6 Daagse van Antwerpen 1981

This 1981 poster promotes the 6 Daagse van Antwerpen, an indoor six-day track cycling event at Antwerp’s Sportpaleis. The striking graphic design balances minimalistic typography and bold geometric lines—“Sportpaleis” is slanted in large red letters, intersected by a partial bicycle frame that seamlessly integrates with the date below. The tight use of red and black on white emphasizes the number “6,” cleverly surfacing just beside the bike illustration. The effect is both modern and sleek, suggesting speed, endurance, and the cyclical nature of six-day racing.

In 1981, the event was won by the Dutch-Belgian duo René Pijnen and Fons De Wolf; this marked Pijnen’s impressive seventh victory at Antwerp. German rider Wilfried Peffgen, another celebrated six-day specialist, teamed with Belgian Stan Tourné to place second. The poster does justice to the race’s prestige, marrying clean design with the international energy of six-day cycling at one of Belgium’s premier velodromes.

The event was sponsored by Wynn’s, a global automotive additives company known for backing motorsport and cycling events during the era.

This poster has been archivally and professionally linen-backed.

Virtually all original vintage posters of this era were viewed as temporary advertising and were printed on fragile, thin paper. While expensive, linen backing is a conservation method used to mount, stabilize, preserve, and protect vintage posters so they can be displayed or framed without compromising value.