February 1/01 3:35 am - Berlin 6-Day, 2001 Teams

Posted by Editor on 02/1/01
 

Berlin Amateur Six-Day - Night 6
By Kris Westwood

Well, the six-day is over. Canadians Glen Rendall and Alex Cloutier attained the main goals they had set for themselves, which were simply to progress technically and to develop a better feeling madison racing. That they were upset with themselves for not placing better in the races is a good indication that they have developed from simply surviving the races to the point that they feel they can actually take part. They also learned valuable lessons on how to prepare themselves for such an event in less-than-ideal conditions (in their case, -20 degrees in three meters of snow and with no track in sight).

The program tonight consisted of a 50-lap points race followed by a 45-minute madison. The points race was, predictably, blazing fast. Positioning is extremely important in this kind of race, especially with 32 riders on the track: at speed, the pack was sometimes strung for a third of the length of the track. Glen did quite well to place in one sprint and win another, and they finished 8th in the race. For the madison, since there was nothing to lose, both Glen and Alex increased their gear by one tooth up front. The race, predictably, was just as fast as the points race so the gear increase
did them good. They initiated a promising attack a little after half way, but weren't able to surprise the group. In the closing stages they went with a few more moves but nobody was gaining a lap tonight so they finished 10th, on the lead lap, after finishing 3rd in the final sprint.

The overall standings didn't change (see below), so Glen and Alex finished 10th. A respectable result, though they had hoped for better. However, as I have mentioned before, the main objective was to build on their prior experience and we all feel that this was achieved. The race was very competitive, more so than Zurich, so they can be satisfied with the way they rode given the circumstances of their preparation. Of course, Glen and Alex wouldn't have made it to Berlin at all without the assistance of Ottawa companies BMR Direct and Open Road Media.

After the end of the competition we stayed on to watch some of the pro racing. The six-day at the pro level is really a huge show, and the riders never disappoint the crowd's expectations. The sprinters did flying lap time trials (Lausberg was fastest for the 250 m, in the low 13's), the pros did a derny race and points sprints. They then raced a madison elimination race, which is one of the hairiest events one could imagine: picture sprinting into the back of a group of riders doing handslings. However, the skill of these guys is such that it didn't phase them despite a few close calls, and the race was incident-free.

The last race we stayed to watch was the stayer event. Earlier I stated that the stayers were "insane riders who motorpace at unwise speeds behind loud, massive motorbikes driven by obese, black-leather-clad men". Well, I lied: the drivers wear white leather suits in Berlin. Otherwise the statement holds true. Stayers are big stars here and they are truly impressive bike riders. The fastest lap I clocked with my handy stopwatch was 12.2 seconds for 250 metres. Calculate the average yourself. Check out the attached photo of the action. (Alex/Glen in the Points Race, Stayer Race)

While watching, we might have had a wee little bit of beer (though not too much), and just perhaps a tiny bit of bratwurst, but in moderation, before heading gratefully home in one piece. By the time I write this Alex is already sticking to his airplane seat (it takes a while for that track-rash to heal), but Glen and I have another day to bum around Berlin.

If anyone has any questions regarding six-days I would be happy to answer them.

Final overall standings, Berlin amateur six-day (riders German unless otherwise stated):

1 - Palicki/Riesenbeck (Olympia München)
2 - Altmann/Pockrandt (Cottbus ISPO Lotusan)
3 - Kalfeck/Zeckra (KED Bianchi)
4 - Lampater/Löffler (German National Team I)
5 - Ulzen/Ott (Hawk BB Star Stuttgart)
6 - Buchholz/Klein (KED Bianchi)
7 - Tejada/Genauzeau (FRANCE)
8 - Bach/Schlegel (German National Team II)
9 - De Schemp/Nachtergaele (BELGIUM)
10 - Cloutier/Rendall (CANADA/BMR Direct - Open Road Media)
11 - Veit/Winkelmann (DHfK Leipzig/ISPO Lotus)
12 - Feldner/Zinn (KED Bianchi)
13 - Berling/Dagaard (DENMARK)
14 - Mattmann/Schär (SWITZERLAND)
15 - Richter/Szonn (KED Bianchi)
16 - Vorrath/Vogeler (DHfK Leipzig/KED Bianchi)


Team: Campione Racing Team
(courtesy Barb Zimich)

Masters

Athanasopoulos, John, 32
Bandura, Jeff, 41
Castellanos, Frank, 51
Cochran, Clark, 32
Cohen, Steve 31
Critchlow, Troy, 34
Haily, Joe, 45
Johnston, Gavin, 32
Kerr, Mellisa, 25
Nella, Bernardo, 34
Nella, Bruno, 32
Okuniewicz, Jack, 32
Sorenson, Henning, 34
Wright, Gary, 32
Zimich, Larry, 35


New Ontario Women's Road Team

Freewheel Cycle is pleased to announce their new women‚s road racing team, Team Asteria- Freewheel. For sponsorship opportunities please contact: teamasteria@hotmail.com

Team Asteria-Freewheel will be racing in the Ontario Road Series, the Canadian National Championships, and select U.S. races.

Team Asteria-Freewheel roster for the 2001 season:
Julia Farell
Cydney Galbraith
Amanda Kellet
Tara Mulder
Ann Turrin

The team will be leading a women‚s learn to road race clinic at Freewheel Cycle, 9 King St. West in Dundas, on May 19th . Open weekly rides, leaving from Freewheel Cycle, will also begin in May. Race reports, athlete biographies, and information on clinic and weekly rides will be posted on www.freewheelcycle.com and www.cervelo.com