Viktor has been keeping in touch, he was going to come over but couldn’t get a flight. ‘Is that Bruno’s wee brother’s bike he’s on?’
He does have a point, with carbon frame manufacture, one of the biggest costs is to produce the moulds.
This leads a lot of manufactures to go down a ‘one size fits all’ route – meaning a lot of seat post on show and/or stacking/high rise stems at the front end. For me, the classic look of Keisse’s bike is best – extension hard down on the head race and just the right amount of seat pin.
The atmosphere was great, again, last night – the track centre is alive.
To get from the safety of the rider’s enclosure to the top of the tunnel it’s only ten metres, but you have squeeze and slide past dozens of people; men, women, old, young – like someone said to me; ‘when you are a kid, your father takes you to the six, then you take your own kids!’
It’s hard to overstate how much drink gets put away each night; at the death, the place reeks of Pils and the plastic cups make it look like a shanty town tip.
The entertainers have all been perfect for the venue; big personalities and big voices – you need those to walk around a velodrome with just a radio mic in your hand.
Big Wendy last night wasn’t the best singer I’ve ever heard, but she was a great turn – especially in those boots and that mini.
There’s little agro and everyone seems to be having the time of their life.
Morale in our cabin is good; Alex and Michael are riding very well; buoyed by the fact that the crowd has embraced them.
Franco is Franco, full of fun – last night he rode round plucking flowers from his bouquet and throwing the to the ladies in the crowd – but looking good on the boards. Last night he and Bruno won the 500 metre TT, to the consternation of Iljo’s army of fans.
And that’s the podium – don’t ask me the order, except that I’d put Iljo third, with Kluge.
Iljo tried to pull a fast one, last night; turning the closing 60 lap sprint series into a chase – he wanted to snaffle a lap, but he all he did was to annoy the other two top teams.
Iljo Keisse is the Gent six, just like it used to be Patrick Sercu, then Etienne de Wilde.
He’s desperate to win – but it’s natural, he’s a competitor, a winner, and this is his race.
Stuart Anthony, Dave Martin and John Anderson were all here, last night – I tried to chat, in between the demands of the job, but it’s hard.
There are riders to change, push up into races, haul down after races, drinks to organise, Complan shakes to make, legs to wipe – so, sorry if I neglected you, guys.
I saw some Glasgow Nightingale jerseys in the crowd, but didn’t get a chance to say ‘hello.’
Pete Jacques is on his way, too – he does management work for Franco and they have some business to talk. It’s a good job that Pete has his tickets organised – they’re like gold dust.
Dirk Van Hove – who I first got to know when he helped me with the obituary I wrote for Gary Wiggins – lost tickets that he had for friends.
I managed to get him one for today (Saturday) but like Franco said; “Sunday tickets? – no chance!”
The local newspaper says that at 51 degrees Gent is the steepest track on the circuit; but Michael was saying after he first rode the track that he felt the bankings could be steeper – what he actually meant was that he wished the transitions were better; they don’t propel you back out into the straights, the way the best tracks do.
Anyway, it’s 16:35 on Saturday, only two nights to go – but they promise to big ones.
Ciao, ciao.
Results
Points race
1 Kenny De Ketele (Bel) / Robert Bartko (Ger) Mercator Verzekeringen 15 pts
2 Alexander Aeschbach / Tristan Marguet (Swi) Geka Kaas 13
3 Iljo Keisse (Bel) / Roger Kluge (Ger) Mega Deschacht — John Saey 7
4 Alex Rasmussen / Michael Morkov (Den) Callant Verzekeringen — Wire-less 7
5 Leon Van Bon (Ned) / Andreas Müller (Ger) Caruur 6
6 Geert-Jan Jonkman (Ned) / Marc Hester (Den) AVS 5
7 Steven Deneef / Steve Schets (Bel) JDK 3
8 Glenn O’Shea / Leigh Howard (Aus) VDK Spaarbank 3
