Former winner Moreno de Pauw performs in Ghent with his enthusiastic guest: “Exhausting fun” | Lotto sang six days

“I haven’t been here for 3 years,” Moreno De Pauw says during the second evening of the Ghent Six Days programme. “Now I feel like I’m coming home, because this is the place where I collected my best memories.”

“I won a copy here, but I also set many records. They have already been broken, but I still get goosebumps when I think about how the audience celebrated.”

“It feels like forever, but Ghent can’t be compared to anywhere else. The atmosphere here remains magical.”

And now De Pauw is back as the lead. On Tuesday he made his debut for Derney.

“It’s a little less intense than riding here as a rider, but you have to stay focused. It’s not just about riding a motorcycle.”

“I know what’s expected of me, but just because you ride behind the dernie as a passenger doesn’t mean you can ride it well yourself.”

“As a driver, you set the pace and the lines, and the rider has to follow you. That’s a big difference.”

He added: “We also look at how the race is going and rely on our intuition. I still have a lot to learn in this area, I have to admit frankly. They haven’t put the big stars behind me yet, but that’s completely normal.”

De Pauw, an agent in everyday life, is clearly enjoying his new role. “It’s exhausting and fun. It’s a hobby that’s gotten out of control, but I’m very happy and we’ll see if I can come back next year.”