Due to illness affecting the organiser Christian Stoll, this year’s Six Days of Hanover has been cancelled. A statement on the race website said that the December 15th to 20th event would be called off due to a ‘severe depression’ affecting Stoll, which it stated has led to him receiving immediate inpatient treatment.
Stoll and sporting director Erik Zabel had been working on the lineup for the race and indicated last week that it was hoped that European Madison champions Iljo Keisse and Kenny DeKetele would take part.
Already confirmed were multiple world champion and Olympic champion Robert Bartko, reigning German champions Robert Bengsch and Marcel Kalz, Swiss star Franco Marvulli plus Leif Lampater, Christian and Benjamin Grasmann Edmüller.
The race had been held ten times between 1913 and 1981, and Stoll was attempting to bring it back after a thirty year absence. His illness unfortunately means that this will not now be the case.
The news is a blow to German cycling, which was counting on the race’s return. When it was discussed in the Bremer Weser-Kurier newspaper one year ago, the German cycling federation's vice-president Udo Sprenger said then that it was important for the country’s scene.
“Our track riders, the endurance racers as well as the sprinters need races to develop further. For cycling, it's a positive development that we urgently need.”
At the time, Stoll had also said that he hoped to resurrect the Six Day race in Köln in November 2012. VeloNation would like to wish him a quick and complete recovery.