Nys wins ahead of Pauwels, Wellens & Stybar

Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet) beat all his main rivals in a muddy edition of the GP Sven Nys, in his hometown Baal. In his new light-green kit Nys ploughed away from his last rival Klaas Vantornout (Sunweb-Revor) in the second of seven laps and he completed a long solo ride in front of his home crowd. It was Nys’ eleventh win in his home race.

“For an entire hour I had goose bumps. It’s been a few years since I dominated like this but I came out of the Christmas week very well and the whole town was standing behind me, united as one,” Nys said on tv-channel Sporza.

After taking it easy in the final laps Nys had a 45 second gap on a well-performing Kevin Pauwels (Sunweb-Revor). The latter extended his lead over world champion Zdenek Stybar (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) in the Gazet van Antwerpen Trophy during this sixth round on New Year’s Day.

“I didn’t expect to finish ahead of Stybar on a course like this,” Pauwels said. Bart Wellens (Telenet-Fidea) was the surprising name on the podium since top guns Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) and Stybar performed below par in Baal. The latter showed up in Baal with a new pink bike from Specialized, a pink helmet and the new team kit from Omega Pharma-Quickstep. Stybar had a super-fast start, then dropped back into eighth position halfway in race but the Czech fought back to finish fourth on the line.

“Maybe I started too fast but I was motivated to show off my new shirt and bike. Then I lost a lot of ground in two laps,” Stybar said.

The battle for second place was the most interesting to watch. Vantornout, Pauwels, Wellens and Albert rode together in the first chase group until the fifth lap. Then Albert cracked, Wellens punctured out of the group and during the penultimate lap Vantornout lost ground too. The tall Belgian struggled while running and he was passed by Wellens.

“Before that I flatted but tried to follow Pauwels and Vantornout which cost a lot of energy; I shouldn’t have done that,” Wellens said.

“Suddenly I saw Vantornout standing there and I realized that everybody can run into problems.”

Stybar profited from Albert and Vantornout during their difficult last laps and he blasted past them. “In the end I started going better and suddenly I realized that fourth place was still an option so I went full gas for that,” Stybar said.

One by one the mud-clad riders rolled towards the finish line. Rob Peeters (Telenet-Fidea) was fifth ahead of Albert, Sven Vanthourenhout (Landbouwkrediet), Bart Aernouts (Rabobank-Giant Off-Road Team). Vantornout eventually came home in a disappointing ninth place. Jonathan Page (Planetbike) showed off his best performance of the season. By sprinting ahead of Martin Zlamalik (KDL-Trans) at the finish he completed the top-10 in Baal. In one week he claimed his second top-10 result in a C1-race this season and his first top-10 in a race that is part of one of the major series.

