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...................................Cycling
News Report is here
Track information is here
......................................
Detroit
Six Day Ends with Wheelmen in Black
Update 8/26/03 (photos below)
by
David Teall
 With
50 points up for grabs in the final omnium, Detroit Six Day promoter Dale
Hughes chose to diverge from seeded parings and matched the top three
"A" riders with the top three "AA’s." A notch
farther down the standings, Pio Apostoli began the day 17 points out of
5th place in the "A" group and David Teall 4 points out of 4th
in the "AA’s." Despite geography and the countless miles
driven together, Apostoli and Teall had never before been teamed up in a
NAS-TRACK Madison. It seemed natural for Hughes to pair the two together
on the final day. "From Toledo, Ohio, wearing the black jerseys . .
."
A
strategy was agreed upon during warmup. Regular rotations, short shifts,
stay near the front, communicate, anticipate the attacks, nothing fancy—no
double shifts or designated sprinter—and no mistakes. And stay out of
trouble, like that spectacular crash that sent Rob Akers and partner Hans
Peterson out of the race shortly after the start of the 30 minute Madison.
The pace had just accelerated from 24 mph to 30-something, and the relief
rider did not adjust.
Yes,
track racers do the same thing road racers do when there’s a crash, they
attack, and the pace remained high right up through the first of three
sprints. Team Black held tough, and Pio threw Teall in from second place
on the bell lap and yelled, "Get on it!" Unwilling to sell
completely out for the first sprint, weary of the inevitable counter
attack (which, of course, did come), Teall didn’t get passed by
everybody, the team picked up 5th place points, and Pio closed the gap in
his next shift.
Through
most of the race, Team Black managed to maintain reasonable position in
the field. However, midway through there was an attack over the top of a
rider notorious for his lackadaisical effort out of an exchange. In
Madison parlance such an attack is called a jam. In English, chaos. Pio,
on relief, saw it coming and shouted from across the track, "Go over
him!" Teall, at this point, happy to have a wheel—any wheel—didn’t
react quickly enough and the most serious chase of the race was on.
But
survive that jam the Men in Black did, making every exchange throughout
the entire race, never surrendering a lap. Finally, the lap cards came up
for the last 12 laps of the race. Leave it all on the track. Only three
more shifts . . . two more . . . one. . . Teall threw Pio in with 2 to go
and fifth place was secured, enough points for Pio to tie former Canadian
national champion Rob Good for fifth place overall in the "A"
group. Teall remained in 5th for the "AA’s."
The
Race
The
main event, a 30-minute Madison, follows the preliminary, individual
races. The Madison, or team race, is scored as any points race on the
track. The difference being that at any time only one rider from each team
is on the line, or in the race, while his teammate is on relief, slowly
circling the top of the track. When the race comes around to the relief
rider, a relay or exchange may be made, placing the former relief rider on
the line, his partner on relief.
The
relief rider times his entry into the race and uses the banking to
accelerate to about four-fifths of the on-the-line speed. When his
teammate gets close, the incoming relief rider drifts down to the
sprinters’ line and places his left hand on his left hip. As the two
converge, the teammate on the line controls his bicycle with his left hand
and grabs the offered relief hand with his right. The teammates clasp
hands and their arms extend as their different speeds stabilize. Then the
rider on the line throws, or hand-slings his teammate into the race.
The
teams are made up of one rider from the "A" group and one
"AA." Each day the riders are re-teamed based on the previous
day’s finish: first place "A" with last place "AA,"
second place "A" with the penultimate place "AA," etc.
The racing continues at "the fastest velodrome in America"
Friday and Saturday, August 22 and 23 at 7:00 P.M., with the finale on
Sunday at 3:00.
Track
Information is here.
Last Updated 03/19/08
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