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Grenoble
6 Days Diary
"What
a difference a day makes," as Esther Phillips once sang. Tuesday
afternoon, Charleroi, Belgium and it's cold, grey, wet and windy.
Kris
is a soigneur and I'm a "garcon de course", literally translated
that's "boy of the race" - that's equivalent to a septic
tank cleaner’s assistant.  |
Alex
and Michael check the program |
 |
Franco, Alex
and Michael check the program |
13.00 pm: Back at the stadium; there's Bettini - and his silver Porsche. There's nothing of him, he's small, slim and smiles readily. Shopping time for Ed: four toasting bread, four sliced cheese and two packets of ham. Michael and Alex need fed, so there's pizza to get too.
13.30: Michael has been talking to Marco Villa, "It is Paolo's firs Madison so we take it easy tonight, eh?"
14.00: Two disasters, the kettle isn't working and I left out the little tubs of rice, Rasmussen, aka "the chow hound" has zero-ed in on them and done-in two before you can blink. Kris isn't happy, "I told you to put those away, they're for the track cabins!" It would be hard to be on an ego-trip as a 'garcon de course'.
1430: Most of the guys are on the track, loosening their legs, including the Greek guy, Tamouridis - a Greek six-day man? I have to have a word with him. Bettini's up too, an awesome bike rider he may be but stylish he isn't.
 |
Paulo Bettini... |
16.00: Massage time, my chores just go on and on, including washing one of the cabin floors on my hands and knees after Kris spilt the eau de cologne.
18.00: The riders are at the riders meeting. They arrive back needing fed, but it's China Syndrome - a major disaster - the tin opener has broken. I sprint up to the van for the reserve but it has vanished; good job I know where Kris has the Swiss Army knife stashed.
19.00: The juniors and ladies are on the track and our guys are napping or having light massage.
20.10: Row from Franco for not making sure he gets the black wine gums.
20.25: The pros are presented, it's not the usual up-and-down the track "rolling" presentation, rather they are introduced to the crowd from up in the stands with flood lights and drum rolls.
Tour de France speaker Daniel Mangas does the intros, he's the stats-man supreme.
20.45: Jacqueline Alvarez entertains us with a balancing act.
 |
...being
set upon by French journos |
20.55: Give Craig MacLean a push at the start of the Keirin, he's down to ride the sprint tournament, and you have to look after your own.
21.05: The first pro event, a 36 lap sprint series. And so it goes on, singers, jugglers, strong men, sprinters and six-day riders.
Midnight: Stroentinga tastes the boards in the second chase of the night, right in front of us, a young French rider in his first - and probably last - six takes him out. It nips!
 |
 |
Happy Paolo |
Franco with his wine gums |
00.10: Another "chute", right in front of us again, the young French guys are out of their depth and losing the plot when they get tired.
 |
One
of the French guys picking himself up, again |
One of the French guys goes over the crash barrier into the crowd. Alex comes down, but not too bad, just a lot of skin gone.
 |
Kris, with Jozef's legs |
Both his wheels are goners though. The tyres of the French guys who came down had rolled off when they came down - that's unforgivable.
Despite the fact that Rasmussen's wheel is folded double, the tyre is still attached.
Part-time riders have part-time mechanics and nowhere is it more important - or obvious - that you have a good mechanic than on a 6 Day track.
The race is neutralised, bodies everywhere and huge scrapes in the boards. it's not everyday you see a Tour de France winner with sand paper, but Bernard Thevenet is rubbing with the best of them. The racing restarts eventually but the crowd is thinning and at around 01.30 it's all over for day one with Rasmussen and Morkov in the lead.
 |
tsk, tsk |
 |
Thevenet gets
sanding |
Take the riders clothes, helmets and shoes down, tidy the cabins, start the washing - no electricity.
03.00: Kris has washed and spun the clothes - in the corridor to get electric. I've sorted them, hung them to dry and tidied-up. It's time for a bottle of beer and a ham sandwich - welcome to Grenoble.
Day 2 - Wednesday 25th October, 2006
17.45: Where did the day go?
 |
Alex on the net |
They are playing Puccini over the stadium PA, the folies girls are rehearsing their routine, you would have to be here to appreciate it, but it's awesome.
The juniors are whizzing past, best keep away from the bottom of the track, last year they were sliding about the boards on their bums like there's no tomorrow.
We didn't waken until 11.20, that must be the latest I’ve slept in my life.
A quick shower then it was my trip to the bakers for fresh baguettes, the guys were coming-in from the hotel as I was going out so there was no time to waste.
Once the guys were attacking their ham sandwiches it was sort and fold the jerseys time.
 |
A
runner's work is never done |
The electricity came back, so that was a bonus.
