For the 75th edition, the organizers of the Gent Six-Day have decided to honor the world champions on home soil. No less than eight Belgians will be at the start.

Fifty years after their first six-day victory in Ghent, Patrick Sercu and Eddy Merckx will kick off the action at the anniversary edition on Tuesday, November 17.

Jasper De Buyst won the last two editions and wpuld be delighted to complete his hat-trick. He will try to achieve the goal alongside the rider with whom he took bronze at the World Championships earlier this year, Otto Vergaerde. Kenny De Ketele is also making a bid for a third victory. Together with Gijs Van Hoecke with whom he became world champion in 2012, De Ketele wants to conquer 't Kuipke again.

Iljo Keisse is also back in action. Keisse forms a strong duo with Michael Morkov. The Dane has been a fixture on the six-day circuit. Morkov has no less than 11 overall victories on his palmares. In 2009 he won in Ghent alongside Alex Rasmussen. Rasmussen will be riding with another Dane, MarcHester.

Keisse is not the only Belgian to be riding with a foreign winner. Moreno De Pauw will team up with the strong Frenchman and current world madison champion Morgan Kneisky. Kneisky has no less than three world titles to his palmares.

Youngster Lindsay De Vilder will make his debut in Ghent and he will have a strong partner. Spaniard David Muntaner was madison world champon in Cali last year and will support De Vilder in his first participation. Stijn Steels finally will form a pair with German veteran Andreas Müller who is a former European champion.

In addition to the Danish duo Rasmussen-Hester, Lotto Z6sdaagse Flanders-Ghent  will also welcome the Dutch duo Havik-Vingerling, the German duo Kalz-Grassmann, the Swiss duo Marguet-Imhof and two Dutchmen with international teammates. Melvin Van Zijl will be riding with Briton Christopher Lawless and Nick Stöpler will be joined by Dane Jesper Morkov, the younger brother of Michael Morkov.

"Race director Patrick Sercu has once again put together a brilliant field of competitors," said organizer Rob Discart. "The 75th edition of the Lotto Z6sdaagse Flanders-Ghent is dominated by our Belgian world elite. Belgium has always had top riders in the six-day races and that is still the case. Therefore, this edition is a tribute to our home-grown boys .

"In every six day you see a Belgian near the front. Recently, we had the Belgian victory of Kenny De Ketele and Moreno De Pauw in London, where Keisse and Van Hoecke were third. Our track riders have a great future. Therefore, this 75th edition pays tribute to the Belgians."