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67th Zesdaagse Vlaanderen - Gent - 6D
Gent, Belgium, November 20-25, 2007
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Race 6 - November 13:
'Home team' Keisse and Bartko take Madison and race overall in dramatic finish
Risi and Marvulli conquered in final Madison
By Gregor Brown and Ben Atkins in Gent
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Home team Iljo Keisse and Roberto Bartko won the 67th Gent Six Day by taking one lap on Swiss Bruno Risi and Franco Marvulli in the race's finale - the Madison. Keisse, who hails from Gent and German Bartko trailed by one point before starting the 60 minute + 50 lap Madison, however a powerful move by the duo with 15 laps remaining saw them go on the attack, succeeding in gaining a lap to take the win in Madison and the overall event. The Chocolade Jacques team won the race's overall with 402 points, one lap over the Risi and Marvulli at 407 points. Robert Slippens and Danny Stam finished in third on the same lap as Risi/Marvulli, with 317 points.
"It is a feeling you have in the body, and then you know you must go," was Bartko's reaction to Cyclingnews when asked how the duo knew when to hit the throttle at near 15 laps remaining in the Madison. "I am too slow in the sprint - I am not a sprinter. I can go at high speeds for a long time, but I am not good at the top end [laughs]."
"We wanted to do the sprints, and I had proved earlier on in the other events that I had a good sprint," noted a calm yet delighted Keisse to Cyclingnews after the race. "We had lost out on the Madison sprints and I was in doubt, so I said to Robert 'we go all or nothing'."
The strategy worked as the two claimed the extra lap. Tonight Keisse will travel to his favourite bar in Gent, a bar that is owned by his dad. "It will be unfortunately too small for all the people that I expect will show." He has lived for all his life in Gent, moving when his parents divorced but always remaining in the Flemish town's centre.
How it unfolded
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The final day of the Gent Six Day began with two teams separated by a thin five points in the top two spots. World Champions Bruno Risi and Franco Marvulli led hometown boy Iljo Keisse and his German partner Robert Bartko on the lead lap with the Dutch pair of Robert Slippens and Danny Stam one lap behind and trailing by 56 points. This set up a tense atmosphere where every event would be crucial.
In the early part of the first points race, the two leading pairs of Risi/Marvulli and Keisse/Bartko marked each other, neither willing to see the other get away. The racing opened up before too long though and the leaders exchanged a few points. Slippens and Stam, edged closer to 300 points – where they would be awarded a bonus lap – by taking final sprint and the race. Taking five points to Risi/Marvulli's two, Keisse/Bartko managed in the end to reduce the gap on the overall to just one point - 332 to 331!
Now that the whole six day event is hinging on the matter of a point here or there, the team elimination was keenly contested by all of the major contenders. Slippens/Stam had been avoiding putting too much in to events that would only yield points as they needed to make a lap back on the two pairs of Risi/Marvulli and Keisse/Bartko. However, now that they were so close to the magic 300 points they were keen to do well here to gain back that lap.
Keisse/Bartko could only manage to hang on for fifth place – and 4 points – opening the door for Risi/Marvulli to restore a more comfortable lead - an invitation that they we only too pleased to take. Wiggins and Cavendish – showing the class that they will hope to take on to Beijing next summer – held on for third place, but the win was taken in a close photo finish by Bruno Risi coming around Robert Slippens. Risi/Marvulli's lead was back up to 12 points over Keisse/Bartko – 347 to 335, but Slippens/Stam reached their magic 300 and pulled themselves onto the lead lap, but will surely have to try and take another one as a 46 point deficit was too much to make up with less than a whole session remaining.
The 500-metre time trial saw Roberts/Hester post an early fast time of 28.94 on the 167-metre track. However Czech duo Lazar/Kankovsky went better, and so did the final pair, local favourites, Keisse/Bartko. When German Bartko hand slung partner Iljo Keisse the crowd went ballistic. The rider from Gent shot around the track to close with a time of 28.40, enough to top the leader board and add 15 points to their overall tally. They now sat just three points behind Swiss duo Risi/Marvulli.
