Team

Rider

Photo

Background

1

Dieter Kemper

Thirty-one years. Born Dortmund, West Germany. One of the top Six Day men in the world today. Has held many German titles in the past few years and is renowned for his acrobatic skill and machine control in the Sixes. Has been second and third in the world pursuit championship and is a past European motor-paced champion. Has now won 10 Six Day events and, with Oldenburg, was second in the SKOL Six last year.

Horst Oldenburg

Twenty-eight years. Born Berlin, West Germany. Has now won six Sixes, four of them with Kemper. Oldenburg is also a road rider and has ridden with some success in the big professional events abroad. Was a member of the German team in the 1967 Tour de France and, with Kemper, were tough opponents in the SKOL Six in 1967.

2

Ron Baensch

Thirty years. Born Melbourne, Australia. A tough, colourful rider on both the indoor and outdoor tracks. A class sprinter, he has appeared in the finals of the world sprint championship a number of times. He has a bronze and silver medal but was always beaten by the gold but by such renowned men as Maspes and Beghetto. Rode the SKOL Six last year with Sid Patterson.

Trevor Bull

Twenty-three years. Born Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire. The 1968 British professional sprint champion who rides his first big Six in this event. Is a first year professional and expected to go places. Was a top amateur international and a past bronze medallist in the Commonwealth Games and holder of two British track titles last year. His pairing with Baensch should be a good one for both men are strong and the combination of youth and experience is likely to produce some good performances.

3

Piet Van Der Lans

Twenty-eight years. Born Leiden, Holland. Another man who rides both road and track. Has had many successes during the past few years and, as an amateur, was a prolific winner. In his first big season, 1958, he won the amazing total of 52 races. Twice Dutch champion he is also a good man behind the pacing motors and has won quite a number of Madison events against the top professionals partnered by his compatriot, Gerard Koel. Van Der Lans rode the SKOL Six last year with Britain's George Halls.

John Aslin

Twenty-eight years. Born Nottingham. Although a top roadman for several years, both as an amateur and professional, he has yet to show his obvious talents on the track and his selection has come as a surprise to many. He partnered Trevor Bull in the Skol Trials this year and now has the experienced Van Der Lans to assist him. Aslin is a past Tour of Britain stage winner, has ridden on the Continent and was runner-up in the 1968 British professional road championship.

4

Peter Post

Thirty-four years. Born Amsterdam, Holland. The world record holder of Six Day victories with 42 wins to his credit. Probably the greatest Six Day rider of all time having been riding the 'boards' for nearly 11 years, during which time he has competed in over one hundred events. Winner of the European motor-paced title six times, world hour record holder behind dernys and a roadman of some repute. On the road he has won the Tours of Holland, Belgium and Germany and the 1964 Paris-Roubaix classic in which he still holds the record of over 28mph for the race. He is one of the biggest crowd-pullers and always enjoys acting the 'villain' on the track.

Patrick Sercu

Twenty-four years. Born Roeselare, Belgium. The son of a past road racing star, Albert Sercu who was second in the world championships in 1947. Patrick Sercu is a past world amateur sprint champion, one kilometre Olympic champion and has more than 18 national titles for sprint, Madison, Omnium, and is the current world professional sprint champion. Is reckoned to be the fastest man in the world over short distances and has now won eight Six Day events since he began in 1965. Last year was his most successful when he won five Sixes and took the SKOL Six in Rotterdam this year partnered by Peter Post. His nickname is the `Flemish Arrow'.

5

Bill Lawrie

Thirty-four years. Born Queensland, Australia. A veteran of track and road for a number of years both in his own country and in Europe. Winner of three Sixes, one as an amateur, Lawrie has an excellent record in Australia. Winner of the Tasmania f1,000 Wheel Race some years ago he is also a past winner of the famous 'Sun' Tour, the Australian equivalent of the Tour de France. Has ridden both track and road in Britain for the past two years and was a member of the British team in the Tour de France in 1967.

Graeme Gilmore

Twenty-three years. Born Melbourne, Australia. One of the finest prospects ever to come out of Australia and already winner of two Six Day events he was voted the 'Cyclist of the Year' in 1967 when he produced some excellent performances. These included the Road championship and runner-up in the sprint title. He is also only the third man ever to win the famous Melbourne to Warnambool handicap road race from scratch and should prove to be a real 'find' in this event.

6

Fritz Pfenninger

Thirty-three years. Born Zurich, Switzerland. One of the fastest Six Day sprinters in the world, proved by the fact that he has won over 40 special 'primes' of motor cars in Six Day races. Has now won 29 Sixes, with Peter Post being his partner for more than half that number. Like Severeyns, he is a great favourite with the crowds and they should be a very popular team.

Emile Severeyns

Thirty-seven years. Born Antwerp, Belgium. One of the top Six Day men and a veteran of many events. He has over 20 wins to his credit and was partner to the great Rik Van Steenbergen for many years. During their partnership they won 19 Sixes and the European Madison championship four times. In all the years he has ridden the boards “Miel” has never before partnered Pfenninger to victory and they should prove a good combination.

