Six-day racing
Encyclopedia
A six or six-day is a track cycling
race that lasts six days. Six-day races started in Britain
, spread to many regions of the world, were brought to their modern style in the United States
and are now mainly a Europe
an event. Initially, individuals competed alone, the winner being the individual who completed the most laps. However, the format was changed to allow teams (usually of two riders each), one rider racing while the other rested. The 24-hours a day regime has also been relaxed, so that most six-day races involve six nights of racing, typically from 6pm to 2am, on indoor tracks (velodromes).
The overall winner is the team which completes most laps. In the event of teams completing the same number of laps, the winner is the team with most points won in intermediate competitions (see points race
). As well as the 'chase' to gain laps over competitors, a typical six-day programme will include time trials, motor-paced, intermediate sprint
and elimination races
. In the main 'chase' or madison
events (so-called after Madison Square Garden
in New York
where the two-man format was devised), both riders may be on the track at the same time, taking it in turns to race, hand-slinging each other back into action.
at the Agricultural Hall in Islington
, London
in 1878 when a professional called David Stanton sought a bet that he could ride 1,000 miles in six successive days, riding 18 hours a day. A Mr Davis put up £100 and the stake was held by the Sporting Life newspaper. Stanton started at 6am on 25 February and won the bet in 73 hours, riding on a high-wheeled machine at an average speed of 13.5 mph.
Six-day cycle races involving more than one rider grew out of the 19th-century enthusiasm for endurance and other novelty competitions. A promoter at the Agricultural Hall held a six-day walking contest in April 1877. It was enough of a success for another to be held the following year. That inspired another organiser, name no longer known, to organise a six-day race in the same hall but for cyclists, also in 1878. He hoped to attract the crowd of 20,000 a day that had turned out for the walkers.
The Islington Gazette reported:
The race started at 6am with only four of the 12 entrants on the track. Although it is often said that the first six-day was a non-stop, no-sleeping event that ran without pause for six days, in fact riders joined in when they chose and slept as they wished.
The winner was Bill Cann, of Sheffield
, who led from the start and finished after 1,060 miles.
in New York City
. Initially, these races were contests of raw endurance, with a single rider completing as many laps as possible. At first, races were over less than 24 hours a day. Riders slept at night and were free to join in the morning when they chose. Faster riders would start later than the slower ones, who would sacrifice sleep to make up for lack of pace. Quickly, riders began competing 24 hours a day, limited only by their ability to stay awake. Many employed seconds, as in boxing, to keep them going. The seconds, known by their French name soigneurs, were said to have used doping to keep their riders circling the track. Riders became desperately tired. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle said:
The condition included delusions and hallucinations. Riders wobbled and fell. But they were often well paid, especially since more people came to watch as their condition worsened. Promoters in New York paid Teddy Hale $5,000 when he won in 1896 and he won "like a ghost, his face as white as a corpse, his eyes no longer visible because they'd retreated into his skull," as one report had it. The New York Times said in 1897:
Six-day racing remained popular in the USA, even though the states of New York
and Illinois
led in 1898 in limiting races to 12 or 24 hours. The intention was to allow riders to rest half the day, but promoters realised that teams of two, with only one rider on the track at a time, would give each the 12 hours' rest the law intended while making the race still last 24 hours. Races lasted six days rather than a week to avoid racing on Sunday. Speeds rose, distances grew, crowds increased, money poured in. Where Charlie Miller rode 2,088 miles alone, Alf Goullet
and a decent partner could ride 2,790. The first such race was at Madison Square Garden and two-man tag racing has become known in English as a madison
and to the French as l'américaine.
In the main 'chase' or madison sessions, both riders may be on the track at the same time, taking it in turns to race, hand-slinging each other back into action. The non-racing rider will circle the track slowly at the top of the banking until 'slung' back into the race. The hand-sling is an advanced skill that, in some countries, is only allowed for professional riders. The racing rider may also propel a team-mate into the race by pushing the seat of the rider's racing shorts.
The historian Raymond Dickow said of riders in the post-1898 races:
Sixes attracted enthusiasts and celebrities. Knute Rockne
, George Raft
, Barbara Stanwyck
, and Otto Kruger
were fans. Kruger used to invite riders home. Bing Crosby
- whose presence at a track guaranteed he would be met by song-publishers' touts offering him music - was said to pay the hospital bills of riders who fell. The actress Peggy Joyce - her wealth was such that Cole Porter
wrote a lyric that said My string of Rolls-Royces, is longer than Peggy Joyce's - gave regular $200 bonus prizes, or primes. She was so delighted when a band in the track centre played Pretty Peggy with eyes of Blue that she put up $1,000.
Racing was at its hardest when the stands were full. Riders took it easy when they were empty and circled the track reading newspapers, talking, even writing letters as they pedalled with one foot, the other steering the handlebars. But sometimes a team would attack when things were quiet. Jimmy Walthour remembered one such night in 1933:
Six-day racing was popular in the United States
until the Second World War. Then the rise of the automobile
and the Great Depression
brought a decline. Dickow said: "Attempts were made to revive the sport by several different promoters but none of them managed to restore bike racing to its former popularity." A further problem was that the more promoters brought in European opposition to spice up races for a potential crowd, the more the Europeans dominated and lessened the appeal for spectators. Jerry Rodman, one of the American riders, said: "In previous years, six-day bicycle racing faded only as a result of war or depression. Under the promotion of Harry Mendel, however, the sport, for the first time began to decline due to lack of spectator interest."
Annual sixes in Boston
finished in 1933, Detroit in 1936, and Chicago
in 1948. New York hung on until 1950. There were revivals but none succeeded. Sporting Cyclist
published a picture of the last night of the Chicago six in 1957 being ridden with seven people in the quarter of the stands that the camera caught.
The success of madisons in America led to their introduction in Europe. The first was at Toulouse
in 1906, although it was abandoned after three days because of lack of interest. Berlin
tried, three years later, with success. Five races were held in Germany in 1911-12. Brussels
followed in 1912 and Paris
in 1913.
