We have two rooms (cabins) upstairs at the track here at the Bremen Six Day; a larger room with the drinks fridge, our tea and coffee equipment, a sofa, chairs and tables, and a smaller room with our massage table setup as well as a camp bed that’s been provided by the race organisers for anyone that wants to use them.
Etienne Ilegems (famous Belgian soigneur who’s looking after a few of the top guys here) is doing the same in his big room downstairs. I’m so glad that rather than sleep again in Kris’ camper van I elected to spend the night in the wee cabin – it has a toilet en suite.
Kris blames the ‘Turkish pizza’, I reckon it might have been the chicken casserole in the track canteen (where the riders, the officials and the support personnel all eat), but whatever it was, it meant a very uncomfortable night and precious little sleep.
I’m pretty listless and a bit spaced-out as I shuffle outside into the ice-cold air and head for the camper stationed in what I imagine must be the biggest car park in Europe, to appraise Kris of my sorry tale.
After hearing (probably too much of) the detail he points me in the direction of the Bahnhof Apotheke and tells me to ask for ‘eine große kiste Imodium‘.
Today’s program consists of two parts, the “Kidsday” beginning at 11am this morning and into the afternoon, children are granted free admission to meet the stars – and are given a whistle each, and the main session in the evening, starting at 6pm.
Despite my thumping headache I wander round at the start of the “Kidsday” session to my usual photo spot next to the track entry point and the officials base, to see what’s going on.
Sports Director for the Bremen Six Day, Erik Weispfennig, the German Cycling Federation’s Vice President and ex-World Madison Champion a quarter of a century ago, together with event MC and local radio celebrity Malte Völz, are chatting with “Mascot Speedy” but I can make neither head nor tail of what’s being said, mostly because the constant noise of the kids blowing on their free whistles is deafening.
When Erik fires the starting gun, twice, right in front of me (my fault for not paying attention to his whereabouts), signalling the kickoff of the u19 Points Race for black numbers, I realise enough is enough and head back to the relative sanctity of our trackside cabins.
After taking a couple of paracetamol tablets I shut out the commentators bellowing by popping in my Jabra earbuds with the noice-cancelling feature enabled, and willingly give in to an unavoidable snooze in Adam’s cabin while the u19s, the para tandem racing and the pro riders introduction goes on trackside.
I’m vaguely aware of Kris turning off the string of bright Ikea LED lights that all the cabins have installed and closing the curtain over me.
Remarkably, when I open my eyes after half an hour and sit up I feel much, much better.
The first race for our guys is the “Big Hunt“, the 100 lap Chase, and just before the start we have a visitor to the cabins.
Three times World Madison Champion Roger Kluge is doing the rounds and when he gets to us he instructs the boys as to how this Chase will be approached; “…not as fast as last night, no attacking off the front, we keep it steady“.
Last night’s 100 lap Chase was crazy fast, so he has a point; the kids in the audience don’t really care if the race is conducted at 59kph or 49kph, so long as the show is good.
There are a few digs off the front by some teams; Team #9 Theo Reinhardt and Roger Kluge, Team #10 Matteo Donegà and Michele Scartezzini, and Team #6 Simone Consonni and Elia Viviani seem to be keen to be at the front the whole time, and indeed these three teams mop up the main points on offer.
Team #11, Moritz Malcharek and Peter Moore are prominent towards the second half of the Chase, and when they are the only team to take a lap after a short attack of just nine laps with five minutes to go, it looks like they have been ‘allowed to take the win’.
All the other teams finish on the same lap.
Our man Adam Křenek and his partner Anders Fynbo win the La-Ola Sprint, but I’m busy tidying the cabin and miss the presentation.
The children are still blowing their whistles non-stop, I’m sure it’s great fun but it’s such a racket I can’t be the only one in here cursing the decision to give them out for free.
The show for ‘Kidsday‘ is a couple of singers on stage who appeared on “The Voice Kids, 2024”, Malya and Lilly Heinrich, who are actually pretty good, and a young chap called Maurice Fuchs, who is apparently a multiple World Kung Fu champion, but here he’s rapping, with a couple of dancers next to him. If I just say I don’t think I’m the target audience for his stuff, and leave it at that.
As last night, our guys show at the front in the Derny before being taken to the back of the field before the final few laps.
