Rotterdam 6-dassge

Preface, by Norrene -for those of you who are new, Dean Tracy, our resident track rider was sent to Rotterdam, municipality in the Dutch province of South Holland to one of the biggest 6-Daagse (Days) in Europe. Estimated 11,000 fans filled the velodrome to watch the 6-day event . . .which included a laser light show and music while the riders raced their bicycles on a wooden, oval track, which had banks as steep as 50 degrees.

It was a great opportunity to ride the Rotterdam Six Day in the colors of Rubicon-Orbea and the United States. As the only American against a field of highly accomplished European sprinters (including two World Champions), I had my work cut out for me. The racing was extremely fast and dangerous, and the nights were long and exhausting but I managed to finish the six-day with a few solid results and all of my skin intact.

Sprints and Kierins at the six days are the ultimate test of a rider's skills with contact at speed. You have never given a real head butt until you've done it to a man wearing World Champion's stripes at top speed in front of 10,000 gasping fans. You've never ridden a rough sprint round until you've come blazing down the back-straight at the rail, elbows locked, leaning hard against your opponent, then pulling out of the tailspin at the final moment for the semi-controlled dive to the lane, drag racing elbow to elbow through the final corner and finishing it with a desperate bike throw.

Racing like this doesn't always end well.

Compared to the Madison riders, we were relatively safe, only 2 crashes in the entire Six. Both happened in the kierin (no surprise), and neither seriously injured the unfortunate board-surfer. This time it was Mulder. He's crashing down track here, right into the lane and into my path. You can see the imminent doom in my eyes, as I'm hoping the officials on the apron have enough sense to jump out of the way. They did. I rang the finish line bell with my shoulder, narrowly avoided splitting Mulder's head open with my front wheel and made it back onto the 50 degree track mid-corner from the apron at speed.

For now, it's time to come back down to earth and prepare to move back to my home base in Portland, Oregon. I have a summer of criteriums, road races and hard training before my track season can begin again.