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Introduction to Track Racing - What's a Wheelrace? - Introduction to Six Day racing - UCI codes
66th Zesdaagse Van Vlaanderen-Gent - 6D
Belgium, November 21-26, 2006
Main Page Results Overall standings Next Day
Day 1 - November 21
Opening night sees hometown favorites lead
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The Gent six-day kicked off with the home-town favorite, Iljo Keisse and his partner Robert Bartko taking the early lead by three of the evening's events. The pair faced stiff competition from Bruno Risi and Leif Lampater, who took one win in the team elimination race, or 'ploegafvalling', and a second place in the first Madison of the night.
Franco Marvulli and Alexander Aeschbach (Swi) also got off to a strong start, taking second place in the first two events, but found themselves down one lap in the first Madison event when Keisse/Bartko and Risi/Lampater put in an attack with just ten laps to go, and successfully stole a lap. Other favorites, Llaneras and Galvez and Stam/Schep were able to gain that lap back during the final Madison, leaving four teams on the 'zero round' at the end of night one, with Keisse/Bartko leading by 23 points.
How it unfolded
The first event of the evening, the points race, started out controlled and rather orderly, as teams took turns on the lead, everyone seemingly content to have a steady warm-up. It wasn't until the first sprint midway through the race that the speed began to pick up considerably, and Iljo Keisse delighted the crowd by taking the first sprint over Franco Marvulli. The group stayed together for much of the race, and was content to contest the sprints in a bunch. As the clock ticked down to the final sprint, the speed of the pack shot up and peaked with Keisse's winning speed of 70km/h .
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Perhaps the most critical events of the six days are the Madisons, where laps can be gained as well as points. The first night's 'ploegkoers' was rife with attacks, and practically every ten laps a new group of teams would gain a lap with little resistance from the field. But the favorites were watching each other closely, as became evident in the final Madison. During the last 20 laps, Keisse/Bartko and Risi/Lampater shadowed each other, and when one team would attack, the other team forced the few serious chases of the night.
The world champions in the Madison, Galvez and Llaneras, seemed to find their legs in the last event, and while their second place and lap gained was enough to bring them to the zero round, they are lacking in points and end the night in fourth. Not to be counted out is the Dutch pair of Stam and Schep. Danny Stam, a seasoned six-day rider with 11 wins in these events, drove his team to victory in the final event, and onto equal laps with overall leaders Keisse and Bartko.
Toekomstzesgaagse heats
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The evening's competition began with the amateur 'Toekomstzesdaagse', the under-25 version of the six day, and in sharp contrast to the calculated, metered out efforts of the pro event, the racing of the amateurs appeared aggressive, at times frantic and a bit chaotic. The stakes of the early rounds are high, as there is just one race per night and every night is important in qualifying for the weekend's finals.
Two heats of amateurs took to the track for the opening night, which is the beginning of four qualifying rounds for this weekend's final. In the first heat, Germans Michael Arends and Erik Mohs were able to capitalise on the aggressive sprinting of the British pair Steven Burke and John Bellis, who won the first points. The German pair immediately countered, and were able to quickly take a lap, and went on to take the race on laps, gaining valuable points towards qualification.
The second lap was also dominated by a German pair, this time it was Marcel Kalz and Roger Kluge, but closely followed by the Czech pair Subrt and Mixa. The Czechs missed out on a mid-race attack by the Germans that successfully lapped the field, and while they could not gain back the lap, they took the final sprint over the Swiss and Dutch pairs, as Kalz and Kluge rode conservatively, safe in the zero round.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Luc Claessen/www.ctm-images.com
- Deneef and DePoortere sign in
- de Fauw and van Mechelen
- Marvulli and Aeschbach
- Keisse and Bartko were the hometown favorites
- Galvez and Llaneras resplendent in world champion stripes
- Villa is the 'taxi driver' for Marc Hester, the more experienced Italian is showing him the ropes.
