Results of the 1999 Munich Six Day RaceNovember 4th - 9th 1999 |
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Results of the 1999 Munich Six Day RaceNovember 4th - 9th 1999 |
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The Munich Six Day cycle race takes place in Munich's Olympiahalle, and features a full program of entertainment. Six day events, particularly in Germany, are not just about the cycle racing - they are a part of the town's social calendar. When 'Er Indoors and I went over to watch the Munich Six-Day in 1996, it got as much coverage on the "social / cultural" slot on the TV as it did on the sports slot! People also turn up in huge numbers to watch the racing live - Munich's Olymipahalle has a capacity of about 14,000 spectators, and is regularly sold out. The 1997 Munich Six was watched live by a total of 89,000 spectators
At Munich, for example, there was an entire funfair around the outside of the track (but inside the stadium building). You can imagine the noise! Everything from shooting booths to ox roasts (I kid you not - you could see them strap up a new ox on the spit at the end of each evening! I subsequently found out that 10 oxen were consumed during the event), 12 bars, six restaurants.... Get the picture?
Then, they had an absolutely dire band playing in the middle of the track. During the racing, you understand. None of this namby-pamby "wait till the interval" rubbish! <g> For the really adventurous, the "night club" in the cellar published a timetable for appearances by the team of strippers - including the stripping male to keep the ladies entertained.
For the 1999 race, there are 3 sets of favourites. Click on the links below to see photos of the riders.
Hot favourites have to be the top Swiss pairing, Bruno Risi and Kurt Betschart. Winners of 24 six-day races, these two arrive as newly crowned winners of last week's Dortmund Six. Oh, and Bruno Risi is still smiling from winning the world Points Race title for a third time in October.
The main challengers are the new pairing of top Italian rider Silvio Martinello and Germany's very own Andreas Kappes, the 32 year old pro from Cologne.
Meantime, Germany's new World Pursuit champion Robert Bartko is riding with experienced Australian Scott McGrory. They rode well together in Dortmund last week, and are serious contenders in this Munich race. At just 23 years old, Robert Bartko gets Fat Nick's "One to watch for the future" award.
There should really be a fourth pair of favourites: Belgium's Etienne de Wilde and Matt Gilmore. However, Matt had a stomach bug last week in Dortmund, and Etienne seems to be suffering with it this week, and they find themselves in the unfamiliar position of being three laps down! During the course of the 1999 Munich Six, this bug caused problems for several of the riders.
Let's also all spare a thought for Andreas Beikirch, who fell heavily during Monday evening. He sustained a deep cut to his leg, and will probably need two full months off the bike. This effectively ends his six-day season this year. Gute Besserung, Andreas!
In the end, the new pairing of top German rider Andreas Kappes and Italy's six-day star Silvio Martinello proved too strong for the other riders, and the duo led the race from start to finish. They eventually won the race by 10 points, one lap up on two other pairs. This was Martinello's first win in the Munich Six (and his 18th six-day victory overall), whereas Andreas Kappes has won here twice before, in 1989 and 1991.
However, the race was far more open and competitive than it might first appear. Bruno Risi and Kurt Betschart, still recovering from their win at Dortmund the previous week, did well to push so hard, winning many of the daily Madison chases along the way. And the real revelations of the 1999 Munich Six have to be Scott McGrory and Robert Bartko, who are proving to be a very talented and determined pairing.
Oh, and another bright spot for Fat Nick: British rider Bradley Wiggins, the former world junior pursuit champion, finished second in the amateur six in Munich. Not bad for a first-year senior.....
1 Silvio Martinello (Ita) - Andreas Kappes (Ger) 399 pts One lap behind: 2 Bruno Risi (Swi) - Kurt Betschart (Swi) 389 3 Robert Bartko (Ger) - Scott McGrory (Aus) 381 Seven laps behind: 4 Adriano Baffi (Ita) - Andrea Collinelli (Ita) 260 5 Etienne Dewilde (Bel) - Matthew Gilmore (Bel) 212 Eleven laps behind: 6 Gerd Dörich (Ger) - Marco Villa (Ita) 153 Sixteen laps behind: 7 Jimmi Madsen (Den) - Olaf Pollack (Ger) 171 Seventeen laps behind: 8 Michael Sandstĝd (Den) - Tayeb Braikia (Den) 125 Twenty two laps behind: 9 Stefan Steinweg (Ger) - Erik Weisspfennig (Ger) 149 Twenty three laps behind: 10 Frank Corvers (Bel) - Lorenzo Lapage (Bel) 140 Thirty four laps behind: 11 Jens Lehmann (Ger) - Frank Kowatschitsch (Ger) 113 Thirty five laps behind: 13 Juan Llaneras (Spa) - Isaac Galvez (Spa) 92 Thirty seven laps behind: 13 Lars Teutenberg (Ger) - Ronny Lauke (Ger) 74 Did not finish: Andreas Beikirch (Ger), Mario Vonhof (Ger) and the pair Christian Weber (Swi) - Franco Marvuli (Swi).
To find out how to book tickets for the Munich Six, check out Roger Hughes' booking info. And while you're here, why not have a look at some photos of cycle racing action from last year's six-day bike races? For the truly sad amongst you, I can even offer a list of previous winners of the Münchener sechstagerennen.
Do you have any
news about the Munich Six? Drop an e-mail to 
if you do, or send him a fax at 0044 161 476
2914 - Fat Nick reads German, so grotty photocopies of
results sheets and local newspapers are gratefully
received!