The Copenhagen six-day cycle race is being held in Copenhagen this year after being held out in the sticks at Brondby last year. This meant building a portable track for the race, and it was duly completed just before the racing was due to start!
The first night saw in-form Danish riders Jimmi Madsen and Tayeb Braikia take an early lead. These two have placed in the top three in every six-day race this season except for Bremen, and must surely be amongst the favourites for victory in their home race.
During Sunday's afternoon session, Italy's Adriano Baffi (fresh from victory at Stuttgart last week) and his Danish partner Jakob Piil took the lead, although they have to watch out for Madsen and Braikia who, although a lap down, have more points. Still, it is wonderful to see Jakob back at the head of a six-day race after he had to miss all the autumn races due to a nasty hip injury sustained in a road race in August. Interestingly, Jakob Piil normally partners Tayeb Braikia, but the Danish pairing have all been shuffled around a little this year with Jakob being out of action and Jens Veggerby still not racing after his broken collarbone last summer. All of these guys ride for the same Team AcceptCard pro team.
By Tuesday morning, Madsen and Braikia had moved back into the lead, but the focus of attention had, sadly, moved away from the track.
The German press wires were carrying stories of a new doping scandal in cycling. Within hours they were stating that German rider Carsten Wolf had tested positive for Nandrolon (an anabolic steroid) during the Grenoble Six last November. The UCI informed the BDR (the German federation) on 18th December, and the "B" test was carried out in France on 13th January - it also gave a positive result. Wolf has so far made no comment.
Germany's other top six-day man, Andreas Kappes, also has a history of doping: he picked up a 3-month ban in the summer of 1997 after failing a drugs test during the German national championships in Cottbus.
In the end, Jimmi Madsen and Tayeb Braikia prevailed for their first sx-day win together. This is Braikia's second victory in a six-day race (he also won Grenoble in 1997 with Jakob Piil).
Jakob Piil and Adriano Baffi disappeared on the final night. Fat Nick will try to find out what happened to them and report back!
Britain's Rob Hayles was also riding in Copenhagen. If I say that Fat Nick was training with Rob earlier this week, then I do so strictly on the understanding that Rob was on the fastest Derny line, and Fat Nick was on the slowest one! Amazingly, Rob is without a sponsor for 1999 at the minute - despite being a multiple national champion. Here's hoping he'll soon get sorted.
Incidentally, Danish sponsors Team AcceptCard have a webcam showing each evening from about 20:30 European time at http://195.78.66.158/acceptcard/
1 Jimmi Madsen - Tayeb Braikia (DEN) 404 points
1 lap down:
2 Etienne De Wilde (BEL) - Andreas Kappes (GER) 276
2 laps down:
3 Silvio Martinello (ITA) - Jesper Skibby (DEN) 344
3 laps down:
4 Bruno Risi (SUI) - Michael Sandstød (DEN) 366
5 Marco Villa - Andrea Collinelli (ITA) 210
18 laps down:
6 Erik Weispfennig (GER) - Ronny Lerche (DEN) 206
20 laps down:
7 Mario Vonhof - Stefan Steinweg (GER) 181
21 laps down:
8 Frank Corvers - Lorenzo Lapage (BEL) 136
25 laps down:
9 Jean-Michel Monin (FRA) - Robert Hayles (GBR) 156
52 laps down:
10 Robert Slippens - Danny Stam (NED) 55
- Did Not Finish: Jakob Piil (DEN) - Adriano Baffi (ITA)
To find out how to book tickets for the Copenhagen Six, check out Roger Hughes' booking info.
And while you're here, why not have a look at some photos of bike racing action from other six-day cycle races? Or you can have a read of my report of last year's Copenhagen six-day race.
Do you have any
news about the Copenhagen Six? Drop an e-mail to
if you do, or send him a fax at 0044 161 476
2914 - Fat Nick does not read a word of Danish, but he
knows people who do, so grotty photocopies of results
sheets and local newspapers are gratefully received!