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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

Keisse gets a hand
Photo ©: Emory Ball
Click for larger image

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 .

Stam and Schep
Photo ©: Luc Claessen
Click for larger image

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

Kalz and Kluge in heat two of the U25 race
Photo ©: Emory Ball
Click for larger image

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

Images by Emory Ball/Cyclingnews

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