- Liska and Zabka
- Pronk and Vierhouten
- Alexander Aeschbach
- Andreas Muller
- Muller leads the chase
- Risi throws Lampater
- Stam and Schep exhange
- de Fauw and van Mechelen take their turn
- Keisse and Bartko with winners bouquets
- Ready to start the first event
- Robert Bartko
- Bartko gets a push from Keisse
- Muller and Grasmann at the start
- Risi and Lampater sign in
- The starting shot is fired
- van Mechelen gives a dig.
Images by Emory Ball/Cyclingnews
- Crowds on the infield had a good view of the action.
- Watching where to go
- Galvez drives it
- Vaarten brings Keisse over the top
- Keisse gets a hand from Bartko
- Just in case petrol + spark + wood = bad a fireman stands guard.
- Galvez behind Zijlaard, the Derny king.
- Llaneras pushes off.
- Heading in for a quick exchange
- Galvez keeps an eye on the race
- Risi puts out a hand
- Juan Llaneras looks back
- De Ketele and Vaarten get their spoils flowers for rider, beer for driver!
- The bike of the "Madison King" Bruno Risi
- Bartko was happy with the win
- Llaneras comes over the top
- Llaneras gets horizontal or nearly so.
- Risi's bike says "ride it your way"
- Just in case you didn't know this wheel is for track only.
- Franco Marvulli rocks out
- Taylor Brown gets a hand from Jackie Simes
- Kevin Suhr (USA) goes in for the exchange
- The Dutch rider examines his wheel it's probably not true anymore...
- Kalz and Kluge get the yellow leaders jersesy for heat two
- Dutch U25 rider returns after crashing still looking dazed
- British pair Burke and Bellis were sprint leaders of heat one
- Kalz and Kluge in heat two of the U25 race
- Villa throws in Hester
- Marco Villa remained expressionless the entire night, even when throwing in Marc Hester.
- One of the few times Villa leaves his 'race face' off.
Results
Toekomstzesdaagse U-25 - Heat 1
1 Michael Arends/ Erik Mohs (Ger) 10 pts
One lap down
2 Rene Schibli/ Patrick Betz (Swi/Ger) 8 pts
Two laps down
3 Steven Burke/ John Bellis (GBr) 6 pts
4 Jesper Morkov/ Christian Ranneries (Den) 5
Three laps down
5 Niels Peters/ Denis Kreder (Ned) 4 pts
6 Beni Baumgartner/ Tobias Baumgartner (Swi) 3
Four laps down
7 Dave Mertens/ Leys Birger (Bel) 2 pts
8 Jackie Simes/ Taylor Brown (USA) 1
Toekomstzesdaagse U-25 - Heat 2
1 Marcel Kalz/ Roger Kluge (Ger) 10 pts
One lap down
2 Pavel Subrt/ Marek Mixa (Cze) 8 pts
Two laps down
3 Pim Lighthart/ Jeff Vermeulen (Ned) 6 pts
4 Maxime Bally/ Bruno Menzi (Swi) 5
5 Anzizar Lizarraga/ Blazquez Berasarte (Esp) 4
6 Thomas Murray/ Peter Williams (GBr) 3
7 Emilien Clere/ Michael Jeanin (Fra) 2
8 Kevin Suhr/ Ryan Luttrell (USA) 1
9 Matthias Venderhauwaert/ Jurgen Beeckman (Bel)
Points race (60 laps, 6 sprints)
1 Iljo Keisse/ Rober Bartko (Bel/Ger) 15 pts