The jerseys sorted-out it was wash the floors in two of the cabins, then off to the Geant super market to stock-up on meat, chicken, lasagne, ham, cheese, bread, salad - and gateaux; it's Franco's birthday in a fortnight but he wants to start celebrating now.
The first thing I had to do when I got back from the supermarket was go to the mini-market to get the stuff we missed - milk and lemon juice for the salad. I sneaked a "presion" - cold beer in English - at a cafe when I was out, Kris has been a tad stressed the last two days, so it was nice to sit quietly in the sun and look at the mountains for five minutes.
 |
Kris |
Up to the track, and into the routine again: check the drinks and food, re-clean the pee-pail that Aeschbach used today - nice.
(rumours of a fall-out between him and Franco seem much exagerated, but that's the sixes - they run 'en rumeur’ (pardon my French) and gossip.
I was on wi-fi at lunchtime but can't get connected now - it will need to be the internet cafe tomorrow to send my pictures, never mind.
18.45: Best nip down and check-out what's happening below ground.
19.45: That's the track side cabins organised. Word-is that the organisers want faster Madisons - I'm keeping back from those boards, last night was wild at the speeds they are moaning about.
Word also is that Bettini has to win something - it will have to be a Points, Scratch or Elimination - he looks like a coo with a gun in the Madisons.
I tried to give Craig MacLean a hold-up and push in the Keirin, but some French dude was going to clatter down on the boards unless I grabbed him. Craig had to start off the balustrade; I gave him a good shove in the passing and it was our boy who took the flowers.
The 35 minute Madison passed without incident but Bettini really is toiling to find his track legs, he looks to be at war with his bike.
It's 10.35. and the sprinters are on, the lap record is a 10.7 by Florian Rouseau, nobody here can break 11 seconds - I would like to have seen that 10.7 being done. We have all the classements now - Alex & Michael lead overall; Franco & Alexander Aeschbach lead on points with Jozi & Martin leading the combined clasification. It's another blur of bikes, cabaret, changing jerseys and serving herbal tea to the guys until clean-up time around 1.30.
Now it's 2.45 and bed time, like I said, where did that day go?
Day 3 - Thursday 26th October, 2006
Sometimes, you wonder why you are doing this - OK, it's great being around guys like Marvulli and having an insight into the inner-sanctum, but it's hard work, often boring and stressed guys aren't fun to be around. That's not to mention French radio; the first song I heard today was, "Super Nana" a plaintive lament to the singer's granny.
But this morning, when you walk up the ramp out of the stadium into the October sun, feel it warm on your skin, look up at the mountains and wander over to the bakers to pick-up the warm baguettes, "bon jour monsieur, ca va?" -it's cool - a gig.
It's 1.00 pm Saturday and I've got a (slow) internet connection so I'm getting my pictures sent from my laptop while I write this on the BlackBerry. Franco is up on the boards training just now, he'll be talking to Veloresults before the race is over about life as a six-day man. He has also promised to get me an interview with Bettini - watch this space!
 |
Jozef has the blues |
 |
Bettini
prepares to start the keirin |
It's a glamorous life being a six day guy, sitting in a dimly-lit corridor with abottle of mineral water at gone 2.00 am. One of the "events" that the sprinters have here is a stand-still contest.
The crowd seems to love it and the "speaker" makes it all sound great, they do leave it until quite late in the night though, so that plenty of fine wine has flowed.
There were eight sprinters up but one fell off in the first minute. Craig MacLean was second, around 20 minutes, but Tournand lasted over half an hour.
I spoke to Craig when he came down and he said the killer was his wrists, Tournand must have really strong wrists, or be really sad - you choose.
Craig cycles in to the track from the hotel and back again at night, his carbon Dolan sprint bike is drilled for a front brake and he has a front light bracket on the handlebars which he raced with!
Craig used to do this when he rode Meadowbank Track League in Edinburgh as a young lad, and despite being one of the best riders in the world, he hasn't changed a bit.
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Craig away to get his brake
and lights on for the ride back to the hotel! |
Bettini looked a bit better last night but it's hardly savage racing.
The boys ate a bit more - muesli bars, fruit jellies, rice and the odd biscuit.
They consume vast quantities of soft drinks and mineral water. Apart from the effort of racing it's very hot in the stadium and easy to dehydrate.
Between races the guys often don't put racing jerseys on, they just sit in their under-vests to try and cool down.
It was crash-free and the French guys even managed to win a race or two (somehow).
Jozi and Martin were happy, Patrick Sercu arrived last night and had a contract for the Ghent Six for them in his pocket. Sercu is the undisputed King of the Sixes. He won 88 in his long career, plus World sprint and Olympic Kilometer Championships.
