“I was second in the derny, behind Muller, and he’s very good — why don’t you test me?” says Michael Berling to the UCI guy who has to chaperone Michael Morkov to the doping controle at the Copenhagen Six Day 2009.
Franco pipes up; “Grasmann was last in the derny, that’s a suspicious result!”
The UCI guy has heard it all before; “I just chaperone the rider, who gets tested is nothing to do with me.”
We leave Michael to his fate and head for the restaurant; it’s nearly 02.00 am Sunday when we eat and close to 03.00 am when I get to bed.
What seems like five minutes later I’m organising the clothes, filling the bottles, tidying the cabins, polishing shoes and helmets . . .
Still, it’s Sunday and the programme finishes at six — deep joy.
The riders arrive just minutes before the race and there’s a scramble for clothing and bikes for the rolling presentation.
Alex shouts to me from the string, I look up as he saws at an imaginary steering wheel; they’re threatening to tow his lovely new Audi away because he’s badly parked — again.
Down to the cabin, find the key, back up, find the car, then a 15 minute hassle to find a parking space; there are no problems with a small crowd today: all the car parks are full.
: By the time I get back up to the track it’s time for the World cyclo cross champs on Dirk’s computer; Albert runs away with it — damn!
I had a two beer wager on with Jered Gruber that Boom would win, he lost too, though — he’s a Nys man.
At the start, when Nys and Albert are attacking Boom in classic, ‘one-two’ fashion, Eddy the mechanic explains to me; ‘we cannot have a Dutchman winning our discipline, so to start, they are killing him — slowly!’
Yes, that Belgian/Dutch dislike thing is all just imagined.
It’s time for my Leif Lampater interview; he’s a nice guy and once I slow my 160 kph Fife-speak down a little, we communicate just fine. That one will be on Pez soon.
Edwin Starr is making ‘Eye to eye contact’ for the flying lap, Marvulli has taken up position in the home straight to organise the Mexican waves; the atmosphere is great, even though Alex and Michael have a bad day and don’t win.
Another face from the past appears, it’s Tony Doyle, and he’s showing a prospective sponsor of the proposed London six what the game is all about; he’s picked a good day to do it — good music, good vibe and a full house.
I’ve set up another interview; with ‘Mr. Born in the USA’ himself, Daniel Holloway and his older compadre, Colby Pearce.
They’re nice guys too, but we have to cut the interview short due to an inconvenient final 40 minute chase in the six — more tomorrow.
It is Sunday, so the chase isn’t what you’d call savage; Danish child actor turned teacher and sometime six day rider Mads Bugge, who’s face is a mask of permapain in every chase, takes a lap with his team mate Matthe Pronk.
Have I missed something – Is this a Hans Christian Andersen benefit day?
I begin to slip away, thinking about what’s for dinner and my hotel bed, when Bill Haley jolts me out of my torpor; ‘One, two, three o’clock, four o’clock, rock . . . . ‘
‘My’ boys are on the attack, but Franco snuffs it out, pronto — he looks better today; loose, rangy and fast.
But it’s a storm in a teacup and the bunch settle down to watching the clock tick down — it’s always a bad sign when the official photographers slip away with 15 minutes to go.
Up on the track you can see the big guys over-running the wheel in front when the little guys go through.
There are six teams on the zero lap and it’s down to the sprint; with four to go, Franco and Bruno take off — it’s not their day, this is for show.
The number seven team of Rasmussen and Morkov take it and the house goes mad; the buzz is good as I take their caps, towels and bottles round — again.
Immediately after the race there’s a throng around the cabin, exciting, but a pain if you’re trying to get washing away and the cabins tidied.
We’re in the restaurant by 07.00 and out soon after; Sebastian Donadio has commandeered the Hammond and is belting the numbers out much to the joy of his fellow competitors, including Danny and Bruno — thereby guaranteeing his contracts for next season, no doubt.
The restaurant proprietor’s eyes light up at the thought of all those drinks orders.
We eat up, say our apologies and go — it’s lovely and quiet in my hotel room and the bed looks so nice.
Two days to go, and in my book Alex and Michael are worth the win, but does the ‘Blue Train’ agree?
Stay tuned – ciao, ciao!