9 Danny Stam (Ned) / Leif Lampater (Ger) Ploeg AA Drink 3
10 Ingmar Depoortere / Nicky Cocquyt (Bel) Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen 3
11 Jeff Vermeulen / Peter Schep (Ned) Topsport Vlaanderen 1
12 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi) Knokse Bandencentrale — Eurotyre
Team elimination
1 Danny Stam (Ned) / Leif Lampater (Ger) Ploeg AA Drink 20 pts
2 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi) Knokse Bandencentrale — Eurotyre 12
3 Alex Rasmussen / Michael Morkov (Den) Callant Verzekeringen — Wire-less 10
4 Leon Van Bon (Ned) / Andreas Müller (Ger) Caruur 8
5 Iljo Keisse (Bel) / Roger Kluge (Ger) Mega Deschacht — John Saey 6
6 Geert-Jan Jonkman (Ned) / Marc Hester (Den) AVS 4
7 Kenny De Ketele (Bel) / Robert Bartko (Ger) Mercator Verzekeringen
8 Ingmar Depoortere / Nicky Cocquyt (Bel) Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen
9 Steven Deneef / Steve Schets (Bel) JDK
10 Glenn O’Shea / Leigh Howard (Aus) VDK Spaarbank
11 Alexander Aeschbach / Tristan Marguet (Swi) Geka Kaas
12 Jeff Vermeulen / Peter Schep (Ned) Topsport Vlaanderen
One lap time trial
1 Alex Rasmussen / Michael Morkov (Den) Callant Verzekeringen — Wire-less 10 pts
2 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi) Knokse Bandencentrale — Eurotyre 6
3 Iljo Keisse (Bel) / Roger Kluge (Ger) Mega Deschacht — John Saey 5
4 Alexander Aeschbach / Tristan Marguet (Swi) Geka Kaas 4
5 Leon Van Bon (Ned) / Andreas Müller (Ger) Caruur 3
6 Kenny De Ketele (Bel) / Robert Bartko (Ger) Mercator Verzekeringen 2
7 Glenn O’Shea / Leigh Howard (Aus) VDK Spaarbank
8 Ingmar Depoortere / Nicky Cocquyt (Bel) Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen
9 Geert-Jan Jonkman (Ned) / Marc Hester (Den) AVS
10 Steven Deneef / Steve Schets (Bel) JDK
11 Danny Stam (Ned) / Leif Lampater (Ger) Ploeg AA Drink
Madison 1
1 Alex Rasmussen / Michael Morkov (Den) Callant Verzekeringen — Wire-less 20 pts
2 Danny Stam (Ned) / Leif Lampater (Ger) Ploeg AA Drink 12
One lap down
3 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi) Knokse Bandencentrale — Eurotyre 10
4 Kenny De Ketele (Bel) / Robert Bartko (Ger) Mercator Verzekeringen 8
5 Iljo Keisse (Bel) / Roger Kluge (Ger) Mega Deschacht — John Saey 6
Two laps down
6 Alexander Aeschbach / Tristan Marguet (Swi) Geka Kaas 4
7 Leon Van Bon (Ned) / Andreas Müller (Ger) Caruur
Three laps down
8 Glenn O’Shea / Leigh Howard (Aus) VDK Spaarbank
Four laps down
9 Steven Deneef / Steve Schets (Bel) JDK
10 Geert-Jan Jonkman (Ned) / Marc Hester (Den) AVS
Five laps down
11 Ingmar Depoortere / Nicky Cocquyt (Bel) Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen
Derny 1
1 Marc Hester (Den) AVS 5 pts
2 Leigh Howard (Aus) VDK Spaarbank 4
3 Leon Van Bon (Ned) Caruur 3
4 Nicky Cocquyt (Bel) Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen 2
5 Tristan Marguet (Swi) Geka Kaas 1
6 Steve Schets (Bel) JDK
Elimination 1
Andreas Müller (Ger) Caruur 10 pts
2 Steven Deneef (Bel) JDK 6
3 Geert-Jan Jonkman (Ned) AVS 5
4 Ingmar Depoortere (Bel) Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen 4
5 Glenn O’Shea (Aus) VDK Spaarbank 3
6 Alexander Aeschbach (Swi) Geka Kaas 2
7 Bruno Risi (Swi) Knokse Bandencentrale — Eurotyre
8 Robert Bartko (Ger) Mercator Verzekeringen
9 Roger Kluge (Ger) Mega Deschacht — John Saey
10 Leif Lampater (Ger) Ploeg AA Drink
11 Alex Rasmussen (Den) Callant Verzekeringen — Wire-less
Derny 2
1 Kenny De Ketele (Bel) Mercator Verzekeringen 5 pts
2 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Mega Deschacht — John Saey 4
3 Michael Morkov (Den) Callant Verzekeringen — Wire-less 3
4 Danny Stam (Ned) Ploeg AA Drink 2
5 Peter Schep (Ned) Topsport Vlaanderen 1
6 Franco Marvulli (Swi) Knokse Bandencentrale — Eurotyre
500m time trial
1 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi) Knokse Bandencentrale — Eurotyre 20 pts
2 Iljo Keisse (Bel) / Roger Kluge (Ger) Mega Deschacht — John Saey 12
3 Alex Rasmussen / Michael Morkov (Den) Callant Verzekeringen — Wire-less 10
4 Kenny De Ketele (Bel) / Robert Bartko (Ger) Mercator Verzekeringen 8