2 Franco Marvulli/ Alexander Aeschbach (Swi) 10
3 Kenny de Ketele/ Steve Schets (Bel) 8
4 Dimitri De Fauw/ Wouter van Mechelen (Bel) 6
5 Bruno Risi/ Leif Lampater (Swi/Ger) 4
6 Andreas Muller/ Christian Grasmann (Ger) 2
7 Isaac Galvez/Juan Llaneras (Spa)
8 Marco Villa/ Marc Hester (Ita/Den)
9 Danny Stam/ Peter Schep (Ned)
10 Steven DeNeef/ Ingmar Depoortere (Bel)
11 Andreas Beikirch/ Sebastian Frey (Ger)
12 Matthe Pronk/ Aart Vierhouten (Ned)
13 Martin Liska/ Jozef Zabka (Slo)
Team elimination
1 Bruno Risi/ Leif Lampater (Swi/Ger) 15 pts
2 Franco Marvulli/ Alexander Aeschbach (Swi) 10
3 Andreas Muller/ Christian Grasmann (Ger) 8
4 Iljo Keisse/ Rober Bartko (Bel/Ger) 6
5 Danny Stam/ Peter Schep (Ned) 4
6 Dimitri De Fauw/ Wouter van Mechelen (Bel) 2
7 Kenny de Ketele/ Steve Schets (Bel)
8 Isaac Galvez/Juan Llaneras (Spa)
9 Marco Villa/ Marc Hester (Ita/Den)
10 Andreas Beikirch/ Sebastian Frey (Ger)
11 Matthe Pronk/ Aart Vierhouten (Ned)
12 Martin Liska/ Jozef Zabka (Slo)
13 Steven DeNeef/ Ingmar Depoortere (Bel)
Flying lap
1 Dimitri De Fauw/ Wouter van Mechelen (Bel) 0.08.65
2 Iljo Keisse/ Rober Bartko (Bel/Ger) 0.08.92
3 Kenny de Ketele/ Steve Schets (Bel) 0.08.94
4 Danny Stam/ Peter Schep (Ned) 0.08.99
5 Franco Marvulli/ Alexander Aeschbach (Swi) 0.09.00
6 Marco Villa/ Marc Hester (Ita/Den) 0.09.09
7 Martin Liska/ Jozef Zabka (Slo) 0.09.25
8 Isaac Galvez/Juan Llaneras (Spa) 0.09.27
9 Franco Marvulli/ Alexander Aeschbach (Swi) 0.09.29
10 Andreas Muller/ Christian Grasmann (Ger) 0.09.33
11 Andreas Beikirch/ Sebastian Frey (Ger) 0.09.48
12 Matthe Pronk/ Aart Vierhouten (Ned) 0.09.64
13 Steven DeNeef/ Ingmar Depoortere (Bel) 0.09.71
Madison (40 minues + 10 laps)
1 Iljo Keisse/ Rober Bartko (Bel/Ger)
2 Bruno Risi/ Leif Lampater (Swi/Ger)
One lap down
3 Isaac Galvez/Juan Llaneras (Spa)
4 Franco Marvulli/ Alexander Aeschbach (Swi)
5 Danny Stam/ Peter Schep (Ned)
6 Andreas Beikirch/ Sebastian Frey (Ger)
Two laps down
7 Andreas Muller/ Christian Grasmann (Ger)
8 Marco Villa/ Marc Hester (Ita/Den)
Four laps down
9 Dimitri De Fauw/ Wouter van Mechelen (Bel)
10 Kenny de Ketele/ Steve Schets (Bel)
11 Steven DeNeef/ Ingmar Depoortere (Bel)
Five laps down
12 Matthe Pronk/ Aart Vierhouten (Ned)
13 Martin Liska/ Jozef Zabka (Slo)
Derny race - heat 1
1 De Ketele (Vaarten) 5 pts
2 Pronk (Zijlaard) 4
3 van Mechelen (Huybrechts) 3
4 Villa (Walrave) 2
5 De Poortere (Van Uytfange) 1
6 Muller (Durst)
Elimination
1 Dimitri De Fauw/ Wouter van Mechelen (Bel) 15 pts
2 Franco Marvulli/ Alexander Aeschbach (Swi) 10
3 Danny Stam/ Peter Schep (Ned) 8
4 Iljo Keisse/ Rober Bartko (Bel/Ger) 6
5 Martin Liska/ Jozef Zabka (Slo) 4
6 Steven DeNeef/ Ingmar Depoortere (Bel) 2
7 Matthe Pronk/ Aart Vierhouten (Ned)
