Six-day track racing events are no longer required to last six days, a new UCI rule update suggests.

Starting from 1 January 2025, it appears that six-day events will be allowed to last any duration, be that seven, three or two days.

The new regulation was approved on 27 September by the UCI, and will be put into effect next season. It comes in the form of an abrogation, or cancelling out, of a previous rule that read: “A ‘Six-Day Race’ shall last six consecutive days with at least 24 hours’ racing time.”

Instead, the UCI writes that “the organiser shall be free to set the duration and the programme of the ‘Six-Day Race’ within the limits set in the articles of this section”. The relevant section makes no stipulations about the number of days.

First started in London in the late 19th century, six-day racing has become a staple of the track calendar, with riders often competing in pairs to the backdrop of a party atmosphere. Typical races include the Madison, elimination race, and derny.

Today, among the most famous events are the Six Days of Ghent, scheduled for next week, and the Six Days of Rotterdam, which takes place in December.

According to Tony Gibb, organiser of the new London 3 Day, the rule change comes at a challenging time for track cycling, which has “fallen off a little bit” in popularity.

“You just can’t fill the venues at the moment,” he told Cycling Weekly. “Ghent is like the Monaco of cycling for Formula 1, and they’re always going to fill it. It’s a smaller venue, so they’re great, and Rotterdam as well.

“But we can’t fill Lee Valley [Velodrome] on a Tuesday night. We couldn’t fill it on a Friday night. You’ve got to do stuff and cater for what the people want. At the moment, it’s bite-sized sport, isn’t it?”

The London 3 Day, which ran for the first time last month, sought to bring six-day racing back to the English capital, following the collapse of the London Six Day in 2019. For Gibb, it was “much more viable” to run an event over fewer days. “Our budget was probably £800,000,” he said. “If we did six days, we’d double that.”

Gibb also added that, despite the existing rule, events have had no issue gaining permission to run over fewer days in the past. The Six Days of Bremen, for example, has been held over four days for the previous two years.

“When I was riding six-days, there were 14 throughout the winter,” Gibb said. “You would finish Sunday night, spend Monday driving to the next one, and start again Tuesday night. That was the way it was. It was great. Now, you’ve got Ghent and Rotterdam, which are the only six-day races.

“You’ve got us, which is a three-day, you’ve got Bremen, which is a four-day, you’ve got Berlin, which is down to two days, you’ve got Copenhagen, which is three days.”

Cycling is no stranger to events running over incongruously named dates. On the road, the Four Days of Dunkirk counts six stages, while the historic Three Days of Brugge-De Panne is now a one-day race.

Cycling Weekly has contacted the UCI for comment about the six-day rule change.

Belgian rider Stijn Steels has suffered three broken ribs, two broken vertebrae and a lung contusion after a heavy crash at Ghent Six last night in the opening madison. 

Steel’s road team Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl confirmed the extent of his injuries this morning on social media, but said that no surgery or further intervention was required. 

A statement from the team read: "Following his crash in Zesdaagse Geent, Stijn Steels was examined last night. He has a lung contusion, broken three ribs and two vertebrae. 

“The fractures are stable & as of this moment no operation or further intervention is required. Join us in wishing Stijn a complete recovery.”

After being caught up in the nasty crash, Steels was taken away on a stretcher to hospital, although was conscious and able to wave to crowds as he was carried away. 

The Belgian rider also shared a brief message on Twitter: “The scans did not bring good news. With pain in my heart (and in the rest of the body) I have to give up in the six days. Thanks again to everyone for all the support, everything will be fine."

The shocking incident at Ghent-Six came halfway through the first major point scoring event of the evening for the elite men’s field. The Sport Vlaanderen duo of Jules Hesters and Tom Torn Teutenberg had difficulty in an exchange causeing them both to hit the boards. 

Fabio Van den Bossche attempted to evade the stricken pair but crashed too, directly in the path of Steels, forcing them both to crash down the track in Kuipke. 

After a brief break in proceedings, racing resumed and the Baloise Insurance pair of Lindsay De Vylder and Robbe Ghys took the 20 points needed for victory ahead of Iljo Keisse and Jasper De Buyst. 

Van den Bossche was able to continue and finished third with his partner Yoeri Havik while Steels and his teammate Silvan Dillier were classified three laps behind. 

With the opening day out of the way, Great Britain's Ethan Hayter and Fred Wright sit fourth in the general classification on 37 points. 

Both riders managed to avoid being caught up in the incident.  

The centenary edition of the Lotto Zesdaagse Vlaanderen-Gent, or Ghent Six, gets underway tomorrow in Belgium. 

A British theme is already beginning to shine through for the 100th edition of the race with Ethan Hayter and Fred Wright both confirmed to race in the men’s elite category, and Sir Bradley Wiggins firing the official starting shot.

Along with Hayter and Wright, 39-year-old Iljo Keisse will compete in his final Ghent-Six after first racing the competition in 2002. Keisse has won the competition several times and will be partnered by his fellow Belgian Jasper De Buyst. 

As well as Keisse and De Buyst, there are two other all-Belgian duos participating in the upcoming competition. 

Here are four men that we think could help their team win the competition this week and become the 2022 Ghent-Six champions. 

FRED WRIGHT

The South-London born rider has had an impressive season on the road despite not picking up a converted first pro win. 

Fred Wright completed both the Tour de France and Vuelta a España and was continuously at the sharp end of the action in various stages across both. The 23-year-old came away from both grand tours without a stage win but showed all the signs of plenty to come in the future. 

As well as impressing at the Vuelta and Tour, Wright took a silver medal in the men’s time trial at the Commonwealth Games behind winner Rohan Dennis. The Londoner followed up that good showing with fifth in the road race in which he was regularly on the attack. 

His strong season will  make Wright’s team a firm favourite for the Ghent-Six title this week. 

ILJO KEISSE

Thirty-nine -year-old Iljo Keisse has been part of duos that have won the Belgian competition on seven separate occasions making him one of the most prolific winners in the competition's history. He first won the competition in 2005 with the most recent overall victory coming in 2018. 

The prolific Belgian has also competed in multiple grand tours throughout his career with the last one being the Giro d’Italia in 2021. Keisse won a stage of the Giro in 2015 and has spent the last 12 years on the Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team. 

This year Keisse will be partnered by fellow Belgian Jasper De Buyst who has also previously won the competition. 

De Buyst, who rides for Lotto-Soudal on the road, has spent most of his career focussed on the track. Keisse partnering with a rider of the 28-year-olds calibre will make them firm favourites for the overall win. 

SILVAN DILLIER

Swiss national road champion Dillier forms a partnership that will be considered relative outsiders compared to Wright & Hayter and Keisse with De Buyst. Although that could work in the Swiss rider's favour along with his Belgian teammate Stijn Steels. 

Dillier, who rides for Alpecin-Deceuninck, has been part of teams that have finished third at the Ghent-Six on two separate occasions meaning that he knows what it takes to compete. 

If Wright & Hayter or the other favourites have an off day then 2022 could be Dillier’s opportunity to finally improve his previous finishes. 

On the road Dillier very nearly added a monument title to his palmares before eventually finishing second to Peter Sagan at the 2018 edition of Paris-Roubaix. He has competed in all three of cycling’s grand tours and won a stage at the 2017 edition of the Giro d’Italia. 

