Luke Roberts, despite a long track career, makes his debut in the Amsterdam Velodrome this week during the six-day. He rides with Aaron Gate, showing him the way and rebuilding after a recent crash.

"My heart stays on the track," Roberts said last night to the official race website. "I grew up as a track rider. I turned pro late into my career; I was already Olympic Champion on the track when I joined team CSC at 27 or 28. I kept coming back, though, doing one or two six-days a year. Now, towards the end of my career, this is the first time I've come to Amsterdam. It's great to be able to have the time to race it."

The 36-year-old Aussie sat in Velodrome's infield in his yellow, team De Telegraaf jersey. Team-mate Gate prepared for the third night's racing beside him and riders zipped around the Velodrome above.

He won the Grenoble six-day in 2009 and team pursuit gold medals in the Olympics and World Championships. After a stronger focus on the road with team CSC/Saxo Bank, Roberts longed to return to the velodrome. He switched to a smaller third division road team, Stölting-Ruhr, this season and had more time to do so.

The Amsterdam Six-Day, however, will serve mostly as a stepping stone towards the next events. Roberts broke his collarbone in a crash two months ago, at the end of August, racing a smaller three-day event.

"I'm building back into shape," added Roberts. "The first two nights were tough, but I'm getting better."

Roberts is also passing along his knowledge to 22-year-old Kiwi partner and the reigning Omnium World Champion. It is not only Gate's first time to race in Amsterdam but it is also his first proper six-day after crashing in Fiorenzuola this summer.

"Six-day racing is a lot different than a world championship or a world cup. Racing over six days, many different events every night... it's quite tough and to save yourself, you have to use a quite smaller gear than you would normally. Plus, it's a smaller track, which makes a big big difference. It was quite a shock to Aaron on the first night."

More and more riders came into the velodrome. Roberts would soon join them and race the night's opening Madison. He said that he and Gate must concentrate.

"The Madison on a smaller track requires a lot more concentration. With a lot of teams taking laps, you have to not only concentrate on what your doing and where you are riding, so you don't cause an accident, but you also have to concentrate on whose taking what lap," Roberts added. "It takes several six-day races until it becomes automatic, where you don't have to keep track of who's on what lap without having to check the scoreboard."

After this track season, Roberts returns to the road and his studies. He is obtaining a coaching license so that when he retires, in one or two year's time, he can continue in the world he loves.