Belgian national champion Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet) won the first international cyclo-cross race of the European season in Erpe Mere, with a blistering sprint on the uphill finish.
Nys beat Bart Aernouts (Rabo-Giant Offroad Team) in the sprint, with Kevin Pauwels (Telenet-Fidea) completing the podium of the Steenbergcross race, 1 seconds down.
With conditions in Belgium dry, the race was extremely fast and Nys attacked during the second lap and only Klaas Vantornout and Bart Aernouts were able to go after him. Vantornout tried his own attack but went out of contention due to a mechanical problem.
Nys and Aernouts stayed away to fight out the sprint on the uphill finish but Nys was far faster and took his fifth victory in the Belgian season-opener.
World champion Zdenek Stybar (Telenet-Fidea) delayed his season debut until next weekend but Nys already seems the biggest threat to his dominance of the off-road winter.
Results
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | ||
| 2 | Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabo - Giant Offroad Team. | ||
| 3 | Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Telenet Fidea Cycling Team | ||
| 4 | Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus | ||
| 5 | Tom Meeusen (Bel) Telenet Fidea Cycling Team | ||
| 6 | Bart Wellens (Bel) Telenet Fidea Cycling Team | ||
| 7 | Philipp Walsleben (Ger) BKCP-Powerplus | ||
| 8 | Steve Chainel (Fra) | ||
| 9 | Enrico Franzoi (Ita) BKCP-Powerplus | ||
| 10 | Joeri Adams (Bel) Rabobank | ||
| 11 | Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Sunweb Revor | ||
| 12 | Jim Aernouts (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus | ||
| 13 | Rob Peeters (Bel) Telenet Fidea Cycling Team | ||
| 14 | Tom Van Den Bosch (Bel) AA Drink Cycling Team | ||
| 15 | Ian Field (GBr) | ||
| 16 | Arnaud Jouffroy (Fra) BKCP-Powerplus | ||
| 17 | Gerben De Knegt (Ned) Rabo - Giant Offroad Team. | ||
| 18 | Mariusz Gil (Pol) Baboco - Revor Cycling Team | ||
| 19 | Kenneth Van Compernolle (Bel) Sunweb Revor | ||
| 20 | Jiri Polnicky (Cze) Sunweb Revor | ||
| 21 | Jelle Brackman (Bel) MTB dreamteam | ||
| 22 | Radomir Simunek (Cze) BKCP-Powerplus | ||
| 23 | Jens Adams (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus | ||
| 24 | Karel Hnik (Cze) Telenet Fidea Cycling Team | ||
| 25 | Ben Berden (Bel) Qin Cycling Team | ||
| 26 | Egoitz Murgoitio Rekalde (Spa) | ||
| 27 | Gianni Denolf (Bel) Baboco - Revor Cycling Team | ||
| 28 | Nicolas Bazin (Fra) | ||
| 29 | Arnaud Grand (Swi) | ||
| 30 | Robby Cobbaert (Bel) SDC - Rogelli Cycling Team | ||
| 31 | Vincent Baestaens (Bel) Telenet Fidea Cycling Team | ||
| 32 | Kobus Hereygers (Ned) ZZPR.NL | ||
| 33 | Micki van Empel (Ned) ZZPR.NL | ||
| 34 | Gianni Vermeersch (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus | ||
| 35 | Tommy Nielsen (Den) | ||
| 36 | Geert Wellens (Bel) Scott USA Cycling Team | ||
| 37 | Kenneth Hansen (Den) | ||
| 38 | Xabier Garcia Irazola (Spa) | ||
| 39 | Daniel Ruiz Echeandia (Spa) | ||
| 40 | Benedikt Jobb (Ger) | ||
| 41 | Stijn Heyse (Bel) Team CATA bikes bianchi | ||
| 42 | Wim Allary (Bel) Koninklijke Brugse Velosport VZW | ||
| 43 | Alberto Candelas Caballero (Spa) |
