My Six Day Experience

My Six Day Experience

So the main event of my July was a trip to Fiorenzuola D’arda in Italy for my first Professional Six day start, in the Sei giorni Delle Rose. Something that I had been looking forward to for a while.

I set out from Zottegem. On a baking day, with 40kg of bikes and rollers to carry with me. This journey was not going to be an easy one. It was so hot when I stepped out of the airport. Lugging my bags round the centre of Milan, trying to find a bus to the station and then the correct train was something that I did not enjoy! I arrived in Fiorenzuola station at about 11pm, and after a bit of a faff, not being able to get a taxi, I made it to the hotel. Thankful and relieved that I had made it!

Day 1

It was hot. temperatures were round about 35C and I was struggling. I Went and picked up my jerseys, moved into my gazebo, cabin area. I was next to the American team of Guy East/John Croom and the Swiss/German Pair of Michael Alborn and Robert Bickel. The rest of the afternoon was spent readying the bike for the 8pm start.

I was fretting a little bit about which gear I should be using. All of the pervious U23 six days that I had done were either restricted to 49x15 or 50x15 depending on the track size. When I told Guy East that I was riding 52x15 I was greeted with “dude that’s tiny!!” not what you would call a confidence booster… So I changed my gear up, or so I thought.

The First day included a 60 lap Madison and a Flying Lap TT

In the dark when I was trying to gear up, I mis-read 49 or 48 on my chain ring so I actually ended up gearing down. So as a result I really felt that I could only follow the race and not contest the sprints etc. we didn’t score any points and rolled in on the same lap as everyone else. A start that I was happy with for my first senior Madison race of this standard.

Day 2

A drama filled day and one that would actually go on to shape our final result. We did the lap and rolled in about 9^th. I did the build up then swung Atillio in for the lap.

Then it was time for the Madison. Another 60 lap affair.

We went out hard. We needed to try and get some points on the board. So we went on the attack and won the first sprint without too much effort. We where in a group of 2 teams that just rolled off the front of the peloton. After the sprint I swung in Attilo and unfortunately after that, it was when it all went wrong. I had a rear wheel puncture, and because I was not in the race as a team we did not get any laps out when I was getting a wheel change. We came back into the race and we were half a lap behind and chasing hard. However, I found out afterwards that all the teams thought we were still off the front and going for the lap gain. So we were going really hard to get back on, and so was the bunch. So unfortunately after about 20 laps of chasing we where absorbed by the group, and thus lost a lap. Which really plummeted us down in the standings.

After the Madison was a derny race. Where each team had their own pacer. One rider does half the distance then slings the other in for the final.

I had the first stint. It was actually quite comfortable despite what my heart rate says!

Day 3

This was short day, just the time trail. We just got through it after yesterdays disappointment.  

Day 4

Another day that started with a TT

In the 60 lap Madison we went into it with the aim of trying to get the lap back. We sat towards the front of the group. Looking for a little lull when we could then attack and try to get the lap back/take the day’s victory. Unfortunately, this never happened. There was one lull but the French team of Kniesky/Thomas took the opportunity and got the lap. It was not our place to get involved in the race after that as the French then went into the lead. We did want to try but unfortunately it just didn’t work out. I geared up again to 49x14. Which against the other guys was tiny but for me it felt perfect.

Day 5

I did the TT today. Who knew that a lap was so far!

In todays Madison, everyone expected it to kick off. But it just didn’t go to bits as expected. The big teams took the sprints and it seemed like everyone else kept out the way! My legs felt quite good today but the partner was a bit tired so just getting round without loosing anything was all we could ask for.

Day 6

The final day.

There was a UCI scratch race in the afternoon which involved 2 heats. I was in the first one. I ride well until the last 6 laps and was up there. A Group clipped away, and everyone started to ride across to it in ones and twos. I just sat there like an idiot and watched the race get away from me. So unfortunately I did not make it through to the final. Maybe a blessing in disguise.

Lap time trial. Got round it, ready for the final chase.

The Final chase. 100 laps. No sprints for the first 50 laps, then sprints every 10 laps with double points for the rest of the race. This is where it was all going to be decided. The first 50 laps where very nervous, with no one seeming to want to make the first move.

