Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Rotterdam Six Day 2020 Finale

-

HomeDiariesRotterdam Six Day 2020 Finale

Don’t get me wrong, I still love the Six Days – the rumble of bone hard Conti’s on board, the rattle of 1/8” pitch transmission, the Europop (where else do you hear the Vengaboys these days?), the ladies and gentlemen fans in their finery, the sprinters, the lights, the smell of cologne and embrocation…

But the chases?

What happened to ‘jams?’

Dave says I expect too much, maybe he’s right? 

But back in the days of the Skol Six at Wembley, London in the 70’s a team might be hung out to dry for maybe 20/30 laps – the crowd willing them on.

The chase behind hard and organised.

Now a team darts off the front and three laps later they’re back on the end of the string.

But Patrick Sercu has left us, Danny Clark, Don Allan, Rene Pijnen and all the rest are long retired.

Riders like Roger Kluge, Iljo Keisse, Kenny De Ketele, Michael Mørkøv and a few more are all ‘quality boys’ but there’s not the same number of races for skills to be honed and strength in depth to develop.

Having said all that, when you wander up the tunnel stairs and into the track centre at Rotterdam with the u23’s hurtling round, the lights blazing and the PA pumping it’s still damn cool.

I parachuted in to Rotterdam on Tuesday afternoon to help Kris break camp at the Rotterdam Six Day 2020 and load the camper van in anticipation of our driving up to Bremen and the Six Day which started there on Thursday evening.

Rotterdam Six Day 2020

First race of the evening, after the rolling presentation was a 30 minute madison, with this being the last night and the big finale to come it was no ‘death race’ with Max Beyer (pictured) partnered with Spanish Movistar new recruit, European Scratch Champion, Seb Mora taking the win.

In his victory interview on the finish line the speaker ‘bigged up’ their chances of a final podium.

Max was right to demure; the last chase wasn’t one they’ll seek to remember. 

Rotterdam Six Day 2020
Photo©Ed Hood

At a Six like Rotterdam there’s always a star of yesteryear to spot; and today it was Rik 111 (left) aka Rik Van Linden, in the 70’s he was one of the very fastest roadman sprinters around with stage wins in all three Grand Tours; serving warning in his last junior season with 73 wins.

Rotterdam Six Day 2020
Photo©Ed Hood

The sprinters were up next with big unit home boy, Harry Lavreysen breaking the track record with 9.8 ride in the flying lap, our picture shows his team sprint specialist team mate Sam Ligtlee on his wind up lap.

Photo©Ed Hood

Dernys next, it never pays to lead early as number 13, Marc Potts found to his cost, heading the field in the opening laps to pave the way for a ‘surprise’ victory for home boy Maikel Zijlaard who’s grandad is a Derny pacer legend in the Six Days whilst dad, Ron still drives the little motorbikes. 

If you attend Sixes regularly then you’ll note that ‘home boys’ win the Derny quite often…

Photo©Ed Hood
Photo©Ed Hood

The devil went to Iljo Keisse and Niki Terpstra, more points in the bag but Niki not looking quite as sharp to my eye as he did last year when he was on rampaging form.

Iljo is Iljo, one of the few real Six Day riders left, smooth and quick – a joy to watch; he’s off to the Tour Down Under after this.

Photo©Ed Hood

The sprinters were up again and as a runner one of your duties is to hold up the sprinters, for one heat I had home boy Roy van den Berg (on the right) he’s an angular, scary, tattooed dude who wasn’t impressed with my getting him to  just the right angle on the start line.

Photo©Ed Hood

But our big guy, reigning European Kilometre and former European Keirin Champion, Czech Tomas Babek had no such complaints – he recognises a quality holder up when he encounters one.  

Photo©Ed Hood

And them sprinters chainrings just keep getting bigger…

Photo©Ed Hood

Whilst on the subject of hardware, we’re not sure about Irish rider Felix English’s new paint job – orange on one side, green on the other – maybe it will grow on us? 

Photo©Ed Hood
Photo©Ed Hood

The flying lap was next up, Roger Kluge (German) and Tosh van Der Sande (Belgium) set fastest time – Kluge was originally partnered with world madison champion partner, Theo Reinhardt (Germany) but the latter dropped out due to illness; as did Van Der Sande’s original partner, countryman Jasper De Buyst.

Big Roger hung around to keep an eye on Iljo and Niki.

Photo©Ed Hood
The winners of the Rotterdam Six Day 2020. Photo©Ed Hood

But it was local faves Yoeri Havik and Wim Stroetinga who did the damage, recording fastest time.

Photo©Ed Hood

Derny Two and yet another ‘surprise,’ as Dutchman Niki wins – remember what I was saying about home boys and Dernys?

Photo©Ed Hood

Going in to the last chase the standings looked like this.

With Havik & Stroetinga riding as they were they looked difficult to shift in my book. 

Rotterdam Six Day 2020
Photo©Ed Hood

Our boys, Poland’s Daniel Staniszewski and Wojciech Pszczolarski finished mid-field, not great but not disastrous.

Rotterdam Six Day 2020
Photo©Ed Hood

Big losers were Kluge and Van Der Sande who dropped off the podium to fifth, it was surprising to see ‘Big Rodge’ drop two laps he’s such a strong man.