Copenhagen Six Day 2009 Results
A-Consult Sprint
1 Kenny De Ketele / Tim Mertens (Bel) 5 pts
2 Christian Grasmann (Ger) / Daniel Kreutzfeldt (Den): 3
3 Alexander Aeschbach (Swi) / Jens-Erik Madsen (Den): 2
4 Colby Pearce / Daniel Holloway (USA): 1
5 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi)
6 Robert Bartko / Leif Lampater (Ger)
7 Matthé Pronk (Ned) / Mads Bugge (Den)
8 Sebastian Donadio / Dario Collo (Arg)
9 Angelo Ciccone / Samuele Marzoli (Ita)
10 Michael Smith Larsen / Michael Berling (Den)
11 Alex Rasmussen / Michael Mørkøv (Den)
12 Luke Roberts (Aus) / Jacob Moe (Den)
13 Danny Stam / Peter Schep (Ned)
14 Leon van Bon (Ned) / Marc Hester (Den)
15 Andreas Müller (Aut) / Jesper Mørkøv (Den)
Siemens sprint
1 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi): 5 pts
2 Robert Bartko / Leif Lampater (Ger): 3
3 Danny Stam / Peter Schep (Ned): 2
4 Leon van Bon (Ned) / Marc Hester (Den): 1
5 Matthé Pronk (Ned) / Mads Bugge (Den)
6 Sebastian Donadio / Dario Collo (Arg)
7 Angelo Ciccone / Samuele Marzoli (Ita)
8 Michael Smith Larsen / Michael Berling (Den)
9 Alex Rasmussen / Michael Mørkøv (Den)
10 Kenny De Ketele / Tim Mertens (Bel)
11 Alexander Aeschbach (Swi) / Jens-Erik Madsen (Den)
12 Colby Pearce / Daniel Holloway (USA)
13 Luke Roberts (Aus) / Jacob Moe (Den)
14 Andreas Müller (Aut) / Jesper Mørkøv (Den)
15 Christian Grasmann (Ger) / Daniel Kreutzfeldt (Den)
Dansbo sprint
1 Angelo Ciccone / Samuele Marzoli (Ita): 5 pts
2 Sebastian Donadio / Dario Collo (Arg): 3
3 Leon van Bon (Ned) / Marc Hester (Den): 2
4 Danny Stam / Peter Schep (Ned): 1
5 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi)
6 Robert Bartko / Leif Lampater (Ger)
7 Matthé Pronk (Ned) / Mads Bugge (Den)
8 Michael Smith Larsen / Michael Berling (Den)
9 Alex Rasmussen / Michael Mørkøv (Den)
10 Kenny De Ketele / Tim Mertens (Bel)
11 Alexander Aeschbach (Swi) / Jens-Erik Madsen (Den)
12 Colby Pearce / Daniel Holloway (USA)
13 Luke Roberts (Aus) / Jacob Moe (Den)
14 Andreas Müller (Aut) / Jesper Mørkøv (Den)
15 Christian Grasmann (Ger) / Daniel Kreutzfeldt (Den)
Claus Daalsgard sprint
1 Alexander Aeschbach (Swi) / Jens-Erik Madsen (Den): 5 pts
2 Matthé Pronk (Ned) / Mads Bugge (Den): 3
3 Michael Smith Larsen / Michael Berling (Den): 2
4 Andreas Müller (Aut) / Jesper Mørkøv (Den): 1
5 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi)
6 Robert Bartko / Leif Lampater (Ger)
7 Sebastian Donadio / Dario Collo (Arg)
8 Angelo Ciccone / Samuele Marzoli (Ita)
9 Alex Rasmussen / Michael Mørkøv (Den)
10 Kenny De Ketele / Tim Mertens (Bel)
11 Colby Pearce / Daniel Holloway (USA)
12 Luke Roberts (Aus) / Jacob Moe (Den)
13 Danny Stam / Peter Schep (Ned)
14 Leon van Bon (Ned) / Marc Hester (Den)
15 Christian Grasmann (Ger) / Daniel Kreutzfeldt (Den)
Mermaid sprint
1 Robert Bartko / Leif Lampater (Ger): 5 pts
2 Luke Roberts (Aus) / Jacob Moe (Den): 3
3 Sebastian Donadio / Dario Collo (Arg): 2
4 Leon van Bon (Ned) / Marc Hester (Den): 1
5 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi)
6 Matthé Pronk (Ned) / Mads Bugge (Den)
7 Angelo Ciccone / Samuele Marzoli (Ita)
8 Michael Smith Larsen / Michael Berling (Den)
9 Alex Rasmussen / Michael Mørkøv (Den)
10 Kenny De Ketele / Tim Mertens (Bel)
11 Alexander Aeschbach (Swi) / Jens-Erik Madsen (Den)
12 Colby Pearce / Daniel Holloway (USA)
13 Danny Stam / Peter Schep (Ned)
14 Andreas Müller (Aut) / Jesper Mørkøv (Den)
15 Christian Grasmann (Ger) / Daniel Kreutzfeldt (Den)
Gitterman’s derny
1 Luke Roberts (Aus) / Jacob Moe (Den): 10 pts
2 Christian Grasmann (Ger) / Daniel Kreutzfeldt (Den): 8
3 Alexander Aeschbach (Swi) / Jens-Erik Madsen (Den): 6
4 Andreas Müller (Aut) / Jesper Mørkøv (Den): 4
5 Michael Smith Larsen / Michael Berling (Den): 2
6 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi)
7 Robert Bartko / Leif Lampater (Ger)
