Six Day season opens with Dutch victory

Stam paired with Peter Schep while Slippens was recuperating.

Stam paired with Peter Schep while Slippens was recuperating. (Image credit: Luc Claessen)

The rejuvenated Dutch duo of Robert Slippens and Danny Stam took the overall victory of the Amsterdam Six Day on Saturday night. The duo had trailed last year's winners Iljo Keisse and Robert Bartko by one lap after four nights, but were able to get a lap up and take over the lead on night five, with only Erik Zabel and partner Leif Lampater ahead on points.

On the final night, Slippens and Stam defended their position on the lead lap, and Slippens was just fast enough to slip ahead of Zabel in the sprint to take the overall victory by three slim points. Keisse and Bartko failed to regain their lost lap and finished in third.

The result was a triumph for Slippens, who was severely injured in a crash in August 2006, and had difficulty finding his top form in the 2007-2008 season.

In the Grenoble Six Day, Danes Michael Mørkøv and Alex Rasmussen lead Germans Roger Kluge and Olaf Pollack after three nights.

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