Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team rider iljo Keisse and teammate Silvan Dillier won Six Days of Zurich on Saturday, adding another win to the OPQS three-discipline tally in 2013.
Keisse and Dillier were just five points outside the lead going into the final day, and were in second place even the first two days. Keisse's track victory brings the total for OPQS to 60.
Keisse's victory in Zurich means he opened and closed the 2013 race season for OPQS with wins. Keisse and OPQS rider Niki Terpstra also won Six Days of Rotterdam in January.
"When we entered into the last race of the week I thought that it would have been difficult for us to win this race," Keisse said. "It was a little bit the same scenario in Six Days of Gent. We were fighting to come back, but in the end we didn't make it. We were 25 points behind. We started racing, everyone was really tired after the night before because it was really hard. But 20 laps to go on the last night, the group exploded. We went for the lap, me and Silvan, and we were able to close the gap on everyone. De Ketele and De Buyst tried to do the same but were unable to make it by a few meters. So, we won this race and to be honest I am quite happy because of it. For me, it is a bit of revenge after the 2nd place in Gent. Before Gent I worked really hard to try and win the race of my hometown. Everybody knows how much I love that race. Now, winning in Zurich is a good compensation for all the work I did in the last weeks."
This is the second victory in Zurich for Keisse. He won in 2011 with Franco Marvulli.
"Now I am at home, tired," Keisse said. "After a Six Days race, when it's possible, I prefer to go back home immediately and enjoy the day after with my family. My next race on the track will be the 5th of December in Copenhagen. Then I will fly to Spain for the team training camp. I am looking forward to the upcoming training camp with OPQS."
Six Days of Zurich Final
1. Iljo Keisse/Silvan Dillier: 258 points
2. Kenny De Ketele/Jasper De Buyst: 283 points (+1 lap)
3. David Muntaner/Albert Torres: 182 points (+3 laps)
