6 Days of Pordenone

I had just won at the Brixton SuperMadison with teammate Frank Longstaff on Sunday 20 July. I barely had time to catch my breath before flying out of Stansted the following day. I traveled with teammates James Ambrose-Parish, Tom Ward, Will Perrett, Logan Maclean, and Red Walters. We were bound for Italy’s premier track cycling event: the 24th 6 Giorni Internazionale Città di Pordenone.

We landed late in Venice. Our first challenge wasn’t on the track. It was fitting six riders, five bike boxes, and luggage into a short-wheelbase VW Caravelle at 11 o’clock at night! Somehow, teamwork prevailed and we made our way up to the ski resort of Piancavallo, 40 minutes above Pordenone. It was our high-altitude base for the week.

We woke to breathtaking Dolomite views and cool mountain air. After breakfast, it was time to build bikes and head down the mountain for Day 1 of racing.

As we arrived at the Velodromo Ottavio Bottecchia, we were hit with 30°C+ heat bouncing off the white 400m track. Our welcome included official 6 Day jerseys and bottles of wine, a classy start!

First up was UCI Class 1 Scratch Heats. The goal was to qualify in the top 18 of 24. This qualification was over 19 laps. I finished 11th and moved on comfortably, as did the rest of the team, across two heats. Elimination Race. After a quick change into the 6 Day kit, I placed a solid 8th out of 20. Will Perrett took 5th. Dutch six-day legend Yoeri Havik took the win.

Then we moved on to the UCI Open Scratch Final. I was back into the skinsuit for a wild 36-rider final over 25 laps. The tempo surged relentlessly, but I was beginning to master the long straights, wide bankings and the unexpected bumps! I came home 19th, while Will Perrett bagged bronze on took to the podium.

Next, it was relentless, the U23 Points Race. I was holding my own. Still in skinsuit mode, I lined up for the 75-lap U23 Points Race. The pace was calm… until it wasn’t. I made it into the break but soon found myself surrounded by unified Italian teamwork. I picked up points in sprints. I landed 15 points total. I came in 2nd in the final sprint. This earned me 7th place overall out of 21.

Madison Madness: The 6 Day began in earnest. Now for the main event, the 50-lap Madison with 20 elite teams on track. The names on the start list were intimidating, to say the least:

Notable Teams & Palmarès 

Despite having already logged nearly 100 km that day, James and I gave it our all. We got into the mix and even scored in the third sprint. When the dust settled, Perrett & Ward finished in 4th overall. Maclean & Walters ended up in 11th place. James and I were ranked 9th overall. I was shattered. But buzzing.

After a good night’s sleep atop the mountain, it was straight into the 6 Day Elimination. With 20 pairs on track, it was absolute chaos! James and I chopped around the back, snipping and surviving. We managed a massively respectable 9th out of 20, staying upright, which was the main aim.

Then onto the 60-lap Madison. We tried to gain points and survive. We did both, but unfortunately for Tom and Will, it wasn’t so easy. A messy change mid-race caused a crash: Tom went down, taking Will (Perrett) and Imamura with him. Tom and Imamura headed to hospital; Will got patched up. We remained on the same lap. Logan and Red capitalised, taking a lap and moving into 3rd overall.

Tom suffered a broken scapula, collarbone, six ribs, and a punctured lung. Sub-optimal, to say the least. Wishing him the speediest recovery. Will was bruised and battered but patched up. We returned to base, without Tom, and got ready for Day 3.

UCI Points qualifiers to start. I felt great. I eased into the first sprint. Then I attacked with 10 laps to go. I scored consistently: 3, then 5, 5, 5, 3, and 10 on the final sprint. Qualified first, a huge confidence boost.

Then came the open elimination heat. Again, feeling strong, I qualified in 4th. Legs were tiring, but I dug in and finished 14th in the final out of 36 starters. I was proud of this against such a stacked field.

The UCI 75-lap Points Race final followed and again was a mad race. The race organisers and commisairres reviewed the results. These changed four times. Everyone agreed they were still “wrong,” but no one seemed to mind. It is never that deep.

Finally, the 60-lap Madison. We gave it everything. The legs were heavy. We stayed on the same lap, same standings. Will, ribs sore, was now riding with Kuboki, pretty cool.

Day 4. The Rain came and did it rain! We went to the track and waited and waited. It was like watching cricket in England in May and waiting for the covers to come off. Eventually, racing was called off, even after 2 hours of 2 guys leaf blowing the track! We visited Tom in hospital, he was in good spirits and receiving excellent care. Then, a rare treat: pizza. A welcome change after five nights of pasta and chicken.

Day 5 was compressed. The Sprint and Keirin were added. I didn’t fancy racing either of these, but James took on the Keirin, plus the Elimination and Madison. After two Keirin rounds and the Elimination, James was well and truly cooked. I had only the 6 Day Scratch. I joined a break that didn’t stick, then launched with two laps to go. Finished 4th, decent. Then the Madison: now 80 laps. With James fading and a few sketchy changes, we stayed upright and on the lead lap. Edging a little closer up the leaderboard.

Day 6: First up, the 15-lap Derny—I was drawn 4th. We kicked off with a solid pace. All good, then with three laps to go, I knew I had more to give. I called ‘Allez, Allez’ to my pilot and we surged. Two laps to go and we upped the pace again and then we took the win! Onto the podium with my pilot.

Last up the 120-lap Madison. Honestly, it was a step too far. Missed changes from a fatigued James, rising heat, and hot legs, meant that eventually, the elastic snapped. We had hung on for so long. Eventually, we saw the flag. We finished, lost a lap, and lost a few places. However, we gained experience that made it worth every bit of effort.

To share the track with such world-class riders was incredible. Learning from James, Logan, Tom and Red was invaluable. Rooming with national champ Will Perrett was an amazing experience. I soaked it all in. I want to come back and reach that podium.

Logan and Red had done it: 3rd overall. We broke Tom out of the hospital and headed off, found a little restaurant and celebrated with pizza and beers. Then, back up the hill and prepped for a 6 AM start and the road home.

An unforgettable trip that was only made possible by Mat and One Life Cycle’s support. The backing of Brookfield Properties London played a vital role in getting us there. Additionally, thanks go to Loughborough Cycling Academy for getting me in great shape. Thanks Max and team. Also thanks to Dad: Team Manager, Soigner and Driver. An absolute G!

Next up: Dublin International Track Championships and then rest!

Thanks as ever to the sponsors:

Brookfield Properties London, TLC Live Online School, Matts Auto Repair Services, Saffron Walden Round Table, Highway Cycles, Newdales (Saffron Walden) and Pedal Potential