ETHAN HAYTER

Partnering Fred Wright in the Callant team will be fellow Londoner and British star rider Ethan Hayter. 

Hayter has had a superb year on both the road and track, picking up several titles over the course of the last 12 months. The 24-year-old won the Omnium world title at the recent track world championships, which he also won in 2021, and was also part of the British squad that took the world team pursuit title in Paris. 

On the road Hayter took part in his first grand tour at the Vuelta a Espana and won the Tour of Poland overall. He also successfully defended his title as British national time trial champion. 

This was a continuation of Hayter’s scintillating form which saw him win the Tour of Norway as well as finish second to Belgium’s Wout Van Aert at the Tour of Britain.  

Partnering with his fellow-Brit and housemate Fred Wright has all the makings of success at their first appearance in the Ghent-Six. 

FABIO VAN DEN BOSSCHE

One part of the Belgaclima DS Plastics team is Belgian Fabio Van den Bossche. 

The 22-year-old from Ghent will be a favourite amongst the home crowds, even if his team isn’t considered as being one of the favourites for the competition. On the road, the youngster’s career is only in its infancy with van den Bossche having only just signed for Alpecin-Deceuninck earlier this year. 

However van den Bossche is already beginning to build a name for himself on the track. At the recent track world championships he was part of the Belgian madison team that finished third and van den Bossche scored himself 3rd place in the points race. 

At the European track championships in August took the bronze medal in the men’s Madison alongside Belgium’s Robbe Ghys. 

WHAT IS THE GHENT-SIX?

The Ghent-Six is an annual track competition which is held in the north western city of Ghent. 

It gets its name due to the fact that it's a competition spread over six days in the Kuipke velodrome in Ghent. 

The format of six-day racing gained it's popularity in the late 1800s at New York's famous Madison Square Garden - this is where the name Madison comes from - with racing going on for 24 hours over the full six days.

A duo consisting of Belgian Marcel Buysse and Swiss rider Oscar Egg won the first ever edition of the Ghent-Six which was held in 1922. 

Sir Bradley Wiggins has been part of the competition winning team on two occasions. In 2003 Wiggins took the victory with Matthew Gilmore of Belgium and in 2016 he raced alongside Mark Cavendish as they both took the title. 

In 2021 the race was won by Belgians Kenny De Ketele and Robbe Ghys.  

Ghent-Six is a track cycling event which takes place every year in Ghent, Belgium.

The 2022 event takes place between November 15-20.

Here we present an easy-to-follow guide to the Ghent-Six competition.

So, why's it called a Six?

Well, to put it simply, it takes place over six days. 

But if we want more flesh on the bones here is some more info on the history of Six Day racing. It started out at Madison Square Garden in New York - where Madison comes from - back in the late 1800s.

This saw teams of two racing for 24 hours over six days and nights with one rider racing while the other rested. Sounds brutal, right?

The 24 hours of racing was stopped in the 1960s with races in Europe being the first to halt this, simply because it was idiotic as well as the fact that riders would neutralise the race in the small hours of night with crowds not exactly keen to stick around.

The Ghent Six Day runs for, well, believe it or not, six days, with the racing this year starting on Tuesday, November 15 and finishing on Sunday, November 20 with racing going into the late hours of one or two in the morning, 6pm on the Sunday

The Ghent Six Day runs for five evenings from Tuesday to Saturday, and a Sunday afternoon. The racing finishes at either 1am or 2am (6pm for Sunday's afternoon session).

Start list for the 2022 event

Men

1.  Roger Kluge and Theo Reinhardt (Schneider Electric)
2.  Iljo Keisse and Jasper De Buyst (Lotto Soudal Quick-Step)
3. Lindsey De Vylder and Robbe Ghys (Baloise Insurance)
4. Ethan Hayter and Fred Wright (Callant)
5. Fabio Van de Bossche and Yoeri Havik (BelgaClima DS Plastics)
6. Jan-Willem van Schip and Tuur Dens (Etixx)
7. Gianluca Pollefliet and Noah Vandenbranden (Lotto)
8. Jules hesters and Tim Torn Teutenberg (Sport Vlaanderen)
9. Gerbern Thijsen and Julius Johansen (Super 8)
10. Silvan Dillier and Stijn Steels (Caruur)
11. Philip Heijnen and Vincent Hoppezak (De Feestarhitect)
12. Brent vVan Mulders and Matias Malmberg (Van Reusel)

Women

Lotte Kopecky (Bel)
Shari Bossuyt (Bel)
Katrijn De Clerq (Bel)
Marith Vanhove (Bel)
Sara Maes (Bel)
Helene Hesters (Bel)
Febe Joris (Bel)
Lani Wittevrongel (Bel)
Marit Raaijmakers (Bel)
Babette Van der Wolf (Ned)
Yuli Van der Molen (Ned)
Daniek Hengeveld (Ned)

U23 (Support programme)

1. Arthur Senrame and Renao Raes (Bel)
2. Michel L'Eau and Lennert Bertels (Bel)
3. Jasper Bertels and Milan Van den Haute (Bel)
4. Tom Crabbe and Stan Dens (Bel)
5. Niccolo Galli and Matteo Pinazzi (Ita)
6. Nicholas Hamon and Higo Pommelet  (Fra)
7. Benjamin Boos and Malte Maschke (Ger)
8. Calum Moir and Matthew Brennan (Gbr)
9.  Ben Wiggins and Harry Cadd (Gbr)
10. Fabian Weiss and Damien Fortis (Sui)
11. Justus Willemsen and Elmar Aba (Ned)
12. Philip Matheisen and Peter Bheki (Den) 

What's the racing like?

The joys of Six Day racing can also be incredibly confusing and difficult to follow, especially when riders are looking to gain laps on each other as well as taking points on sprint laps. 

Some of the races include the Derny race where riders follow a pedalled motorbike around the track reaching amazing speeds, the Elimination race, the Scratch race, Madison, one lap time trial.

How do they decide who wins?

So you have to know your maths, so do the riders. Some will be having to watch the big screens and calculate what they need to either hold the lead, take the lead or fight for a better position in the overall.

It's based on points given on sprint laps, with five down to one on those, double on the finish with 20 points available for a lap gain, mainly in the Madison, and -20 points for losing a lap. This applies to most races except the Scratch, Elimination and the Derny where the points are decided on your finishing place. To add to the complication, every 100 points won the team is given a free lap.

By the way, sprint laps are announced by a bell in the middle of the track.

How far do they race?

This is very hard to calculate due to rider being in and out of the race as they take turns racing with their team-mate. 

When they are not racing they are usually keeping out of the way at the top of the track.

Really it's a wonder they don't get dizzy and fall off with laps lasting around 11 to 12 seconds over hundreds of laps per night. If it has been a tough week it is possible that they will be racing around 1,000km.

Why are some riders listed on teams that they are not usually sponsored by?

Local sponsors pay to be associated with the teams.

Why the hype?

The Kuipke is unique in the world of European velodromes, firstly due to it being much shorter than the standard velodrome (which is 250m) as this venue is 166-metres long, this makes it a close and intimate venue with incredibly steep banking on the corners.

Then there's the aroma - broiling hot dogs, beer, cheap perfume... And that's just the riders!

The Ghent Six Day may not be the slickest but it's the most authentic and the fans turn out year after year to pack out the arena. It's noisy, boozy and exhilarating.

How long has it been going?

