Everything is ready in Ghent for the most anticipated autumn event, namely the Lotto Six Days of Flanders-Ghent. From Tuesday 18th to Sunday 23rd, there will be great spectacle at the Kuipke Velodrome!

For the first time in 13 years, Ghent will welcome the Belgian world champions in Madison: Fabio Van den Bossche and Lindsay De Vylder will be the protagonists of the 84th edition. And with G-track specialist Niels Verschaeren, a third Belgian world champion will also take to the track at the Kuipke stadium next week.

In 2012, Kenny De Ketele and Gijs Van Hoecke wore the world jersey at the Lotto Six Days of Flanders-Ghent; this year, the honor goes to Fabio Van den Bossche and Lindsay De Vylder, a pair who will be competing in Ghent for the first time. Last year, Van den Bossche won the overall victory together with Frenchman Benjamin Thomas, who this year forms a pair with his compatriot Oscar Nilsson-Julien. De Vylder, for his part, already has two overall victories in Ghent.

In addition to Van den Bossche/De Vylder and Thomas/Nilsson-Julien, Jasper De Buyst and Elia Viviani, who distinguished himself at the World Championships in Chile with a gold medal in the elimination race, are among the big favorites along with the Dutch Yanne Dorenbos and Vincent Hoppezak, current European Madison champions. And watch out for Jules Hesters, who was born and lives in Ghent, racing with another very fast Dutchman, the experienced Yoeri Havik.

The Germans Roger Kluge and Tim Torn Teutenberg combine experience with young talent: earlier this year, Teutenberg won three gold medals at the Heusden-Zolder Track Cycling European Championships. Another prominent German to keep an eye on is Moritz Augenstein: the scratch world champion will make his debut in Ghent with Dutch rider Philip Heijnen as his teammate.

Among the women, the star is certainly Lotte Kopecky who will challenge her compatriots Lucia Vierstraete, Lani Wittevrongel, Laerke Expeels, Katrijn De Clercq, Shari Bossuyt and Laura Fivé, Norwegian Anita Stenberg, Dutch Yuli van der Molen, French Clemence Chereau and the very young Italian Anita Baima.

The Italian tricolor will also fly in the Under 23 Six Days: among the 12 competing pairs, there will also be Italians Davide Stella and Matteo Fiorin.

ELITE RACE PAIRS

Fabio van den Bossche e Lidsay De Vylder (Bel)
Yanne Dorenbos e Vincent Hoppezak (Ned)
Benjamin Thomas e Oscar Nilsson-Julien (Fra)
Roger Kluge e Tim Torn Teutenberg (Ger)
Moritz Augestein (Ger) e Philip Heijnen (Ned)
Yoeri Havik (Ned) e Jules Hesters (Bel)
Noah Vandenbranden e Gianluca Pollefliet (Bel)
Mark Stewart (Gbr) e Tom Crabbe (Bel)
Milan Van den Haute (Bel) e Clement Petit (Fra)
Michele Scartezzini (Ita) e Thibaut Bernard (Bel)
Nolan Huysmans e Matijs Van Strijthem (Bel)
Jasper De Buyst (Bel) e Elia Viviani (Ita)