Mark Cavendish powers past Caleb Ewan to take Derny victory on opening night of Six Day London
The all-star line-up did battle on the boards of the iconic London velodrome
Mark Cavendish soared past Caleb Ewan to take victory in the 40 lap Derny on the first evening of racing at Six Day London.
The British sprint star went head-to-head with his rival and friend Ewan during the final lap of the last event of the night.
Racing opened at the Lee Valley VeloPark in east London on Tuesday night (October 22), with the 20-minute Madison chase kicking things off.
>>> End of season ratings: How did each WorldTour team perform in 2019?
German pair Theo Reinhardt and Maximilian Beyer took victory in that first race, with Italian duo Elia Viviani and Simone Consonni taking fourth, while Cavendish and his partner Owain Doull were fifth.
Next up was the first 40-lap Derny race, where France’s Bryan Coquard took the honours, while in the 7.5km Points Race, Australia’s Joshua Scott took victory.
The Team Elimination was won by Viviani and Consonni, and then the 25-minute Madison Chase went to Adrian Hegyvary and Daniel Holloway from the USA.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
This set up the final race of the night, the second 40-lap Derny.
Caleb Ewan was leading the race heading into the final lap, but a remarkable turn of speed from Cavendish on the penultimate turn set up a drag race on the back straight, before Ewan began to fade fast and Cavendish took the lead on the last bank.
He crossed the line well clear of Ewan to huge roars from the home crowds.
The general classification after the first night is led by the French, Bryan Coquard and Donavan Grondin, who lead by a lap and sit on 100 points.
Germans Theo Reinhardt and Maximilian Beyer are second at one lap down and on 72 points, followed by Danes Mark Hester and Oliver Wulff on 52 points.
Viviani and Consonni sit fifth overall, while Cavendish and Doull are seventh.
>>> Enric Mas wins Tour of Guangxi as 2019 WorldTour season comes to a close
The men’s sprint competition also got underway, as Maximilian Levy (Ger) won the 200m Flying Time Trial, Irelands’ Eoin Mullen won the sprint and Japanese rider Yuta Obara won the Keirin.
Levy leads the sprinter’s classification with 43 points, with Mullen second and Robert Forstëmann third.
In the 1878 Cup for under-21 racers, the 40km <adison was won by Dutch pair Vincent Hoppezak and Philip Heijnen.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
-
I’m having to tell people I’m still a cyclist despite the fact it’s not cool anymore
Bragging rights now belong to the paddleboarders
By Michael Hutchinson Published
-
Canyon Grail CF SL 7 AXS review: a gravel bike of two halves?
The integrated cockpit and aero tubing are somewhat at odds with the Grail's taller stack height
By Rachel Sokal Published
-
Katy Marchant breaks arm in horror crash into crowd at Track Champions League
Event's final round cancelled and spectators told to leave following incident
By Tom Davidson Last updated
-
'It's actually happening' - Matthew Richardson set for GB debut after nationality swap
25-year-old will race under British flag for first time at UCI Track Champions League
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Katie Archibald withdraws from London 3 Day after dislocating shoulder
Former Olympic champion ‘mortified’ following another injury setback
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Olympic sprint champions have 'nothing to lose' at Track World Championships
GB's women's sprint trio have 'golden opportunity' to win on Wednesday, but the pressure's off, says Katy Marchant
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'My foot was facing the wrong way': Inside Katie Archibald's remarkable recovery from broken leg to World Championships
In less than four months, the two-time Olympic champion has gotten back to racing fitness. Here's how she did it
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Katie Archibald set for racing return at World Championships after freak leg fracture
Scot 'thriving on the bike' having missed Olympics to recover
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'It's not just the Katie Archibald show' - Team GB rely on other stars to lead track success
Women's endurance squad 'still in a little bit of shock' about Scot's injury, but ready to perform in Paris
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Great Britain qualifies full track cycling squad for Paris Olympics
Team GB will now select up to 16 riders to compete across the sprint and endurance events
By Tom Davidson Published