Picture © by Fat Nick
Top Belgian six-day rider Etienne de Wilde uses a Madison handsling to throw his partner Matt Gilmore into the race. The pair are riding in the world champions rainbow jersey after winning the world title at Bordeaux in 1998. This picture was taken at the Fiorenzuola Six during July 1999.
Matt Gilmore originally raced as an Australian, but took out Belgian citizenship. This was his first six-day race since his bad crash during the 1998 Herning Six.
In the background, Dutch rider Rob Slippens had been following in De Wilde's slipstream. As they came up to Gimore, Slippens moved up the track to follow the "live wheel" - or the back wheel of the rider being thrown into the race, rather than the one doing the throwing. This is down to a simple law of physics; De Wilde will slow down dramatically as he slings his partner in, as shown in the next picture, below, which was taken a moment later.
Picture © by Fat Nick
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