The Ghent Six Day was first held back in 1922 which was won by Marcel Buysse and the superbly named Oscar Egg. Great rider, but he didn’t half cause a mess when he fell off.

The rider who has won the event the most times is Patrick Sercu who claimed victory with various team-mates 11 times. Australian rider Danny Clark has six.

Bradley Wiggins has won the event twice (2003/2016) and come second once (2002) making him the most successful Brit at the event, taking the 2016 event as Madison world champions along with Mark Cavendish.

Cavendish had also come second along with Deceuninck - Quick-Step team-mate and Six Day racing legend, Iljo Keisse in 2014.

The last winners of the event was another Six Day star in Kenny De Ketele, along with new partner Robbe Ghys back in 2019. There was not 2020 event due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Why do they tuck their jerseys into their shorts?

This has become something of a tradition, and we all know cycling and it's traditions. It's basically a nod back to the times where jerseys were quite baggy and needed to be tucked in. 

They look like muppets now and we would not recommend it for a steady pedal round your local roads. Although, saying that, long socks and socks over leggings have caught on, so who knows! Be a trend setter.

More info: Ghent Six Day website

Deceuninck - Quick-Step have confirmed Mark Cavendish suffered two broken ribs and a collapsed lung in the high-speed crash he was involved in at the Ghent Six on Sunday night. 

Cavendish was taken to Ghent University Hospital on a stretcher, where he spent the night in an ICU. 

A Deceuninck - Quick-Step statement said: "Examinations showed that Mark has suffered two broken ribs on this left side and has a small pneumothorax, both of which have been treated with medication and he has been kept in the hospital for observation.

"It is expected that Mark will be discharged either later today or tomorrow morning, and will then undergo a period of recuperation.

"Everybody at Deceuninck - Quick-Step wishes Mark a speedy recovery."

The incident occurred after a series of events sparked the eventual crash. Gerben Thijssen briefly lost control of his bike after he slipped on a seemingly wet part of the track, causing Kenny De Ketele to take evasive action and swerve upwards. 

Lasse Norman Hansen consequently crashed into the back of De Ketele, while Cavendish then collided with the Danish rider, unable to avoid him. 

Cavendish managed to get to his feet at the Kuipke Velodrome and wave to the crowd before being taken to Ghent University Hospital on a stretcher.

The Manxman's Deceuninck - Quick-Step team updated fans on the condition of their rider on Sunday night, stating he had been taken to hospital for investigations. Cavendish's wife Peta, who was in attendance at the Ghent Six, also shared an update on Twitter on Sunday night, thanking the medical staff for helping her and her kids at the event. 

She said: “Mark is spending the night in ICU following today’s crash. Thank you to all the medical staff that helped us today and also to the Deceuninck-Quick-Step staff that sprung into action to help me and the kids.”

Jasper de Buyst, who was leading the race at the time of the crash, claimed he had noticed the water on the track the lap beforehand but managed to avoid it by passing at a slightly slower speed.

The crash caused a 40-minute delay in proceedings, leaving Cavendish's teammate Ijoe Keisse to continue solo. Hansen, also involved in the crash, managed to continue however, re-joining his teammate Michael Mørkøv. 

De Ketele and Robbe Ghys emerged victorious though, winning the final event of the six-day competition to secure the overall classification. 

The Ghent Six Day went into its second evening of racing last night with new leaders taking control of the event, while Mark Cavendish and partner Iljo Keisse moved up to third.

World and Olympic champions, Michael Mørkøv and Lasse Norman Hansen took the lead from day one leaders Roger Kluge and Jasper De Buyst, who dropped to fourth.

It was another day of high octane action on the boards of the Kuipke Velodrome in the Belgian city of Ghent, with Danish duo Mørkøv and Hansen taking the 500 metre time trial and a win for Mørkøv in one of the points races.

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They also came out on top in the team elimination as well as a couple of second places along the way.

Defending champions, Kenny De Ketele and Robbe Ghys are now in second place, just 15 points behind the Danish leaders with four days to go. 

Cavendish and Keisse were quietly consistent throughout, not taking a win this time like on the opening day, but some solid performances saw the British-Belgian duo move up a spot to third, albeit 34 points behind second and one lap behind both the leaders and second place.

Dylan Hicks and Euan Woodliffe along with Josh Tarling and Noah Hobbs are currently the British riders taking part in one of the support programmes as under 23 riders. 

Hicks and Woodliffe are yet to score points, whereas Tarling and Hobbs are on 10 points in sixth, 24 points behind the Belgian leaders Noah Vandenbranden and Gianluca Pollefliet.

The women's action does not get underway until Friday, November 19 with some huge names of the sport set to take part including Lotte Kopecky and Amy Pieters. 

Ghent Six Day 2021 standings after day two

1. Michael Mørkøv  and Lasse Norman Hansen, 147 points
2. Kenny De Ketele and Robbe Ghys, 132 points
3. Iljo Keisse and Mark Cavendish, 98 points and 1 lap
4. Jasper De Buyst and Roger Kluge, 87 points and 1 lap
5. Jonas Rickaert and Silvan Dillier, 69 points and 1 lap
6. Otto Vergaerde and Jules Hesters, 66 points and 1 lap
7. Fabio Van Den Bossche and Vincent Hoppezak, 42 points and 4 laps
8. Yoeri Havik and Jan-Willem van Schip, 83 points and 6 laps
9. Morgan Kneisky and Matias Malmberg, 35 points and 8 laps
10. Gerben Thijssen and Michele Scartezzini, 25 points and 11 laps
11. Roy Pieters and Maikel Zijlaard, 5 points and 12 laps
12. Tuur Dens and Marc Hester, 51 points and 22 laps.

The Ghent Six Day got underway on Tuesday evening with the usually exhilarating racing on the wooden track of Kuipke Velodrome.

But some fans will not be waking up with the usual Ghent Six hangover as no beer is being served in the centre of the track due to Covid-19 safety measures.

The racing kicked off last night (November 16) after a year away due to the pandemic. The early leaders after the first night of racing are German Six Day star Roger Kluge along with Lotto-Soudal team-mate Jasper De Buyst who have clocked up 41 points and taken a lap on the competition.

The racing started with the double points race, team elimination and derny race, with defending champions Kenny De Ketele and Robbe Ghys victorious in the first event.

>>> Ghent Six Day 2021: everything you need to know

This was followed by Olympic and world champions Michael Mørkøv and Lasse Norman Hansen taking the first team race. Some dramatic derny racing action saw Iljo Keisse take a win over Mørkøv meaning Keisse and partner Mark Cavendish earned some solid points. 

But it was Kluge and De Buyst who lead the way thanks to a bonus lap, meaning they have a lap in hand over the rest of the field, with De Ketele and Ghys leading the rest of the pack.

The usual party atmosphere was a bit more subdued this year due to the lack of alcohol in the track centre, where the main noise usually erupts from.

This is due to the organisers of the event deciding that due to the rising cases of Covid-19 in Belgium banning alcohol would be necessary to maintain the health and safety of spectators.

Beer, as you may know, is a big part of the Belgian culture with some of the best brands coming from the nation. Images of Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins knocking back Chimay Blue and Westmalle after winning in 2016 still live long in the memory.

Nevertheless, there is still a party feel at the racing this year, just maybe a tad more controlled than usual.

The organisers said: "The sporting program takes precedence, the atmosphere and conviviality remain very important, but this year will be accompanied by a little more discipline and common sense."

