Kermesse in French and Kermis in Dutch mean carnival so when a kermess is raced its basically a carnival with a bike race around the town. Kermess lengths usually range from 100-130km on 3 to 15km laps often on technical circuits or up a steep hill or, my personal favorite, cobble sections. Unlike UCI races which put on the other races, Kermess racing is put on by the local townsfolk. In other words, the Belgian Mafia run the kermess racing scene. To go along with the Belgian Mafia is the racers who are usually retired or ex-pros. So they have quite a bit of time to train and race practically all week long. Next thing, the Kermess racing is divided into two categories: Elite/without contract/u23 and Pro/with contract. In the Elite kermesses, there is no anti-doping control, if there is somehow anti-doping control then the fields are a lot smaller. Now the best Kermess racers are the best because of the following: no anti-doping control, they know a bookie (people can bet on any kermess races), and they are in a league or alliance together with one another. In each race, there are about 10-12 kermess kings sometimes more or less depending on the size of the payout. They all know each other and know what the odds are on that rider to win. So they ride to make the break and when they do they decide which rider is the most beneficial to ride for (who can make everybody the most money, or if that rider is racing in his hometown). If one of the kermess kings does not make the break, they immediately drop out and drive to the next kermess race (races are held at 2pm, 3, 5, 6). So if he misses the break in the 3pm kermess, he has time to drive to the next one and make the break in the 6pm race. A very regular occurrence.
Let's say that you make the break with those riders. You will be approached and asked to not sprint or to not win for $x amount of euros. If you agree then you get the money if you play it right. If you dont agree, they either ride you off the break or crash you and you will never be allowed to make the break again.
These Kermess Kings do not claim the prize money because they receive unemployment checks from the government. They make the real money (and quite a bit too) from the betting as the bookies are aligned with the racers. In other words, its a fixed race. It is a freaking hard fixed race though. I have raced kermesses and watched the Tour de l'Avenir winner, Jan Bakelandts get dropped from a break. Our directors would come up to us before the race and point at the Kermess Kings saying this guy beat Boonen last weekend in a pro kermess. Or this guy dropped Devolder in a kermess last year. It is scary...
Okay so I am back in Luxembourg training for Tarragona which starts June 2nd. Promise to try to give updates. We should have internet there...
Later,
David
1 comments:
Nice intro to the secret world of Kermess racing. Lets hope the Kermess mafia doesn't read this. No breaks for you in that case?
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