It’s 2011, it’s the Rotterdam Six Day 2011 and it wouldn’t be a Six without the track dramas – you’ll all be familiar by now with the ‘Iljo Saga.’
Who ever you think is at fault, there’s no doubt that the sport’s governing body is now doing itself no favours with the way it’s handling this situation.
They tell the Rotterdam organiser that Keisse shouldn’t start, but when Frank Boelé says; ‘and you’ll pick up the tab for the 50,000 Euros/day fine if Keisse’s judgement sticks because I’m denying him the right to ride ?’
‘Oh no!’ comes the reply from Aigle.
Like Frank Boelé says; ‘I get bitten by the cat and the dog!’
It’s a mess.
Particularly when you hear that the best the UCi can come up with is to ‘ignore’ the Belgian.
Our other drama was Franco’s illness; it’s 16:55 on Friday (day two) as I write this and the big man is on the massage table.
He’s still not right after last night’s sickness and naturalisation but doesn’t like to quit; in 100 starts he’s only been DNS in a couple of races, usually because of a crash.
He’ll be able to get through things like points, scratch and time trials but it’s the chases that find you out.
There’s no hiding place; I was surprised by how quick the first chase was, last night.
There are several guys carrying a few kilos more than when I saw them at Gent – top pros or not, they’re human and Xmas is Xmas.
I’ve looked after Jens Erik Madsen at more than a few sixes now and last night was the first time I’ve seen his chest continue to heave like that after a madison – it was no ‘potato chase.’
There’s Scottish interest at the race – Charline Joiner is riding the ladies’ Six Day.
I don’t think there’s any madison racing, it’s more of an omnium format.
Last night was a scratch – where she finished in the second half of the bunch but rattled off not a bad flying lap.
I’ll need to go and say ‘hello’ to her.
The sprint tournament has a good field with world sprint champion Gregory Bauge, world kilometre champion Teun Mulder, former European U23 sprint champion Michael D’Almedia, 2008 Dutch keirin champion Yondi Schmidt, former Pan Am sprint and multiple US champion Giddeon Massie and his compatriot, Dean Tracey, who I know nothing about.
The music is good, Motown, Disco, 60’s, 70’s, hi-energy, the tunes of the day from the likes of the Black Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga plus a bit of ‘oom-pah’ – but it’s liveable with; it is Holland, after all.
The programme is sharp with few gaps, former derny driver, Bruno Walrave does the rounds to ‘shoo’ the guys out to race – a ‘Patrick Sercu programme’ the riders are saying.
From a race personnel point of view, it’s a good race – the credentials were all ready for us; there are plenty of tables and chairs available; electric hook up for the camper is no problem; breakfast, dinner and coffee/soft drinks are available all the time and there’s very little of the ‘janitorial’ mentality within the organisation which spoils so many races.
The ladies devil is finished – Charlene didn’t make the last four; the pros are drifting down; Iljo is on his rollers; there’s steam rising from the kitchen; the disco ball is winding up and there’s Robbie, ‘let me entertain you’ – best get to work.
Ciao, ciao.
Rotterdam Six Day 2011 Results
Points Race
1 Raymond Kreder / Michel Kreder (Ned)
2 Jeff Vermeulen (Ned) / Tim Mertens (Bel)
3 Marc Hester (Den) / Geert-Jan Jonkman (Ned)
Team Elimination
1 Danny Stam / Leon van Bon (Ned)
2 Michael Mørkøv / Jens-Erik Madsen (Den)
3 Iljo Keisse / Kenny De Ketele (Bel)
Madison 1
1 Danny Stam / Leon van Bon (Ned)
2 Iljo Keisse / Kenny De Ketele (Bel)
3 Leif Lampater (Ger) / Wim Stroetinga (Ned)
Scratch Race
1 Peter Schep / Theo Bos (Ned)
2 Yoeri Havik / Nick Stöpler (Ned)
3 Marc Hester (Den) / Geert-Jan Jonkman (Ned)
Elimination
1 Jos Pronk / Jens Mouris (Ned)
2 Iljo Keisse / Kenny De Ketele (Bel)
3 Franco Marvulli (Swi) / Niki Terpstra (Ned)
Derny 1
1 Jeff Vermeulen (Ned)
2 Peter Schep (Ned)
3 Yoeri Havik (Ned)
Team Time Trial
1 Peter Schep / Theo Bos (Ned)
2 Bobbie Traksel / Tim Veldt (Ned)
3 Jeff Vermeulen (Ned) / Tim Mertens (Bel)
Derny 2
1 Kenny De Ketele (Bel)
2 Raymond Kreder (Ned)
3 Danny Stam (Ned)
Supersprint
1 Jeff Vermeulen (Ned) / Tim Mertens (Bel)
2 Peter Schep / Theo Bos (Ned)
3 Leif Lampater (Ger) / Wim Stroetinga (Ned)
Madison 2
1 Yoeri Havik / Nick Stöpler (Ned)
2 Jeff Vermeulen (Ned) / Tim Mertens (Bel)
3 Danny Stam / Leon van Bon (Ned)
Standings after Day 1
1 Danny Stam / Leon van Bon (Ned) 57 pts
2 Peter Schep / Theo Bos (Ned) 56
3 Iljo Keisse / Kenny De Ketele (Bel) 55
4 Leif Lampater (Ger) / Wim Stroetinga (Ned) 39
5 Yoeri Havik / Nick Stöpler (Ned) 35
6 Michael Mørkøv / Jens-Erik Madsen (Den) 23
7 Robert Bartko (Ger) / Pim Ligthart (Ned) 22
8 Jos Pronk / Jens Mouris (Ned) 19
At One Lap
9 Jeff Vermeulen (Ned) / Tim Mertens (Bel) 55
At Two Laps
10 Marc Hester (Den) / Geert-Jan Jonkman (Ned) 19
At Three Laps
11 Franco Marvulli (Swi) / Niki Terpstra (Ned) 10
At Four Laps
12 Kenny van Hummel (Ned) / Andreas Müller (Ger) 0
At Five Laps
13 Raymond Kreder / Michel Kreder (Ned) 18
At Six Laps
14 Bobbie Traksel / Tim Veldt (Ned) 12
Sprint Cup – Keirin
1 Grégory Baugé (Fra)
2 Teun Mulder (Ned)
3 Giddeon Massie (USA)
Sprint Cup – Sprint
1 Grégory Baugé (Fra)
2 Michaël D’Almeida (Fra)
3 Teun Mulder (Ned)
Sprint Cup – Sprint Finale
1 Grégory Baugé (Fra)
2 Teun Mulder (Ned)
3 Michaël D’Almeida (Fra)
Sprint Cup – Team Sprint
1 Grégory Baugé / Michaël D’Almeida (Fra)
2 Teun Mulder / Yondi Schmidt (Ned)
3 Giddeon Massie / Dean Tracy (USA)
Women – Scratch Race
1 Kirsten Wild (Ned)
2 Vera Koedooder (Ned)
3 Malgorzata Wojtyra (Pol)
Women – Time Trial
1 Kirsten Wild (Ned)
2 Vera Koedooder (Ned)
3 Malgorzata Wojtyra (Pol)
Women – Points Race
1 Kirsten Wild (Ned)
2 Jarmila Machacova (Cze)
3 Vera Koedooder (Ned)