Racing continues this evening up until early Sunday evening where the overall winner will be decided.

In the support programme is under 23 racing, with Britain's Josh Tarling taking part after a successful road season in the junior ranks that saw him take second in the junior World Championships time trial as well as 13th in the junior Paris-Roubaix.

Ghent Six Day 2021 standings after opening night

1. Jasper De Buyst and Roger Kluge, 41 points
2. Kenny De Ketele and Robbe Ghys, 78 points and 1 lap
3. Michael Mørkøv and Lasse Norman Hansen, 65 points and 1 lap
4. Iljo Keisse and Mark Cavendish, 57 points and 1 lap
5. Otto Vergaerde and Jules Hesters, 39 points and 1 lap
6. Jonas Rickaert and Silvan Dillier, 29 points and 1 lap
7. Fabio Van Den Bossche and Vincent Hoppezak, 11 points and 3 laps
8. Morgan Kneisky and Matias Malmberg, 22 points and 4 laps
9. Yoeri Havik and Jan-Willem van Schip, 46 points and 5 laps
10. Gerben Thijssen and Michele Scartezzini, 0 points and 5 laps
11. Roy Pieters and Maikel Zijlaard, 4 points and 6 laps
12. Tuur Dens and Marc Hester, 28 points and 12 laps

Iljo Keisse has joked that Six Days of Ghent team-mate Mark Cavendish is a perfectionist trying to find the correct bike, as the pair's preparations for the event in Belgium are fully underway. 

The Deceuninck–Quick-Step team-mates, highlighted by local media as 'King couple', have been testing their equipment ahead of the event at the 166m Ghent 't Kuipke track on November 17-22. 

The historic event returns after a year's layoff due to the pandemic, with 6,400 spectators expected in attendance each day at the velodrome.

Much is expected of the two riders, with Cavendish having won the 2016 Six Days with Bradley Wiggins, while the veteran Belgian has finished on the top step of the podium seven times in his career, with six different team-mates.

Keisse told Het Nieuwsblad at the Ghent Six presentation: “We trained together on Monday and he had some speed, he seemed OK.

“They're pretty good, but they’re not quite right yet. Cav changes bikes like underwear. He has decided to ride on a different frame and they’re being set-up and finished at the service course in Wevelgem. 

“When he stopped after 15 laps on Monday, I thought: here we go again. In the end he was only off the bike for five minutes and finished the rest of the training.” 

Cavendish and Keisse will be team-mates for the second time at the Ghent Six, following their second-place finish in 2014. However, the latter has promised that he'll try to stay calmer with the Briton this time around, claiming that he doesn't have the authority to order him around. 

He said: “I've resolved not to bark at Cav again in the six-day race. I’ve done it before but Cavendish has a track record that doesn't fit into the Ghent town hall. His palmarès is a hundred times bigger than mine, who am I to tell him what to do?

“I want to enjoy it more now than in years past, without gigantic pressure on my shoulders. Sometimes I could no longer see the beauty of the Six Days. Or I saw it, but I didn't enjoy it. That was all unnecessary. Cav and I are going to start and do our best. We'll see where we end up.”

Keisse, now 38-years-old, plans to retire at the end of 2022, making this Six Days of Ghent his penultimate ride at the event. However, that won't mean the Ghent-born rider is taking it easy, especially considering that he and Cavendish are still the favourites to win. 

The pair will ride the Three Days DBC event at the Ballerup Velodrome in Copenhagen this weekend, before they ride in the Six Days.

Mark Cavendish will be making his highly anticipated return to the Six Days of Ghent this year, as he teams up with Belgian star Iljo Keisse. 

Cavendish last raced the prestigious track event back in 2019, where he suffered a 70km/h crash on the opening night.  

It is five years since British sprinting star Cavendish took an unforgettable overall victory at the iconic velodrome in Ghent when he partnered with Sir Bradley Wiggins for the 2016 Six Day, just a month before Wiggins retired from racing. 

The 2021 Ghent Six Day, officially called the Lotto Zesdaagse Vlaanderen-Gent,  is the 80th edition of the historic track event and runs from Tuesday, November 16 to Sunday, November 21 

Cavendish and Keisse have teamed up on two previous occasions in the Ghent six day, finishing second overall in 2014, fourth in 2019. 

The pair are team-mates on the road with Deceuninck - Quick-Step, as Cavendish re-joined his old team having feared the premature end to his career last season.

Cavendish has found his way back to phenomenal form with Deceuninck, winning his first race since 2018 at the Tour of Turkey, going on to take four stage victories in the Tour de France, matching Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 stage wins.  

Keisse, now 38, is a veteran of both the track and road, having raced in the pro peloton since 2004.

The Ghent-born rider plans to retire from the peloton at the end of 2022, after 13 years with the Deceuninck squad. 

Six day cycling dates back to the late 19th century, when cyclists attempted to ride as far as possible over six days without rest. 

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Over the years the spectacle developed into a multi-day track event, featuring a combination of disciplines with an overall classification to decide the winning pair.   

Mark Cavendish has vowed to return to Ghent Six Day and win alongside Iljo Keisse, having narrowly missed out on the podium places at this year's race.

In a week of racing in-part marred by crashes, the Maes 0.0% duo just missed out on the top three, finishing fourth, as they lost a lap in the final Madison race with Kenny De Ketele and Robbe Ghys taking a last gasp overall victory in the final lap sprint.

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"We can keep our heads held high and say we gave everything we had at Ghent," Cavendish said. "After my crash on the first night, it was always going to be tough to recover and play catch up for the remaining five days. But we gave everything we had. Until the very end."

Cavendish's crash thankfully resulted in no serious injuries, but Gerben Thijssen suffered awful injuries and was placed in intensive care after a crash on the first night of racing.

After six days a number of teams were all still in contention to take the overall victory in the final Madison event, with Keisse and Cavendish launching first to try and take back a lap from the German duo of Roger Kluge and Theo Reinhardt. This move  failed, with Ghys/De Ketele and the pairing of Jasper De Buyst and Tosh Van der Sande then attacking to contest the final few laps between themselves.

"The final hour was a pure street fight between five teams," Cavendish continued. "We kept taking the lead, but couldn’t keep a stronghold, in the end finishing fourth. But proud, behind a podium of warriors. Congratulations to Robbe Ghys and Kenny De Ketele."

This isn't it for Cavendish, though, who has vowed to return in the future to try and win the storied event with his Belgian team-mate, having previously finished second with Keisse in 2014, before taking the overall victory alongside Bradley Wiggins in 2016.

"Whatever the result, for anyone from our generation to get the opportunity to ride with Iljo Keisse in Ghent can say it’s a career honour. Thank you for your friendship, your patience and your heart this week. We said it in 2014 and it still stands: one day we’ll win this together."

The Belgian duo of Kenny De Ketele and Robbe Ghys have clinched victory in a thrilling finale at the Ghent Six Day 2019.

De Ketele needed the final sprint of the final event of the competition, the Madison, to take the overall win as he just edged out Jasper De Buyst.

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De Buyst and his team-mate Tosh Van der Sande finished second, only five points behind, with the German pair of Roger Kluge and Theo Reinhardt, who had started the Madison in first after taking a lap, finished a fair way back in third, and were the final team of the 11 competing to finish on the same lap as the first two duos.

