1. Well if six day event cycling is anything to go by then yes!
2. If being the home to more professional cyclists in the world means anything again yes!
3. Judging by the number of bikes hung from bar windows, sat on roof tops and generally displayed to the fervent Belgian public then again an unqualified yes.
1. Six Day Event Cycling
Popular throughout Northern Europe these teams of two race around a track through six nights or late evenings in a mix of Durny racing, Madisons, set-piece races and chase points. Bradley Wiggins is using this form of competition as Olympic training. Many cities like Amsterdam, Berlin, Dortmund Grenoble, Florence and Paris hold these competitions but ‘The Ghent Six’ is the premier event. The former world pursuit champion took part in Ghent a couple of times and said’ it is amongst the toughest cycling I have ever done’.
2. Ghent
As Ghent is the greatest medieval cities in Belgium with more listed buildings than anywhere else cyclists won’t be surprised at the cobbled streets and tram tracks in the city. Not ideal for cyclists you may think but within 25 miles of Ghent live more professional cyclists than you can imagine. Eddie Merckx was born in Brabant about 100Km to the north east of Ghent but the fervent six day event participants treat him as a local hero.
3. Socialising at the Ghent Six
The après cycling in the early morning hours is as fervent and friendly as the pre-cycling beer drinking of the early evening. The Chimay and Duval compete with numerous other beers ( I tried twelve different ones and can’t remember the best – no surprise I suppose). But all this is nothing to compare with the fun of eating and drinking at the track during the festival of racing. You may compare yourself to the equivalent of a VIP football supporter at Wembley who fails to take a seat after halftime or a cricket supporter on the Western terraces at a test match. What ever the contrast the Belgian enthusiasm for his favourite sport, coupled with good food, drink and companionship the Ghent six takes the cycling prize.
List of winning teams at Ghent six day event
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