October 30/05 12:32 pm - London Velodrome Six Day

Posted by Editor on 10/30/05
 

London Velodrome Six Day - Day Five
Courtesy Rob Good

The racing was hot and heavy at the Forest City Velodrome on Saturday night. The fifth night of the Six Day Madison Team race saw the spectators get into the race with an unbelievable number of primes throughout the one and a half hours of racing. The evening was split into three 30 minute Madisons, with sprints and primes mixing it up all night.

How it unfolded:

The first race was three minutes in when the bell sounded for the first of many primes ($100 here and $150 there). By the end of the first Madison, the teams were hunting for the special primes. They were having a blast, just trying to recover enough to go again for another prize. After one of the big sprints, the Vancouver team launched an attack that put all the other team at a half lap disadvantage. The strategy of trying to lap the field was a good one, as there was a big bonus to the first team to do so.

The attack lasted 20 laps with all teams finally coming together in time for a $150 prime with two minutes to go in the first segment. It seemed that all the teams were getting a piece of the action. On the points side of the race, Team Waterloo edged Team Delhi by one point going into the second frame.

The London Track League entertained the crowd with some very quick laps and very steady and clean scratch races. The "AA" Madison went off without a hitch, with four teams contesting the ten minute Madison. The Velo-Kids were very fast on the night with four kids doing personal bests in their events.

In the second Madison the primes kept coming since the crowd were enjoying the action packed sprints so much that they kept coming back with more primes. The race was very fast as the teams were playing follow the leader waiting to jump for the cash. Many thanks to the spectators on the night for making the riders earn their winnings. In the points battle, Team Hamilton won the final double points sprint in this Madison.

The five teams were all chomping to get at the racing in the final Madison, knowing that the primes (specific sprint laps) would just keep coming. It seemed that every two minutes there was another prime, so many that the riders were jumping to the front every time there was a "flinch" by the scoring table on showing 5 laps to go. In the end Team London and Team Vancouver had very good nights on the board, scoring enough points for fourth and fifth Team Hamilton jumped to third on the night by winning the last double points sprint at the end of the Madison. Team Delhi came close but ended up three points shy of the night's winning team from Waterloo.

No team gained a lap on the night so that $250 will be carried over to Sunday afternoon at 2:00 pm. It should be a very interesting race with so much on the line.

Many more primes will be up for the taking. Racing will be fast and furious.

Teams

Yellow (London) - JohnCraig, Jean Bertrand
Orange (Delhi) - Vince DeJong, Eric Robertson
Green (Vancouver) - Keith Thorarison, Dave St. James
Blue (Hamilton) - Taylor Martin, Garnet Abbey
Red (Waterloo) - Rob Good, Adam Thuss

Points Structure

Nightly races:

Sprints - points for each sprint are 7, 5 , 4, 3 , 2
Last sprint of each session is double points

Miss & Out
1st rider eliminated gets 1 point
2nd eliminated - 2 points
3rd eliminated - 3 points
4th eliminated - 4 points
5th eliminated - 5 points
6th eliminated - 6 points
7th eliminated - 7 points
8th eliminated - 8 points
9th eliminated - 9 points
10th eliminated - 10 points

Combined team points determine 7 , 5 , 4, 3 , 2


Overall:

Each night the winning team is given 10 points,
2nd gets 9
3rd gets 8
4th gets 7
5th gets 6

Team with most points at end of 6 days is overall winner. In case of tie, the results of the last night's racing breaks the tie.

Overall Standings

1 Waterloo 49 points
2 Delhi 43
3 Vancouver 38
4 Hamilton 38
5 London 33