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2007 Cyclo-cross World Championships - CM
Hooglede-Gits, Belgium, January 27-28, 2007
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Race 2 - January 27: Under 23
Boom too strong for Albert
Dutch elite champion easily beats U23 field
By Brecht Decaluwé in Hooglede-Gits
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"Flexibility was most important on this course, and the long straight sections were in my favour with my background as road cyclist," Boom said. On the second lap, the Dutch man unleashed his power on the slippery course of Hooglede-Gits.
"During the first lap I didn't feel that great, especially when Albert was climbing that well," Boom explained his thoughts early on. "But during the next lap, I felt much better and when I noticed the others were making mistakes, I didn't hesitate."
Boom attacked on the hard climb halfway the second lap and managed a serious gap by drilling himself through the 35 metres long sand section just after the climb. From then on, the Dutch elite champion continued to stretch his lead on the pursuers metre by metre ending up with a 1'22" over Albert at the finish line.
"I had one goal this season and I managed to achieve it. Now I can focus on winning a winning a cyclo-cross world title in every category, just like Radomir Simunek did… Simunek senior!" the Dutch man expressed his future ambitions. "This season I'll ride four more cyclo-cross races, and then I'm off with the road team to Portugal, and next year I'll do some more cyclo-cross," the new world champion promised. He also told the Belgian TV station Sporza that he would race the elite category next year, despite being only 21 this year.
Belgian U23 champion Albert couldn't live up to the high expectations and was never in contention for the victory. He tried to fight back, but in vain. Albert initially enjoyed the company of the surprisingly strong French Romain Villa, but easily dropped him later on.
"I came here to win, but Lars [Boom] was super strong, there's nothing you can do about that," a disappointed Albert said. Albert then waxed lyrical," I guess the sun will set tonight anyway, not caring about whether I won or lost today… I really needed a super day to [take a] win from Boom, and I only enjoyed a good day."
Boom's freshnees could have been the decisive factor today as the Dutch man raced only his seventh cyclo-cross race today, but Albert denied this was the deciding factor, "It's somewhat important, but first of all, I needed a super day."
Boom laughed about it saying, "Seven is my lucky number!"
Albert still wants the title and said he would remain an U23 rider next season. "I'll do the same races like last year, so I'll race in the GvA-trophy again where I want to excel. But the most important thing is to get rid of that hole in my palmarès," a competitive Albert said.
Disappointed with the lack of suspense at the front of the race, we looked further back in the field for exciting duels, but third place also enjoyed a race on his own. "I'm not really surprised with this result as I came here to finish on the podium; actually this is the same podium like in Hoogerheide last week," an emotional Villa said about this third place finish.
The US riders couldn't extract any magic from Danny Summerhill's great performance earlier today and finished far back; Jamey Driscoll finished 36th, and all the other US-riders got lapped. Cyclingnews talked with Chance Noble (39th) at the finish line and asked if he was happy with this performance.
"I'm neutral, I wanted to finish in the top-40 but it's been a long season and I'm feeling pretty tired now," Noble said.
How it unfolded
Supported by a winter sun, 62 young riders got under way in Hooglede-Gits, where 15,000 spectators looked on waiting to find a successor for Zdenek Stybar. Lars Boom managed the hole shot followed by all the major favourites like Niels Albert, Zdenek Stybar, Romain Villa and Rafael Visinelli.
US riders Jamey Driscoll and Daniel Neyens were involved in a crash at the back. The top favourites Albert and Boom pulled through by the end of that lap, developing a small gap on the first riders of the bunch. They got caught, but when Boom unleashed his forces on the tough climb before the sandy section, nobody could answer. Albert and Villa got away in pursuit of Boom but kept losing ground on the skinny Dutch man. One lap later, Albert easily escaped Villa and from then on, focused on holding second place.
The rest of the race offered little action. Boom extended his lead continuously on Albert, and of course on the rest of the field. Britain's Ian Field managed an alright 16th place despite being injured recently.