Six-day races continued to do well in Europe. Its heart was in Germany
- except during the Nazi
period when the races were banned - with most events but it was strong, too, in Belgium and France. London had a series of races at Wembley
starting in 1936. The local man, Frank Southall
, crashed and left for hospital. So did another British hope, Syd Cozens. Only nine of the 15 teams lasted the race. The series continued, with more success, until the start of the second world war
in 1939.
Racing began hesitantly after 1945. The first in Germany for 17 years were in 1950. Eventually the decline began in Europe as well. Races continued through the night, as they had in the USA, but the costs of keeping open stadiums for partygoers who'd missed the bus and a small number of dedicated fans was too great. London dropped night racing when it revived six-day racing in 1967 and the following year the new organiser, a former rider called Ron Webb, scheduled just the afternoon and evening, with a break between sessions. Other organisers were not impressed and insisted Webb call his race a "six" and not a "six-day". One by one, however, they followed Webb's pattern and there are now no old-style 24-hour races left. The last was Madrid
. There the riders trundled round all night or, if they could get away with it, slipped off for bed. Tom Simpson
remembered:
an phenomenon, particularly in Belgium
and Germany
. Spectators may also be entertained by live music, and have access to restaurants and bars. The Munich
race featured a funfair around the outside of the track, and a night-club in the cellar that opened at 2am when the racing finished. The start money for 24 riders at the Ghent
six in 2000 came to £333,000, although the organiser, Patrick Sercu
, said he was contractually bound not to say what individual riders earned. The magazine Vélo, however, said the specialists collected €5,000 in 2002 and star riders more. The German rider, Erik Zabel
, asked €75,000, which Sercu said was beyond his budget. There are prizes as the race goes on - and sometimes more unusual ways to earn money.
The Australian, Danny Clark, began singing. He said:
To rumours that the races are fixed, Adriano Baffi
, a rider, said:
Track cycling
Track cycling is a bicycle racing sport usually held on specially built banked tracks or velodromes using track bicycles....
race that lasts six days. Six-day races started in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, spread to many regions of the world, were brought to their modern style in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and are now mainly a Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an event. Initially, individuals competed alone, the winner being the individual who completed the most laps. However, the format was changed to allow teams (usually of two riders each), one rider racing while the other rested. The 24-hours a day regime has also been relaxed, so that most six-day races involve six nights of racing, typically from 6pm to 2am, on indoor tracks (velodromes).
The overall winner is the team which completes most laps. In the event of teams completing the same number of laps, the winner is the team with most points won in intermediate competitions (see points race
Points race
A points race is a mass start track cycling event involving large numbers of riders simultaneously on track. It was an Olympic event for men between 1984–2008 and for women 1996-2008....
). As well as the 'chase' to gain laps over competitors, a typical six-day programme will include time trials, motor-paced, intermediate sprint
Sprint (cycling)
The sprint or match sprint is a track cycling event involving between 2 and 4 riders, though they are usually run as a one-on-one match race between opponents who, unlike in the individual pursuit, start next to each other.- Racing style :...
and elimination races
Elimination races
Elimination races in bicycle racing are a form of race wherein during the course of the race, certain participants are eliminated through various criteria...
. In the main 'chase' or madison
Madison (cycling)
The madison is a team event in track cycling, named after the first Madison Square Garden in New York, and known as the "American race" in French and in Italian and Spanish as Americana.-History:...
events (so-called after Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden (1890)
Madison Square Garden was an indoor arena in New York City, the second by that name, and the second to be located at 26th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
where the two-man format was devised), both riders may be on the track at the same time, taking it in turns to race, hand-slinging each other back into action.
Origins
The first six-day event was an individual time trialIndividual time trial
An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...
at the Agricultural Hall in Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1878 when a professional called David Stanton sought a bet that he could ride 1,000 miles in six successive days, riding 18 hours a day. A Mr Davis put up £100 and the stake was held by the Sporting Life newspaper. Stanton started at 6am on 25 February and won the bet in 73 hours, riding on a high-wheeled machine at an average speed of 13.5 mph.
Six-day cycle races involving more than one rider grew out of the 19th-century enthusiasm for endurance and other novelty competitions. A promoter at the Agricultural Hall held a six-day walking contest in April 1877. It was enough of a success for another to be held the following year. That inspired another organiser, name no longer known, to organise a six-day race in the same hall but for cyclists, also in 1878. He hoped to attract the crowd of 20,000 a day that had turned out for the walkers.
The Islington Gazette reported:
"A bicycle contest was commenced at the Agricultural Hall, on Monday last, for which £150 is offered in prizes for a six days' competition, the money to be allocated thus: £100 for the first man, £25 for the second, £15 for the third, and £10 for the fourth."
The race started at 6am with only four of the 12 entrants on the track. Although it is often said that the first six-day was a non-stop, no-sleeping event that ran without pause for six days, in fact riders joined in when they chose and slept as they wished.
The winner was Bill Cann, of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, who led from the start and finished after 1,060 miles.
The first American six-days
However, the event did not become popular until 1891 when six-day races were held in Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden (1890)
Madison Square Garden was an indoor arena in New York City, the second by that name, and the second to be located at 26th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Initially, these races were contests of raw endurance, with a single rider completing as many laps as possible. At first, races were over less than 24 hours a day. Riders slept at night and were free to join in the morning when they chose. Faster riders would start later than the slower ones, who would sacrifice sleep to make up for lack of pace. Quickly, riders began competing 24 hours a day, limited only by their ability to stay awake. Many employed seconds, as in boxing, to keep them going. The seconds, known by their French name soigneurs, were said to have used doping to keep their riders circling the track. Riders became desperately tired. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle said:
The wear and tear upon their nerves and their muscles, and the loss of sleep make them [peevish and fretful]. If their desires are not met with on the moment, they break forth with a stream of abuse. Nothing pleases them. These outbreaks do not trouble the trainers with experience, for they understand the condition the men are in.
