They call it the ‘World Championship of Six Days’ – Munich. And the 2009 winners were – Bruno Risi and Franco Marvulli (Switzerland) from world madison champions Michael Morkov and Alex Rasmussen (Denmark). Franco gave up some of his precious between sixes down time to talk to PEZ about his latest win and the six day scene in general.
PEZ: Give us your six stats please, Franco.
Franco: 86 starts in six days, 27 victories; seven starts at Munich with two wins, this year and 2007.
PEZ: Hard fought?
Franco: For sure, I would say that this year was harder than 2007. The Danes are a very good team; Bruno and I think that if we’re there for the sprints in a six, we can win, but Morkov and Rasmussen are very fast in the sprints, so we can’t just leave it to that when we’re riding against them. Rasmussen is fast but it’s not just about that, it’s also about how you get put in – Morkov is very quick now and he sets it up perfectly for Rasmussen. They are a good fit – they ride well together.
The Danish Duo of Morkov and Rasmussen.
PEZ: You have good form – second at Amsterdam then winning Grenoble and Munich.
Franco: And I won Fiorenzola in the summer too, so that’s three wins and a second from my last four starts; it would be hard for me to be happier. In other years, I’ve maybe had better form, but as you gain experience, you learn when to go for the laps – it’s like firing one shot and hitting the bulls eye, rather than wasting a lot of bullets!
Marvulli and Risi en route to victory in Munich.
PEZ: How was your summer preparation?
Franco: I did a lot of road training and I rode the Tour of New Caledonia (Island in the Pacific Ocean) just before the six season, that was 12 stages and it was really good preparation. If my head is good, then I’m good; focused!
PEZ: Munich – poor crowds, it could be finished?
Franco: I think that the final figure is that the crowd was six or seven thousand down on last year, but the last night there was a terrific, knowledgeable audience – it was a great experience. In the six day circle, it’s still the unofficial world championships. It’s difficult to say why people stay away; one reason is that there are so many more things for people to see and spend their money on in big cities, now. Especially the young people, they want to see crazy things – guys parachuting off buildings and stuff like that. They are talking about not having it, or replacing it with a three day or one day event. But the six day calendar wouldn’t be the same without it; Gent, Bremen, Berlin, Copenhagen and Munich – these are the classic six day races.
A happy Marvulli.
PEZ: Dortmund was lost.
Franco: I think it’s a lot of little things adding up; the financial crisis is one; Zabel retiring is another and there are so many other events competing with the six days for spectators.
PEZ: Does Grenoble have the answer?
Franco: They made a very intelligent change; they broke with tradition and introduced the circus events to attract all kinds of people to come in, not just cycling fans.
PEZ: Gloom in Germany, but Gent is sold out.
Franco: You can’t say that the sixes in general are finished, there are new races coming up – Apeldoorn, Hasselt and Cremona so it’s not a deep, deep hole. In Belgium they have good riders – Keisse, Mertens, De Ketele and the public want to see them. Copenhagen will be a big six, the fans will want to see Morkov and Rasmussen – the Danes had a good Olympics and Worlds and the public want to see the stars.
Racing the sixes as World Madison champions.
PEZ: How is Zurich looking?
Franco: I don’t know, but I don’t see there being a problem, bearing in mind that it’s Bruno’s ‘goodbye race.’
PEZ: Have you thought about ‘life after Bruno?’
Franco: No, I have too much to think about in the short term; so many things can change, so there’s no point in making plans just now. I’m not worried about it; I think I won’t have too much problem to find a good regular partner.
What will the sixes be like without Bruno Risi?
PEZ: The sixes is a hard world to enter.
Franco: It’s difficult to step into, yes. It’s very hard to do what Zabel did, just come along and win – it usually takes a lot of time, there’s a lot to learn and you have to work hard at it; some guys give up before they get there. That’s why there are only a few guys who can win the big races.
PEZ: Gianni Meersman’s debut at Grenoble was impressive.
Franco: He did a really good race, for sure. But Grenoble isn’t Gent or Berlin – the French track is a big one and it’s much harder on the smaller tracks, you need a lot more skill, but I think he has what it takes to make it.
Gianni Meersman made a promising debut on the track in Grenoble.
PEZ: The De Fauw tragedy, your thoughts?
Franco: People say it was because of the crash with Isaac Galvez at Gent, but three years later, you don’t just go out and hang yourself because of that. It was premeditated, there’s no doubt about that, it’s not like jumping off a building in a split second – but I think there must have been more than just the Galvez incident behind it. When I heard, I couldn’t train for three days, I just sat motionless on the sofa the day I heard, I just couldn’t believe it – I had been racing with him just two days before.
PEZ: Biggest changes you’ve seen in the sport?
Franco: The races are shorter, quicker, the riders are younger, when I started, everyone else was over 30 but now there are a lot of young guys and it’s not all just about the madisons, anymore. Overall, I would say that it’s fresher.
Franco was a young rider once...
PEZ: Are the ‘Revolution’ meets at Manchester, the way ahead?
Franco: I love riding them, it’s good, hard racing and they sell out; but Britain has good track riders and the public want to see them. The trouble is, if it’s not a permanent track like Manchester, it costs the same to hire the track whether it’s one day, or six.
PEZ: The Spring date for the Track Worlds?
Franco: It’s hard to say if it’s been a good or bad thing; but it’s not good if you’re a six day guy, you’re tired at the end of the season.