Then when the sprints came it really started to kick off. With a small group finally going clear with 13 laps to go. We just managed to make the group which was basically the top 6 teams. Sprints at 70kph. It was rapid. We finished the race and managed to get 2 points on the board. And then the lap back on the American team on the standings above us. So we moved up 1 place. Not all bad!

So that was my first professional six days over and done with. And what a week it was. I really enjoyed it but at the same time learnt so much. It was so good to be in the same races as the guys you watch in the big leagues, and on the tv.

If anyone is interested. the race data is on my strava page.

Hopefully this will open up the door for me to many other six days. We will see.

Forza Italia!

Ciao

Stephen

Belgium: Beer, Frites and Bike racing. In that priority!

Time for my first blog from Belgium, apologies it's been a while. 

1st of march I packed my bags and went left for Belgium, land of frites, beer and bike racing. The legs were in good shape. 

But all in all there isn't that much for me to write about. Just been getting the Kms in, riding to and from races building for the early season interclubs, and my big target: Le tour de la Manche at the end of may. However, I crashed out of my first interclub. And haven’t ridden the bike for a week now with knackered shoulder. “The season is long eh”. But I'll be back racing soon. 

I know lots of guys who have already come out to do the odd race or are planning to come out this year. You can go online and read lots of webpages and this and that about kermesse racing, so you can come over thinking that you are pretty prepared. But this is the only guide you need. 

So here are my 20 Things you need to know about kermesse racing:

•     You think a 3pm start is great. Until you have to have your pre race meal 2 hours after your breakfast, and feel sick until you get on to the line. 

•     Your will be wide awake at night because 6pm start races finish at 9, and when you've got 4 gels in you, you'll be buzzing come 1am.when you turn up to your first kermesse, when you finally find the sign on, which is normally a small, smoky bar or the building on the side of a football field. You have to get your foreigners card. this will take at least 10 minutes due to the lack of communication skills on either side. which will cause a huge queue behind you of Belgian racers blatantly talking about you but not caring because they know you don't understand anything. 

•     Not every kermesse has cobblestones! 

•     People will stop you and ask you for a photo, and you will oblige even though you have no idea where the photo is going just because it makes you feel good

•     2016 sees the restriction of kermesse numbers in March as the fields were too big. So you will now not race in a field bigger than 200...

•     If it is windy, compromise your warm up. that 20 minutes will be better spent, shivering on the start line so you don't end up in the gutter for the next hour and a bit. Ride up and down the finishing straight a few times and pretend to do a few sprints. that will be sufficient. 

•     If your legs are not dripping in leg oil, which has been rubbed in by your nan/mum outside the family camper, under the supervision of Dad and uncle before the race. You will stand out like a sore thumb. 

•     The laps are normally pretty short but even though you have to do it 14 times, it will not go quickly. 

•     You will not come out the corner less than 10 places behind where you went in. Learn to live with it. Dive-bombing is completely acceptable

•     Don't be put off if there’s a 40-year-old man in your break away with you, he is probably a hitter and will ride you off his wheel later in the race (*cough Mario*)

•     They speak 3 languages in Belgium, the only thing you will hear is "hey! you are asshole!" or just plain "Jongen!"

•     There is no place to hide. The many amateur photographers will capture you when you are hurting and it will be plastered across Facebook by the time you are home. Despite this, the first thing you do when you get home, is search Facebook for a good profile picture.

•     You won't see good odds on you on the Bookmakers board. Probably for the best as the only time you will see the board is when you are no longer in the race...

•     No "kermesse" race you have done in any other country will be anything like an actual kermesse. 

•     You will get your best result when you ride like a idiot, you are not there to make friends.

•     The break where you think “not a chance” will always stick, and the one you go full gas to get across to because all the hitters are in it will immediately come back. Obviously

•     Guys will go for the bunch sprint like it is the world championships regardless of how may guys are up the road. If you win said sprint. You may call yourself a sprinter. Even if you roll 50^th.

•     Whenever you DNF you will feel a horrid sense of shame. If it was due to a mechanical problem or puncture, it will eat away at you because on the results you will given the same placing as the people who have been dropped. 

•     The kit colour choices and design will amaze you!

Hopefully this helps you for any future trips that you may have planned!

Success mannen!

Stephen