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Patrick Sercu
- the MAN ! |
%20and%20Michael.jpg) |
...with Alex
and Michael |
Day 4 - Friday 27th October, 2006
It was musical jerseys last night, Franco & Alex Aeschbach took over in the lead, Michael & Alex Rasmussen swopped the leader's jerseys for the points leaders maillot vert but Jozi & Martin lost the combine jersey to DeFauw & Van Mechelen of Belgium.
Rumour control has it that Monsieur DeFauw ran two red lights in his car last night after the race and was "pulled" by the police. The story continues that when he reached for his licence in his inside jacket pocket, the heat thought he was going for a shooter and hauled him out of the car at gun-point. He's too important a person to talk to a humble runner like me so maybe this will have brought him back a little closer to earth.
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Marco
works on Franco's Koga |
Talking of elevation, Franco arrived early for breakfast this morning, grabbed his road bike, kit and Marco, his less than slim mechanic, then bolted for L'Alpe D'Huez, which is only about an hour and a half from here. We're taking bets on whether Marco survives.
At the moment I'm waiting to interview twice Tour de France winner, Bernard Thevenet, he won this six twice in his prime some 30 years ago.
He's whizzing around the track just now in a training string with world points champion, Peter Schep of Holland. He has no problems catching the last wheel when he swings off but he can't crouch as low as he used to - all that fine French cooking and vin rouge. The wi-fi in the stadium wasn't great today but better than yesterday.
 |
It is exactly
who it says on the jersey |
Copy is no problem, I do most of it on the BlackBerry anyway, you grab a bit of time when you can and just rattle-away.
Pictures are more of a problem though, after you have transfered them from the camera to the laptop and labelled them, you have to send them. If there's no wi-fi then you have copy them onto a memory stick and head for an internet caff, but even that isn't fool-proof, sometimes there are no USB connections to be had. The wi-fi here is erratic but after much cussing, I got all my pics away.
I finally caught-up with Monsieur Thevenet in his office, in a gesture typical of the man he came around to sit on the same side of the desk as me, in his stocking soles. His English isn't great and my French is downright bad but we got there in the end. There's not a trace of an ego about the man even although it was his 1975 Tour de France win which heralded the end of the Merckx era.
Meanwhile, it's 18.37 and I'm waiting on my pizza from Natalie's pizza van which stands two minutes from the stadium I had hoped to sneak a beer at Le Clemenceau - my adopted bar, it's not cheap at euros 2.20 for a presion - the same beer in Flanders would cost one euro - bit it hits the spot.
Unfortunately it was shut - Sunday night in France, that'll be when most wives getmurdered because husbands can't go up the pub. The pizza was a cracker, just what you need to look after five six-day guys until 2.00 am.
It's 12.20 and the Paris Folies girls are doing their stuff, topless - naturally.
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The Folies in full flow |
I got my first good look at them tonight, the power failed in the track-side cabins and I had to go up to see Mr. Biondii at the start line.
The Folies were in full flight in the track centre and whilst it's not my thing, they are great at what they do.
There was a row after the last Madison and even the sight of all that silicone-packed flesh can't lift the mood among some of the guys. An ill-tempered sort of a night with little Italian Marco Villa the whinger-in-chief. Marco is no spring chicken but he's still a very solid Six-Day man, though he does always seem to be giving someone a tongue lashing. We got finished early tonight - 2.30 am.
Day 5 - Saturday 28th October, 2006
It's 9.30 and I'm just up, Kris sleeps in the camper van. He says it's more comfortable, but I think it's because I snore so badly.
It was interesting at breakfast today; the guys were talking about what they did before they were full-time pro cyclists. Michael Morkov was a carpenter; he served a four year apprenticeship whilst Marvulli was an electrician. He reckons he pedals fast because he never wants to be installing mobile phone antenae on roofs in the depths of winter again.
Monday is a bad day to try and get the groceries organized. In France, most of the shops are shut and the queues in the super markets are grim, an hour just evaporates, as it did this morning.
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Paolo Bettini's 2007 Specialized
! |
Sorry, but I have to name-drop BIG here, I was just chatting to Paolo Bettini about his new Specialized road bike for 2007, he has been trying it out around the velodrome to get his position right.
Very tall and very small guys, like Bettini, have to be careful not to fall foul of the UCI regulations on bike dimensions so Paolo and his mechanic are getting things set-up; a little tweak then a few laps, then more of the same.
I got a couple of pics of the velo but he wouldn't let me take shots of him beside it - Time who are Quick Step's frame suppliers until the end of 2006 might get a bit upset. The word is that Patrick Lefevre, the Big Boss of the Quick Step team said he would only change frame sponsors if a seven figure sum in euros was offered. Specialized must have deep pockets, because the change has duly been made. The test bike was black, but Bettini will be on a white frame for 2007 with the team on red.
