Friday, March 29, 2024

Tag: Gent Six Day

Spencer Wingrave – Gent Six Day Winner in 1990

In 1990 the name of English rider Spencer Wingrave appeared on the Gent Six Day winners list with team mate and coming-man (later Flemish Legend) Peter Van Petegem, who went on to be a two-times winner of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix Champion.

Back in the Flanders Groove at the Gent Six Day

It wasn’t just the Covid, it was more the quarantine we would have had to endure that kept us away from the Flatlands for the 2021 Gent Six Day and 2022 Opening Weekend; but like Kiss said; ‘We’re back, back in the New York Groove’ – let’s make that the ‘Flanders Groove.’

Alfie George – On Winning the u23 Gent Six Day!

Adding his name to the u23 Gent Six Day roll of honour is Scotland’s Alfie George; the young Scot ran out winner just a few weeks after his fine seventh place in the Junior Worlds Road race in Harrogate and a season which saw him fifth in the junior Paris-Roubaix.

Ronie Keisse – “I watched what went wrong with a lot of the promising young riders – their parents”

If there’s a rider more closely associated with a city than Iljo Keisse is with Gent then I can’t think of it. Born and bred in the capital of East Flanders, raised on the boards of the Blaarmeersen velodrome, the Gentenaars love him and he loves them. Iljo's dad, Ronie Keisse owns the legendary Café de Karper, a favourite student haunt in Gent, just a five minute walk from the Kuipke and the only place to be on a November Sunday evening when the Six Day finishes, so we sat down with Ronie on the Monday morning after the Six to discuss the life and times of his boy, one of the very last real ‘vedettes’ – star Six Day men.

Ollie Wood – “The Tokyo Olympics are the Big Goal”

On the track Ollie Wood has been a consistent top performer with national team pursuit and scratch titles to his name as a junior in 2014. In 2015 he again was in the winning team at national level and added the European U23 team pursuit title. Last year he was on the European podium in both the U23 and Elite team pursuit competitions – bronze on both occasions. And this season saw gold in the Manchester World Cup team pursuit. We caught up with the now 22 year-old – his birthday was the week after the Gent Six Day finished – to discuss his 2017 season and his plans for 2018 and beyond.

Gent Six Day 2016 – aka. the 76th Six Days of Flanders-Ghent

Historically cold, wet wintery nights meant just one thing in cycling, Six Day racing. In recent years that has really only meant the ‘Zesdaagse Vlaanderen-Gent’ (Six Days of Flanders-Ghent). This great race has continued to be successful during years when many of the other ‘classic’ Six Day races of Europe left their buildings, literally, for the last time to drift into cycling history.

Young Scots at the AVS Cup at the Gent Six Day 2016

Sunday starts with the climax of the under 23 Six the AVS Cup. Not long ago I would have struggled to believe that home grown Scottish talent would be riding Gent but with Mark Stewart in the elite event and Andy Brown and Grant Martin in the U23 this is a Scottish success story.

Looking back at the 75th Gent Six Day

Coming to Gent to watch the Six Day, as I have for 20 years, is like meeting up with an old friend, a friend you see just once a year but when you meet you are familiar and easy in each others company. Most familiar is the velodrome, Het Kuipke that hosts the Six Days which has, barring a few upgrades in the bar areas, changed very little during the time I’ve been coming.

Scrapbook: the Gent Six Day and Hasselt ‘Cross, 2015

Ed and pals spent a few days at the Gent Six Day, catching up with the racing and old friends, and taking in the world cup cycle-cross race at Hasselt as well - but before we consider the racing at the track we have to think about the entertainment; whilst Belgium is a modern country and advance technologically we still marvel at the track-side entertainment; it’s like stepping back to a miners’ welfare in the 70’s – but the crowd loves it - and so do we...

Gent Six Day 2014 – One of the ‘Straightest’ Sixes We’ve Seen

I remember once, after the last chase in a Six Day I asked Dirk, our Belgian mechanic; ‘was that finale ‘straight’ Dirk?' He fixed me with a patient stare, much as a good parent would do after their child has said something silly, ‘have you ever seen a ‘straight’ Six Day, Ed?’ I took his point, they’re all pretty much choreographed – but like I keep saying, you have to be able to take laps out of a string riding at 52-53 kph to win. But I reckon that on Sunday evening I did see a straight finale.

Snapshots from the Flat Lands – Gent Six Day and Koksijde ‘Dune Cross’

A pictorial summary of the Gent Six Day and our trip to the Koksijde Cyclocross race in the beach dunes of Flanders. At the track, it took me back to the days when I stood on the apron, bottles at the ready for Kris to hand up – but not too much in them so they don’t splash when the rider grabs them - just taking in the speed, noise, music, heat, people and that Gent buzz - high as a kite on the Gent Six Days.

John Purser – Tales from the Six Days

We thought that you might like to hear what it was like to be a Six Day runner back in a time when the Sixes meant more than they do now. The big road stars were in action and it was full houses all across Europe – particularly in Germany. John Purser is the man’s name and here’s his tale.