Boom's high speed caused my riders to be lapped. Only 37 escaped the claws of the Dutch champion--Driscoll was the only American to do so.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Brecht Decaluwé/Cyclingnews.com
- Boom leads Albert who checks his back
- Kloucek leads a chasing group with Peeters and Vanthourenhout and Heitmann
- Rafael Visinelli and Zdenek Stybar
- Visinelli slips trough one of the corners of Hooglede
- Rob Peeters leads Philipp Walsleben
- Jamey Driscoll crashed early on but kept fighting
- Daniel Neyens searching for a good line
- Brian Zengeni from the Zimbabwe team
- Lars Boom unlocks his shoe for a tricky corner
- Niels Albert couldn't catch up with Lars Boom
- Romain Villa rode in third position
- Former world champion Zdenek Stybar finished fourth
- Rafael Visinelli ended up fifth
- Ian Field rode a good race
- Yu Takenouchi from Japan rides in Flanders fields
- Villa is almost at the finish
- We run into Danny Summerhill, junior silver earlier today, on the course
- Lars Boom rides up to the final straight
- Zdenek Stybar explaining why he couldn't extend his world title
- Niels Albert was clearly disappointed, in contrary to Villa and Boom
- Lars Boom was emotional on the podium
- Romain Villa received his bronze medal
- Niels Albert can show some sort of smile for his silver medal
- Lars Boom with the world champions jersey
- Lars Boom enjoys the sound of the wilheminus, the national anthem
- Niels Albert musing away
- Lars Boom realizing what he just pulled off
- Staring to some flags...
- The u23 podium: Niels Albert, Lars Boom, Romain Villa
- The u23 podium: Niels Albert, Lars Boom, Romain Villa
- Kids playing with champagne
- Nipping the champagne...
- real gold?
- Former world champion Daniele Pontoni spotted around the course
- Romain Villa at the press conference
- Lars Boom at the press conference
Images by Nancy Wright/www.wAbbiOrca.com
- Allez, Allez Zimbabwe!
- Oh the bells (and very large crowds).
- Huge crowds greeted the U23 field.
- Crowds six deep in some parts greeted the U23 field.
- Boom! Lars Boom (Ned) put the hammer down early while Romain Villa (France) chases.
- Chance Nobel (USA).
- Jamey Driscoll (USA).
- Tetsuya Fujioka (JPN).
- Gorden Martin (Zimbabwe).
- Niels Albert (Bel), encouraged by his home crowd, tries to catch Lars Boom.
- Romain Villa (France) puts his all into what turns out to be a fine third place in the U23s.
- 2006 World Champ Zdenek Stybar (Cze) gets fourth today.
- Ninth place Rafael Visinelli (Italy).
- Daniel Neyens (USA).
- Yudai Izawa (JPN).
- Niels Albert (Bel), attempting to catch Lars Boom.
- Daniel Neyens (USA).
- Charles Tobias Marzot (USA).
- Brian Zengeni (Zimbabwe).
- Lars Boom (Ned) - 2007 U23 Cyclo-cross World Champion.
- Chance Nobel (USA) up the stairs in front of a large crowd.
- Flags of the U23 podium.
- High heels and champagne.
- U23 Podium: Niels Albert (second), Lars Boom (first), Romain Villa (third).
Images by Mitch Clinton/www.clintonphoto.com
- Lars Boom (Ned) focused like a laser beam!
- Romain Villa (Fra) near the finish.
- Podium.
- Lars Boom (Ned) powers through the sand pit.
- Niels Albert (Bel) fights to keep his balance in the sand.
- Rob Peters in the sand.
- Jamey Driscoll (USA) struggled through the sand pit.
- Niels Albert (Bel) just a few turns from the finish.
Images by PhotoSport International
- Full podium.
- Boom, a deserving victor.
- The bunch approach the climb.
- Boom breaks from the bunch.
- Albert climbing.
- Boom conquers the stairs.
- Albert approaching the finish line with daylight on either side of him.
- Albert approaches the climb.
- Boom celebrates as he crosses the line.