I got my five minutes with Bettini...Marco Villa can be a grumpy dude but I always get-along just fine with him; he translated for me with Bettini; "nada" he says, "it's nothing", when I thanked him. The interview can be seen here.
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Marco
Villa and race partner Paolo Bettini |
Bettini was polite but he'll be sick of interviews, especially with a language barrier and me in my runner’s gear of tee-shirt and baggy shorts.
Proper French cycling journos have intense demeanours, wear black suits, chain smoke and read philosophy.
Le Clemenceau, 17.10 sitting outside with my presion - what more could a man want?
Feeding time, 18.00, the guys had a salad with lettuce, tomato and mozarella; chicken fillets with spaghetti then an apple tart for dinner. Coke, Sprite, Fanta and mineral water are the drinks; four days in and we've used 26 big bottles of Fanta so far.
Track-side 20.15, at a time when most folks are settled in front of the tele with a cup of tea or glass of red, the six-day guys are just starting work. Morale in the camp is good though because the end is in sight and tomorrow is pay day. The presentation has started, the cabins are tidy, all the food and drink has been topped-up and there's nice ocean-fresh disinfectant in the pee pails - it's show time!
Talking of the show; it's a live jazz band who provide the music, complete with attractive, busty, perma-smiling blonde on the squeeze box. I prefer the North European way with 70's disco music, it's a better accompaniment for the racing I think, plus it takes me back to my youth.
The racing wasn't great tonight, I enjoyed the sprinters most; tomorrow there's a "proper" 180 lap chase, maybe that will excite me. It was Franco's turn for "controle", six beers later he managed to pee and I got to bed for 3.30 am.
Last day - it's not a big programme and there's no washing to do so - happy days!
Day 6 - Sunday 29th October, 2006
The last day at Grenoble isn't too hard for the riders, there's a points race, a time trial and then the big chase - 180 laps of the 210 meter track. I did hear guys complain though that the lack of warm-up races made for sore legs early in the Madison.
I was up at 9.30 and straight into my jersey-folding routine. Panic; one pair of Alex Rasmussen's mitts have gone missing; in a world torn by wars this may not seem like too big a deal, but in the cloistered world of the six-days it's probably a day's worth of gossip: "You hear about de big fat, bald Scottie runner with Kris? He loses Razl's best mitts, eh?" I searched everywhere, but to cut a long story short, Alex had taken them back to the hotel with him. I was too relieved to be mad.
The last day is stressful because you have to break camp and be away as soon after the race as possible, especially if you have guys catching a plane to Australia. Franco Marvulli doesn't like the cabin to be broken down until as late as possible - he hates coming in there when it's bare.
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Franco meets the fans |
A few of the guys didn't do their afternoon training today, end of race blues. Franco went out with the local cycling club for an hour and a half. Since Franco teamed-up with six-day legend and compatriot Bruno Risi he's found a new seam of enthusiasm. Whilst Franco was riding at Grenoble, Bruno was up in Dortmund winning there with German road star, Erik Zabel.
The two Swiss' big target is the Madison at the Bejing Olympics in 2008. They were second to Aussies Graeme Brown and Stuart O'Grady in Athens but want gold this time - you heard it here first. Bejing or not, he fancied a pizza, as did our young Danes; I was duly dispatched to Natalie's pizza van, returning with three pizzas which were scoffed without ceremony - that's on top of the steak and pasta Kris had already served them. Those boys can eat, especially Alex. Once the boys were fed we began taking what kit we could up to the camper, a process that went on all evening.
First-up was the Points Race won by Bettini & Villa then a flying start three lap Time Trial won by Van Mechelen & DeFauw with French sprinter Tournand as third man. The two Belgians we're quick but Tournand wasn't 'pinging' - they still won though.
The climax of the night - the 180 lap chase. I missed most of it due to loading the camper but caught the finale, which was good racing.
Peter Schep and Jens Mouris of Holland tried hard to take the lap which would give them victory but with Franco on the form he is in there was slim chance of a Dutch win. Marvulli & Aeschbach duly took their fourth Grenoble Six with the Danes second.
It was the usual chaos after the finish and you have to be careful of the riders’ kit; there are laptops, gameboys and mobile phones scattered about the place and fans there who shouldn't be.
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Michael was disappointed with the presentation: "The Folies girls are on the podium but for the first time they have tits covered-up!"
As we man-handled the last of the kit into the camper and tried to fit in Alex, Michael, two bikes and all their kit, Bettini sauntered out, bid. "Ciao" to everyone, kindled-up the Porsche and was gone.
Word is, he was on 30,000 euros start money - not bad for six days work, but he's got all the expense that goes with running a high performance car remember.
Lyon airport 03.30 am, that's the guys dropped-off to catch their flight to Sydney. Can we find a bed now please Kris?
Mobile: 07751
674 012
Email: editor@veloresults.co.uk