MY SENSATIONAL SIX DAY DEBUT

I was fortunate enough to be invited to last week's Rotterdam Six Day - my first time experiencing this kind of event, on a 200m track I'd never ridden before. When the opportunity arose, I knew it was something I wanted to do. A Six Day is unlike anything else; the atmosphere is electric, the air feels thicker somehow as the music, heat and anticipation mix into something that livestreams never quite capture.

- MATT RICHARDSON

There were six sprinters competing: Harrie Lavreysen, Jeffrey Hoogland, Marcus Hiley, Daan Kool, Loris Leneman and me. Everything starts later than people expect. We arrived at the velodrome long before the crowds appeared, sipping coffee and checking gears. The warm-up then began on the rollers, before the venue transformed into an amazing show: lights flashing, music pumping, and t