- Lars Boom takes the 2007 title in style.
- The bunch passes through a large crowed.
- A Great Britain rider on the climb.
- A rider descends the hill.
- Jamey Driscoll.
Images by John Pierce/PhotoSport International
- Ian Field of Great Britain
- Shaun Adamson
- Kyle Douglas
Images by Mark Legg
- Jamey Driscoll, USA heads to the start
- Former World Champion Danielle Pontoni gives some last minute encouragement to Rafael Visinelli (Italy)
- USGP Boulder Cup race organiser Chris Grelish was in attendence in his Primus Mootry orange jumpsuit
- The U23 riders wait for the start
- Lars Boom is hard to miss at the start of the U-23 race
- The view some of the riders had of the race
- Lar’s Boom, a man racing among boys
- Last year’s winner Zdenek Stybar (Czech Republic) would finish out of the medals in 4th
- Romain Villa (France) on the way to a Bronze medal
- The Dutch team have new skinsuits this year
- Zimbabwe riders appear in a reality TV show every week in Belgium, Allez Zimbabwe!
- One of the few times Belgian rider Niels Albert (Belgium) would see race winner Lars Boom (Netherlands) in the race
- French rider suffering in the mud
- Some days are better spent in bed
- Jamey Driscoll (USA) finishes in 36th position
Results
1 Lars Boom (Netherlands) 53.53 2 Niels Albert (Belgium) 1.22 3 Romain Villa (France) 1.44 4 Zdenek Stybar (Czech Republic) 2.29 5 Philipp Walsleben (Germany) 2.49 6 Lukes Kloucek (Czech Republic) 2.56 7 Jonathan Lopez (France) 3.04 8 Rob Peeters (Belgium) 3.10 9 Rafael Visinelli (Italy) 3.22 10 Ricardo van der Velde (Netherlands) 3.25 11 Finn Heitmann (Germany) 3.37 12 Aurelien Duval (France) 3.39 13 Robert Gavenda (Slovakia) 4.23 14 Eddy van Yzendoorn (Netherlands) 4.45 15 Tom van den Bosch (Belgium) 4.55 16 Ian Field (Great Britain) 5.02 17 Quentin Bertholet (Belgium) 5.07 18 Frantisek Kloucek (Czech Republic) 5.11 19 Davide Malacarne (Italy) 5.19 20 Thijs van Amerongen (Netherlands) 5.25 21 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Luxembourg) 5.30 22 Romain Lejeune (France) 5.40 23 Lukas Flückiger (Switzerland) 5.52 24 Renè Lang (Switzerland) 5.56 25 Dieter Vanthourenhout (Belgium) 6.12 26 Ondrej Bambula (Czech Republic) 27 David Menger (Czech Republic) 28 Patrick van Leeuwen (Netherlands) 29 Marcel Wildhaber (Switzerland) 30 Christian Cominelli (Italy) 31 Sascha Weber (Germany) 32 Florian Lecorre (France) 33 Yannik Tiedt (Germany) 34 Mauro Gonzalez Fontana (Spain) 35 Marcin Sobiepanek (Poland) 36 James Driscoll (USA) 37 Marco Fontana (Italy) One lap down 38 Hugo-Alfonso Martinez Rus (Spain) 39 Chance Noble (USA) 40 Kim Michely (Luxembourg) 41 David Romanowski (Poland) 42 Yu Takenouchi Japan 43 Sylvester Janiszewski (Poland) 44 David Claerebout (Luxembourg) 45 Adam Bycka (Poland) 46 Daniel Neyens (USA) 47 Charles Marzot (USA) 48 Gabriele Mercante (Italy) 49 Tomaz Repinski (Poland) 50 Kyle Douglas (Canada) 51 Tetsuya Fujioka Japan 52 Brian Kumbiria Zengeni (Zimbabwe) 53 Brian Robinson (Canada) 54 Gordon Martin (Zimbabwe) 55 Aaron Schooler (Canada) 56 Ydai Izawa (Japan) 57 Shaun Adamson (Canada)