Mark Cavendish and Iljo Keisse were in contention to contest the overall victory, only trailing De Ketele and Ghys by a few points at the start of the Madison. However, after Keisse had attacked to try and snatch victory in the final phase, Cavendish failed to close the last gap to Kluge and Reinhardt and their chance was gone, finishing fourth after a sprited week of racing from the pair.

After this failed attack, De Buyst/Van der Sande and De Ketele/Ghys sprung to claw back the Germans, then lapping the field as the two pairs readied themselves to fight it out for victory, which was decided with the final sprint.

"What a day. I find myself completely hoarse," Kenny De Ketele told Sporza after his victory. "There have never been so many rounds in the final Madison. The pairs were very close to each other. If you can barely win and do, it is really special.

"This [win] is an incredible boost with a view to Tokyo 2020. Robbe and I want to profile ourselves as a couple and that worked out well here anyway. I was under attack, but I responded with the pedals."

Results

Ghent Six Day 2019

1. De Ketele/Ghys (Belgium) – 301 pts

2.De Buyst/Van der Sande (Belgium) – 296 pts

3. Kluge/Reinhardt (Germany) – 212 pts

4. Keisse/Cavendish (Belgium/Great Britain) – 268 pts and 1 lap

5. Van Schip/Havik (Netherlands) – 299 pts and 2 laps

6. Vergaerde/Hesters (Belgium) – 211 pts and 11 laps

7. Hester/Van Den Bossche (Denmark/Belgium) - 116 pts and 17 laps

8. Rickaert/Pieters (Belgium/Netherlands) - 111 pts and 22 laps

9. De Vylder/Stroetinga (Belgium/Netherlands) - 87 pts and 22 laps

10. Wulff Frederiksen/Kneisky (Denmark/France) - 199 pts and 26 laps

11. Scartezzini/De Pauw (Italy/Belgium) - 168 pts and 32 laps

Mark Cavendish and Iljo Keisse moved up to third at the Ghent Six Day 2019 with victory in the Patrick Sercu Madison, dedicated to the late Six Day legend.

On the fourth day of racing their gap to leaders Robbe Ghys and Kenny De Ketele slightly increased by three points, though, as the Belgian duo defended the hard fought lead they had taken at the halfway stage of the competition.

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The overall standings were turned on their head, as pairs who had been on the podium lost laps to their rivals. Jan-Willem van Schip and Yoeri Havik slipped from second to fifth after losing a lap, but still hold the third highest points total.

Otto Vergaerde and Jules Hesters, who had been third, lost three laps and only took twenty points after a disappointing evening. They now sit in sixth place.

The Lotto duo of Tosh Van der Sande and and Jasper De Buyst rose two places to second after De Buyst once again emerged victorious in the points race and super sprint. They now pose the greatest threat to their compatriots lead, hovering just 13 points behind De Ketele and Ghys.

In the women's races 19-year-old Shari Bossuyt won the points race, with two days remaining in the Ghent Six Day 2019.

Patrick Sercu died in April at the age of 74. Sercu won 1,206 races on the track and is considered the greatest track cyclist of the past century. He won Olympic gold in the 1km time trial at the 1964 Tokyo Games and won three track world championship titles throughout the sixties.

Results

Ghent Six Day 2019 - after four days of racing

1. De Ketele/Ghys (Belgium) – 197 pts

2.De Buyst/Van der Sande (Belgium) – 184 pts

3.Keisse/Cavendish (Belgium/Great Britain) – 172 pts

4. Kluge/Reinhardt (Germany) – 121 pts

5. Van Schip/Havik (Netherlands) – 178 pts and 1 lap

6. Vergaerde/Hesters (Belgium) – 155 pts and 3 laps

Mark Cavendish and Iljo Keisse are within touching distance of the lead at the halfway stage of the Ghent Six Day 2019.

They currently sit in fifth position, 24 points off the top spot, with the Belgian duo of Kenny de Ketele and Robbe Ghys in first, leading Dutch pair Jan-Willem Van Schip and Yoeri Havik by just one point.

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Of the top six pairings, just 57 points separate them as they all remain on the same lap with three days left to race.

Cavendish won the second points race of the evening on day three on Thursday night, with Keisse then taking victory in the second Derny race to make sure they remain in contention.

De Ketele and Ghys slipped into the victory by virtue of their victory in the first Madison race.

Alongside the electric racing, the 2019 edition of the storied track event has been marred by Gerben Thijssen's awful crash on the first night.

The night's racing was cut short after the 21-year-old's heavy fall, with Thijssen immediately taking to hospital and placed in intensive care after suffering three small brain bleeds, three broken ribs and a fractured collarbone.

His road team, Lotto-Soudal, confirmed that his condition was stable and improving slightly on Wednesday, and has been able to have a small conversation with his family.

Para-cyclists Kris Bosmans and Diederick Schelfhout then crashed into the stands on Wednesday night during the team sprint, with Bosmans sustaining a complex fracture to his leg and Schelfhout fracturing a vertebrae. A spectator also suffered minor injuries and received care at the track.

Mark Cavendish has also been in the wars, crashing at 70km/h before Thijssen's crash later on Tuesday night, with the Manxman forced to skip the rest of the one-lap time trial event after hitting his head in the fall.

Results

Ghent Six Day 2019 - after three days of racing

1. De Ketele/Ghys (Belgium) - 144 pts

2. Van Schip/Havik (Netherlands) - 143 pts

3. Vergaerde/Hesters (Belgium) - 135 pts

4. De Buyst/Van der Sande (Belgium) - 130 pts

5. Keisse/Cavendish (Belgium/Great Britain) - 120 pts

6. Kluge/Reinhardt (Germany) - 87 pts

Mark Cavendish suffered a high-speed crash on the opening night of the Ghent Six Day.

The first race day of the historic track event was eventually stopped early, after Belgian racer Gerben Thyssen suffered serious injuries in a fall and was rushed to hospital.

Cavendish, racing with his former team-mate Iljo Keisse, crashed during the one-lap time trial, the fourth race of the night on the famous Kuipke velodrome.

After being thrown into action by a handsling from Keisse, Cavendish lost traction on the steep banks of the 167m track and went down at 70km/h.

The Brit was able to stand and give the crowd a wave, but he then sat out the rest of the racing on the opening night on Tuesday (November 11). Cavendish suffered heavy scrapes and hit his head in the crash, breaking his helmet.

Keisse, who rides for Deceuninck – Quick-Step on the road, told Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad: “You don’t want to experience that as a rider.

“It was a heavy dally at 70km/h. He was scraped all over his body and he fell on his head. His helmet is broken. He can take a beating but it remains to be seen whether he can continue.”

The event was further marred by crashes, after Lotto-Soudal’s Gerben Thyssen fell heavily just after 11.15pm, suffering broken ribs and collarbone, as well as three small bleeds on the brain.

He was rushed to hospital in Ghent and is currently in the intensive care unit, his condition described as stable.

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A statement from Lotto-Soudal said: “Gerben Thyssen will spend the coming days in intensive care at UZ Hospital in Ghent after a CT scan revealed three small intracranial bleeds.

“Gerben is now in a stable condition, but he needs further monitoring in the coming days by the treatment team doctors.

“Thyssen broke a collarbone and three ribs as well.”

Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) returns to race the Ghent Six Day this week for the first time since winning in 2016 with Bradley Wiggins.