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The first derny race saw an exhibition by Bradley Wiggins. After sitting near the back of the six-man group for the first portion of the event, the Brit took off with 15 laps remaining. Hand gestures and head nods told pacer Joop Zijlaard to keep the pace high. Wiggins succeeded with Zijlaard to lap the field, with only Luke Roberts able to follow. The duo and their pacers immediately went for an additional lap. Wiggins continued to lead though final lap to win the first derny of the day.
The elimination came down to Franco Marvulli and Wim Stroetinga. The latter appeared to take the win without much fight from his Swiss competitor, who likely was not worried about the 15 points won by the Dutchman. Stroetinga and partner Pronk were some 240 points back on the leading couple.
The finale of the last derny had De Ketele and Stam leading with Risi charging. Risi kept going to pass and take the lead, leaving only a gasping De Ketele to follow. However, with the help of pacer Huybrechts, De Ketele was able to hold on to the World Madison Champ and pacer Zijlaard. They were side by side in the final lap but it was local favourite Keisse who shocked the front runners, nailing Risi and De Ketele for the 10 points on offer. The two points gain moved Keisse/Bartko to only three points behind Risi/Marvulli in the overall.
The keirin finale was dominated by Czech Alois Kankovsky. The tall blonde took the lead in the final lap to hold off the Hester and De Fauw.
The following 167-metre time trial was a chance for Keisse/Bartko to take additional points on the Swiss leadership before the race finale - a 60 minute + 50 lap Madison. The Belgian/German duo took third with a time of 8.98 to gain 8 points, 2 more than Risi/Marvulli, who finished in fourth. The overall lead was now separated by one point, with the Swiss duo at 377. The timed event was won by Lazar/Kankovsky (8.74), who had won the 500-metre test earlier in the day. Wiggins/Cavendish took second with 8.96.
Both Risi/Marvulli and Keisse/Bartko fought hard early on in the Madison to put each other into difficulties. The Swiss team was often seen working with Dutchmen Slippens/Stam. By the race's mid-way point, all three couples had six laps on the others. Being one point down forced the home team to be offensive. Keisse/Bartko struck for an extra lap at any point they thought that the Swiss leaders were snoozing.
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The race came down to the final 50 laps, which presented sprints at every 10 laps (with 10, 6, 4 and 2 points on offer). Risi/Marvulli took the first sprint to gain four points on Keisse/Bartko, who took second. The scenario repeated itself with 30 laps to go; the Swiss were now leading by nine points. Sprint three did not get any better for the second place duo when Risi/Marvulli took the maximum points. However, immediately following the sprint, Bartko went on the attack, hunting for an extra lap. The crowd went nuts as he hand slung Keisse into action.
With 11 laps remaining the duo were one lap up on the Swiss and thus took the overall leadership. Risi and Marvulli were stuck, they could not make up the lap, and were forced to resign to second place. Keisse led out the final lap to take the sprint win and the overall victory with German partner Bartko.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Luc Claessen/www.ctm-images.com
- The British pair Kenaugh and Blythe ride to the overall win in the U25 UIV Cup
- Peter Kennaugh and Adam Blythe take home the flowers in Gent
- The Belgian pair Davy Tuytens and Tosh Van Der Sande took home the prize for points leaders
- Robert Bartko helped take a lap on the final madison, gaining the win over world champions Risi/Marvulli.
- Dutch rider Robert Slippens gets attacked by a giant balloon
- Robert Slippens plays ball
- Eddy Wally the "voice of Europe" entertains the crowd at Het Kuipke
- Keisse on the attack on the final night. He and partner Robert Bartko came from behind to win in the final event.