The condition included delusions and hallucinations. Riders wobbled and fell. But they were often well paid, especially since more people came to watch as their condition worsened. Promoters in New York paid Teddy Hale $5,000 when he won in 1896 and he won "like a ghost, his face as white as a corpse, his eyes no longer visible because they'd retreated into his skull," as one report had it. The New York Times said in 1897:
It is a fine thing that a man astride two wheels can, in a six-day race, distance a hound, horse, or a locomotive. It confirms the assumption, no longer much contested, that the human animal is superior to the other animals. But this undisputed thing is being said in too solemn and painful way at Madison Square Garden. An athletic contest in which participants 'go queer' in their heads, and strain their powers until their faces become hideous with the tortures that rack them, is not sport. It is brutality. Days and weeks of recuperation will be needed to put the Garden racers in condition, and it is likely that some of them will never recover from the strain.
Two-man team events
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
led in 1898 in limiting races to 12 or 24 hours. The intention was to allow riders to rest half the day, but promoters realised that teams of two, with only one rider on the track at a time, would give each the 12 hours' rest the law intended while making the race still last 24 hours. Races lasted six days rather than a week to avoid racing on Sunday. Speeds rose, distances grew, crowds increased, money poured in. Where Charlie Miller rode 2,088 miles alone, Alf Goullet
Alf Goullet
Alf Goullet was an Australian cyclist who won more than 400 races on three continents, including 15 six-day races...
and a decent partner could ride 2,790. The first such race was at Madison Square Garden and two-man tag racing has become known in English as a madison
Madison (cycling)
The madison is a team event in track cycling, named after the first Madison Square Garden in New York, and known as the "American race" in French and in Italian and Spanish as Americana.-History:...
and to the French as l'américaine.
In the main 'chase' or madison sessions, both riders may be on the track at the same time, taking it in turns to race, hand-slinging each other back into action. The non-racing rider will circle the track slowly at the top of the banking until 'slung' back into the race. The hand-sling is an advanced skill that, in some countries, is only allowed for professional riders. The racing rider may also propel a team-mate into the race by pushing the seat of the rider's racing shorts.
The historian Raymond Dickow said of riders in the post-1898 races:
The highest paid was Alfred Goullet of AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He earned $1,000 a day in addition to cash prizes won during sprints. Top riders like Bobby Walthour, US; Franco Giorgetti, Italy; Gérard Debaets, Belgium; and Alfred LetourneurAlfred LetourneurAlfred Letourneur was a professional cyclist. He is known for setting the motor-paced world speed record...
, France, were making from $500 to $750 a day. Amateurs who had just turned pro, and still had to prove their worth, were paid the beginners' rate of $100 a day.
Knute Rockne
Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
, George Raft
George Raft
George Raft was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s...
, Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck was an American actress. She was a film and television star, known during her 60-year career as a consummate and versatile professional with a strong screen presence, and a favorite of directors including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang and Frank Capra...
, and Otto Kruger
Otto Kruger
Otto Kruger was an American actor who began his career in 1915. His career was most prolific during the 1930s and 1940s.-Career:...
were fans. Kruger used to invite riders home. Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
- whose presence at a track guaranteed he would be met by song-publishers' touts offering him music - was said to pay the hospital bills of riders who fell. The actress Peggy Joyce - her wealth was such that Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
wrote a lyric that said My string of Rolls-Royces, is longer than Peggy Joyce's - gave regular $200 bonus prizes, or primes. She was so delighted when a band in the track centre played Pretty Peggy with eyes of Blue that she put up $1,000.
Racing was at its hardest when the stands were full. Riders took it easy when they were empty and circled the track reading newspapers, talking, even writing letters as they pedalled with one foot, the other steering the handlebars. But sometimes a team would attack when things were quiet. Jimmy Walthour remembered one such night in 1933:
Six-day racing was popular in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
until the Second World War. Then the rise of the automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
and the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
brought a decline. Dickow said: "Attempts were made to revive the sport by several different promoters but none of them managed to restore bike racing to its former popularity." A further problem was that the more promoters brought in European opposition to spice up races for a potential crowd, the more the Europeans dominated and lessened the appeal for spectators. Jerry Rodman, one of the American riders, said: "In previous years, six-day bicycle racing faded only as a result of war or depression. Under the promotion of Harry Mendel, however, the sport, for the first time began to decline due to lack of spectator interest."
Annual sixes in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
finished in 1933, Detroit in 1936, and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 1948. New York hung on until 1950. There were revivals but none succeeded. Sporting Cyclist
Sporting Cyclist
Sporting Cyclist was a British cycling A4-sized magazine originally called Coureur. It began in 1957 and closed after 131 issues in October 1968.-Coureur:...
published a picture of the last night of the Chicago six in 1957 being ridden with seven people in the quarter of the stands that the camera caught.
European popularity
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
in 1906, although it was abandoned after three days because of lack of interest. Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
tried, three years later, with success. Five races were held in Germany in 1911-12. Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
followed in 1912 and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1913.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
- except during the Nazi
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
period when the races were banned - with most events but it was strong, too, in Belgium and France. London had a series of races at Wembley
Wembley
Wembley is an area of northwest London, England, and part of the London Borough of Brent. It is home to the famous Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena...
starting in 1936. The local man, Frank Southall
Frank Southall
William Frank Southall was an English racing cyclist who won silver medals for Great Britain in the individual road race at the 1928 Summer Olympics and a track cycling medal at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles...
, crashed and left for hospital. So did another British hope, Syd Cozens. Only nine of the 15 teams lasted the race. The series continued, with more success, until the start of the second world war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1939.
