Sunday, April 27, 2025

Grenoble Six Day 2006 – Fourth Night

-

HomeDiariesGrenoble Six Day 2006 - Fourth Night

It was musical jerseys last night at the Grenoble Six Day 2006; Franco and Alex Aeschbach took over in the lead, Michael and Alex Rasmussen swopped the leader’s jerseys for the points leaders maillot vert but Jozi and Martin lost the combine jersey to DeFauw and Van Mechelen of Belgium.

Rumour control has it that Monsieur DeFauw ran two red lights in his car last night after the race and was “pulled” by the police.

Grenoble Six Day 2006
Marco works on Franco’s Koga.

The story continues that when he reached for his licence in his inside jacket pocket, the ‘heat’ thought he was going for a shooter and hauled him out of the car at gun-point. He’s too important a person to talk to a humble runner like me so maybe this will have brought him back a little closer to earth.

Talking of elevation, Franco arrived early for breakfast this morning, grabbed his road bike, kit and Marco, his less than slim mechanic, then bolted for L’Alpe D’Huez, which is only about an hour and a half from here. We’re taking bets on whether Marco survives.

At the moment I’m waiting to interview twice Tour de France winner, Bernard Thevenet, he won this six twice in his prime some 30 years ago.

He’s whizzing around the track just now in a training string with world points champion, Peter Schep of Holland. He has no problems catching the last wheel when he swings off but he can’t crouch as low as he used to – all that fine French cooking and vin rouge. The wi-fi in the stadium wasn’t great today but better than yesterday.

Grenoble Six Day 2006
It is exactly who it says on the jersey.

Copy is no problem, I do most of it on the BlackBerry anyway, you grab a bit of time when you can and just rattle-away.

Pictures are more of a problem though, after you have transfered them from the camera to the laptop and labelled them, you have to send them. If there’s no wi-fi then you have copy them onto a memory stick and head for an internet caff, but even that isn’t fool-proof, sometimes there are no USB connections to be had. The wi-fi here is erratic but after much cussing, I got all my pics away.

I finally caught-up with Monsieur Thevenet in his office, in a gesture typical of the man he came around to sit on the same side of the desk as me, in his stocking soles. His English isn’t great and my French is downright bad but we got there in the end. There’s not a trace of an ego about the man even although it was his 1975 Tour de France win which heralded the end of the Merckx era.

Meanwhile, it’s 18.37 and I’m waiting on my pizza from Natalie’s pizza van which stands two minutes from the stadium I had hoped to sneak a beer at Le Clemenceau – my adopted bar, it’s not cheap at euros 2.20 for a presion – the same beer in Flanders would cost one euro – bit it hits the spot.

Unfortunately it was shut – Sunday night in France, that’ll be when most wives getmurdered because husbands can’t go up the pub. The pizza was a cracker, just what you need to look after five six-day guys until 2.00 am.

Grenoble Six Day 2006
The Folies in full flow.

It’s 12.20 and the Paris Folies girls are doing their stuff, topless – naturally.

I got my first good look at them tonight, the power failed in the track-side cabins and I had to go up to see Mr. Biondii at the start line.

The Folies were in full flight in the track centre and whilst it’s not my thing, they are great at what they do.

There was a row after the last Madison and even the sight of all that silicone-packed flesh can’t lift the mood among some of the guys.

An ill-tempered sort of a night with little Italian Marco Villa the whinger-in-chief. Marco is no spring chicken but he’s still a very solid Six-Day man, though he does always seem to be giving someone a tongue lashing. We got finished early tonight – 2.30 am.

Ed Hood
Ed Hood
Ed was involved in cycling for over 50 years. In that time he was a successful time triallist, a team manager and a sponsor of several teams and clubs. He was also a respected and successful coach and during the winter months often worked in the cabins at the Six Days for some of the world's top riders. Ed was a highly respected journalist, his tales of chasing the Giro, Tour, Vuelta, Classics and World Championships - and his much-loved winter Six Days - are legendary, never the same twice, they gave our site an edge other cycling media could never duplicate or challenge. Sadly Ed passed away in January 2025, two years after suffering a devastating stroke.

Related Articles

Le Tour de France 2013 – Stage 18: Gap > Alpe-d’Huez, 168km. Riblon Saves AG2R’s Tour

I could never be a ski bum, 60 Euros per night for the room here at the top of Alpe-d’Huez - but you have to pay extra for sheets - and towels - there's no toilet paper - then you have to clean the place at the end of it. A bit like borstal really, with off-hand, condescending staff.

Giro d’Italia – Day 10: Stage 21, Cesano Maderno – Milano (Individual Time Trial)

Today's Gazzetta in Cesano Maderno has Emanuele Sella's little face smiling out at us with a headline that makes a play on his name: "S(T)ELLA" = star. Life is so much easier when Germans don't win stages! Inside, a headline says; "Bruseghin da podio. Di Luca si arrende." I ask our hotelier what 'arrende' means; he slumps his shoulders, drops his arms to his side, puts his head to one side and let's his tongue hang out - yes, we can understand the translation.

Le Tour de France 2017 – Stage 12: Pau – Peyragudes, 214.5km. Bardet confirms and Aru goes Yellow!

It wasn’t until inside the last kilometre at Peyragudes that the drama really unfolded; Bardet confirms, as does Aru, Froome cracks a little, Quintana cracks A LOT and much as it pains me; ‘one season too many, Bert!’ And Bennett and Martin impress, especially the latter who’s carrying injuries from that horrible crash with Porte on Sunday.

Giro d’Italia 2012 – Stage 13: Savona – Cervere 121km. Cav, What a Sprinter!

Cav, like him or loathe him, what a sprinter. His train is by no means HTC - the GreenEdge boys were much better organised, yesterday - but all that does is to underline his quality. Today, in the stage from Savona to Cervere, he was isolated and boxed - he was free-wheeling at one stage - the gap opened and he was through it in a blink.

At Random

Rotterdam Six Day 2011 – Day Six, It’s Danny’s Name Painted on the Fence Again

Rotterdam Six Day 2011 - it's approaching midnight, we're in the camper, headed north out of Holland to Bremen in Germany on a pan flat, black motorway. Kris is headed for the Six Days of Bremen to work with Franco Marvulli (fingers crossed that he's well) and Jens-Erik Madsen.

Michele Scarponi

Michele Scarponi took fourth on GC at the Tour of the Alps this week and it was a shock to all when word came of his being fatally struck by an Iveco van on an early morning training ride just one kilometre from his home in Filottrano. To Michele Scarponi’s wife, Anna and twin boys Giacomo and Tomamaso, his extended family, friends, fans and team mates we extend our deepest sympathies. Rest in peace, Michele we’re going to miss you.

Timmy Duggan – Calls Time On His Career

Season 2013 wasn't great for Timmy - his contract with the Canadian Spidertech team came to naught when the team collapsed, and his year ended almost before it started with a bad crash in the Tour Down Under and a season spent trying to find his real form with Saxo-Tinkoff. Despite a verbal agreement with Cannondale for 2014 the man from Colorado decided to call ‘time’ on his career. Duggan took time chat to VeloVeritas as the races he used to ride started without him...

Keith Lambert – Part One; Three Times British Champion in the ’70s and 80’s

‘Legs’ they called him, on account of those massive thighs, but he was christened ‘Keith Lambert.’ And the triple British Professional Champion recently gave freely of his time to take a wander through his career with VeloVeritas.