Cavendish will pair with the "king" of the Ghent Six Day, Iljo Keisse (Deceuninck-Quick-Step). The duo placed second in 2014.

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"It's really good, it's always special to come here to Kuipke [Velodrome], Ghent, for me it's the Tour de France of track cycling," Cavendish told Sporza. "It's even more special riding here with the king.

"The track is special, when you are a kid, you dream of riding here. I rode the UIV cup, I'd plead afterwards to watch the pros. It's not easy at all [to race here]. It's an achievement in cycling, for sure."

Cavendish comes off a couple of seasons held up by the Epstein-Barr Virus. The Six Day races fit perfectly into his schedule going towards 2020.

He last raced on the road in Paris-Tours, October 13, and last month, he rode the London Six Day.

"I have good form, I think. I'm happy were I am. I've been training for this. I've been in Mallorca, training on the road and on the track in the afternoon," he continued.

"Riding a 166-metre track is different, that's why I come to Belgium early to train as much as possible to be ready for the race.

"You have to be professional, it's always the same, even when I'm in the best form. I don't think I'm alone, the first two nights, the mental fatigue and stress get you more tired than the actual legs, just trying to process all the information coming quickly. A lap is nine seconds here. That's a lot of things happening on the track."

Keisse won the six day in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2018. For Cav, the 2019 edition marks an end of the season and run with Team Dimension Data. He will switch to team Bahrain-McLaren in 2020.

"It just like it. I always try to do the track. If I had really hard road year, I need a break after, but with being sick and things... I didn't do the Tour de France for instance, so I don't really need the break and it's better to race than to train," said Cavendish.

"And the opportunity to ride in Ghent, you don't let that opportunity to pass. To race in Ghent with Iljo, it's something special. If it's something you can do, you do."

Drawing to a close a partnership that counts victories on the track and big wins on the road, Sir Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish made emotional podium speeches after winning the Ghent Six Day.

Wiggins left open the chance that he could continue to race after all, but made it clear that this would be the last time he would race alongside the Manxman.

Known for showing his emotions, Cavendish choked up when hearing Wiggins's speech, but was able to make one of his own.

Highlights from the win

This video shows the closing laps of the Ghent Six. Wiggins attacks before slinging Cavendish into the race to cross the line ahead of their rivals.

The win was loudly cheered by the crowd, with the Belgian home fans clearly happy enough for the British pair to take the victory.

Cyclists take part in latest craze

Performing a long-winded series of attempts at the 'Mannequin Challenge', these riders spent their day in Canaria in a strange array of poses.

To be fair though, some are quite clever and very well executed.

Ascending a waterfall with some battery assistance

https://vimeo.com/192376840

Now here to stay, e-bikes are growing in popularity on and off road. Here one is put the the test as the riders ascends a waterfall, with the battery power giving the extra watts needed on the steeper sections.

Crowds are what counts

In sharp contrast to the recent World Championships, which were rightly noted for their near-complete lack of crowds, the Tour de Rwanda had a wealth of spectators.

Lining the Wall of Kigali, a cobbled climb that would be ideally suited to deciding the following year's rainbow jersey wearer, the crowds are clearly having a great time and - in contrast to some of those who line mountain passes - they aren't hindering the riders.

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Rwanda's budget may not be enough to entice the UCI, but if the governing body wants a World Champs with a bit of life and plenty of spectators perhaps it's time to start looking to Africa.

Good luck getting those wheels true

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2_nDekAyZY&feature=youtu.be

This isn't the first video featuring someone taking a completely unsuitable bike to a trail centre, but it is still pretty good.

As expected, the bike takes a hammering and probably won't be much use for going to the shops, as it was made to do.

Sir Bradley Wiggins said he “always wanted to go out on top”, as he celebrated winning the Ghent Six Day with Mark Cavendish in what was an “incredible year” that also saw him win a world track title and fifth Olympic gold medal.

The 36-year-old, however, refused to confirm whether the Belgian track race was his final ever as a professional cyclist, despite previously saying that it would be. Speaking to the crowd inside the historic Kuipke Velodrome Wiggins said: “this might not be my last race,” though he refused to clarify this further to press later.

“I'm just going to enjoy the moment to be honest,” he later said.

>>> Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish win the Ghent Six Day

Wiggins had chosen Ghent as his final farewell to cycling as he was born in the Belgian city and watched his late father race at the same six day when he was a child.

He and Cavendish became the first British pairing to win the Six-Day in the race’s history, securing the win after gaining a lap late on in the Madison – the final event of the race. Wiggins won in Ghent before, in 2003 paired with Belgian/Australian Matthew Gilmore, while Wiggins and Cavendish raced together here in 2007 before the Beijing Olympics.

“It’s easy sitting here with all the glory and winning and let’s do it all again, but when you’re out there I wouldn’t like to just at any moment next year think ‘you stupid idiot, why did you carry on’,” Wiggins told press after.

“I always wanted to go out on top, it’s been an incredible year; we won a world title, Olympic title, we won the Ghent Six with Cav - what else is there really? I could go next year to Dubai [Tour] and do the Tour of California and all those races and regret it, and I wouldn’t like to do that,” he continued.

Wiggins has previously spoken about how emotional the race was for him, with the victory also falling on what would have been his father’s 64th birthday, while his wife, children and mother were all in Belgium supporting him.

“I always get emotional when I think about this place and just what it means to me,” Wiggins said. “I've been lucky enough to be here as a child, with my dad. I always think of him when I'm in here.”

>>> Mark Cavendish takes a break from the Ghent Six Day to perform the YMCA (video)

He continued: “My mum was here. All these people from my past who I haven't seen for years. That's more important to me than anything else that's come before really.

“And then to do it with Mark, and to have Patrick Sercu there, and [Eddy] Merckx was here on Tuesday.”

Wiggins’s year-long farewell has been surrounded in recent controversy over his use of TUEs for corticosteroids for treatment of asthma and allergies, before major road races including the 2012 Tour de France.

He admitted, however, he “honestly didn’t care anymore” about how he will be remembered for his career.

“I don’t know really, man of the people, who knows, says what he thinks, very un-politically correct, bit anti-establishment in parts, I don’t know really,” he said, before signing off what could be his final press conference.

Sir Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish won the Ghent Six Day in Belgium on Sunday, gaining a lap on their main rivals in the final, decisive Madison event.

After six days of racing, the margin between the top three duos was remarkably tight. Wiggins and Cavendish went into the final Madison in third place overall, and needing to physically gain a lap on leaders Kenny De Ketele/Moreno De Pauw and second-placed Elia Viviani/Iljo Keisse to overthrow them.

Wiggins and Cavendish gained an early lap to take the lead in the hour-long finale, but their two rivals soon gained a lap to neutralise their advantage. The British pair then answered with another gained lap, and their rivals then regained a lap in a game of tactical tit-for-tat.

>>> Ghent Six Day: everything you need to know

After half an hour of frantic lap-gaining, the position of the top three teams remained as it was when the event started. With 50 laps to go, points were then awarded on the intermediate sprint laps, which signalled a further upping of the pace.

Wiggins/Cavendish elected not to get involved in the sprint laps as De Ketele/De Pauw and Viviani/Keisse scrapped for points, instead holding back their energy to try and gain a lap.

