The Future - The Races Yet To Be
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Wiggins and Cavendish take the World Championship at Manchester in 2008. They could have been pulling in the crowds with their madisons in Manchester and London Six Day Races over the years since then - but will 2012 already be to late for them to start?
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Based on the 1974 Wembley Six Day programme; which had similarities to the 1939 design...
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London already has international cycle racing confirmed for 2012 - with the Olympic Games obviously - and, on the track, the UCI World Cup; relocated from Manchester.
But what then? Will the London Velopark velodrome be used for any more than training, club cyclists and the occasional photo shoot? Or will Manchester have to sacrifice its current events to help create a race programme?
After the Games the venues are, I think, handed over first to the Olympic Park Legacy Company and then to the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority. But neither have any indoor track racing planned as far as I can see. There has been a rather vague 2012-2013 timetable for “post-Games transformation” and several disputed Velopark layouts. But in March 2012 it was announced that a final Velopark layout had been agreed - and so that might help firm-up some dates. And in April 2012 the LVRPA stated that the velodrome would be open “from the end of 2013”.
So even though there is already a working track it looks unlikely that there will be any indoor racing until the 2013-14 season. In fact a London Six Day at Olympic Park before March 2014 would be wildly optimistic - since lots of other things would need to happen first ...
Many people much better than me have already tried very hard but still no firm plans exist to get racers on the London boards ... or bums on those hard velodrome seats.
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Could this be more likely than a London Six?
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Yet if London, the centre of world sporting attention in 2012, cannot raise enough interest for a future Six then what hope for anywhere else? I know that Manchester has not had a Six Day yet - well not since 1881 - but it does have plenty of other velodrome racing. My conculsion - little chance of one being held there in the foreseeable future.
But would a bit of nationalist fervour help Glasgow find enough support to host international-class six day racing from 2014 onwards? If it does then it could become the new home of British Six Day racing. And for those who think that Scotland has no Six Day pedigree - think again. It may be over a 130 years since the first Glasgow Six Day - but that was not the only one. Look at the statistics - Edinburgh had 7 races, Glasgow 2 races, Aberdeen 18 races plus the one at Dundee. So that’s 28 Scottish races - more than Wembley! Glasgow also held one of the first world cycling championships.
With so much debate about the independence of Scotland, and a need to find a track racing programme that is attractive, having a Scottish Six Day race could make all the difference. A unique selling point over the established English tracks? Certainly the latest timetable for London means that Glasgow’s indoor track could be available for one first.
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Could a temporary venue be better than a permanent sports stadium?
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Back in 1935 it was reported in Australia that track stars, Eddie Smith and Hubert Opperman, were leaving to compete in .... “six day races at Blackpool (Lancashire), Olympia Stadium (London), and in similar classics in America and on the Continent”.
Why Blackpool? My guess is that the huge volumes of holiday makers and their demand for indoor entertainment made Blackpool one of the best possible locations for any promoter. Providing that there was a large enough venue to house a de-mountable track and plenty of spectators.
Even with today’s reduced visitor numbers a resort like Blackpool still has good chance of filling seats well into the earlier hours of the morning - providing the track was within walking distance of the bars and guest houses. In fact Blackpool might have more chance than Olympic Park of getting a full house - since I doubt that even the combined delights and nightlife of Stratford, Bow and Hackney Wick could compete with Blackpool. The London venue is going to suffer from “site security” issues even after the Games have moved on. An entertainment venue with easy access is going to have a big advantage when attracting the wider public.
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Could Derby steal the limelight?
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But there is another option - a dark horse with a late entry into the race. The odds that Derby may, one-day, get an indoor velodrome keep getting shorter - as the building project nears a final approval.
By April 2012 there should be the go-ahead for a construction contract - with something in working shape on the ground by 2013 or 2014. This would then become the UK’s sixth indoor velodrome - when you include Newport and Calshot. Quite a change from the situation in 1980 when the last UK Six was held.
With all these tracks there must be someone, somewhere who can organise a six day revival ... We need a modern-day George Waller to promote races that attract new audiences and build a dedicated fan base - both at the track and via the media.
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Finally it is worth remembering that the racing does not need to start with a field of established six day specialists. A gradual build-up, rather than starting at the top, is often the best approach. Six day racing boomed in America when the riders were Americans. The Sixes in Australia have often had almost all Australian fields*. England versus Scotland might have more kerb appeal than Morkov-Rasmussen versus Keisse-Schep.
However a couple of years ago a journalist asked a six-day mechanic - “Could we see a six at Manchester?”. His reply was “... the British Federation aren’t keen on the idea – best not to discuss the reasons.” So perhaps we have some sort of issue with six day racing or ex-riders. And now there is .. omerta .. a vow of silence.
So how long before we see that 1967 headline again - “OH! WHAT A SIX! Britain’s best show, best racing for years packed in the crowds and thrills”?
Let’s hope the answer is ...not long! And for anyone wanting more than just hope then ... start a campaign, look for supporters and create awareness ... it’s a long-shot but it might just work. Just don’t rely on official support.
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Footnotes:
* For example the 1980 Melbourne Six Day had just one Kiwi (Wayne Hildred) amongst the eight Aussie teams that survived.
If you really do look like promoting a British Six Day then we might just provide our sixday.co.uk domain name for your race.
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