Racing began hesitantly after 1945. The first in Germany for 17 years were in 1950. Eventually the decline began in Europe as well. Races continued through the night, as they had in the USA, but the costs of keeping open stadiums for partygoers who'd missed the bus and a small number of dedicated fans was too great. London dropped night racing when it revived six-day racing in 1967 and the following year the new organiser, a former rider called Ron Webb, scheduled just the afternoon and evening, with a break between sessions. Other organisers were not impressed and insisted Webb call his race a "six" and not a "six-day". One by one, however, they followed Webb's pattern and there are now no old-style 24-hour races left. The last was Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. There the riders trundled round all night or, if they could get away with it, slipped off for bed. Tom Simpson
Tom Simpson
Tom Simpson was the most successful English road racing cyclist of the post-war years. He infamously died of exhaustion on the slopes of Mont Ventoux during the 13th stage of the Tour de France in 1967...
remembered:
Our mechanic and general runner was David Nice, an Englishman from ColchesterColchesterColchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
, who was not unlike me in a way, for his nose appeared to be, profile view anyway, very similar to mine (poor lad!) and I hit on the splendid idea of putting him out on the track in my place during the neutralised period. Tracksuited, a scarf over the lower part of his face and a Russian hat that I had bought completed the disguise. He was me to anyone giving a cursory glance at the figures plodding round the track. The get-up was quite in order for it became very cold there at night as they used to turn off all the heating. Everything went well for the first night of the wheeze and I congratulated myself on the plan. It could not go on for ever, though, worse luck, for on the very next night the game was up. Dave was trundling round wrapped up to the eyebrows as before when, horrors upon horrors, the track manager, who often rode a bike round himself during the quiet time, started to talk to him.
He thought it was me at first and chatted away quite happily to Dave, whose French was near enough non-existent. Well, it was not long before he sensed something was wrong and whipped the scarf off the poor lad's face. He stormed over to my cabin and dragged me out, half asleep, on to the track. That was that! He and the other officials kept their eyes on us after that and we had little chance of getting away with any more larks like that.
Today
Six-day racing is now predominantly a EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an phenomenon, particularly in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Spectators may also be entertained by live music, and have access to restaurants and bars. The Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
race featured a funfair around the outside of the track, and a night-club in the cellar that opened at 2am when the racing finished. The start money for 24 riders at the Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
six in 2000 came to £333,000, although the organiser, Patrick Sercu
Patrick Sercu
Patrick Sercu is a former Belgian cyclist, best known for his exploits on the tracks.In 1964 aged 19 he competed as the star attraction at the Manchester Wheelers' Club Race Meet at the Fallowfield track in Manchester.He won a gold medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.Sercu is the record...
, said he was contractually bound not to say what individual riders earned. The magazine Vélo, however, said the specialists collected €5,000 in 2002 and star riders more. The German rider, Erik Zabel
Erik Zabel
Erik Zabel is a former German professional road bicycle racer who last raced with Milram. With over 200 professional wins he is considered by some one of the greatest German cyclists and best cycling sprinters of history...
, asked €75,000, which Sercu said was beyond his budget. There are prizes as the race goes on - and sometimes more unusual ways to earn money.
The Australian, Danny Clark, began singing. He said:
It started in 1979 when I was racing in DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
actually for a sex magazine called Rapport. They offered me 1,000 kroner if I would sing "My WayMy Way (song)"My Way" is a song popularized by Frank Sinatra. Its lyrics were written by Paul Anka and set to music based on the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed in 1967 by Claude François and Jacques Revaux, with lyrics by Claude François and Gilles Thibault. Anka's English lyrics are unrelated to the...
". I had the words on a piece of paper but started two chords higher than I should have, and when the notes got too high, I had to stop. I started again, got through it, and it's gone on from there. The rate varies. I get 2,000 deutschmarks for one song in Munich. When I started doing it regularly in about 1980, I would get 500 a night, and sometimes I'd sing on four nights.
To rumours that the races are fixed, Adriano Baffi
Adriano Baffi
Adriano Baffi is a former Italian bicycle road racer. After his career as a rider, he became a team director. He is the son of Italian bicycle racer Pierino Baffi.Baffi was born in Vailate, Italy...
, a rider, said:
Highest number of six-day victories
in bold, riders still racing| Nr. | Name | Nationality | Races won | Races ridden | Win average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patrick Sercu Patrick Sercu Patrick Sercu is a former Belgian cyclist, best known for his exploits on the tracks.In 1964 aged 19 he competed as the star attraction at the Manchester Wheelers' Club Race Meet at the Fallowfield track in Manchester.He won a gold medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.Sercu is the record... |
Belgian | 88 | 223 | 0.3946 |
| 2 | Danny Clark | Australian | 74 | 235 | 0,3149 |
| 3 | René Pijnen René Pijnen Marinus "René" Augustinus Josephus Pijnen is a Dutch former racing cyclist. He became Olympic champion in the 100k team time-trial in the 1968 Summer Olympics with Joop Zoetemelk, Fedor den Hertog and Jan Krekels.A professional from 1969 to 1987, Pijnen was a capable track cyclist winning the... |
Dutch | 72 | 233 | 0,3090 |
