Olympic champion to head up strongest field in years
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Elia Viviani (Italy) can't believe his gold medal victory
Elia Viviani (Italy) gets up having been involved in the crash
Iljo Keisse (Etixx-QuickStep) on the start line at Dwars door Vlaanderen(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Iljo Keisse and his 6-year-old son.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Three nights in 't Kuipke are sold out this year(Image credit: Emory Ball)
Italian Elia Viviani will pair up with Iljo Keisse in next month's Lotto Six Day in Gent, the race organisation announced today. Keisse is the defending champion in the event, having won with Danish rider Michael Mørkøv last year.
Viviani, who is both World and Olympic Champion in the Omnium, is a newcomer to the historic Six Day, which is held every year in the 166.67m velodrome in Citadel Park known as 't Kuipke, although no stranger to the Six Day format.
His pairing with the Gent hometown hero will be a formidable combination inn a stacked field. Keisse has 25 Six Day victories to his name, including six in his home event.
They will be up against Madison world champions Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins, who are currently competing in the London Six Day.
London leaders Kenny de Ketele and Moreno de Pauw will reprise their partnership in Gent as well.
Keisse expressed his excitement about pairing with Viviani for his home Six Day. "Racing together with the Olympic champion in Gent, that's fantastic! You bet we are going to make it very difficult for the other favourites. The level of the Gent Six Day is going to be very high."
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