- Joop Zijlaard and Bradley Wiggins in the derny race
- Iljo Keisse and his dad go through the formalities before heading to the family pub to celebrate
- Keisse & Bartko get the flowers after winning on the final day
- Keisse thanks the home crowd after he and Robert Bartko came from behind to win the Gent Six Day
- Bartko douses Keisse with the champagne
- Keisse & Bartko atop the podium with Risi/Marvulli and Slippens/Stam
Images by Stijn Vercaemer
- The Six days of Gent Bell to ring te final lap
- Marco Villa delights some fan with an autograph
- Lazar and his team-mate Kankovsky
- Robert Bartko and Iljo Keisse before the start of the race
- Iljo Keisse greets the fans
- Bradley Wiggins says go to his Derny man
- 't Kuipke' was sold out for the final day
- These two are waiting for there teammates
- Tosh Van Der Sande and Davy Tuytens (green jersy) on action during the UIV Cup Gent
- Davy Tuytens and Tosh Van Der Sanda with the flowers for third place
- Franco Marvulli wearing a cap before the start of the race
- Kenny 'ketelke' De Ketele
- Robert Bartko wins this Six Days with his teammate Iljo Keisse
- Dutch power: Mathe Pronk and Wim Stroetinga
- Mathe Pronk (10) and Bradley Wiggins (5) after the derny
- Bradley Wiggins and derny legend Joop Zijlaard
Images by Ben Atkins/Cyclingnews.com
- Mark Cavendish (Mercator) looks out for his partner Bradley Wiggins in the first Madison of the evening
- Mark Cavendish (Mercator) slings Bradley Wiggins into action in the Madison
- Marco Villa (Capri Sonne) throws partner Kenny De Ketele into the fray
- Franco Marvulli (Tartuffe-Labo Van Vooren) leads Robert Slippens (VDK) and Mark Cavendish (Mercator) in the Elimination
- Bruno Risi (Tartuffe-Labo Van Vooren) leads Danny Stam (VDK) and Bradley Wigginsh (Mercator) in the Elimination
- The last two remaining riders in the elimination Bruno Risi (Tartuffe-Labo Van Vooren) and Robert Slippens (VDK) get some old fashioned match sprinting in.
- Joop Zijlaard is the king of Derny racing
- Matthé Pronk (Geka kaas) goes round the outside of Dimitri de Fauw (Mega Doe-Het-Zelf) in the Derny race
- Steve Schets (Topsport Vlaanderen), Iljo Kiesse (Chocolade Jacques) and Andreas Muller (Passage Fitness First) await there partners in the final Madison of the event
- Andreas Beikirch (Callant verzekeringen – Q8) throws partner Erik Mohs into the action as Bradley Wiggins switches from following one wheel to the other
- Go Bruno! Risi attacks to get a lap in the final Madison
- Robert Bartko (Chocolade Jacques) and Robert Slippens (VDK) in pusuit of Bruno Risi in the Madison
Results
Points race 1 Danny Stam / Robert Slippens (Ned) VDK 18 pts 2 Luke Roberts / Marc Hester (Aus/Den) RDM - JDK 12 3 Andreas Beikirch / Erik Mohs (Ger) Callant verzekeringen – Q8 11 4 Wim Stroetinga / Matthé Pronk (Ned) Geka kaas 7 5 Iljo Keisse (Bel) / Robert Bartko (Ger) Chocolade Jacques 5 6 Kenny De Ketele / Marco Villa (Bel/Ita) Capri-Sonne 5 7 Steve Schets / Ingmar Depoortere (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 3 8 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi) Tartuffe-Labo Van Vooren 2 9 Dimitri De Fauw / Alexander Aeschbach (Bel/Swi) Mega Doe-Het-Zelf 2 10 Bradley Wiggins / Marc Cavendisch (GBr) Mercator 1 11 Nicky Cocquyt / Steven Deneef (Bel) AVS 12 Petr Lazar / Alois Kankovsky (Cze) Cécémel 13 Tim Mertens / Andreas Muller (Bel/Ger) Passage