| 4 | Peter Post Peter Post Peter Post was a Dutch professional cyclist whose career lasted from 1956 to 1972. Post competed in road and track racing. As a rider he is best remembered for Six-day racing, having competed in 155 races and won 65. Because of this success he was known as “De Keizer van de Zesdaagse” or “The... |
Dutch | 65 | 155 | 0,4194 |
| 5 | Bruno Risi Bruno Risi Bruno Risi is a Swiss professional racing cyclist.He is the ninth Swiss sportsperson to compete at five Olympics , after middle-distance runner Paul Martin, equestrians Henri Chammartin and Gustav Fischer, javelin thrower Urs von Wartburg, equestrian Christine Stückelberger, and Alpine skier Paul... |
Swiss | 61 | 178 | 0,3427 |
| 6 | Rik van Steenbergen Rik Van Steenbergen Rik Van Steenbergen was a Belgian racing cyclist, considered to be one of the best among the great number of successful Belgian cyclists.-Early life:... |
Belgian | 40 | 134 | 0,2985 |
| 7 | William Peden | Canadian | 38 | 127 | 0,2992 |
| Etienne De Wilde Etienne De Wilde Etienne De Wilde is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer. De Wilde won races on the road and on the track. He won a silver medal in the madison at the 2000 Summer Olympics.- Eighties :1980... |
Belgian | 38 | 197 | 0,1929 | |
| 9 | Kurt Betschart Kurt Betschart Kurt Betschart born 25 August 1968 in Erstfeld Switzerland is a former professional cyclist. He was a Six Day Track specialist holding a world record 37 victories with the same partner, Bruno Risi. He had a total of 47 professional victories and represented Switzerland at the Olympic games... |
Swiss | 37 | 142 | 0,2606 |
| Klaus Bugdahl | German | 37 | 229 | 0,1616 | |
| 11 | Gustav Kilian | German | 34 | 90 | 0,3778 |
| Albert Fritz | German | 34 | 198 | 0,1717 | |
| 13 | Fritz Pfenninger Fritz Pfenninger Fritz Pfenninger was a Swiss cyclist. He was a specialist in six-day racing, winning a total of 33 events between 1956 and 1970, including 19 with Peter Post.- Six-day racing :... |
Swiss | 33 | 181 | 0,1823 |
| 14 | Heinz Vopel | German | 32 | 74 | 0,4324 |
| Piet van Kempen | Dutch | 32 | 110 | 0,2909 | |
| 16 | Dietrich Thurau Dietrich Thurau Dietrich Thurau is a retired German professional road bicycle racer. His biggest career achievements include winning the one-day classic, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, his home country's Deutschland Tour and surprising the field at the 1977 Tour de France by capturing four stages and holding the yellow... |
German | 29 | 97 | 0,2990 |
| 17 | Silvio Martinello Silvio Martinello Silvio Martinello is a retired road bicycle and track cyclist from Italy. He won the gold medal in the men's points race at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, followed by the bronze medal in the men's madison in Sydney, Australia alongside Marco Villa. He was a professional rider from... |
Italian | 28 | 97 | 0,2887 |
| Franco Marvulli Franco Marvulli Franco Marvulli is a Swiss professional racing cyclist.-Palmares:20002001Franco Marvulli is a Swiss professional racing cyclist.-Palmares:2000... |
Swiss | 23 | 69 | 0,3333 | |
| 19 | Dieter Kemper | German | 26 | 165 | 0,1576 |
| 20 | Emile Severeyns | Belgian | 25 | 151 | 0,1656 |
| 21 | Andreas Kappes Andreas Kappes Andreas Kappes is a retired road racing cyclist from Germany, who represented West Germany at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. A track specialist as well, he was professional from 1987 to 2001. Kappes competed in five Tour de Frances, and obtained a total of 41... |
German | 24 | 116 | 0,2069 |
| Marco Villa Marco Villa Marco Villa is a road bicycle and track cyclist from Italy. He won the bronze medal in the men's Madison at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia alongside Silvio Martinello. He is a professional rider since 1993.-References:... |
Italian | 24 | 141 | 0,1702 | |
| 23 | Rudi Altig Rudi Altig Rudi Altig is a former professional track and road racing cyclist who won the 1962 Vuelta a España and the world championship in 1966. He is now a television commentator.-Amateur career:... |
German | 23 | 79 | 0,2911 |
| Ferdinando Terruzzi | Italian | 23 | 121 | 0,1901 | |
| Tony Doyle Tony Doyle (cyclist) Anthony Doyle MBE is an English former professional cyclist.-Biography:Doyle was world pursuit champion in 1980 and 1986. He was a professional between 1980 and 1995, riding for British teams.... |
British | 23 | 139 | 0,1655 | |
| Sigi Renz | German | 23 | 159 | 0,1447 | |
| 27 | Alfred Letourneur Alfred Letourneur Alfred Letourneur was a professional cyclist. He is known for setting the motor-paced world speed record... |
French | 21 | 84 | 0,2500 |
| Palle Lykke | Danish | 21 | 122 | 0,1721 | |
| Urs Freuler Urs Freuler Urs Freuler is a Swiss cyclist, who raced professionally between 1980 and 1997, during which he won 71 victories. He was named Swiss Sports Personality of the Year in 1982 and 1983.He was born in Bilten... |
Swiss | 21 | 139 | 0,1511 | |
| 30 | Gert Frank Gert Frank Gert Frank is a former cyclist and Olympic medalist from Denmark. He won the bronze medal in the Team Time Trial event at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, alongside Verner Blaudzun, Jørgen Hansen and Jørn Lund... |
Danish | 20 | 143 | 0,1399 |
| 31 | Gerrit Schulte Gerrit Schulte Gerrit Schulte was a Dutch professional road bicycle racer. Schulte was successful in track pursuit, becoming national champion ten times, European champion twice and World champion once, in 1948, when he beat Fausto Coppi in the final... |
Dutch | 19 | 73 | 0,2603 |
| Reggie McNamara Reggie McNamara Reggie McNamara was an Australian cyclist known as a roughhouse velodrome rider with a string of dramatic crashes and broken bones over 20 years. He was known as the Iron Man... |
American | 19 | 117 | 0,1624 | |
| 33 | Eddy Merckx Eddy Merckx Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx , better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional cyclist. The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known." The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all... |
Belgian | 17 | 35 | 0,4857 |
| Jan Pijnenburg Jan Pijnenburg Johannes "Jan" Baptist Norbertus Pijnenburg was a Dutch track cyclist who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics.In 1928 he won the silver medal as part of the Dutch pursuit team.... |
