etienne De Wilde/Matthew Gilmore (Bel/Aus)
1996 Bruno Risi/Kurt Betschart (Swi)
1995 Etienne De Wilde/Andreas Kappes (Bel/Ger)
1994 Danny Clark/Etienne De Wilde (Aus/Bel)
1993 Bruno Risi/Kurt Betschart (Swi)
1992 Etienne De Wilde/Jens Veggerby (Bel/Den)
1991 Etienne De Wilde/Tony Doyle (Bel/GBr)
1990 Danny Clark/Roland Günther (Aus/Ger)
1989 Etienne De Wilde/Stan Tourné (Bel)
1988 Urs Freuler/Roman Hermann (Swi/Lie) 
1987 Danny Clark/Etienne De Wilde (Aus/Bel)
1986 Danny Clark/Anthony Doyle (Aus/GBr)
1985 Stan Tourné/Etienne De Wilde (Bel)
1984 Gert Frank/Hans Henrik Oërsted (Den)
1983 René Pijnen/Etienne De Wilde (Ned/Bel)
1982 Danny Clark/Donald Allan (Aus)
1981 Patrick Sercu/Gert Frank (Bel/Den)
1980 Patrick Sercu/Albert Fritz (Bel/Ger)
1979 Danny Clark/Donald Allan (Aus)
1978 Patrick Sercu/Gerry Knetemann (Bel/Ned)
1977 Patrick Sercu/Eddy Merckx (Bel)
1976 Danny Clark/Donald Allan (Aus)
1975 Patrick Sercu/Eddy Merckx (Bel)
1974 Graeme Gilmore/Julien Stevens (Aus/Bel)
1973 Patrick Sercu/Graeme Gilmore (Bel/Aus)
1972 Patrick Sercu/Julien Stevens (Bel)
1971 Patrick Sercu/Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel)
1970 Patrick Sercu/Jean-Pierre Monseré (Bel)
1969 Rudi Altig/Sigi Renz (Ger)
1968 Peter Post/Leo Duyndam (Ned)
1967 Patrick Sercu/Eddy Merckx (Bel)
1966 Peter Post/Fritz Pfenninger (Ned/Swi)
1965 Patrick Sercu/Eddy Merckx (Bel)
1961 Rik Van Looy/Peter Post (Bel/Ned)
1960 Rik Van Looy/Peter Post (Bel/Ned)
1959 Rik Van Steenbergen/Fred De Bruyne (Bel)
1958 Reginand Arnold/Rik Van Looy (Aus/Bel)
1957 Rik Van Steenbergen/Fred De Bruyne (Bel)
1956 Reginald Arnold/Fernando Terruzi (Aus/Ita)
1955 Lucien Gillen/Fernando Terruzi (Lux/Ita)
1954 Rik Van Steenbergen/Stan Ockers (Bel)
1953 Achiel Bruneel/Arsène Rijckaert (Bel)
1952 Walter Bücher/Armin Von Büren (Swi)
1951 René Adriaensens/Albert Bruylandt (Bel)
1950 Gerrit Schulte/Gerrit Peters (Ned)
1949 Gerrit Schulte/Gerrit Boeyen (Ned)
1948 Achiel Bruneel/Camile De Kuysscher (Bel)
1947 Gerrit Schulte/Gerrit Boeyen (Ned
1937 Frans Slaats/Cees Pellenaars (Ned)
1936 Camile De Kuysscher/Albert Billiet (Bel)
1927 Maurice Dewolf/Hilaire Hellebaut (Bel)
1926 César Debaets/Emile Thollembeek (Bel)
1925 César Debaets/Jules Van Hevel (Bel)
1924 Alois Persijn/Jules Verschelden (Bel)
1923 Lucien Buysse/Victor Standaert (Bel)
1922 Marcel Buysse/Oscar Egg (Bel/Swi)
Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com