Full Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet1:00:12
2Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Sunweb-Revor0:00:46
3Bart Wellens (Bel) Telenet-Fidea0:01:10
4Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Quickstep Cycling Team0:01:30
5Rob Peeters (Bel) Telenet-Fidea0:01:40
6Niels Albert (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus0:01:46
7Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Landbouwkrediet0:01:50
8Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabobank-Giant Off-Road Team0:02:16
9Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb-Revor0:02:39
10Jonathan Page (USA) Planet Bike-Blue Bicycles0:02:44
11Martin Zlamalik (Cze) Landbouwkrediet - KDL0:02:49
12Jan Denuwelaere (Bel) Style & Concept0:03:22
13Thijs Van Amerongen (Ned) Team AA Drink-Leontien.nl0:03:28
14Thijs Al (Ned) Team AA Drink-Leontien.nl0:03:42
15Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) BKCP-PowerplusRow 14 - Cell 2
16Mariusz Gil (Pol) Baboco0:04:30
17Patrick Gaudy (Bel) Barracuda0:04:42
18Philipp Walsleben (Ger) BKCP-Powerplus0:05:27
19Kevin Cant (Bel) Van Goethem0:05:35
20Julien Taramarcaz (Swi)0:05:43
21Kenneth Van Compernolle (Bel) Style & Concept Cycling Team0:06:00
22Ben Berden (Bel) Ops Ale-Stoemper0:06:45
23 (-1 lap)Stijn Huys (Bel) Orange BabiesRow 22 - Cell 2
24Bart Hofman (Bel)Row 23 - Cell 2
25Geert Wellens (Bel)Row 24 - Cell 2
26 (-2 laps)Jimmy Tielens (Bel) Team DW BikesRow 25 - Cell 2
27Jo Pirotte (Bel)Row 26 - Cell 2
28Bart Verschueren (Bel) KDL-LandbouwkredietRow 27 - Cell 2
29 (-3 laps)Craig Richey (Can) Renner Custom - RaleighRow 28 - Cell 2
30 (-4 laps)Jeremy Durrin (USA) J.A.M. Fund - NCCRow 29 - Cell 2
31 (-5 laps)Tom Dernies (Bel)Row 30 - Cell 2
32Wouter Been (Ned) WTOS DelftRow 31 - Cell 2
DNFGerben De Knegt (Ned) Rabobank-Giant Off-Road TeamRow 32 - Cell 2
DNFJoeri Adams (Bel) Telenet-FideaRow 33 - Cell 2
DNFVincent Baestaens (Bel) LandbouwkredietRow 34 - Cell 2
DNFRadomir Simunek (Cze) BKCP-PowerplusRow 35 - Cell 2
DNFJim Aernouts (Bel) Sunweb-RevorRow 36 - Cell 2
DNFMarco Bianco (Ita) L´Arcobaleno Carraro TeamRow 37 - Cell 2
DNFDarryn Medhurst (USA)Row 38 - Cell 2
DNFMike Thielemans (Bel)Row 39 - Cell 2
DNFTwan Van Den Brand (Ned) WV SchijndelRow 40 - Cell 2
DNFJohn Spruyt (Bel)Row 41 - Cell 2
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Intermediate sprint
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet3pts
2Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb-Revor2Row 1 - Cell 3
3Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Quickstep Cycling Team1Row 2 - Cell 3
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Fastest lap
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet0:08:27
2Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb-Revor0:08:29
3Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Quickstep Cycling Team0:08:39
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GVA Trofee classification after 6 rounds
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Sunweb-Revor135pts
2Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Quickstep Cycling Team119Row 1 - Cell 3
3Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet107Row 2 - Cell 3
4Niels Albert (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus98Row 3 - Cell 3
5Bart Wellens (Bel) Telenet-Fidea85Row 4 - Cell 3
6Tom Meeusen (Bel) Telenet-Fidea73Row 5 - Cell 3
7Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabobank-Giant Off-Road Team72Row 6 - Cell 3
8Rob Peeters (Bel) Telenet-Fidea67Row 7 - Cell 3
9Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb-Revor60Row 8 - Cell 3
10Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Landbouwkrediet58Row 9 - Cell 3
11Jan Denuwelaere (Bel) Style & Concept Cycling Team52Row 10 - Cell 3
12Thijs Van Amerongen (Ned) Team AA Drink-Leontien.nl59Row 11 - Cell 3
13Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus44Row 12 - Cell 3
14Mariusz Gil (Pol) Baboco38Row 13 - Cell 3
15Joeri Adams (Bel) Telenet-Fidea36Row 14 - Cell 3
16Gerben De Knegt (Ned) Rabobank-Giant Off-Road Team31Row 15 - Cell 3
17Martin Zlamalik (Cze) Landbouwkrediet - KDL28Row 16 - Cell 3
18Jonathan Page (USA) Planet Bike-Blue Bicycles24Row 17 - Cell 3
19Vincent Baestaens (Bel) Landbouwkrediet23Row 18 - Cell 3
20Radomir Simunek (Cze) BKCP-Powerplus20Row 19 - Cell 3
21Kenneth Van Compernolle (Bel) Style & Concept Cycling Team15Row 20 - Cell 3
22Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank14Row 21 - Cell 3
23Marcel Meisen (Ger) Eddy Merckx-Indeland13Row 22 - Cell 3
24Mitchell Huenders (Ned) Ruiter Dakkapellen WielerteamRow 23 - Cell 2 Row 23 - Cell 3
24Philipp Walsleben (Ger) BKCP-PowerplusRow 24 - Cell 2 Row 24 - Cell 3
24Thijs Al (Ned) Team AA Drink-Leontien.nl12pts
24Aurelien Duval (Fra) U.V.Aube11Row 26 - Cell 3
24Patrick Gaudy (Bel) Barracuda8Row 27 - Cell 3
24Robert Gavenda (Svk) Landbouwkrediet - KDL7Row 28 - Cell 3
24Tom Van Den Bosch (Bel) Team AA Drink-Leontien.nl5Row 29 - Cell 3
24Dave De Cleyn (Bel)Row 30 - Cell 2 Row 30 - Cell 3
24Kevin Cant (Bel) Van Goethem4pts
24Jim Aernouts (Bel) Sunweb-RevorRow 32 - Cell 2 Row 32 - Cell 3
24Niels Wubben (Ned) Rabobank-Giant Off-Road Team3pts
24Simon Zahner (Swi) BMC Racing TeamRow 34 - Cell 2 Row 34 - Cell 3
24Sascha Weber (Ger)Row 35 - Cell 2 Row 35 - Cell 3
24Egoitz Murgoitio (Spa)2pts
24Marco Bianco (Ita) L´Arcobaleno Carraro TeamRow 37 - Cell 2 Row 37 - Cell 3
24Julien Taramarcaz (Swi)1Row 38 - Cell 3
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Sprint classification
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Quickstep Cycling Team10pts
2Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet8Row 1 - Cell 3
3Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Sunweb-Revor6Row 2 - Cell 3
4Niels Albert (Bel) BKCP-PowerplusRow 3 - Cell 2 Row 3 - Cell 3
5Bart Wellens (Bel) Telenet-Fidea3pts
6Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb-RevorRow 5 - Cell 2 Row 5 - Cell 3
7Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank2pts
8Rob Peeters (Bel) Telenet-Fidea1Row 7 - Cell 3

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