In 1926: living at the edge of time - Monoskop

SIX-DAY RACES 205
day environment (Kisch, 228-229). [see Elevators, Roof Gardens] According
to its intrinsic rules, the world of six-day racing is most animated
in the late evening and the wee hours, whereas "neutralization time"
coincides with that part of the day during which labor in offices and
production plants is most intense. Conversely, the distribution of seats
in the arenas, which, except for the morning hours, are regularly sold
out, repeats and dramatizes the social structures of the everyday world.
The bleachers, far away from the racetrack, are occupied by a proletarian
crowd which is mainly interested in the competition as an athletic performance.
The ringside seats, however, are a favorite meeting place for
the demimonde. In addition to this elementary hierarchization, a bridge
above the cyclists connects the seating area to the enclosure at the center
of the track-but it is accessible only to those who are willing to pay a
sizable additional fee. On this interior "stage," surrounded by the speeding
racers, a show much like a revue is taking place. Popular bands play
loud music, chorus girls swing their legs, bartenders offer alcoholic
drinks with exotic names, and high-class prostitutes approach customers
before thousands of spectators. [see Bars, Revues] In the middle of this
performance by professionals and wealthy parvenus, a man with a megaphone
orchestrates the rhythm of the six-day world. He keeps the crowd
informed about the progress of the competition, announces the sponsors
and prizes for individual chases, and introduces bands, singers, and
celebrities. In his role, the fascination with movement and rhythm, the
interest in the limits of physical performance, and a voyeuristic participation
in the sex market converge. Through the announcer's voice, the
diverse crowd of the six-day races becomes intoxicated with the echo of
its own excitement.
Squeezed in between the racetrack and the central space reserved for
bands, bars, and the demimonde is a row of thirteen boxes which, for
six days, are the residences of the competing athletes. Here they sleep
and eat, take warm baths, and are massaged by their trainers. All their
activities can be observed from the seats, and the privileged spectators in
the center can even talk and shake hands with them. Fascinated by such
proximity, the French writer Edgar Morand registers every detail in the
life of the six-day racing heroes: "The racers' area had been pushed
toward the end of the track, near the bend. Each man had a little wooden
house with a cot closed off by curtains. Stenciled letters read: 'Velox
Station,' 'Petitmathieu Team,' 'Van den Hoven.' A spotlight lit up the