2005 Burnaby 6-Day

Burnaby 6-Day Bicycle Race

Burnaby Velodrome

December 12-17, 2005

The last 6-day race held in Canada was 25 years ago in Montreal with professional 6-day racers from Europe, Australia and only two Canadians, Gord Singleton and Jocelyn Lovell, who both failed to finish the event. The race was won by Pierto Algeri of Italy who was partnered with Willy Debosscher from Belgium. Now for the first time in seventy years a 6-day bike race was held in the Vancouver area at the Burnaby Velodrome in British Columbia with track racers from Canada and the USA.

Two years ago the Harry Jerome Sports Centre Velodrome in Burnaby was on its last legs. The City of Burnaby and the B.C. Volleyball Association were eyeing the velodrome site for a new sports venue that would mean the end of the indoor track racing in B.C. Through heroic efforts the Burnaby Velodrome Club has turned around the gloom and doom and revitalized track racing. In March 2004 the velodrome got a $550,000 infusion of funding from the provincial and federal governments for improving the 200m wooden track, adding stands for spectator seating and enhancing the change room and washroom facilities. With the renewed interest in cycling, race organizer Scott Laliberte has gone back into the history of track racing in Canada to put on a 6-day race.

The race was sponsored by the Burnaby Velodrome Club and included three classes of racers: Group C were new riders to the track, B Group were amateur with some experience and Group A included some professional racers, sponsored cyclists and Canadian Cycling Association Development Team racers. The Group A riders included pro cyclists Christian Meier, National Espoir Champion and Marsh Cooper, both ride for the B.C. based Symmetrics Cycling Team. From Calgary there was Ryan McKenzie a Subway Cycling Team member and Philippe Abbott. From Washington State in the USA were Adrian Hegyvary and Jimmy Lingwood. Vancouver and local racers included Scott Laliberte and Murray Solem of Campione Cycles. Scott, a Masters track and road racing veteran was also acting as the race promoter. Also from B.C. were Jeff Ain and Gordon Ross and 55 year old Luis Bernhardt and Andrew George.

Day One of the Burnaby-6 saw Ryan McKenzie/Philippe Abbott edge out Laliberte/Solem in the Madison Pursuit. Laliberte reversed placing with McKenzie in the Scratch race and edged out Christian Meier in the Miss and Out (Individual Elimination). In the Madison, pro-riders Meier/Cooper took first with Laliberte/Solem second and Washingtonians Hegyvary/Lingwood in third.

Day Two: Saw the A Group riders do battle in three events: the challenging Unknown Distance, the Point-a-Lap and the 150 lap Madison. Symmetrics Cycling Team pro rider Marsh Cooper edged out Scott Laliberte in the Unknown Distance. Cooper took the Point-A-Lap with Symmetrics teammate Christian Meier taking second. Marsh/Meier took the Madison with a 6 lap lead over second place Laliberte/Solem.

Day Three: The Madison competition was all but wrapped up as the Symmetrics duo of Marsh/Meier took a commanding lead with 15 points; second place at four laps was the Calgary duo of Ryan Mckenzie/Philippe Abbott down 4 laps and 8 points and in third was Scott Laliberte/Murray Solem also at 4 laps and 7 points. The Miss and Out to Scratch was won by Christian Meier with Laliberte second and Mckenzie third. The Scratch race was won by Scott Laliberte with the Symmetrics duo Cooper second and Meier third. The Point-a-Lap was won the Calgarian Ryan Mckenzie with 12 points, Gordon Ross 10 points and solo rider John Perkins with 2 points. The Individual Omnium Standings after seven events have Scott Laliberte leading with 28 points, second was Ryan McKenzie with 21 points and Christian Meier and Marsh Cooper tied for third with 18 points each.

Day Four: The fourth day of a 6-day race is always tough for all the riders. Racers have been pushing the envelope for three days and many riders will have already depleted their reserves and be fighting fatigue, sickness and injury. The Snowball was won by Ryan Mckenzie with Solem second and Meier third. The Points Race was won by Marsh Cooper with his Symmetrics Cycling Teammate Christian Meier second and the ‘Calgary Flash’ Ryan Mckenzie third. The Madison was won by Meier/Cooper with 18 points, second was Mckenzie/Abbott down three laps with 13 points and Laliberte/Solem third also at 3 laps with 6 points. The Washington state duo of Hegyvary/Lingwood did not start the Madison tonight.

Day Five: The Group A riders competed in several sprints events for Omnium Individual point competition and the Madison. Also there was an Olympic Sprint Demonstration with Dr. Walker Cycling teammates Matt Chater, Keith Bruneau and Matt Barlee providing the action. The Madison was won by Christian Meier/Marsh Cooper with 13 points, Calgarians Mckenzie/Abbott in second down one lap and 9 points and Jeff Ain/Gordon Ross with 3 points down two laps edging out Laliberte/Solem who were also at two laps but only had 2 points.

Day Six: The Group A riders took to the track tonight for the final grind. The grueling racing over the past five nights had taken it toll with only four teams left in the Madison competition with Jeff Ain/Gordon Ross abandoning. The Snowball was won by speedster Ryan Mckenzie with 122 points, Murray Solem showing some form coming in second with 80 points and Marsh Cooper home in third with 69 points. The Points Race was won by Vancouverite Christian Meier with 52 points and his Symmetrics teammate Marsh Cooper in second with 36 points and Murray Solem in third with 26 points. Scratch race was won by Marsh Cooper with Mckenzie second and John Perkins third. The final Group A race was the Madison and again the professional team of Meier/Cooper were first with thirteen points, second went to the Calgarian duo of Mckenzie/Abbott 11 points down 4 laps and Laliberte/Solem were third also down four laps with 5 points.

The Burnaby 6-day final tally showed that 6-day racing is alive and well in Canada. While the race organizer would have liked more racers and spectators at the track the bottom-line was that this 6-day was great with lots of young racers putting their first six under their belts. Next years plans for the 2006 Burnaby-6 are already in the making with plans to invite top USA track riders, some European 6-day specialists and bringing Canada’s best to the Burnaby Velodrome.

Group A Individual Omnium

Group A Madison Omnium

Arnold Devlin
Thunder Bay Cycling Club
6-Day Bicycle Racing
December 26, 2005