Nils Politt wins his Derny race with pacer ‘Vonhof’, and despite there only being five points on offer towards the overall, he spends a couple of laps celebrating, wildely gesticulating and encouraging the children in the audience to blow their whistles. Cheers Nils.
I’m on holding-up duties again in the Keirin for the big Czech sprinter, Tomáš Bábek. He’s retiring at the end of this Six and displays a relaxed and demob-happy attitude, making a good show of the racing and trying to find a way past the former German Junior Kilometre Champion Jakob Vogt on the côte d’azure.
The u19 riders embark on their 100 lap Chase, but I cut loose and head upstairs to our cabin for a rest. Kris hits the canteen with some of the other soigneurs and mechanics but I can’t bear the thought of eating anything.
Tomáš asks for a massage mid-afternoon and I’m happy to help, he’s such a nice guy and he makes a lovely wee video for me to show Ed when I’m home. We chat about his career and his terrible accident in 2011 when he broke his femur, our daughters who are of similar ages, and our following of Stoic philosophy.
Before we know it, it’s 6pm and we’re back on shift. The u19 riders have a 45 minute Chase whilst we prepare the cabin and our guys arrive.
First up is the Elimination for all riders, where the placing for each rider in a team is added together and the team with the lowest combined score wins.
German Team Pursuiter Benjamin Boos wins, but because his partner Bruno Kessler was 4th to be eliminated, their combined score drops them to fourth. Winners are Matias Malmberg and Moritz Augenstein, and this lifts them to the top of the Overall Classification as well. They’ve become the team to watch.
It’s Große Jagd time, the “Big Chase” of 45 minutes, and unlike this morning, this time there are no holds barred; the three big teams battle it out, taking turns at taking laps, first Reinhardt/Kluge attack to take the only mid-race sprint for the five points and a lap, then they’re joined on the same lap by Havik/Politt and Consonni/Viviani.
I take a walk to the stands and watch a bit of the Chase from there, it really is the best way to make sense of what’s going on in the race.
The DJ in charge of the sounds in the hall, Jürgen Rasper is brilliant at matching the music to the action taking place on the track, anticipating the sprints for points and lulls in the pace.
My daughter’s favourite song of the moment, “APT” by Bruno Mars & Rosé plays as the Chase simmers; “Sleep tomorrow, but tonight go crazy” – but I’m actually looking forward to a bit of sleep tonight!
Every other team loses laps, and our Czech team of Matyáš Koblízek and Jan Voneš ride well but still lose ten laps.
I go upstairs to the cabin for a wee nap whilst the show is on, it’s “Watch Your Steps” again, the first of three appearances on stage tonight.
I miss the paracycling tandem Pursuit races and the Derny races while I’m upstairs, but make it back in time for the 500m Time Trial.
Once again former Dutch Omnium Champion (and this year teammate to our man Tobias Müller on the Wanty-Nippo-ReUz development team) Elmar Abma and his partner Roy Eefting are the quickest, with 26.7 seconds, half a second clear of the field.
The “Little Chase” is just 30 minutes, but it’s another opportunity for the top three teams to battle it out and cement the podium a little bit more.
Our German/Swiss team of Tobias Müller and Lukas Rüegg are doing really well, they find themselves now in a solid 6th place overall.
Tobias and Lukas win the La-Ola Sprint for ten points added to their overall score, which counts for little as they’re still 30 points and five laps behind the fifth place team overall, Matteo Donegà and Michele Scartezzini.
I’m fading fast but the wee chap who organises the holder-uppers for the Sprints, the Derny races and the Keirin seeks me out; “Tomáš wants you,” he tells me.
Tomáš does okay, second to young Yeno Vingerhoets, 3rd in the European Keirin Championship.
Last event of the night, the Team Elimination, where the teams sling each other in while they’re still in the race. It’s pretty interesting to see how the different teams approach this and where they try to time their changes, to get the maximum speed lift on the ‘bell laps’.
Yoeri Havik and Nils Politt have this down to a fine art and take the 20 points in a canter.
It’s a wee bit earlier finish tonight, just after 01:30am when the tricots and shorts are washed and hanging up to dry. I’m so tired after last night’s lack of sleep and not being able to eat anything all day, I’m asleep before my head hits the pillow.
