Six Day Cycling - London

Last night I was lucky enough to be invited to attend day 4 of the Six Day Cycling Event held at the Lee Valley Velodrome within London’s Olympic Park.

The Six Day event is, as it sounds, 6 days of competitive track cycling featuring some of the World’s top riders. Having absolutely no knowledge of cycling it was very interesting to see the different types of races which included the Madison, Elimination, Derny, Team Trial and Super Sprint. More information about each type of race can be found here on the event’s website, as I don’t think I could explain them if I tried! My personal favourite was the Derny, mostly because of the comical mopeds which each rider followed around the track.

The event however was not just about cycling. The Ministry of Sound DJ and dramatic club-style lighting created a party like atmosphere throughout the event, providing entertainment and drama for non-cycling experts like myself. I have to say the music was fantastic, though I did feel at some points I was in a club in Ibiza (or watching a very intense spin class!) not at a cycling event – but hey I loved it!  There was crowd interaction and screens linking to social media so everyone could get involved and there was also plenty of food and drink on sale as the event was on for a good few hours!

Overall it was a great evening out and it was good to get away from the Rugby World Cup madness for a night. The crowd had a great time and although not at full capacity everyone had a lot of fun -  I imagine the final days of the event will draw the bigger crowds. There weren’t a lot of young kids or families at the event, which may be because it was on a school night and having done some research the tickets are quite pricey. Having said that it’s a fun and different day out which appeals to sports and non-sport lovers alike, there is something for everyone at the Six Day event and I would love to return in the future. 

The riders in action 

Lee Valley Velodrome