Fitness First Team Elimination 1 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi) Tartuffe-Labo Van Vooren 15 pts 2 Danny Stam / Robert Slippens (Ned) VDK 10 3 Bradley Wiggins / Marc Cavendisch (GBr) Mercator 8 4 Kenny De Ketele / Marco Villa (Bel/Ita) Capri-Sonne 6 5 Iljo Keisse (Bel) / Robert Bartko (Ger) Chocolade Jacques 4 6 Andreas Beikirch / Erik Mohs (Ger) Callant verzekeringen – Q8 2 7 Dimitri De Fauw / Alexander Aeschbach (Bel/Swi) Mega Doe-Het-Zelf 8 Tim Mertens / Andreas Muller (Bel/Ger) Passage Fitness First 9 Luke Roberts / Marc Hester (Aus/Den) RDM - JDK 10 Nicky Cocquyt / Steven Deneef (Bel) AVS 11 Wim Stroetinga / Matthé Pronk (Ned) Geka kaas 12 Petr Lazar / Alois Kankovsky (Cze) Cécémel 13 Steve Schets / Ingmar Depoortere (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 500m Time Trial 1 Iljo Keisse (Bel) / Robert Bartko (Ger) Chocolade Jacques 0.28.40 2 Petr Lazar / Alois Kankovsky (Cze) Cécémel 0.28.88 3 Luke Roberts / Marc Hester (Aus/Den) RDM - JDK 0.28.94 4 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi) Tartuffe-Labo Van Vooren 0.29.03 5 Dimitri De Fauw / Alexander Aeschbach (Bel/Swi) Mega Doe-Het-Zelf 0.29.08 6 Steve Schets / Ingmar Depoortere (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 0.29.49 7 Kenny De Ketele / Marco Villa (Bel/Ita) Capri-Sonne 0.29.72 8 Andreas Beikirch / Erik Mohs (Ger) Callant verzekeringen – Q8 0.29.76 9 Tim Mertens / Andreas Muller (Bel/Ger) Passage Fitness First 0.29.80 10 Bradley Wiggins / Marc Cavendisch (GBr) Mercator 0.30.13 11 Wim Stroetinga / Matthé Pronk (Ned) Geka kaas 0.30.15 12 Danny Stam / Robert Slippens (Ned) VDK 0.30.38 13 Nicky Cocquyt / Steven Deneef (Bel) AVS 0.30.53 Derny 1 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Mercator 10 pts 2 Luke Roberts (Aus) RDM - JDK 8 3 Matthé Pronk (Ned) Geka kaas 6 4 Alexander Aeschbach (Swi) Mega Doe-Het-Zelf 4 5 Steven Deneef (Bel) AVS 2 6 Petr Lazar (Cze) Cécémel Elimination 1 Wim Stroetinga (Ned) Geka kaas 15 pts 2 Franco Marvulli (Swi) Tartuffe-Labo Van Vooren 10 3 Robert Bartko (Ger) Chocolade Jacques 8 4 Nicky Cocquyt (Bel) AVS 6 5 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Mercator 4 6 Tim Mertens (Bel) Passage Fitness First 2 7 Ingmar Depoortere (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 8 Dimitri De Fauw (Bel) Mega Doe-Het-Zelf 9 Marc Hester (Den) RDM - JDK 10 Marco Villa (Ita) Capri-Sonne 11 Erik Mohs (Ger) Callant verzekeringen – Q8 12 Alois Kankovsky (Cze) Cécémel 13 Robert Slippens (Ned) VDK Derny 1 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Chocolade Jacques 10 pts 2 Bruno Risi (Swi) Tartuffe-Labo Van Vooren 8 3 Kenny De Ketele (Bel) Capri-Sonne 6 4 Danny Stam (Ned) VDK 4 5 Andreas Muller (Ger) Passage Fitness First 2 6 Andreas Beikirch (Ger) Callant verzekeringen – Q8 Keirin 1 Alois Kankovsky (Cze) Cécémel 15 pts 2 Marc Hester (Aus/Den) RDM - JDK 10 3 Dimitri De Fauw (Bel) Mega Doe-Het-Zelf 8 4 Erik Mohs (Ger) Callant verzekeringen – Q8 6 5 Steve Schets (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 4 6 Wim Stroetinga (Ned) Geka kaas 2 Supersprint 1 Petr Lazar / Alois Kankovsky (Cze) Cécémel 15 pts 2 Wim Stroetinga / Matthé Pronk (Ned) Geka kaas 10 3 Luke Roberts / Marc Hester (Aus/Den) RDM - JDK 8 4 Steve Schets / Ingmar Depoortere (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 6 5 Bradley Wiggins / Marc Cavendisch (GBr) Mercator 