The theme from ‘Star Wars’ plays as the Rotterdam Six Day 2011 U23 riders victory ceremony gets underway – not long ’til the lunch time kick off.
I haven’t seen much of the U23 event, the riders don’t share the area we’re in and when their racing is on I’m usually busy getting our cabin set up.
There’s more of that confusing team changing thing going on again – Terpstra is now with Lampater who was with Stroetinga until he crashed.
Mouris goes with Pronk who’s been dragged back to the fold – I hope he didn’t go on the kebabs and pils, last night.
Lampater is the best possible partner for Terpstra – strong, rock solid, if anyone can prop Niki up then it’s Leif.
Lampater started winning sixes very quickly after he made the transition from world class team pursuiter to ‘squirrel.’
He rode with Zabel – a big plus – and then with Bartko, but that’s a pairing that hasn’t developed – it surely would have, had the grim reaper not culled so many of the German six days.
Organisers in other European races don’t want German domination and keep them apart, whilst in Germany, Bartko now seems more at home riding with Roger Kluge, a big strong boy with a virtual identical style to the ‘Bear of Potsdam’ as Big Bob is known – if I said ‘affectionately known‘ that wouldn’t be true.
I must be going ‘Flatlands Native;’ Giddeon Massie’s manager, Patrick Lyons was moaning about being sick of hearing the ‘Stand up for the Champions‘ song too often – I have to confess to liking it.
It was Points Race to start, then the Team Devil [Elimination] – we won that and I had to trot round with the boys’ towels and caps for the presentation.
There are some lovely looking girls at this race – but you don’t get to see much of them in the depths of the pits.
On a serious note, ‘The Keisse Affair’ is feeding on itself and becoming much more than the sum of the parts.
The Belgian Government is involved, they’re asking the Belgian Federation to clarify what it’s relationship is with the UCI.
They’re concerned that the UCI is acting as if it’s above EU law – in particular the Bosman ‘right to work‘ ruling.
There’s even speculation that should the UCI act to enforce the ban, and the financial penalties – which the Belgian court has ruled must be paid if Keisse is denied a start in a race – are not paid, then UCI assets may be seized.
“Mess” is not the word.
But the scuttle butt is that Pat is coming up to Rotterdam on Monday to sort it all out – we can hardly wait.
He was boo-ed by the crowd at the Belgian cyclo-cross championships on Sunday; I wonder what reception he’ll get here?
Talking of the ‘cross champs, you lose all sense of time perspective at a Six.As I was running an errand, I passed the main entrance and through the glass I could see that it was a glorious day, ideal for ‘cross I thought, then ‘how is it daylight, what’s happening?‘ I’d forgotten that it was an afternoon session.
As Patrick Lyons said, it’s like going into a casino in ‘Vegas – no windows, no clocks, nothing to judge reality by.
The music really has been good at this race, it’s eclectic but very listenable, The ‘Quo or Van Halen blasting out during a chase works perfectly.
We had visitors from Vacansoleil, this afternoon – in particular their Slovenian sprinter, Borut Božič.
He looks lean and mean – and on the subject of Vacansoleil; their team launch is my next mission.
I got up at 07:00 this morning (Monday) to tidy this piece up and get my ‘runner stuff’ done before the launch at 09:00 around in the conference hall, here at the Ahoy.
I best grab a coffee and bolt – I’ll let you know how it goes.
ciao, ciao.