PEZ: Which win has eluded you that you really want?
Franco: Rotterdam, that’s one of our goals for this season; it’s also one of the few six days that Bruno hasn’t won. I’ve been on the podium four times, but never won it – but I’m not in a hurry, it’s not like I’m 40 years-old!
***
With congratulations and thanks again to Franco; he’s 31, by the way. Next on the calendar is Gent – see you there?
Roadside St. 14 When you start each new Giro you understand you’re a year older. You feel a stranger to the village approach and for a moment ... More....
Professional cycling has, over the years, attracted only a few documentary film makers. A few, such as Jorgen Leth’s “A Sunday in Hell,” have even ... More....
I’m just digging out from a few days at the BMC training camp, and while I won’t be reporting on doing Jaeger-bombs and Redbulls with Cadel & George, ... More....
As the final Madison got underway the arena was packed to the rafters, all the talk of Six Days in crisis forgotten for now. The finale was ... More....
Six Day racing comes to Berlin for the 99th time on Thursday, 28th January, 2010 with the great tradition of winter track racing in Germany in a ... More....
American Classic spent the last couple of years reworking their line up and the 420 Aeros are the latest to leave the bench. Take a look at the new ... More....
A couple years in the making, Pez head up to see arguably the top custom builder on the planet. We hit Serotta's NY shop, take a peek at their ... More....
You’ve still got today and all of tomorrow to ‘git ‘er done! Your holiday shopping that is… and armed with the complete set of 4 gift guides ... More....
If the stocking's not full - somebody's not doing their job. Good thing we're here to help with a big ol' bag full of the kind of stuff we'd love to ... More....
Winter riding is almost upon us - except for you lucky Aussies - and that means less riding outdoors. But with an indoor trainer and a Netflix ... More....
Many ergogenic aids, both legal and illegal, have been touted as the magic bullet that will improve cycling performance. What about something that ... More....
Having goals is one of the important first steps in achieving your dreams. They can be small goals or they can be big goals, but without them you’ll ... More....
Is cycling your religion, or at least one of them? If so, you’re not alone. Many people define themselves as “spiritual,” even if they don’t practice ... More....
Post-Giro Roadside: I love Scotland; but there’s no Gazzetta in the morning, most of the coffee tastes like John Wayne brewed it beside the ... More....
Sunday July 20th 1969; that’s 40 years ago now but I remember it clearly as the day that I first became aware of professional bicycle racing – I was ... More....
Roadside Recap: As we make our merry way through the rounds of the PEZ Looks Back, Ed is up for his retrospective on the Tour that was. As the ... More....
Coming on four years ago, Saul Raisin was one of THE big things in US pro cycling. Top 40 in a hard Tour de Suisse and mountain king at the Tour de ... More....
The last time we spoke to Garmin's Steve Cozza was after the 2008 Paris - Tours; where he produced another solid performance from a consistent and ... More....
Just about to start his second season with Cervélo - thanks to strong Classic rides and his first Grand Tour finish, in the Giro - Englishman, Dan ... More....
In October, nine-time Tour de France rider Frankie Andreu announced that he would be Director Sportif of the Ohio-based KENDA Pro Cycling p/b ... More....
With so many (too many?) others looking back to best-of-2009 or decade highlights, why not look ahead? A new decade beckons, after all, so who better ... More....
We first talked with Lostende Bike Tours owner and avid cyclist Allan Reeves about his Pyrenees Cycling Challenge, from the Atlantic to the ... More....
So, riding in Texas is mostly flat, with only tumbleweeds and armadillos to avoid right? Well, not exactly. You see, Austin is situated in what’s ... More....
Roadside St. 14 When you start each new Giro you understand you’re a year older. You feel a stranger to the village approach and for a moment ... More....
Professional cycling has, over the years, attracted only a few documentary film makers. A few, such as Jorgen Leth’s “A Sunday in Hell,” have even ... More....
I’m just digging out from a few days at the BMC training camp, and while I won’t be reporting on doing Jaeger-bombs and Redbulls with Cadel & George, ... More....
Race report: Alejandro Valverde stayed upright to seal his Vuelta victory – the first Grand Tour win of his career. On such a short stage, ... More....
Race Report: Today David Millar won his 5th stage in all his Vuelta’s, he was given one of the swords that Toledo is famous for along with the ... More....
The loss of Franco Ballerini is not one that will be forgotten anytime soon. The sport's best are at a loss and two of the greatest riders of our ... More....
Updated! Hallelujah, they're racing in Qatar, and I just got back from celebrating with every other New Orleanian on Bourbon Street. There's ... More....
It was a dark Sunday morning in Italy when the news services announced that Franco Ballerini, ex-professional, former dual Paris-Roubaix winner and ... More....
The maracas shake, 'Cara mia, mine !' blasts from the PA. Bang! The little cannon fires and the hall fills with smoke. Yes, this is the right place, ... More....
When the K-Mart Classic of West Virginia stormed through the state in the mid-90s, it opened awareness as to just how great the bike riding is in ... More....
After riding the final 17 sectors of Paris-Roubaix yesterday, and typing to you with still swollen, sore, and blistered hands, I understand to my ... More....
![](javascript:showpic("http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/tech/amclass/amc420alarge.jpg",900,698);)
![](javascript:showpic("http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/tech/serotta/meilarge.jpg",2000,1244);)