8 Bruno Risi/ Leif Lampater (Swi/Ger)
9 Marco Villa/ Marc Hester (Ita/Den)
10 Isaac Galvez/Juan Llaneras (Spa)
11 Andreas Beikirch/ Sebastian Frey (Ger)
12 Kenny de Ketele/ Steve Schets (Bel)
13 Andreas Muller/ Christian Grasmann (Ger)
Derny race - heat 2
1 Keisse (Vaarten) 5 pts
2 Galvez (Zijlaard) 4
3 Stam (Walrave) 3
4 Lampater (Durst) 2
5 Aeschbach (Huybrechts) 1
6 Frey (Van Uytfange)
500 m team time trial
1 Dimitri De Fauw/ Wouter van Mechelen (Bel) 0.27.80
2 Franco Marvulli/ Alexander Aeschbach (Swi) 0.28.16
3 Iljo Keisse/ Rober Bartko (Bel/Ger)
4 Bruno Risi/ Leif Lampater (Swi/Ger) 0.28.84
5 Danny Stam/ Peter Schep (Ned) 0.29.14
6 Marco Villa/ Marc Hester (Ita/Den) 0.29.16
7 Kenny de Ketele/ Steve Schets (Bel) 0.29.18
8 Martin Liska/ Jozef Zabka (Slo) 0.29.25
9 Steven DeNeef/ Ingmar Depoortere (Bel) 0.29.81
10 Isaac Galvez/Juan Llaneras (Spa) 0.29.84
11 Andreas Beikirch/ Sebastian Frey (Ger) 0.29.89
12 Matthe Pronk/ Aart Vierhouten (Ned) 0.30.40
13 Andreas Muller/ Christian Grasmann (Ger) 0.30.90
Madison (30 minutes + 10 laps)
1 Danny Stam/ Peter Schep (Ned) 15 pts
2 Isaac Galvez/Juan Llaneras (Spa) 10
One lap down
3 Bruno Risi/ Leif Lampater (Swi/Ger) 8 pts
4 Franco Marvulli/ Alexander Aeschbach (Swi) 6
5 Marco Villa/ Marc Hester (Ita/Den) 4
6 Iljo Keisse/ Rober Bartko (Bel/Ger) 2
7 Andreas Muller/ Christian Grasmann (Ger)
8 Andreas Beikirch/ Sebastian Frey (Ger)
Two laps down
9 Kenny de Ketele/ Steve Schets (Bel)
10 Steven DeNeef/ Ingmar Depoortere (Bel)
11 Matthe Pronk/ Aart Vierhouten (Ned)
12 Dimitri De Fauw/ Wouter van Mechelen (Bel)
13 Martin Liska/ Jozef Zabka (Slo)
Supersprint
1 Marco Villa/ Marc Hester (Ita/Den)
2 Dimitri De Fauw/ Wouter van Mechelen (Bel)
3 Andreas Muller/ Christian Grasmann (Ger)
4 Andreas Beikirch/ Sebastian Frey (Ger)
5 Steven DeNeef/ Ingmar Depoortere (Bel)
Scratch
1 Kenny de Ketele/ Steve Schets (Bel)
2 Andreas Beikirch/ Sebastian Frey (Ger)
3 Franco Marvulli/ Alexander Aeschbach (Swi)
4 Danny Stam/ Peter Schep (Ned)
5 Martin Liska/ Jozef Zabka (Slo)
6 Marco Villa/ Marc Hester (Ita/Den)
Derny final
1 Keisse
2 de Ketele
3 Stam
4 Galvez
5 Pronk
6 van Mechelen
Standings after night one
1 Iljo Keisse/ Rober Bartko (Bel/Ger) 77 pts
2 Danny Stam/ Peter Schep (Ned) 54
3 Bruno Risi/ Leif Lampater (Swi/Ger) 49
4 Isaac Galvez/Juan Llaneras (Spa) 26
One lap down
5 Franco Marvulli/ Alexander Aeschbach (Swi) 63 pts
6 Andreas Beikirch/ Sebastian Frey (Ger) 22
Two laps down
7 Marco Villa/ Marc Hester (Ita/Den) 25 pts
8 Andreas Muller/ Christian Grasmann (Ger) 18
Five laps down
9 Dimitri De Fauw/ Wouter van Mechelen (Bel) 66 pts
10 Kenny de Ketele/ Steve Schets (Bel) 44
11 Steven DeNeef/ Ingmar Depoortere (Bel) 7
12 Martin Liska/ Jozef Zabka (Slo) 8
13 Matthe Pronk/ Aart Vierhouten (Ned) 6