7

Palle Lykke

Thirty-one years. Born Odense, Denmark. One of the world's top Six Day men with 14 victories to his credit. He and Eugen formed a brilliant partnership last year when they won five Sixes, starting with the SKOL Six at Earls Court. Winner of the European Madison Championship and Omnium he is a great all-rounder and rides very well behind the dernys. Rode many times with his father-in-law, the great Rik Van Steenbergen (Belgium), winner of 41 Sixes from whom he learnt many important lessons.

Freddy Eugen

Twenty-seven years. Born Copenhagen. Turned professional as a very young man and has had a most successful career so far. Was Danish pursuit champion three times and has now won nine Six Day events, seven of them with Lykke. Their partnership in 1967/8 season brought them five wins: the SKOL Six London, Montreal, Zurich, Amsterdam and Berlin.

8

Theo Verschueren

Twenty-five years. Born St. Jansteen, Belgium. 1967 European Derny paced Champion and winner of the Antwerp Six last year with Miel Severeyns and Sigi Renz. Is a hard man to beat in motor-paced events but began his career on the road with a number of class victories. Winner of Tour of Belgium (1963) and then turned to indoor tracks. Was Belgian Madison and motor-paced champion (1965) and probably would have better record but for a number of bad crashes. Has broken both collar bones on several occasions.

Norbert Seeuws

Twenty-five years. Born St. Denys, near Ghent, Belgium. Has ridden Six Day events in nearly every major country in the world and is always a particular favourite in Montreal. Although not yet a winner he has been close many times and is a very good team man. He has partnered many star riders in his so far, short career.

9

John Clarey

Twenty-seven years. Born South London. Turned professional this year after a very successful amateur career which included stage wins in the Tour of Britain, a British track title, bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games and countless international appearances. Has startled the top roadmen in this country by his fine riding this season. Winner of the Bournemouth Three Day at Easter he went on to score a number of good road wins and was selected to ride the Tour de France where he finished with the 'Lantern Rouge' award after some good rides and minor prizes.

Note: John Clarey was selected for the event but he broke his wrist in the last of the build up training events. He was replaced by Jim Moore; who not surprisingly retired during the race (along with John Aslin) leaving Tony Gowland paired with Piet Van Der Lans.

Tony Gowland

Twenty-three years. Born North London. Young but very experienced rider. Turned professional this year and immediately made his mark in the bunches with a number of good wins and places. Winner of the Skol amateur Six last year and with a number of good rides in amateur Sixes abroad in the past he and Clarey make up the first-ever full full British team to ride a big Six in recent years.

10

Gerard Koel

Twenty-seven years. Born Amsterdam, Holland. A top Dutch amateur before turning professional two years ago. Was a member of Dutch team which took bronze medal in 1964 Olympics and twice champion of Holland in sprint and Madison. Partnered Peter Post in the SKOL Six last year when they finished third. This was then Koel's third Six Day but he has ridden most of the big races during last season and took his first Six Day victory in Madrid with Jan Janssen who, this year won the Tour de France. Is current sprint champion of Holland.

Leo Duyndam

Twenty years. Born Honselersdyk, near Rotterdam, Holland. Could be a great star in the future. Even at 20 he has already competed in the Six Days of Zurich, Amsterdam, Antwerp and Rotterdam, finishing well up in the placings and showing great skill. Had a number of wins as an amateur on both track and road, taking victory in the Tour of Limburg this year. Is the 1968 Dutch pro pursuit champion.

11

Guiseppe Beghetto

Twenty-eight years. Born Tom bolo, Italy. Was world professional sprint champion in 1965 and 1966. Lost the title last year to Sercu. Is still a very fast man on the indoor tracks and it is surprising that he has not yet won a Six Day. He partners Bugdahl for the first time and the combination of staying power and speed is a good one.

Klaus Bugdahl

Twenty-nine years. Born Berlin, West Germany. Has been a top Six Day man for the past 10 years. Quiet and not quite so extrovert as many of the other top stars he is still a very good performer with 22 Six Day wins to his credit. His first victory-came in 1958 when he won the Berlin Six partnered by the very fine Dutch rider, Gerrit Schulte. Has recently been paired with Sercu with whom he has now won three Sixes. His other famous partners include Peter Post, Fritz Pfenninger and Rik Van Steenbergen.

12

Norman Hill

Twenty-nine years. Born Beckenham, Kent. Began racing in 1956 and had a period of competition in Switzerland in 1961. Riding both indoors and outside there he spent four years 'mixing it' with the best of the Continentals and returned home to win the British sprint title in 1966. Rode the SKOL Six last year partnered with Belgian, Julian Verstrepen.

Albert Van Midden

Twenty years. Born Leeuwarden, Holland. The youngest rider in the event and a first year professional with the SKOL Six being his first big event. A top amateur with over 30 Madison victories to his credit. Was winner of 1968 amateur Six at Rotterdam and also took the Antwerp Amateur 45 minute Madison in 1967 with Peter Kisner, beating all previous records, including that held by the great Belgian pair of Patrick Sercu and Romain Deloof.