Bremen Six Day 2012 – Day Six

I’m tidying this Bremen Six Day 2012 piece up on Thursday, we got back at the crack of dawn on Wednesday and I launched straight back into the ‘real world.’ I didn’t have much time to think about anything other than getting round my calls.

But tonight I’ve been taking stock of the Sixes – or in the case of Zürich and Grenoble make that ‘fours.’

It has to faced, road racing dominates, ‘cross and the Six Days are side shows once the road season kicks off.

And the organisers don’t help – do folk want to watch bike races until the wee small hours? Not if the late ‘houses’ at Bremen are anything to go by.

It was unthinkable for Munich to die – but it did.

There are eight Six Days this winter – I hope there are still eight next winter.

But forgetting the gloom and doom for a moment; Bartko/Schep won the 48th Six Days of Bremen by a clear lap from Marvellous/Kalz with Lampater/Keisse rounding out the podium in third place.

The finale wasn’t what I expected, whilst there were spells of savagery, they were shorter than in Monday night’s chase, which our two Americans confirmed contained longer periods of the intense pressure which shreds pelotons.

We had expected hi-jinx in the final chase – but it all went to original script.

When we awoke it was a nice winter’s day in Bremen, nippy but no wind and the sun was out for a change.

It was a little darker inside this stadium.

To say the Six Days are “fixed” is preposterous – if you can’t do the job, you can’t win.

And the job in question is to be on a par with four times World Champion Marvulli; European Madison Champion, Keisse; double Olympic Champion, Bartko; former World Points Champion Peter Schep and all the others.

But it would be naïve to suggest that there’s no choreography – for example, a home win is always best; it’s nice for a retiring star rider to get a podium place as a mark of respect; if a big road star comes in you don’t humiliate him, let him find his track legs.

These things have come to pass over a century of professional Six Day racing and are a part of the sport.

But sometimes, things go wrong and superb athletes or not, the riders are human beings, with all of the faults that you and I have.

Jealousy, prejudice, envy, greed, vanity, pride; all of these emotions come in to play – and some of them surfaced here, in this Six Day.

I can’t go into detail because I inhabit this world and the riders read this, but let’s just say it could have been an interesting final chase.

But peace broke out and it was all smiles on the podium.

Berlin next; but with no Bartko – they tried to chop his contract fee, he said, ‘no.’

But the Aussies, Meyer and Howard are back – on big bucks, all the other teams will be pleased about that.

I’ll be there, so will John Young, will we see you there?

Bremen Six Day - Results from Day Six