Gent Six Day 2012 – Finale Snapshots

Snapshots from the Gent Six Day 2012, as we roam around the city and spend time with the winners in the bar.

Gent Six Day 2012 – Sunday Finale

The final day of the Gent Six Day 2012 promised a big tussle between the Belgian World Madison Champions De Ketele / Van Hoecke and local hero Iljo Keisse with Glenn O’Shea. They didn’t disappoint.

Faces of the Gent Six Day 2012

Dave and I saw our first Six Day in 1973, the Skol sponsored London Six Day - Sercu, Pijnen, Duyndam, Van Lancker . . . This is Callum's first trip to the Kuipke but Stuart's umpteenth. The Adoma has been our base for years - it's a great jump off for Het Nieuwsblad, Gent-Wevelgem and the Koksijde 'cross.

Gent Six Day 2012 – Saturday Night

There are tired legs in the bunch but on a wet and windy Saturday night at the Gent Six Day 2012 all roads again led to Het Kuipke for another sell out beer and bike racing fest.

Gent Six Day 2012 – Friday Night

Here in Gent Friday night has always been the big night of the Gent Six Day 2012. It's not just about the beer, it’s about the cycling and fans of all ages bring the wife or girlfriend to what is for all concerned a big night out. A number of the revellers are ex-riders many of whom no doubt spend the night reminiscing on their time pedalling around the hollowed boards of Het Kuipke.

Gent Six Day 2012 – Thursday Night

Contributor Steve Penny summarises the action for us from Het Kuipke (the little oval) last night, as we reach the halfway point in the Gent Six Day. The crowds filed into Het Kuipke in the thousands to meet friends, drink a beer or two and watch the 72nd Gent Six as it approached the all important weekend. Before the racing started it was announced that Wim Stroetinga was out of the race – for now - with a stomach problem. This would explain why he and partner Peter Schep had not been scoring many points over the first two nights.

The Gent Six Day 2012 – A Preview

Englishman Steve Penny is a long time track enthusiast and writer - this will be his 17th consecutive edition of Flanders' mythical Six Day; Gent Six Day 2012. Here's his take on the 72nd edition of what is now unquestionably the hardest Six Day race on the calendar. VeloVeritas will be there for Sunday afternoon's Grand Finale. Champions of the World, or The Prodigal Son - that's the question which can only be answered on the steep bankings of the Kuipke velodrome.'

Gent Six Days 2011 – Night Four

Whether it's a great edition of the Gent Six Days or not, it's still quite an experience to walk up through the tunnel for the first time. Especially if the Dernys are up on the track droning out their monotonous tune, there's the buzz of a thousand conversations, the lights, the throng, the smell of beer, the renners flashing around the bankings, the people piled high up to the roof in the corners - We love it !

At Random

Mark Stewart – “I’ve always liked to take risks, do my own things”

It takes a special occasion to drag us Auld Fifers up to Monifieth on a cold Thursday evening. On the face of it, a mid-week ‘10’ may not seem a big deal – but this one was special for us; 2022 Commonwealth Games selection and defending Points Race Champion, Mark Stewart was making a rare appearance on home roads.

Laurence Morgan and the TI Raleigh Vintage Cycling Club

Laurence Morgan from Perth was a team TI Raleigh fan back in the 80’s having fallen in love with a 753 Raleigh he saw at the 1982 Scottish Health Race. It’s been an enduring love affair and this year he started the TI Raleigh Vintage Cycling Club – good timing with ‘retro’ the word of the moment. At VeloVeritas we like a man who’s obsessed with 70’s and 80’s bikes and riders; we decided we’d best ‘have a word...

Davide Rebellin

A year or two ago, I had to pleasure to interview Davide Rebellin, in light of the recent tragedy which saw the 51 years-old Italian lose his life after he was struck by a truck, whilst out on a ride we thought we re-run the piece as a tribute to a man who lived and breathed bike racing. 

Mark Stewart – Second in the Glasgow World Cup Omnium

He’s been quiet, that Commonwealth Games Points Race Champion, Mark Stewart lad. But he’s back with a bang - a World Cup Points win in Minsk and a World Cup Omnium silver in Glasgow. Best ‘have a word.’

Le Tour de France 2012 – Stage 10: Mâcon – Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, 194 km.

Bonjour! Today was our first outing on the Tour parcours, in the mountains it’s sometimes difficult to get on to race route, because just as in the Highlands of Scotland, there aren’t that many roads. We set the satnav for Ambronay, which was 73 kilometres into the stage but within easy reach of the autoroute and guided by Brian Blessed’s foghorn voice slipped along a network of tiny roads into the village, after we’d paid our last toll charge.

Dan Bigham – Mixing it with the World’s Best in the Track World Cups

We caught up with the man behind the team and the holder of the record for most British titles won in one season – eight – Dan Bigham, after he returned from a successful foray to Canada where round two of the Tissot World Cup took place on the boards of the Milton Velodrome in Ontario where the men in black came away with silver.