INTRO :: DAY 1 :: DAY 2 :: DAY 3 :: DAY 4 :: DAY 5 :: PHOTOS :: RESULTS

November 27
Het Kuipke / Gent

Day 6

"What a Finale"

The z6s-daagse Vlaanderen Gent is a huge winter party for the city of Gent and this year the local fans had a lot to cheer about. Matthew Gilmore the veteran of 100 six-day races and Iljo Keisse the youthful track star from Gent combined for the first time in Gent to defeat the last years winners the Dutch duo Robert Slippens and Danny Stam in a dramatic finale.

The last day events began on Sunday afternoon at 1:30pm with the Gilmore/Keisse in first place with 310 points and 0 laps. In second place were Slippens/Stam 1 lap 284 points. Also at 1 lap down were the veterans Bruno Risi/Kurt Betschart with 189 points. Both Risi/Betschart and Slippens/Stam are poised to gain a bonus lap when they pass the 100 point marks. Thus all the frontrunners would be tied at zero points and it would be the battle for points.

The Team Points Race was won by Marvulli/Villa gaining 16 points with Risi/Betschart 2nd -11 points and Slippens /Stam 10 points.

The Team Elimination was won by Slippens/Stam gaining 15 points and the bonus lap, which now puts them only 3 points behind Gilmore/Keisse. During the Team Elimination there was a serious crash at the first corner. Dimitri De Fauw a local track star and fan favorite hit a slick spot on the track above the blue line and came tumbling to the bottom of the track, but not before he took out Bruno Risi who catapulted over De Fauw as he was falling. Both riders were seriously injured and had to be taken from the track for medical attention. It appeared that De Fauw and Risi had knee injuries and it would be doubtful that they would return to the race.

Slippens/Stam took the Flying Sprint with a speed of 68.497km/hr. Gilmore/Keisse were in 5th place. Matthew Gilmore won the Derny Final with the Dutch Gangmaker Joop Zijlaard. Slippens/Stam were leading with 327 points to Gilmore/Keisse with 321 points.

The Individual Elimination did not change the status of the front runners as Robert Hayles from Great Britain won. Christian Grasmann (Ger) won the second Derny Final. The team of Grasmann/Hester also won the 500m Sprint Time Trial in 63.807km/hr getting the same time as Marvulli/Villa.

The Supersprint was won by Pennsylvania track star Marty Nothstein who rides for the North American Navigators Cycling Team.

We are now down to the last event the 60-minute, 50 lap Madison. De Fauw and Risi are now official out of the race and a new team of Kurt Betschart (SWI) and Andreas Beikirch has been formed.

At 10 minutes 30 seconds into the race Slippens/Stam are at 329 points, Gilmore/Keisse 2nd place at 325 points, the new team of Betschart/Beikirch at 222, all at 0 laps. In fourth place and looking very strong are Bartko/McGrory, who have 301 points and 1 lap down.

At 22 minutes Robert Slippens is attacking, Gilmore/Keisse counter his move. Two minutes later Slippens/Stam try again. By 25 minutes Slippens/Stam have a one-lap lead. The see saw for the lead continues as Gilmore/Keisse gain the lap back at 26 minutes15 seconds. At 29 minutes the troops are riding tempo catching their breath from all the attacking.

Now that we are halfway through the final race Slippens/Stam are being shadowed by Gilmore/Keisse. When either of the riders attacks, their rival is on their wheel. At 60 minutes all is still even. There is perfect symmetry to the riding with the hand sling of riders and racers taking turns at the front and then peeling off to the end of the pack.

In the final Madison after the 60 minutes of riding, sprint points are awarded every 10 laps of the final 50 laps. The drama continues as Slippens edges Gilmore in Sprint 1. Iljo Keisse wins Sprint 2 nipping Danny Stam. Sprint 3 goes to Gilmore and now it comes down to the final sprint as the superstar from Gent, Iljo Keisse, comes over the top of Robert Slippens on the final straightaway to win, pumping his hand into the air with a victory salute. What a finale!

It has been an exciting week at the Gent 6-day. Of all the European Six-Day Races this is perhaps the classic. The riders love coming here as do the cycling fans from throughout Europe and North America.

Arnold Devlin
Eugene Vandal
Thunder Bay Cycling Club