Rotterdam Six Day 2011 Result
Points Race
1 Kenny van Hummel (Ned) / Andreas Müller (Ger) 10 pts
2 Jeff Vermeulen (Ned) / Tim Mertens (Bel) 6
3 Marc Hester (Den) / Geert-Jan Jonkman (Ned) 5
4 Yoeri Havik / Nick Stöpler (Ned) 4
5 Jos Pronk / Jens Mouris (Ned) 3
6 Danny Stam / Leon van Bon (Ned) 2
7 Franco Marvulli (Swi) / Niki Terpstra (Ned)
8 Bobbie Traksel / Tim Veldt (Ned)
9 Raymond Kreder / Michel Kreder (Ned)
10 Robert Bartko (Ger) / Pim Ligthart (Ned)
11 Iljo Keisse / Kenny De Ketele (Bel)
12 Peter Schep / Theo Bos (Ned)
13 Michael Mørkøv / Jens-Erik Madsen (Den)
Team Elimination
1 Michael Mørkøv / Jens-Erik Madsen (Den) 20 pts
2 Danny Stam / Leon van Bon (Ned) 12
3 Jos Pronk / Jens Mouris (Ned) 10 (+1 lap bonus)
4 Franco Marvulli (Swi) / Niki Terpstra (Ned) 8
5 Marc Hester (Den) / Geert-Jan Jonkman (Ned) 6
6 Peter Schep / Theo Bos (Ned) 4
7 Yoeri Havik / Nick Stöpler (Ned)
8 Iljo Keisse / Kenny De Ketele (Bel)
9 Raymond Kreder / Michel Kreder (Ned)
10 Robert Bartko (Ger) / Pim Ligthart (Ned)
11 Bobbie Traksel / Tim Veldt (Ned)
12 Jeff Vermeulen (Ned) / Tim Mertens (Bel)
13 Kenny van Hummel (Ned) / Andreas Müller (Ger)
Madison 1
1 Peter Schep / Theo Bos (Ned) 20 pts
2 Franco Marvulli (Swi) / Niki Terpstra (Ned) 12
3 Jeff Vermeulen (Ned) / Tim Mertens (Bel) 10
At One Lap
4 Danny Stam / Leon van Bon (Ned) 8
5 Jos Pronk / Jens Mouris (Ned) 6
6 Robert Bartko (Ger) / Pim Ligthart (Ned) 4
7 Iljo Keisse / Kenny De Ketele (Bel)
8 Raymond Kreder / Michel Kreder (Ned)
9 Michael Mørkøv / Jens-Erik Madsen (Den)
At Two Laps
10 Kenny van Hummel (Ned) / Andreas Müller (Ger)
11 Marc Hester (Den) / Geert-Jan Jonkman (Ned)
12 Yoeri Havik / Nick Stöpler (Ned)
At Three Laps
13 Bobbie Traksel / Tim Veldt (Ned)
Scratch Race
1 Bobbie Traksel / Tim Veldt (Ned) 10 pts
2 Yoeri Havik / Nick Stöpler (Ned) 6
3 Michael Mørkøv / Jens-Erik Madsen (Den) 5
4 Robert Bartko (Ger) / Pim Ligthart (Ned) 4
5 Marc Hester (Den) / Geert-Jan Jonkman (Ned) 3
6 Danny Stam / Leon van Bon (Ned) 2
7 Franco Marvulli (Swi) / Niki Terpstra (Ned)
8 Iljo Keisse / Kenny De Ketele (Bel)
9 Peter Schep / Theo Bos (Ned)
10 Raymond Kreder / Michel Kreder (Ned)
11 Jeff Vermeulen (Ned) / Tim Mertens (Bel)
12 Jos Pronk / Jens Mouris (Ned)
13 Kenny van Hummel (Ned) / Andreas Müller (Ger)
Elimination
1 Kenny van Hummel (Ned) / Andreas Müller (Ger) 10 pts
2 Yoeri Havik / Nick Stöpler (Ned) 6
3 Bobbie Traksel / Tim Veldt (Ned) 5
4 Michael Mørkøv / Jens-Erik Madsen (Den) 4
5 Jeff Vermeulen (Ned) / Tim Mertens (Bel) 3
6 Iljo Keisse / Kenny De Ketele (Bel) 2
7 Marc Hester (Den) / Geert-Jan Jonkman (Ned)
8 Danny Stam / Leon van Bon (Ned)
9 Jos Pronk / Jens Mouris (Ned)
10 Peter Schep / Theo Bos (Ned)
11 Robert Bartko (Ger) / Pim Ligthart (Ned)
12 Franco Marvulli (Swi) / Niki Terpstra (Ned)
13 Raymond Kreder / Michel Kreder (Ned)
Derny 1
1 Bos-Zijlaard J 5 p