Madison world champions Wiggins and Cavendish timed their effort perfectly, biding their time until their rivals were fatigued from sprinting to points to open up their final, blistering move to gain a lap – and take the overall victory. In total, Wiggins and Cavendish had gained a mammoth 11 laps during the race, with all but the last countered by their rivals.

The event has been billed as Wiggins's last race to close out his career, but already he has hinted that he may continue racing in Six Day events. However, it is the last time that he and Cavendish will race together as a team – and what a way to finish a glittering partnership.

It's the first time that a British pair have ever won the Ghent Six Day, although Wiggins won it in 2003 with Belgian Matthew Gilmore.

>>> Mark Cavendish takes a break from the Ghent Six Day to perform the YMCA (video)

Final overall standings

1. Bradley Wiggins/Mark Cavendish (Saey-Callant) 410 points

2. Kenny De Ketele/Moreno De Pauw (Baloise Insurance) 475 (-1 lap)

3. Elia Viviani/Iljo Keisse (LIDL) 468 (-1 lap)

4. Nick Stopler/Cameron Meyer 224 (-4 laps)

5. Lindsay De Vylder/Leif Lampater (Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen) 240 (-12 laps)

6. Otto Vergaerde/Morgan Kneisky (Caruur) 214 (-12 laps)

7. Jesper Morkov/Marc Hester (TUI) 126 (-12 laps)

8. Nick Stopler/Tristan Marguet (Primus Haacht) 109 (-26 laps)

9. Roy Pieters/Jonas Rickaert (Topsport Vlaanderen) 113 (-32 laps)

10. Alex Rasmussen/Yoeri Havik (Vanreusel Snacks) 77 (-48 laps)

11. Ollie Wood/Mark Stewart (Energy Lab) 56 (-48 laps)

12. Marcel Kalz/Robbe Ghys (T-Interim) 139 (-57 laps)

Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish have moved up to second place in the Ghent Six Day after second evening of racing.

The British pairing had been sitting in third after the first day, but moved up to second after another consistent evening of racing that saw them finish a lap ahead of previous leaders Kenny De Ketele and Moreno De Pauw.

Elia Viviani and Iljo Keisse also took a lap over the Belgians to finish the night in first place, just four points ahead of Wiggins and Cavendish.

>>> Ghent Six Day: everything you need to know

It was another evening of racing dominated by the three pairings of Wiggins/Cavendish, De Ketele/De Pauw, and Viviani/Keisse, one of which took victory in all but two of the events.

Watch: 100 Best Road Riders of 2016

After the opening points races, elimination race, and time trial, the first real drama came in the first madison, where Viviani/Keisse finished a lap ahead of the field.

>>> Blog: the highs and blows of riding Ghent's Six Day track

That move was almost cancelled in the final 30 minute plus six laps madison, where Wiggins and Cavendish were able to take a lap to draw themselves back into a close second place only four points off the lead.

It was a more difficult race for De Ketele and De Pauw, who finished a lap down and out of the points. However, the Belgian duo still lead in terms of points, so a lap taken tomorrow will be enough to see them regain the overall lead.

One of the first things I notice before rolling up onto the boards of Ghent's famous 't Kuipke velodrome is just how shonky the so called Cote d'Azur looks

Although on most tracks this smooth, shallow graded, broad, pale blue band serves as a welcoming halfway house between the infield and the serious racing surface, here it is narrow, of a significant slope and overlaid in places by scrappy corners of carpet jutting out from the track's apron.

Ease you onto the track it does not.

It takes me two or three laps of just riding around the inner ring of carpet before I pluck up the courage to bridge straight over the azure strip and climb up onto the finish straight.

I'm not an experienced track rider. And having only previously had tasters on the 250m at Newport and the 200m at the UCI's HQ in Switzerland, 't Kuipke's 166m circumference continues my track record of riding ever smaller venues. Next stop Calshot.

With shorter straights and tighter curves, Ghent's bankings are inevitably steeper and scarier than anything I've ever ridden before.

After bottling it twice, I finally commit to staying on the banking. As any track rider will tell you, it isn't rocket science and you don't actually need that much speed; just a little commitment and self-belief.

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Loosely translated as the Dish, Het Kuipke is an odd old place. Wedged into a big hall that smells of stale beer on the city's busy ring road, the boards here are used only for the Ghent Six Day event. Across town, a 250m indoor velodrome serves all other local track cycling purposes.

A few laps into my ride on the track I feel my wheel slip as I move up onto the double deck of adverts that run right around the track.

At first I think these have been installed with a dreadful choice of paint. That's until, halfway round - and halfway up - the banking, I realise I'm nursing a rear wheel puncture. Inside, I scream a little.

Somehow I keep the bike upright into the straight, kick back on the fixed gear and descend onto the apron before the banking of the next turn rears up all too quickly again.

Wheel changed, chamois too, I find better traction and quickly get into my stride lapping the thing.

Behind the dernys later that evening, riders will do this in as little as nine seconds. Even at the modest speeds I rack up, swooping down off the banking and round the next tight curve makes for a wonderful cheap thrill.

Under your wheels, the boards creak and groan like an old ship. In places you feel it sinking beneath you. Other spots are just plain rough.

The crudest of the Kuipke's impurities are the cracks of the giant door cut into the banking at one end. During the racing, it's worth spending a motorpaced event or Madison chase sipping on a Primus directly underneath it.

To hear and feel the chaotic action rumbling right above your head is not something you can do at the Tour de France.

As I always have done on my few rides in velodromes, I challenge myself to build up speed then rattle right around the very top of the banking.

My hands sweat at the very thought, but it isn't half terrific fun.

As the world tips up around me, I take a look sideways at what is actually the floor a long way down below.

Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish enjoyed a steady start to the Ghent Six Day, sitting in third place after the first night.

The event is currently being led by the Belgian duo of Kenny De Ketele and Moreno De Pauw, who beat Wiggins and Cavendish in the London Six Day in October, with Elia Viviani and Iljo Keisse in second.

>>> 100 Best Road Riders of 2016

The night got off to a successful start for Wiggins and Cavendish, racking up a string of first and second places at the start of the evening, with victory in the first points race and madison, and second places in the team elimination and time trial.

However De Ketele/De Pauw and Viviani/Keisse were always in close attendance, completing the top three in the team elimination, madison, and derny races.

Watch: 100 best road riders of 2016

The final madison saw Wiggins and Cavendish make their only real slip up of the evening, finishing out of the points in seventh place, while De Ketele/De Pauw and Viviani/Keisse finished second and third respectively, while the Australian pairing of Callum Scotson and Cameron Meyer took the victory.

That means that at the end of the first day of competition De Ketele/De Pauw lead the standings with 96 points, with Viviani/Keisse second with 76 points, and Wiggins/Cavendish third with 72 points, but with all teams still on the same number of laps.

Bradley Wiggins will race against Fabian Cancellara once more, at an event in Ghent to mark the Swiss cyclist's retirement.

Cancellara quit the sport after winning a second Olympic gold medal in Rio in August, but he will take to the famous boards at Kuipke Velodrome on November 12 for a 'Ciao Fabian' event, three days before Ghent Six.

Wiggins, who will be racing Ghent Six with Mark Cavendish after their second place at Six Day London, will be one of the riders to race four-time time trial world champion Cancellara in a 2km pursuit competition.

>>> Watch: Bradley Wiggins hints that he may continue racing into 2017

Franck Schleck, Filippo Pozzato and Sep Vanmarcke will also go head-to-head against the 35-year-old.