Dutch | 17 | 50 | 0,3400 | |
| Gerard Debaets | Belgian | 17 | 90 | 0,1889 | |
| Donald Allan | Australian | 17 | 107 | 0,1589 | |
| Matthew Gilmore Matthew Gilmore Matthew Gilmore is an Belgian-Australian retired track cyclist, who mostly competed and was most successful on track for Belgium. Although Gilmore was born in and represented Belgium, he is the son of Australian racing cyclist Graeme Gilmore and competed with an Australian licence earlier in his... |
Belgian | 17 | 107 | 0,1589 | |
| 38 | Cecil Yates | American | 16 | 57 | 0,2807 |
| Sid Patterson Sid Patterson Sid Patterson was a world champion amateur and professional track cyclist from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. While a teenager, Patterson won every Victorian and Australian title between 1,000 metres and ten miles... |
Australian | 16 | 57 | 0,2807 | |
| Jean Roth | Swiss | 16 | 85 | 0,1882 | |
| Reg Arnold | Australian | 16 | 103 | 0,1553 | |
| Leo Duyndam Leo Duyndam Leo Duyndam was a Dutch professional road bicycle racer.- Palmarès :19671968Leo Duyndam was a Dutch professional road bicycle racer.... |
Dutch | 16 | 143 | 0,1119 | |
| Wilfried Peffgen | German | 16 | 188 | 0,0851 | |
| 44 o.a. | Francesco Moser Francesco Moser Francesco Moser , nicknamed "Lo sceriffo" , is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the dominant riders from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, and won the 1984 Giro d'Italia, the 1977 world road racing championship and six victories in three of the five Monuments... |
Italian | 15 | 35 | 0,4285 |
| Roman Hermann | Leichtenstinian | 15 | 182 | 0,0824 | |
| Danny Stam Danny Stam Danny Stam is a Dutch racing cyclist, specializing in track cycling Six-day racing. He is nicknamed "De kleine diesel" .-Biography:... |
Dutch | 15 | 86 | 0,1744 | |
| 49 a.o. | Scott McGrory Scott McGrory Scott McGrory in the Victorian country town of Walwa is an Australian former professional racing cyclist. McGrory was most successful in track cycling, winning the gold medal in the Madison at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, a silver in the Madison at the 1996 UCI Track Cycling World... |
Australian | 14 | 69 | 0,2029 |
| Robert Bartko Robert Bartko Robert Bartko is a road bicycle and track cyclist from Germany, who was born in the former East Germany. He won two gold medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia: in the individual and in the team pursuit... |
German | 14 | 50 | 0,2800 | |
| 55 a.o. | Armin von Büren | Swiss | 13 | 58 | 0,2241 |
| Jens Veggerby | Danish | 13 | 89 | 0,1461 | |
| Erik Zabel Erik Zabel Erik Zabel is a former German professional road bicycle racer who last raced with Milram. With over 200 professional wins he is considered by some one of the greatest German cyclists and best cycling sprinters of history... |
German | 13 | 28 | 0,4643 | |
| 58 a.o. | Rik van Looy Rik Van Looy Henri van Looy is a Belgian former professional cyclist of the post-war period, nicknamed the King of the Classics or Emperor of Herentals... |
Belgian | 12 | 43 | 0,2791 |
| Graeme Gilmore | Australian | 12 | 100 | 0,1200 | |
| Iljo Keisse Iljo Keisse Iljo Keisse is a Belgian racing cyclist, who has had his status altered many times as a result of a doping investigation. He rode part of the 2010 season for UCI ProTour team .... |
Belgian | 12 | 50 | 0,2400 | |
| 63 a.o. | Gregor Braun Gregor Braun Gregor Braun is a retired track cyclist and road bicycle racer from Germany, who was a professional rider from 1977 to 1989. He represented West Germany at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada, where he won the gold medal in the men's individual pursuit, defeating Holland's Herman Ponsteen... |
German | 11 | 44 | 0,2500 |
| Günther Haritz | German | 11 | 83 | 0,1325 | |
| 68 a.o. | Robert Slippens Robert Slippens Robertus Michiel Joseph Lucas Maria Jacobus 'Robert' Slippens is a Dutch racing cyclist.Slippens represented the Netherlands at three different Summer Olympics. He made his Olympic debut at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta where he participated in the four kilometer team pursuit alongside... |
Dutch | 11 | 70 | 0,1571 |
| Rolf Aldag Rolf Aldag Rolf Aldag is a former professional road bicycle racer who rode for Team Telekom from 1993 to 2005. He has raced in 10 Tour de France, 1 Giro d'Italia and 5 Vuelta a España... |
German | 10 | 29 | 0,3448 | |
| Horst Oldenburg | German | 10 | 100 | 0,1000 | |
| Lucien Gillen | Luxembourgeois | 10 | 116 | 0,0862 | |
| Wolfgang Schulze | German | 10 | 135 | 0,0741 |
Six-days
| Six at | Number of editions | First ridden | Last ridden | Adelaide Adelaide Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million... (SA) | 6 | 1960 | 1967 | Sid Patterson Sid Patterson Sid Patterson was a world champion amateur and professional track cyclist from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. While a teenager, Patterson won every Victorian and Australian title between 1,000 metres and ten miles... , Nino Solari (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam Amsterdam Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population... |
15 | 1932 | 2008 | Danny Stam (4) |
| Antwerp | 52 | 1934 | 1994 | Peter Post Peter Post Peter Post was a Dutch professional cyclist whose career lasted from 1956 to 1972. Post competed in road and track racing. As a rider he is best remembered for Six-day racing, having competed in 155 races and won 65. Because of this success he was known as “De Keizer van de Zesdaagse” or “The... (11) |
| Apeldoorn Apeldoorn Apeldoorn is a municipality and city in the province of Gelderland, about 60 miles south east of Amsterdam, in the centre of the Netherlands. It is a regional centre and has 155,000 . The municipality of Apeldoorn, including villages like Beekbergen, Loenen and Hoenderloo, has over 155,000... |
1 | 2009 | 2009 | Leon van Bon Léon van Bon Léon Hendrik Jan van Bon is a road racing cyclist from the Netherlands, who won the silver medal in the men's points race at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He won his first major race at the professionals in 1998, winning the HEW Cyclassics... , Pim Ligthart Pim Ligthart Pim Ligthart is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .-Palmares:20092010... en Robert Bartko Robert Bartko Robert Bartko is a road bicycle and track cyclist from Germany, who was born in the former East Germany. He won two gold medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia: in the individual and in the team pursuit... (1) |
