Hollywood

Hey Hey.

The winter has started off in a different fashion for me this year. Instead of sitting around eating donuts and ice cream, I am racing a few Six Days in Europe and eating pastries and ice cream. The first trip over was a load of fun and a great learning experience. Colby and I raced Dortmund for our first of 3 Sixes and we could possibly have 3 more which we would be cool. The special reason Dortmund was really cool, was it was one of Eric Zabel's last races.

The atmosphere at a Six is totally crazy, imagine a disco in and around a velodrome with 8 thousand people screaming and that is what you get. Something totally new for me was riding at the rail at almost full gas with nothing but a spot light on you. It was either almost dark or crazy color strobe lights going off. Another odd race was the "Ballastrad sprint" or rail sprint, for 20+ plus laps your at the rail in one big single line at medium pace while trying to get the crowd to do the Wave. All the riders would follow the leader who clapped and played to crowd and would start the wave and all the riders would follow his lead. A total bizzare race but the crowd loves that race.

It didn't take Colby and I long to get used to the racing and the way everything works from getting your chamois cream applied, to your equipment taken care of. (shoes, helmets, gloves, glasses all laid out ready for you to put on) You don't have to lift a single finger until you throw a leg over your bike. After every long race you have your jersey and undershirt shirt changed by a sougnier for a dry one, it is a bit chilly in the arena and you don't want to sit around in a wet jersey; that would be amateur.

So other mentionables are the sweet Lazer show, The Great Jean Peirre Goy ( he is a crazy motor bike stunt guy) He would ride wheelies the whole way around the track and other crazy stuff. The Robbie Williams tribute band, it was amazing how much these people loved this guy, and the Super Stayer racing. That isn't the real name of it, but it is derny racing behind pretty big motor bikes where the driver stand ups for a better draft. It used to be really popular but has died of, but the Germans just love it.

Now I am home for about 2 weeks before I head back over for 2 more Sixes. I might try and squeeze in the Revolution in Manchester between the two but I am not sure yet.