Bed after the Grenoble Six Day 2011 – Fifth Night was at 02:00 am so I didn’t have too much problem getting up at 07:45 to do some ‘real world’ stuff.
The only trouble with that is I know I won’t feel nearly as frisky come 02:30 am.
I was meant to have an interview with Luke Roberts today, he was meant to get word about what’s happening team-wise for 2012.
But alas – nowt.
We’re going to wait until it’s sorted out before we chat one on one.
He was relating great stories to us today, about his team pursuit days – team time trials on 39 x 16 downhill with a tail wind to promote leg speeds of up to 200 rpm.
Redundant techniques now that individual and team pursuiters are riding 52 x 13 – or, if you’re Jack Bobridge, make that 53 x 13.
He was also relating the tale of when yellow jersey clad Davie Zee crashed right in front of him with a kilometre to go in the Tour TTT.
My tales of white-lining in the ‘Dundee 50’ just don’t have the same ring.
The quality of the madison racing has improved over the week as the French guys find their legs.
It’s almost embarrassing down here at Grenoble, as a runner you’re used to being shunned by all of the riders in the Northern European sixes – except your own. But in Les Alpes it’s different, most of the French riders stop for a hand shake and a chat – it’s cool, human.
Wee Sebastian Ivars is a good guy, always smiling, he rides here every year; ‘Franco is a good Maitre of the six, he is not greedy, Marco Villa was not such a good Maitre…
The Spaniards have really come on, riding very strongly tonight, again.
I interviewed Iljo Keisse tonight, he can be just a wee tad superior; but he was fine tonight; good, honest answers and plenty of time for me – but it’s taken six years for me to be in a position where it can be like that with him.
I was here when he won with Gilmore in 2005 – he was young, on the way up back then and it was his first win.
A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then; ‘the programme says I’ve won 14 six days, I think it’s maybe 15, I don’t really count – my dad does.’
He leads with Kneisky going in to the last day – can Franco & Aeschi wrestle it from them.
My heart says; ‘yes,’ but my head says; ‘no.’
A demain.
Grenoble Six Days 2011 – Fifth Night – Results
Sprint series
1 Morgan Kneisky/Iljo Keisse (Fra/Bel) 13 pts
2 Marc Hester/Jesper Morkov (Den) 10
3 Alexander Aeschbach/Franco Marvulli (Swi) 8
4 Tim Mertens/Kenny De Ketele (Bel) 8
5 Martin Hacecky/Martin Blaha (Cze) 7
6 Albert Torres/Sebastian Mora (Spa) 5
7 Clément Carisey/Bastien Ruffinengo (Fra) 5
8 Danny Stam/Luke Roberts (Ned/Aus) 4
9 Jules Pijourlet/Kévin Fouahe (Fra) 4
10 Pierre-Luc Perichon/Sébastien Ivars (Fra) 2
11 Flaurent Ivars/François Lamiraud (Fra)
Madison
1 Alexander Aeschbach/Franco Marvulli (Swi) 15 pts
2 Morgan Kneisky/Iljo Keisse (Fra/Bel) 14
3 Tim Mertens/Kenny De Ketele (Bel) 7
4 Marc Hester/Jesper Morkov (Den) 2
5 Danny Stam/Luke Roberts (Ned/Aus) 6
@ 1 lap
6 Albert Torres/Sebastian Mora (Spa) 5
7 Martin Hacecky/Martin Blaha (Cze) 1
@ 2 laps
8 Pierre-Luc Perichon/Sébastien Ivars (Fra)
9 Clément Carisey/Bastien Ruffinengo (Fra)
@ 3 laps
10 Flaurent Ivars/François Lamiraud (Fra)
11 Jules Pijourlet/Kévin Fouahe (Fra)
Madison
1 Danny Stam/Luke Roberts (Ned/Aus) 20 pts
2 Albert Torres/Sebastian Mora (Spa) 12
3 Martin Hacecky/Martin Blaha (Cze) 10
4 Flaurent Ivars/François Lamiraud (Fra) 8
@ 1 lap
5 Tim Mertens/Kenny De Ketele (Bel) 6
6 Alexander Aeschbach/Franco Marvulli (Swi) 4
7 Jules Pijourlet/Kévin Fouahe (Fra)
8 Pierre-Luc Perichon/Sébastien Ivars (Fra)
9 Clément Carisey/Bastien Ruffinengo (Fra)
10 Morgan Kneisky/Iljo Keisse (Fra/Bel)
11 Marc Hester/Jesper Morkov (Den)
Elimination (black)
1 Jules Pijourlet 10 pts
2 Clement Carisey 6
3 Pierre-Luc Perichon 5
4 Albert Torres 4
5 Marc Hester 3
6 Florent Ivars 2
7 Morgan Kneisky
8 Tim Mertens
9 Danny Stam
10 Alexander Aeschbach
11 Martin Hacecky
Elimination (red)
1 Franco Marvulli 10 pts
2 Iljo Keisse 6
3 Sebastian Mora 5
4 Kenny De Ketele 4
5 Kevin Fouache 3
6 Jesper Morkov 2
7 Bastien Ruffinengo
8 Francois Lamiraud
9 Sebastien Ivars
10 Luke Roberts
11 Martin Blaha
Scratch race
1 Albert Torres 10 pts
2 Martin Hacecky 6
3 Jules Pijourlet 5
4 Alexander Aeschbach 4
5 Marc Hester 3
6 Florent Ivars 2
7 Morgan Kneisky
8 Pierre-Luc Perichon
9 Tim Mertens
10 Danny Stam
11 Clement Carisey
Elimination Dauphinoise
1 Tim Mertens/Kenny De Ketele (Bel) 20 pts
2 Martin Hacecky/Martin Blaha (Cze) 12
3 Danny Stam/Luke Roberts (Ned/Aus) 10
4 Morgan Kneisky/Iljo Keisse (Fra/Bel) 8
5 Marc Hester/Jesper Morkov (Den) 6
6 Alexander Aeschbach/Franco Marvulli (Swi) 4
7 Pierre-Luc Perichon/Sébastien Ivars (Fra)
8 Clément Carisey/Bastien Ruffinengo (Fra)
9 Flaurent Ivars/François Lamiraud (Fra)
10 Jules Pijourlet/Kévin Fouahe (Fra)
11 Albert Torres/Sebastian Mora (Spa)
Standings after night 5
1 Morgan Kneisky/Iljo Keisse (Fra/Bel) 276 pts
2 Alexander Aeschbach/Franco Marvulli (Swi) 271
3 Tim Mertens/Kenny De Ketele (Bel) 263
4 Marc Hester/Jesper Morkov (Den) 201
5 Danny Stam/Luke Roberts (Ned/Aus) 195
@ 1 lap
6 Martin Hacecky/Martin Blaha (Cze) 165
@ 3 laps
7 Albert Torres/Sebastian Mora (Spa) 209
@ 8 laps
8 Jules Pijourlet/Kévin Fouahe (Fra) 119
@ 9 laps
9 Pierre-Luc Perichon/Sébastien Ivars (Fra) 71
@ 11 laps
10 Flaurent Ivars/François Lamiraud (Fra) 54
@ 15 laps
11 Clément Carisey/Bastien Ruffinengo (Fra) 54