| Århus | 9 | 1954 | 1961 | Kay Werner Nielsen (4) |
| Bendigo (Vic) | 1 | 1960 | 1960 | Bill Lawrie, Vic Brown (1) |
| Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... |
97 | 1909 | 2009 | Klaus Bugdahl (9) |
| Bremen Bremen The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is... |
47 | 1910 | 2010 | René Pijnen René Pijnen Marinus "René" Augustinus Josephus Pijnen is a Dutch former racing cyclist. He became Olympic champion in the 100k team time-trial in the 1968 Summer Olympics with Joop Zoetemelk, Fedor den Hertog and Jan Krekels.A professional from 1969 to 1987, Pijnen was a capable track cyclist winning the... (7) |
| Breslau | 8 | 1921 | 1931 | Piet van Kempen, Willy Rieger (3) |
| Brisbane Brisbane Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of... (Qld) |
1 | 1932 | 1932 | Richard Lamb, Jack Standen (1) |
| Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union... |
46 | 1912 | 1971 | Rik van Steenbergen Rik Van Steenbergen Rik Van Steenbergen was a Belgian racing cyclist, considered to be one of the best among the great number of successful Belgian cyclists.-Early life:... (8) |
| Charleroi Charleroi Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as... |
3 | 1967 | 1969 | Patrick Sercu Patrick Sercu Patrick Sercu is a former Belgian cyclist, best known for his exploits on the tracks.In 1964 aged 19 he competed as the star attraction at the Manchester Wheelers' Club Race Meet at the Fallowfield track in Manchester.He won a gold medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.Sercu is the record... (2) |
| Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
50 | 1915 | 1957 | Gustav Kilian (6) |
| Cologne Cologne Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the... |
46 | 1928 | 1997 | Albert Fritz (6) |
| Copenhagen Copenhagen Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region... |
47 | 1933 | 2009 | Danny Clark (8) |
| Cremona Cremona Cremona is a city and comune in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments... |
1 | 2009 | 2009 | Walter Pérez Walter Pérez Walter Fernando Pérez is an Olympic gold medal-winning racing cyclist from Argentina.Pérez, who joined the Argentine cycling team in 1992, won the Men's Madison gold medal at the 2008 Olympics with team-mate Juan Curuchet.-References:* Crítica Digital... , Sebastian Donadio (1) |
| Dortmund Dortmund Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union.... |
67 | 1926 | 2008 | Patrick Sercu, Rolf Aldag Rolf Aldag Rolf Aldag is a former professional road bicycle racer who rode for Team Telekom from 1993 to 2005. He has raced in 10 Tour de France, 1 Giro d'Italia and 5 Vuelta a España... (8) |
| Fiorenzuola d'Arda Fiorenzuola d'Arda Fiorenzuola d'Arda is a city and comune in Italy in the province of Piacenza, of the Emilia-Romagna region. Its name derives from Florentia . The "d'Arda" portion refers to the River Arda which flows from the Apennines into the valley where Fiorenzuola is situated... |
12 | 1998 | 2009 | Franco Marvulli Franco Marvulli Franco Marvulli is a Swiss professional racing cyclist.-Palmares:20002001Franco Marvulli is a Swiss professional racing cyclist.-Palmares:2000... (4) |
| Frankfurt Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010... |
37 | 1911 | 1983 | Dietrich Thurau Dietrich Thurau Dietrich Thurau is a retired German professional road bicycle racer. His biggest career achievements include winning the one-day classic, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, his home country's Deutschland Tour and surprising the field at the 1977 Tour de France by capturing four stages and holding the yellow... , Patrick Sercu (5) |
| Ghent Ghent Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of... |
70 | 1922 | 2011 | Patrick Sercu (11) |
| Grenoble Grenoble Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère... |
39 | 1971 | 2010 | Alain van Lancker, Adriano Baffi Adriano Baffi Adriano Baffi is a former Italian bicycle road racer. After his career as a rider, he became a team director. He is the son of Italian bicycle racer Pierino Baffi.Baffi was born in Vailate, Italy... , Franco Marvulli Franco Marvulli Franco Marvulli is a Swiss professional racing cyclist.-Palmares:20002001Franco Marvulli is a Swiss professional racing cyclist.-Palmares:2000... , Sercu, Alexander Aeschbach (4) |
| Groningen | 4 | 1970 | 1979 | Klaus Bugdahl, Dieter Kemper (2) |
| Hanover Hanover Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg... |
10 | 1913 | 1981 | Emile Carrara (2) |
| Hasselt Hasselt Hasselt is a Belgian city and municipality, and capital of the Flemish province of Limburg... |
4 | 2006 | 2009 | Bruno Risi, Franco Marvulli (2) |
| Herning Herning Herning Municipality is a municipality in Region Midtjylland on the Jutland peninsula in western Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 1,336 km² and a total population of 84,208... |
14 | 1974 | 1998 | Gert Frank Gert Frank Gert Frank is a former cyclist and Olympic medalist from Denmark. He won the bronze medal in the Team Time Trial event at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, alongside Verner Blaudzun, Jørgen Hansen and Jørn Lund... (5) |
| Launceston Launceston, Tasmania Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart... (Tas) |
21 | 1961 | 1987 | Keith Oliver (4) |
| London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
21 | 1923 | 1980 | Patrick Sercu (8) |
| Maastricht Maastricht Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border... |
13 | 1976 | 2006 | René Pijnen (6) |
| Maryborough Maryborough Maryborough may refer to:* Maryborough, Queensland, a town in Australia** Electoral district of Maryborough, Queensland* Maryborough, Victoria, another town in Australia* The pre-1922 name of Port Laoise in the Republic of Ireland... (Qld) |
3 | 1961 | 1967 | Bruce Clark, Robert Ryan, Jim Luttrel, Ronald Murray, Sid Patterson Sid Patterson Sid Patterson was a world champion amateur and professional track cyclist from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. While a teenager, Patterson won every Victorian and Australian title between 1,000 metres and ten miles... , Barry Waddell (1) |
| Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... (Vic) |
18 | 1912 | 1983 | Leandro Faggin Leandro Faggin Leandro Faggin was an Italian racing cyclist, olympic champion and world champion in track cycling.He received a gold medal in 1000 m time trial at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne... , Sid Patterson Sid Patterson Sid Patterson was a world champion amateur and professional track cyclist from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. While a teenager, Patterson won every Victorian and Australian title between 1,000 metres and ten miles... (3) |
| Milan Milan Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,... |
29 | 1927 | 2008 | Francesco Moser Francesco Moser Francesco Moser , nicknamed "Lo sceriffo" , is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the dominant riders from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, and won the 1984 Giro d'Italia, the 1977 world road racing championship and six victories in three of the five Monuments... (6) |
| Montréal Montreal Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America... |
37 | 1929 | 1980 | William Peden (7) |
| Munich Munich Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat... |
46 | 1933 | 2009 | Bruno Risi Bruno Risi Bruno Risi is a Swiss professional racing cyclist.He is the ninth Swiss sportsperson to compete at five Olympics , after middle-distance runner Paul Martin, equestrians Henri Chammartin and Gustav Fischer, javelin thrower Urs von Wartburg, equestrian Christine Stückelberger, and Alpine skier Paul... (9) |
| Münster Münster Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland... |
34 | 1950 | 1988 | Jean Roth (5) |
| New York New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... |
70 | 1899 | 1961 | Alfred Goullet, Franco Giorgetti Franco Giorgetti Franco Giorgetti was an Italian racing cyclist and Olympic champion in track cycling.... (8) |
| Newcastle Newcastle, New South Wales The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas... (NSW) |
3 | 1961 | 1970 | Sid Patterson Sid Patterson Sid Patterson was a world champion amateur and professional track cyclist from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. While a teenager, Patterson won every Victorian and Australian title between 1,000 metres and ten miles... (2) |
| Nouméa Nouméa Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,... |
18 | 1977 | 2003 | Robert Sasson, Jean-Michel Tessier (4) |
| Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... |
42 | 1913 | 1989 | Piet van Kempen, Schulte Gerrit Schulte Gerrit Schulte was a Dutch professional road bicycle racer. Schulte was successful in track pursuit, becoming national champion ten times, European champion twice and World champion once, in 1948, when he beat Fausto Coppi in the final... , Achiel Bruneel, Albert Billiet, Jean Aerts Jean Aerts Jean Aerts was a Belgian road bicycle racer who specialized as a sprinter. Aerts became the first man to win both the world amateur and professional road race championships... , Georges Seres (3) |
| Perth Perth, Western Australia Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000.... (WA) |
5 | 1961 | 1989 | Peter Panton, Klaus Stiefler, Ronald Murray, Enzo Sacchi, Ian Campbell, Barry Waddell Sid Patterson Sid Patterson Sid Patterson was a world champion amateur and professional track cyclist from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. While a teenager, Patterson won every Victorian and Australian title between 1,000 metres and ten miles... , John Young, Kim Eriksen, Michael Marcussen (1) |
| Rotterdam Rotterdam Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre... |
28 | 1936 | 2010 | René Pijnen (10) |
| Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million .... |
31 | 1928 | 2008 | Andreas Kappes Andreas Kappes Andreas Kappes is a retired road racing cyclist from Germany, who represented West Germany at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. A track specialist as well, he was professional from 1987 to 2001. Kappes competed in five Tour de Frances, and obtained a total of 41... (6) |
| Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... (NSW) |
17 | 1912 | 1974 | Ken Ross (3) |
| Tilburg Tilburg Tilburg is a landlocked municipality and a city in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of Noord-Brabant.Tilburg municipality also includes the villages of Berkel-Enschot and Udenhout.... |
1 | 2009 | 2009 | Tristan Marquet, Bruno Marvulli (1) |
| Townsville (Qld) | 1 | 1962 | 1962 | Barry Lowe, Sid Patterson Sid Patterson Sid Patterson was a world champion amateur and professional track cyclist from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. While a teenager, Patterson won every Victorian and Australian title between 1,000 metres and ten miles... (1) |
| Turin Turin Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat... |
7 | 2001 | 2008 | Marco Villa Marco Villa Marco Villa is a road bicycle and track cyclist from Italy. He won the bronze medal in the men's Madison at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia alongside Silvio Martinello. He is a professional rider since 1993.-References:... (4) |
| Whyalla (SA) | 3 | 1966 | 1968 | Sid Patterson Sid Patterson Sid Patterson was a world champion amateur and professional track cyclist from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. While a teenager, Patterson won every Victorian and Australian title between 1,000 metres and ten miles... , Robert Ryan, Joe Ciavola, Barry Waddell, Keith Oliver, Charly Walsh (1) |
| Zuidlaren Zuidlaren Zuidlaren is a village in the province of Drenthe in the Northern Netherlands. Zuidlaren has just over 10,000 inhabitants and is situated on natural heightened land which is called the Hondsrug.... |
2 | 2007 | 2008 | Bruno Risi, Franco Marvulli, Danny Stam, Robert Slippens (1) |
| Zürich Zürich Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich... |
53 | 1954 | 2009 | Bruno Risi (11) |
External links
- Velodrome.org.uk - A Home for Track Cyclists on the Web - Six-Day Page
- Fixed Gear Fever's Six-Day News page
- A somewhat slanted article discussing the history of Six Day racing in the US
- 6dayracing.ca, a Canadian & USA History of Sixday Racing including reports and results, old 6 day programs and memorabilia.