Rotterdam Six Day 2020
Photo©Ed Hood

Third spot on the podium went to Six Day stalwart and former world madison champion, Kenny De Ketele.

Kenny was partnered with young countryman Rob Ghys – the pair pictured here on their wind up for the flying lap – and were the winning pairing in Gent, last November.

Rotterdam Six Day 2020
Photo©Ed Hood

Second place went to Dutchman Jan Willem van Schip, a big strong boy who’s reigning World Points Champion.

He partnered Belgium’s Moreno De Pauw who for a while was an ‘item’ with Kenny De Ketele in the Six Days with wins in London, Amsterdam, Gent, Copenhagen and Berlin.

This is the last time he’ll ride Rotterdam, his career ends after the Berlin Six Day, we believe he’s going to pursue a career in the police force?

Rotterdam Six Day 2020
Photo©Ed Hood

But deserving winners were Dutchmen Wim Stroetinga and Yoeri Havik.

Stroetinga, who was a junior world scratch champion back in 2002 won this race in 2012 with turbine smooth countryman, Peter Schep, who’s now on the race organisation.  

Stroetinga has always been quick but used to a very physical, ‘all over the bike’ sprinter – in recent years he’s smoothed out his style but is still rapid.

Havik gets that little bit better each year and 28 years-old is one of the best on the circuit – and he’s a fair roadman to boot. 

A fair result but not an inspiring finale to my eyes.

Still, the crowd went home happy and we were on the road to Bremen before midnight…

Ed Hood
Ed Hood
Ed's been involved in cycling for over 50 years. In that time he's been a successful time triallist, a team manager and a sponsor of several teams and clubs. He's also a respected and successful coach and during the winter months was often working in the cabins at the Six Days for some of the world's top riders. Ed remains a massive fan of the sport and couples his extensive contacts with an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the minutiae and the history of our sport. In February 2023 however, our dear friend and beloved colleague Ed suffered a devastating stroke and faces an uncertain future; Ed has lost his ability to speak, to read, and has lost movement on the right side of his body. He's working with speech and physical therapists on rehabilitation, but all strokes are different and each patient responds differently, so unfortunately recovery is one day at a time. Ed ran his own business installing windows, and will probably not be able to work again. Please consider joining us to make a contribution to Ed's GoFundMe page to help stabilise and secure his future.

Related Articles

Zürich Four Days 2011 – Day Two

The hotel I'm in for the Zürich Four Days 2011 is nice, a double bed, en-suite shower and beautiful breakfast spread - but it's a logistical pain. Kris has to 'make massage' with Jesper at lunchtime, but I don't want to hang around the hotel all morning - there's work to do at the track. I had to scrounge a lift - always a pain.

Franco Marvulli – On His Last Season Before Retirement

This Six Day season marks the end of an era. Depending upon which source you consult, Franco Marvulli of Switzerland has ridden somewhere between 112 and 117 Six Days, this makes him the most prolific rider on the circuit by a considerable margin – Robert Bartko for example has ridden 75, Iljo Keisse has 72 starts. Marvulli has won 32; not to mention four world titles – two in the scratch and two in the madison and Olympic silver in the same discipline. So how come his ‘goodbye’ isn’t a bigger deal?

Saunier Duval Team Launch 2007 – Day 1

The alarm goes at 03.45, and it's almost painful. Davie arrives bang-on 04.45 and we're off to Glasgow in the Peugeot, the roads are a bit slippery and Dave makes things more interesting by driving with dipped head lights all the time; even when there's nothing coming in the opposite direction.

World Road Championships 2012 – Day Two, the Team Time Trial

I resisted the bars of Valkenburg and was in bed not long after 10:00 on Saturday night. The body clock woke me for 06:15 and I was on the Cauberg before 07:00 for the Team Time Trial.

At Random

Paul Jesson – Winning at La Vuelta and the Paralympics

After strong amateur results Paul Jessonhad been offered a two-year deal with Splendor in the Spring of 1979, and although he was eliminated in that 1979 Tour, his promise was confirmed in the 1980 Vuelta, then held in Spring, when he won the stage to Santander.

Hayley Simmonds – “I want to have a solid, injury-free season in 2019”

We recently spoke to 15 mile, 100 mile and 12 hour record holder, Alice Lethbridge and now to ‘complete the set’, here's what 10 mile, 25 mile and 50 mile record holder, Hayley Simmonds (WNT-Rotor Pro Cycling) had to tell us.

Lizzie Armitstead’s (Three) Two Strikes for Missed Tests

"She’s at it, they all are! And you know she’s at it!" The reaction of a friend of mine when I explained the basics of the Lizzie Armistead case to him – he’s no right-wing balm pot, on the contrary he’s a working class former international sportsman who’s represented Scotland at the highest level. Perhaps if it hadn’t been for Lance feeling sorry for the doubters; Tyler and his phantom twin; Floyd and all that Jack Daniels; Bert and his steak and all the rest he wouldn’t feel that way?

James Shaw – You Can’t Keep a Good Man Down

This season James Shaw was racing the UK at continental level with the Ribble Weldtite team but next year he’s back to the World Tour, this time with EF Education Nippo.