5 Alexander Aeschbach / Tristan Marguet (Swi) Geka Kaas 6
6 Glenn O’Shea / Leigh Howard (Aus) VDK Spaarbank 4
7 Ingmar Depoortere / Nicky Cocquyt (Bel) Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen
8 Leon Van Bon (Ned) / Andreas Müller (Ger) Caruur
9 Geert-Jan Jonkman (Ned) / Marc Hester (Den) AVS
10 Steven Deneef / Steve Schets (Bel) JDK
11 Danny Stam (Ned) / Leif Lampater (Ger) Ploeg AA Drink
Madison 2
1 Kenny De Ketele (Bel) / Robert Bartko (Ger) Mercator Verzekeringen 20 pts
One lap down
2 Iljo Keisse (Bel) / Roger Kluge (Ger) Mega Deschacht — John Saey 12
3 Alex Rasmussen / Michael Morkov (Den) Callant Verzekeringen — Wire-less 10
4 Danny Stam (Ned) / Leif Lampater (Ger) Ploeg AA Drink 8
5 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi) Knokse Bandencentrale — Eurotyre 6
Two laps down
6 Leon Van Bon (Ned) / Andreas Müller (Ger) Caruur 4
7 Alexander Aeschbach / Tristan Marguet (Swi) Geka Kaas
Three laps down
8 Steven Deneef / Steve Schets (Bel) JDK
9 Glenn O’Shea / Leigh Howard (Aus) VDK Spaarbank
Five laps down
10 Ingmar Depoortere / Nicky Cocquyt (Bel) Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen
11 Geert-Jan Jonkman (Ned) / Marc Hester (Den) AVS
Derny 3
1 Alex Rasmussen (Den) Callant Verzekeringen — Wire-less 5 pts
2 Bruno Risi (Swi) Knokse Bandencentrale — Eurotyre 4
3 Roger Kluge (Ger) Mega Deschacht — John Saey 3
4 Leif Lampater (Ger) Ploeg AA Drink 2
5 Robert Bartko (Ger) Mercator Verzekeringen 1
Elimination 1
Nicky Cocquyt (Bel) Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen 10 pts
2 Steve Schets (Bel) JDK 6
3 Tristan Marguet (Swi) Geka Kaas 5
4 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Mega Deschacht — John Saey 4
5 Peter Schep (Ned) Topsport Vlaanderen 3
6 Marc Hester (Den) AVS 2
7 Leon Van Bon (Ned) Caruur
8 Kenny De Ketele (Bel) Mercator Verzekeringen
9 Leigh Howard (Aus) VDK Spaarbank
10 Franco Marvulli (Swi) Knokse Bandencentrale — Eurotyre
11 Danny Stam (Ned) Ploeg AA Drink
12 Michael Morkov (Den) Callant Verzekeringen — Wire-less
Derny 4
1 Alexander Aeschbach (Swi) Geka Kaas 5 pts
2 Glenn O’Shea (Aus) VDK Spaarbank 4
3 Steven Deneef (Bel) JDK 3
4 Geert-Jan Jonkman (Ned) AVS 2
5 Andreas Müller (Ger) Caruur 1
6 Ingmar Depoortere (Bel) Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen
Sprint standings
1 Iljo Keisse (Bel) / Roger Kluge (Ger) Mega Deschacht — John Saey 18 pts
2 Glenn O’Shea / Leigh Howard (Aus) VDK Spaarbank 15
3 Danny Stam (Ned) / Leif Lampater (Ger) Ploeg AA Drink 10
4 Alex Rasmussen / Michael Morkov (Den) Callant Verzekeringen — Wire-less 7
5 Steven Deneef / Steve Schets (Bel) JDK 5
6 Alexander Aeschbach / Tristan Marguet (Swi) Geka Kaas 5
7 Geert-Jan Jonkman (Ned) / Marc Hester (Den) AVS 3
8 Leon Van Bon (Ned) / Andreas Müller (Ger) Caruur 2
9 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi) Knokse Bandencentrale — Eurotyre 1
10 Ingmar Depoortere / Nicky Cocquyt (Bel) Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen
11 Kenny De Ketele (Bel) / Robert Bartko (Ger) Mercator Verzekeringen
12 Jeff Vermeulen / Peter Schep (Ned) Topsport Vlaanderen
Overall standings
1 Iljo Keisse (Bel) / Roger Kluge (Ger) Mega Deschacht — John Saey 298 pts
2 Alex Rasmussen / Michael Morkov (Den) Callant Verzekeringen — Wire-less 289
3 Bruno Risi / Franco Marvulli (Swi) Knokse Bandencentrale — Eurotyre 260
4 Kenny De Ketele (Bel) / Robert Bartko (Ger) Mercator Verzekeringen 178
One lap down
5 Danny Stam (Ned) / Leif Lampater (Ger) Ploeg AA Drink 191
Three laps down
6 Jeff Vermeulen / Peter Schep (Ned) Topsport Vlaanderen 112
Twelve laps down
7 Alexander Aeschbach / Tristan Marguet (Swi) Geka Kaas 107
8 Leon Van Bon (Ned) / Andreas Müller (Ger) Caruur 98
Thirteen laps down
9 Glenn O’Shea / Leigh Howard (Aus) VDK Spaarbank 140
Twenty six laps down
10 Geert-Jan Jonkman (Ned) / Marc Hester (Den) AVS 83
Thirty three laps down
11 Ingmar Depoortere / Nicky Cocquyt (Bel) Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen 52
Forty laps down
12 Steven Deneef / Steve Schets (Bel) JDK 78