4 6 Nicky Cocquyt / Steven Deneef (Bel) AVS 2 7 Kenny De Ketele / Marco Villa (Bel/Ita) Capri-Sonne 8 Danny Stam / Robert Slippens (Ned) VDK 9 Dimitri De Fauw / Alexander Aeschbach (Bel/Swi) Mega Doe-Het-Zelf 10 Iljo Keisse (Bel) / Robert Bartko (Ger) Chocolade Jacques 11 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi) Tartuffe-Labo Van Vooren 12 Andreas Beikirch / Erik Mohs (Ger) Callant verzekeringen – Q8 13 Tim Mertens / Andreas Muller (Bel/Ger) Passage Fitness First Flying lap 1 Petr Lazar / Alois Kankovsky (Cze) Cécémel 0.08.74 2 Bradley Wiggins / Marc Cavendisch (GBr) Mercator 0.08.96 3 Iljo Keisse (Bel) / Robert Bartko (Ger) Chocolade Jacques 0.08.98 4 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi) Tartuffe-Labo Van Vooren 0.09.06 5 Luke Roberts / Marc Hester (Aus/Den) RDM - JDK 0.09.08 6 Dimitri De Fauw / Alexander Aeschbach (Bel/Swi) Mega Doe-Het-Zelf 0.09.09 7 Wim Stroetinga / Matthé Pronk (Ned) Geka kaas 0.09.10 8 Steve Schets / Ingmar Depoortere (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 0.09.23 9 Danny Stam / Robert Slippens (Ned) VDK 0.09.25 10 Kenny De Ketele / Marco Villa (Bel/Ita) Capri-Sonne 0.09.27 11 Tim Mertens / Andreas Muller (Bel/Ger) Passage Fitness First 0.09.39 12 Nicky Cocquyt / Steven Deneef (Bel) AVS 0.09.41 13 Andreas Beikirch / Erik Mohs (Ger) Callant verzekeringen – Q8 0.09.58 Final Standings 1 Iljo Keisse (Bel) / Robert Bartko (Ger) Chocolade Jacques 402 pts One lap behind 2 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi) Tartuffe-Labo Van Vooren 407 pts 3 Danny Stam / Robert Slippens (Ned) VDK 317 Eight laps behind 4 Kenny De Ketele / Marco Villa (Bel/Ita) Capri-Sonne 244 pts 5 Andreas Beikirch / Erik Mohs (Ger) Callant verzekeringen – Q8 216 15 laps behind 6 Tim Mertens / Andreas Muller (Bel/Ger) Passage Fitness First 136 pts 24 laps behind 7 Luke Roberts / Marc Hester (Aus/Den) RDM - JDK 203 pts 26 laps behind 8 Dimitri De Fauw / Alexander Aeschbach (Bel/Swi) Mega Doe-Het-Zelf 285 pts 33 laps behind 9 Petr Lazar / Alois Kankovsky (Cze) Cécémel 178 pts 39 laps behind 10 Bradley Wiggins / Marc Cavendisch (GBr) Mercator 172 pts 46 laps behind 11 Nicky Cocquyt / Steven Deneef (Bel) AVS 109 pts 48 laps behind 12 Wim Stroetinga / Matthé Pronk (Ned) Geka kaas 136 pts 82 laps behind 13 Steve Schets / Ingmar Depoortere (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 140 pts UIV Talents Cup 1 Guy East / Jackie Simes IV (USA) 1 One lap behind 2 Pavel Subrt / Marek Mixa (Cze) 18 pts 3 Peter Kennaugh / Adam Blythe (GBr) 14 4 Davy Tuytens / Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) 10 5 Tristan Marquet / René Schibli (Swi) 9 6 Dave Mertens / Walt De Winter (Bel) 3 7 Jesper Mørkøv / Christian Ranneries (Den) 8 Maarten Vlasseleer / Gert Jan Van Immerseel (Bel) Three laps behind 9 Kierian De Fauw / Thomas Sprangers (Bel) Final standings 1 Peter Kennaugh / Adam Blythe (GBr) 82 pts 2 Pavel Subrt / Marek Mixa (Cze) 52 One lap behind 3 Davy Tuytens / Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) 96 pts 4 Jesper Mørkøv / Christian Ranneries (Den) 13 Two laps behind 5 Tristan Marquet / René Schibli (Swi) 41 pts 6 Maarten Vlasseleer / Gert Jan Van Immerseel (Bel) 11 Four laps behind 7 Dave Mertens / Walt De Winter (Bel) 48 pts Five laps behind 8 Guy East / Jackie Simes IV (USA) 14 pts 11 laps behind 9 Kierian De Fauw / Thomas Sprangers (Bel) 8 pts