8 Matthé Pronk (Ned) / Mads Bugge (Den)
9 Sebastian Donadio / Dario Collo (Arg)
10 Angelo Ciccone / Samuele Marzoli (Ita)
11 Alex Rasmussen / Michael Mørkøv (Den)
12 Kenny De Ketele / Tim Mertens (Bel)
13 Colby Pearce / Daniel Holloway (USA)
14 Danny Stam / Peter Schep (Ned)
15 Leon van Bon (Ned) / Marc Hester (Den)
500m time trial
1 Robert Bartko / Leif Lampater (Ger): 27.567
2 Alex Rasmussen / Michael Mørkøv (Den): 27.678
3 Luke Roberts (Aus) / Jacob Moe (Den): 28.718
4 Angelo Ciccone / Samuele Marzoli (Ita): 28.746
5 Christian Grasmann (Ger) / Daniel Kreutzfeldt (Den): 28.817
6 Kenny De Ketele / Tim Mertens (Bel): 29.207
7 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi): 29.328
8 Colby Pearce / Daniel Holloway (USA): 29.424
9 Michael Smith Larsen / Michael Berling (Den): 30.199
10 Matthé Pronk (Ned) / Mads Bugge (Den): 30.250
11 Danny Stam / Peter Schep (Ned): 31.566
Lap record time trial
1 Luke Roberts (Aus) / Jacob Moe (Den): 10 pts: 13.335
2 Sebastian Donadio / Dario Collo (Arg): 6: 13.397
3 Robert Bartko / Leif Lampater (Ger): 5: 13.426
4 Angelo Ciccone / Samuele Marzoli (Ita): 4: 13.436
5 Alex Rasmussen / Michael Mørkøv (Den): 3: 13.473
6 Leon van Bon (Ned) / Marc Hester (Den): 2: 13.662
7 Kenny De Ketele / Tim Mertens (Bel): 13.720
8 Christian Grasmann (Ger) / Daniel Kreutzfeldt (Den): 13.757
9 Alexander Aeschbach (Swi) / Jens-Erik Madsen (Den): 13.758
10 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi): 13.812
11 Danny Stam / Peter Schep (Ned): 14.004
12 Colby Pearce / Daniel Holloway (USA): 14.068
13 Michael Smith Larsen / Michael Berling (Den): 14.217
14 Andreas Müller (Aut) / Jesper Mørkøv (Den): 14.424
15 Matthé Pronk (Ned) / Mads Bugge (Den): 14.887:
Heino sprint
1 Leon van Bon (Ned) / Marc Hester (Den): 10 pts
2 Andreas Müller (Aut) / Jesper Mørkøv (Den): 6
3 Michael Smith Larsen / Michael Berling (Den): 5
4 Danny Stam / Peter Schep (Ned): 4
5 Colby Pearce / Daniel Holloway (USA): 3
6 Sebastian Donadio / Dario Collo (Arg): 2
7 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi)
8 Robert Bartko / Leif Lampater (Ger)
9 Matthé Pronk (Ned) / Mads Bugge (Den)
10 Angelo Ciccone / Samuele Marzoli (Ita)
11 Alex Rasmussen / Michael Mørkøv (Den)
12 Kenny De Ketele / Tim Mertens (Bel)
13 Alexander Aeschbach (Swi) / Jens-Erik Madsen (Den)
14 Luke Roberts (Aus) / Jacob Moe (Den)
15 Christian Grasmann (Ger) / Daniel Kreutzfeldt (Den)
UIV Cup, day four
1 Tristan Marguet / Loic Perizzolo (Swi): 14 pts
2 Mads Rydicher / Rasmus Richter Damm (Den): 11
3 Niki Byrgesen / Emil Hovmand (Den): 10
4 Barry Markus / Yoeri Havik (Ned): 10
5 Sebastian Lander / Christian Kreutzfeldt (Den): 6
6 Guy East / Austin Carroll (USA): 6
7 Bob Stöpler / Jacob Mørkøv (Ned/Den): 5
8 Tino Thömel / Julian Tuchol (Ger): 4
9 Christian Moberg Jørgen / Mike Lauge (Den)
10 Matias Greve / Lasse Normann Hansen (Den)
11 Philip Frank / Laurits Enevoldsen (Den)
Standings after night four
1 Danny Stam / Peter Schep (Ned): 118 pts
One lap behind
2 Alex Rasmussen / Michael Mørkøv (Den): 161
3 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi): 133
Two laps behind
4 Robert Bartko / Leif Lampater (Ger): 146
5 Kenny De Ketele / Tim Mertens (Bel): 131
Five laps behind
6 Luke Roberts (Aus) / Jacob Moe (Den): 142
Six laps behind
7 Christian Grasmann (Ger) / Daniel Kreutzfeldt (Den): 96
Eight laps behind
8 Leon van Bon (Ned) / Marc Hester (Den): 113
Nine laps behind
9 Alexander Aeschbach (Swi) / Jens-Erik Madsen (Den): 85
Eleven laps behind
10 Colby Pearce / Daniel Holloway (USA): 60
Thirteen laps behind
11 Matthé Pronk (Ned) / Mads Bugge (Den): 58
Fourteen laps behind
12 Angelo Ciccone / Samuele Marzoli (Ita): 69
Nineteen laps behind
13 Michael Smith Larsen / Michael Berling (Den): 81
14 Andreas Müller (Aut) / Jesper Mørkøv (Den): 73
Twenty-six laps behind
15 Sebastian Donadio / Dario Collo (Arg): 52
