Ghent 6 day - on my way at last!

Mad_Malx

I’m toying with a trip with Mrs MM to Ghent for beer, frites and an evening at the 6 day in November. Website showing some tickets left for the Tuesday, and at the track ends on Wed.
Qs: is velodrome easy to get to? public transport late evening?
I’m right in thinking that first days are still plenty enough entertaining?
Mrs MM keen bcs she doesn’t like missing out, but realistically she won’t have a clue what’s going on. I will be very slightly ahead. Would you still recommend?
Any other tips?
I’m assuming of course that we all wake up from the 18month nightmare very soon.

Mad_Malx

^thought about sticking this in cake stop, but if we can discuss Olympic horse parking here I figured we can do Ghent.

ddraver

Go over on Friday
Appreciate the cultural centre that is Brugges
Get to Gent
Begin drinking
Go to 6 day
Continue drinking
Lose track of self
Shout at some cyclist
More drinking
Conga line with new Belgian best friend
Long grey fuzzy period
At some point sleep will happen

Wake up
Struggle to CX race on way home
Repeat steps 4 & 6
Continue home

Pross

Something I want to do at some point too but I'm not sure I'm ready to be in an enclosed environment with lots of drunks shouting just yet. Maybe next year though.

ducknumber1

Fantastic experience, can't recommend it highly enough but can understand some hesitancy.

Public transport wise, Gent is well served but also quite small, mostly walkable even late at night with the velodrome central.

I can't speak for first couple of days as we went Thursday-Saturday (and managed to source some tickets for Sunday too from others there - several days of 6pm-2am takes it out of everyone), ddraver seems to cover the experience quite well and likely same those days too. Mrs d#1 enjoyed too, probably not following much of the results (wouldn't dare to suggest).

Other tips:
-Cafe de Karper, just down the road from the velodrome. owned by Iljo Keisse's dad, plenty of memorabilia, good beer and atmosphere
-Make sure you make some time to see Gent, very easy to get in to a cycle of velodrome > hotel > velodrome with late nights and beer

Ben6899

Make time for a trip to the RvV museum in Oudenaarde (30min train from Gent).

You don't need public transport in Gent itself - small enough to walk around, if you can.

Mad_Malx

Thanks all. Definitely going to do it some time, but like most of you still nervous about ‘Rona, both for personal health and travel. uk is still on their red list, and 4th (5th?) wave In the autumn is not unlikely.
I know more people infected/ill now that at any time previously - all young with partial or too recently jabbed. Including mm junior and his entire shared house.

ddraver

With the exception of the bar is Ishgul where they were spitting ping pong balls into strangers beer glasses, I can think of few better places to spread 'rona than t'kuipke

Mad_Malx

Right, one year on and I'm catching the train tomorrow, tickets for Saturday.
Anyone else?

Ben6899

I actually lost track of time. Had no plans to go, but didn't realise it was currently on.

Have fun!

EDIT: are you off to the RvV museum? https://goo.gl/maps/szq51JNus87ymZMVA

Mad_Malx

Ben6899 said:

I actually lost track of time. Had no plans to go, but didn't realise it was currently on.

Have fun!

EDIT: are you off to the RvV museum? https://goo.gl/maps/szq51JNus87ymZMVA

I need to plant an idea that makes Mrs MM think she needs to visit Oudenaarde to see a particularly attractive town.
And then swoop in with “Oh look, a cycling museum....”

rick_chasey

Mad_Malx said:

Ben6899 said:

I actually lost track of time. Had no plans to go, but didn't realise it was currently on.

Have fun!

EDIT: are you off to the RvV museum? https://goo.gl/maps/szq51JNus87ymZMVA

I need to plant an idea that makes Mrs MM think she needs to visit Oudenaarde to see a particularly attractive town.
And then swoop in with “Oh look, a cycling museum....”

The square is lovely.

Rest of it really isn't...


Luckily, the museum is just in the corner of the square....

ugo.santalucia

they used to do a retro bike event in Oudenaarde, the Retroronde... crit race for old bikes on the Saturday afternoon around the square and a 100km ride on the Sunday including some classic bergs... really lovely event, in my opinion superior to the mighty Eroica

Mad_Malx

That was a great weekend, very much recommend to anyone considering it.
I found it much easier to follow than I expected, and Mrs MM enjoyed it too, although stuggled a bit with the details of the scoring.

From an idiot's perspective, the leaderboard could be improved by showing the team colours rather than just the team numbers, and having some teams in very similar kits didn't help (two yellow teams and two white-ish).

Clearly no-one was going to deny Keisse a few farewell victories, but most of the events appeared hard-fought. Interesting how many noisy anglo supporters were there cheering Wright & Hayter. My days of wanting to be in the centre section are definately past, although the inmates made for good entertainment during the luls.
Terrible europop act during the break.

I found Ghent a better place to visit as a tourist than Brugge or Brussels - bit more of a 'real' place, but very large unspoiled old town. Lots of great bars.

Didn't get to do many of your suggestions - only passed de Karper when it was closed (at t'Kuipke or resting) and didn't have time for Oudenaarde, so I will have to go back.