The special event will be one last time for Belgium fans to witness Cancellara, with Flanders fans in particular adoring the three-time Tour of Flanders winner.

All 6,200 tickets have been sold for an event that organisers say will be "a mix of goosebumps, moments in pictures, conversations, music, and a few surprises."

Wiggins shared the podium with Cancellara at both the 2011 and 2013 Worlds, when the Briton finished second behind Tony Martin in the time trial, with Cancellara third on each occasion. Wiggins' biggest success directly against the retired Trek-Segafredo rider was his Olympic time trial victory in 2012, with Cancellara only managing seventh after a crash in the road race.

Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) arrives in London today ahead of the London and Ghent Six-Day races with Sir Bradley Wiggins. He says the world champion pairing in Ghent, Wiggins's final 2017 race, will take on special meaning, "like the Eddy Merckx and Patrick Sercu days."

Cavendish won his final road race of the year under the Abu Dhabi F1 track's flood lights. He sprinted clear of Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo) and Elia Viviani (Team Sky) in the Abu Dhabi Tour’s stage four, adding to his stage two win. Now, he turns his attention to the real track.

He explained that he must still build up his track bike. He laughed at the idea that he couldn't do it on his own, saying that "it's only a track bike."

>>> Organisers launch new Six Day Series, visiting London and three other European capitals

The London Six-Day runs from Tuesday October 25 to Sunday October 30. Ghent, on the famous Kuipke velodrome, goes from November 15 to 20.

"Ghent is know as being crazy hard, the demands on the riders are a lot," Cavendish said.

"The track is also steeped in history. A lot of great riders have ridden there. To be riding with Brad as World Champions is special, it'll be like the Eddy Merckx and Patrick Sercu days.

"There are always a lot of British spectators there and I love racing in Belgium. I got close to winning with Iljo Keisse a couple of years. I'd like to win it this year. I'm not done yet for 2016."

>>> Ghent Six: everything you need to know

Cavendish last raced in Ghent's Kuipke velodrome in 2014 with Keisse and placed second. He also raced with Rob Hayles in 2005 and Wiggins in 2007. He lined up twice as an amateur before that. Wiggins won with partner Matthew Gilmore in 2003.

The London Six-Day recommenced last year after a 30-year break. This edition takes on special meaning with Wiggins retiring off of his recent team pursuit Olympic gold.

Cavendish juggled a road season with the track. He won the yellow jersey and four stages in the Tour de France, and took the silver medal in the Olympic omnium and world championships in Doha.

Cavendish looks back on his 2016 season

"I had careful planning and great group around me, I guess so [I had some doubts] but I'm not prepared to talk about it," Cavendish said.

"Dimension Data let me take time to miss racing to concentrate on the track. But we knew I'd come to the Tour de France with good form at the Tour de France.

"The demands of road and tack are different; I always use the analogy about Andy Murray switching from tennis to squash.

“In 2017, those demands are going to be easier but it's still going go be a big old year hopefully. It's not going to be quiet, I'm going to be doing more road racing. I owe the team."

After taking his sixth victory in the prestigious Ghent Six-Day on Sunday alongside Michael Mørkøv, Etixx-QuickStep's Iljo Keisse says it would be a dream to be able to ride next year's event alongside Sir Bradley Wiggins.

Wiggins has already hinted that he will prolong his career beyond the end of the Rio Olympics in 2016, with the possibility that he'll make his last competitive appearance at the 76th edition of the Ghent Six.

The 2012 Tour de France winners' first appearance at the event was in 1999, alongside Rob Hayles, with further appearances in 2002, 2003 and 2007, and said returning would be like "completing the circle" on his career.

Keisse, who is one of the most successful riders in the history of the event with six victories, told Sporza on Sunday that he would very much like to ride with Wiggins if it is to be the swansong of his career.

"To ride with Wiggins would be a dream," Keisse said. "I would love to ride with him. If he ends his career here next year, then I'd very much like [to be] with me."

The Belgian also hinted that his Etixx teammate on the road, Tom Boonen, would also be interested in riding a Six-Day event before he calls time on his career. However, with the Kuipke only 166m in length, Keisse says it is more likely to be on a larger track like that at the Rotterdam Six.

Iljo Keisse and Michael Mørkøv (Etixx - QuickStep) retained their lead on day two of the 75th Ghent Six.

Thanks to victory in the final derny race, the pair extended their previous lead of eight points to 11 over the Lotto-Soudal pairing of Otto Vergaerde and Jasper De Buyst.

>>> Ghent Six: everything you need to know

During the second Derny race, the Lotto duo did threathen the leaders with De Buyst winning plus a strong showing from Vergaerde, but in the end it was only enough to hold second rather than gain on Keisse and Mørkøv.

Six-Day legends Eddy Merckx and Patrick Sercu were in attendance at the event. Sercu is the most successful Six-Day racer ever with 88 wins out of 223 starts across a 22 year track racing career.

Following the terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13 and the associated police operations across France and Belgium, security has been tight in Ghent.

Spectators were thoroughly searched on the way in amid reports of a 'no bag' policy.

Ghent Six-Day 2015 - Classification after day two:

1. Iljo Keisse/Michael Mørkøv (Etixx-QuickStep) – 151 points

2. Jasper De Buyst/Otto Vergaerde (Lotto) – 140 points

3. Gijs Van Hoecke/Kenny De Ketele (Baloise Insurance) – 137 points

4. Moreno De Pauw/Morgan Kneisky (Provincie OOst-Vlaanderen) –132 points

5. Marc Hester/Alex Rasmussen (John Saey–Lecot-Raedschelders) – 81 points + 1 lap

6. Jesper Mørkøv/Nick Stöpler (Caruur) – 49 points + 2 laps

7. Melvin van Zijl/Yoeri Havik (3M) – 56 points + 3 laps

8. Christian Grasmann/Marcel Kalz (Primus Haacht) – 42 points + 3 laps

9. Christopher Lawless/Roy Pieters (Vanreusel Snacks) – 19 points + 5 laps

10. Lindsay De Vylder/David Muntaner (T-interim) – 21 points + 14 laps

Ghent Six-Day organiser Rob Discart says Sir Bradley Wiggins is almost certain not to ride the event in November, but that's not stopping him trying to persuade the four-time Olympic gold medalist to take part.

With Wiggins preparing for another shot at track success at the 2016 Olympics Games in Rio it is unlikely he will have time to ride the Ghent event, despite telling its bosses that he would be keen to ride.

The Track World Cup is set to travel around the world this winter, with rounds in Colombia, New Zealand and China in November and December. Wiggins is unlikely to ride all three as he strives to seal a place in GB's team pursuit squad, but his travels may make the Ghent Six-Day (November 17-22) feasible.

"The start list is very good, although we have not yet released any names of who is going to ride," said Discart to Het Laatste Nieuws. "The chance of Bradley Wiggins making an appearance was 99.9 per cent nonexistent. But there are still discussions ongoing."

Wiggins has ridden the event twice before, in 2003 and 2007 - both years before Olympic Games - riding with Mark Cavendish in the latter. Cavendish himself rode the event last year, with Iljo Keisse, and finished second overall.

Shoulder surgery casts a cloud over Cavendish's return in 2015, but last year's winners Jasper De Buyst and Kenny De Ketele have been confirmed as taking part by Discart.