RACE IN PROGRESS AND END, WINNERS ACCLAIMED




Initials


SPORT: CYCLING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE SIX-DAY CYCLE RACE IN WEST BERLIN ENDED YESTERDAY (THURSDAY) WITH THE PAIR DIETER KEMPER AND HORST OLDENBURG OF WEST GERMANY DECLARED WINNERS.

SECOND IN WERE WOLFGANG SCHULZE AND SIGI RENZ ALSO OF WEST GERMANY. TAKING THIRD PLACE WERE KLAUS BUGDAHL OF WEST BERLIN AND PATRICK SERCU, THE BELGIAN OLYMPIC MEDALLIST AND EX-WORLD AMATEUR SPRINT CHAMPION. PETER POST OF HOLLAND AND TOM SIMPSON OF BRITAIN, THE FORMER WORLD CHAMPION WERE FOURTH.

SIMPSON AND HIS TEAM-MATE WITH MANY OTHERS IN THE BERLIN RACE WILL BE COMPETING IN THE LONDON SIX-DAY CYCLE RACE, IN THE AUTUMN.

WHAT MAKES THEM SPEED ROUND AND ROUND AN INDOOR TRACK IN A SIX-DAY EVENT? THE EARNINGS ARE GOOD -- ABOUT 700 STERLING A MAN IN A TOP TEAM. ACTUALLY, THEY RACE A TOTAL OF 145 HOURS AND NOT SIX-DAYS AS IN THE PIONEER ERA OF THE SPORT.

ANOTHER ATTRACTION IS A CAR PRIZE. THEN, BOTH RIDERS ARE ON THE TRACT AT ONCE, EACH RELAYING THE OTHER INTO THE RACE EVERY TWO OR THREE LAPS. FRITZ PFENNINGER OF SWITZERLAND AND HIS CYCLE HAVE WON 26 CARS AS BONUS PRIZES.

OUTSIDE THE FIERCE EVENING SESSIONS ONE RIDER CAN REST 15 MINUTES WHILE HIS PARTNER IS ON THE TRACK. IN ALL COMPETITORS HAVE TO REST A TOTAL OF FOUR HOURS FOR EVERY EIGHT RACED.

RACING FINISHED AT 4 IN THE MORNING, THE 10,000 FANS GO OFF TO BED AND THE RIDERS ARE FREE TO DO SO TOO -- TILL MIDDAY. RACING BEGINS AGAIN AT 2 IN THE AFTERNOON.

IN THE TRACK CENTRE A BAND PLAYS NON-STOP WHILE THE RIDERS SPIN ROUND THE WOODEN TRACK. THE PUBLIC ARE KEPT REFRESHED AT BARS AROUND THE TRACK, AND FOR THE RIDERS THERE ARE MECHANICS AND MASSEURS READY TO LOOK AFTER MACHINE AND MAN.