The cannon fires, the smoke clears, then the drums, those damn drums! But it’s OK, it’s just the intro to Paul Delicato’s 1976 Euro Disco smash, ‘Cara Mia.’ Yes, we’re at the final Six Day of the season; the Copenhagen Six Day 2019.
Home rider Jesper Mørkøv paired with Germany’s Christian Grasmann have the honour of taking the first lap of the race.
The music is always good in Copenhagen as the 75 minute chase unfolds before us the Pussycat Dolls and Alice Merton provide a great soundtrack.
Up in the stand there’s a little group of guys drinking beer and eating popcorn – as the chase speeds up so does their popcorn consumption.
What it’s all about – having fun at the Six Day.
In a world of 20 and 30 minute Six Day Madisons, 75 minutes is a long way and it doesn’t take long for the pressure to tell with riders all over the track; multiple Norwegian track champion Anders Oddli is paired with experienced Dane Sebastian Lander drops six laps but it could be worse, the Polish/German duo of Adrian Teklinski & Lucas Liss haemorrhage 11 omgange (laps) to eventual winners, Dutchmen Yoeri Havik & Wim Stroetinga.
Our cabin comes out of the mayhem in OK shape, Achim Burkart, our German Derny specialist, paired with rapid home youngster Matias Malmberg end the night on the zero lap in third spot.
Our two big Poles, Bartosz Rudyk & Szymon Krawczyk only drop three laps whilst our German cabin comedian, Hans Pirius paired with compatriot Morita Augenstein lose six – could be a lot worse.
Guys to haul in and change, drinks to provide, trips to the big cabin so I miss the ladies scratch and most of the sprint series during which Hans picks up a lovely Milwaukee cordless drill as a present from his sponsor – nice.
But another trip to the cabin to stash it.
The Longest Lap – I’ll explain tomorrow – goes to Adrian Teklinski, looking much better over one lap than he did in the chase.
Johny Wakelin and ‘In Zaire’ can only mean one thing – Dernys.
We win!
I trot round with the hat, towel and drink – nice one, good for cabin morale when you get a win.
Show time, it kinda washed over me which means it must have been OK?
Flying Lap time and some seriously good tunes – Steppenwolf, ‘Born to be wild’ and the Clash, ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go?’
‘Mister Pair Number Seven,’ Michael Mørkøv and young but talented Dane ‘on the way up’ Oliver Wulff Fredriksen [hereafter referred to as ‘Oli’] post best time of the night – to the delight of the crowd.
The ladies’ Elimination falls to an English lass – sorry, no name, it gets busy with four guys to look after, sometimes…
