For six days, the 6-day race held Berlin in its chains. Six days with a lot of highs and lows to follow. As a photographer, you are always on the lookout for the emotions that characterize these phases. In our review, we show you the highlights of the 103rd edition of the Berlin Six-Day Race from the perspective of our photographer Rick Schubert.
#1 Leif Lampater was already celebrating on the first day of the 6-day race. He was also able to celebrate the lead on the four following days. But in the end he had to settle for second place.
#2 The sprint races give me goosebumps every time. How does it feel to pedal with almost 2500 watts? Robert Förstemann on record hunt!
#3 A widespread phenomenon: on the track you fight to the death, but off the track there are also the strongest male friendships among the drivers. Apart from the 6-day races, Leif Lampater and Christian Grasmann drive together in the Rudy Project Racing team.
#4 Like father, like son. Robert Retschke and his father Thaddäus are a well-rehearsed team with a wealth of experience in standing races.
#5 The Catacombs of the Velodrome. Shortly before the start you warm up here or at the edge of the track...
#6 ...before going out into the raging crowd. Doing the sport you love in front of a sold-out house is motivation enough to torment yourself a bit more with every training session.
#7 Maximilian Levy wins the decisive sprint against Robert Förstemann on the fifth night. On the last day, however, he was narrowly defeated by the Berliner by choice and finished second in the overall classification.
#8 Four riders in a row in one picture. It is particularly easy to see how close the big hunt is. At speeds of around 60 kilometers per hour, the drivers are only centimeters apart.
#9 When the Berlin Velodrom smells of burnt petrol and the hall is filled with engine noise, it's time for the nightly stand-up race. Just a few millimeters behind the role of the pacemaker, the drivers chase 80 laps at speeds of up to 90 kilometers per hour over the Berlin parquet floor.
#10 Henning Bommel was at the start as a representative for the Berlin Fahrrschau.
#11 Shortly after Levy started his sprint, I didn't think Robert Förstemann would be able to withstand this effort.
#12 It's hard for an outsider to imagine the agony of a sixty-minute hunt. Reigning Madison World Champion Vivien Brissé is visibly struggling here.
#13 Finding the right words is a difficult task in moments like this. Robert Bartko, who announced his retirement from competitive sport, moved his teammate Theo Reinhardt to tears.
#14 This is one of those moments that photographers never forget. The drivers are warming up and are highly concentrated. Molly Meyvisch still brings a small smile to her face.
#15 Zachary 'Zak' Kovalcik is a true bird of paradise in track racing. With his relaxed and friendly manner, he was one of the crowd's favourites.
#16 Was Kenny de Ketele already planning his final attack at that moment? In the last hunt, he and his colleague Andreas Müller pushed the leaders Leif Lampater and Jasper de Buyst off the throne of the Berlin 6-day race.
#17 The world championship stripes are undoubtedly the greatest honor for an athlete and also motivate if you only wear them as a substitute: Christian Grasmann from Munich, who pedaled alongside Vivien Brissé as a substitute for the injured Morgan Kneisky, is driving towards a lap win in this photo.
#18 The boards that mean the world, at least for six days a year. When overtaking, it can get very tight on the track.
#19 Henning Bommel had to seek slipstreaming from Robert Bartko on the last day. His Derny frontman had technical problems and dropped out in between.
#20 Laburnum, thunderous applause and a big grin on your face. The hardships of the last few days are forgotten: Andreas Müller and Kenny de Ketele can be happy about their deserved victory.
#21 track record. Again and again Robert Förstemann succeeds in beating his own track record in the Berlin Velodrom. Here he wins against Maximilian Levy in the final sprint and can already throw his arm in the air on the finish line.