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Elite men: Plzen

Albert wins World Cup round two in Plzen

By:
Cycling News
Published:
October 18, 2009, 15:13,
Updated:
October 18, 2009, 20:35

World Champ ahead of Nys and Stybar

Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) won his second consecutive World Cup race.

Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) won his second consecutive World Cup race.

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World champion Niels Albert earned his second consecutive World Cup win in Plzen, Czech Republic, today.

He overcame a disastrous start and, before the race's halfway point, he joined home favourite Zdenek Stybar at front. Stybar had to recover from his early efforts. After six laps of racing on the muddy course Albert attacked and was never pulled back.

"Today's course, with the rain and the mud, is what I like. The ground was very slippery, but still fast, the best condition for me. I hope to come back in January for Worlds, but hopefully it's still without snow and ice then," Albert said.

Behind the world champion, Nys won the sprint for second place ahead of Stybar, Kevin Pauwels and French champion Francis Mourey.

"Now I'm improving my start position for the future races and I can head to the Koppenbergcross with ease of mind. We'll see some more interesting races in the near future," said Nys.

USA's Jonathan Page finished 13th.

Albert remains the World Cup leader ahead of Stybar, Vantornout and Mourey. Nys isn't near the front after abandoning during the first World Cup round in Treviso, Italy. The next round of the World Cup round will be held in Nommay, France, November 8.

Hectic start disastrous for world champion

The meadows near the city famous for its beer were more or less dry, but rain showers didn't leave the riders any choice on the slippery course. The start procedure caused a lot of trouble for the riders at the front row, resulting in a restart. Martin Bina pulled off the hole shot, with Vantornout and Zdenek Stybar on his wheel.

Albert had a terrible start and dropped back into the middle of the bunch, riding next to Belgian Champion Sven Nys. The duo moved up quickly, but Czech Champion Stybar powered away in front. The first chasing group included Vantornout, Bina, Kevin Pauwels, Page and Mourey. By the end of the first lap, Stybar led the race with 10" on the first chasers and 19" on the second group led by Erwin Vervecken and including Nys and Stybar.

Stybar fires away, with Page leading the chase

During the second lap, Mourey and Page went to the front while Albert and Nys bridged up to this first chasing group. Two laps after the start sole leader Stybar had 14" on Albert, who led the chase with Pauwels, Vantornout and Mourey, and 18" on Page and Nys.

Albert hammered through the third lap. His gap on Stybar shrank, and one lap later he had only six seconds left. Page dropped out of the first chasing group and was caught by Radomir Simunek Jr. Halfway the fourth lap Stybar was caught back by Albert and Nys, and once Albert reached the front he eased off a little, allowing Pauwels, Mourey and Vantornout to bridge up before the end of the fourth lap. Simunek and Page chased at 13". Franzoi, Vervecken and De Knegt worked hard to stay near the front.

Albert catches Stybar

When entering the fifth lap, Albert and Stybar increased the pace and advantage on Mourey and Vantornout. Albert created a little gap, which Stybar closed down, and powered away on the asphalt when entering the sixth lap. Stybar paid for his early efforts and struggled to stay in touch chasing group that passed him.

The race was decided when entering the uphill road towards the finish line after six laps. Albert still gave all he had while Nys sat up and waited for Pauwels to take the lead in the chase. It allowed Stybar to bridge up with them and handed Albert a twenty seconds lead.

With four laps to go, Albert crossed the finish line 14" ahead of Stybar, Pauwels, Nys and Mourey

Albert wins, battle for second

Nys launched an attack for second place in the eighth lap. Stybar, Pauwels and the persisting Mourey trailed at 22". Vantornout rode at 46" and Italian champion Franzoi led a group with Simunek, De Knegt, Heule, Page at one minute.

Nys managed to pass Stybar in the last corner of the last lap. He held his position over the final 70 metres

 

Results
1 Niels Albert (Bel) BKCP - Powerplus 1:05:13  
2 Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago 0:00:19  
3 Zdenek Štybar (Cze) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team 0:00:21  
4 Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team 0:00:24  
5 Francis Mourey (Fra) Française des Jeux 0:00:38  
6 Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb-Projob 0:00:56  
7 Radomir Simunek (Cze) BKCP - Powerplus 0:01:03  
8 Christian Heule (Swi) RendementhypoCycling Team 0:01:06  
9 Enrico Franzoi (Ita) Liquigas 0:01:10  
10 Gerben de Knegt (Ned) Rabobank 0:01:17  
11 Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabobank 0:01:26  
12 Erwin Vervecken (Bel) Revor-Jartazi Continental Team 0:01:33  
13 Jonathan Page (USA) Planet Bike 0:01:37  
14 Petr Dlask (Cze) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team 0:02:03  
15 Jan Verstraeten (Bel) KDL Trans NV 0:02:06  
16 Robert Gavenda (Svk) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team 0:02:09  
17 Thijs Van Amerongen (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team 0:02:43  
18 Martin Zlámalík (Cze) Prodoli Racing Team 0:03:03  
19 Marco Bianco (Ita) L Arcobaleno Carraro Team 0:03:12  
20 Thijs Al (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team 0:03:15  
21 Laurent Colombatto (Fra) AC Besançon 0:03:16  
22 Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) BKCP - Powerplus 0:03:21  
23 Eddy van IJzendoorn (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team 0:03:24  
24 Martin Bína (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor 0:03:27  
25 Mariusz Gil (Pol) LKS Pom Strzelce Krajenskie 0:03:31  
26 Ondrej Bambula (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor 0:03:38  
27 Rob Peeters (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago 0:03:45  
28 Ian Field (GBr) Hargroves Cycles/Trant/Next/GSI 0:03:46  
29 Kamil Ausbuher (Cze) Exe Jeans 0:03:52  
30 Wilant van Gils (Ned) Pro Cycling Team ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida 0:04:01  
31 Marcel Wildhaber (Swi) Scott-Swisspower Mountainbike-Team 0:04:10  
32 David Derepas (Fra) UVCA Troyes 0:04:14  
33 Patrick Van Leeuwen (Ned) Het Snelle Wiel 0:04:20  
34 Pawel Szczepaniak (Pol) LKS Pom Strzelce Krajenskie 0:04:48  
35 Alessandro Gambino (Ita) Centro Sportivo Esercito 0:05:02  
36 Johannes Sickmüller (Ger) Stevens Cyclocross Team Hamburg 0:05:22  
37 Jérôme Chevallier (Fra) AC Besançon 0:05:34  
38 Zdenek Mlynár (Cze) Max Cursor 0:06:10  
Lapped
39 Roy Van Heeswijk (Ned) Sint Oedenrode    
40 Vaclav Metlicka (Svk) Team Král    
41 Milan Barenyi (Svk)    
42 Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) KED Bianchi Berlin    
43 Ivar Hartogs (Ned) ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida    
44 Fabio Ursi (Ita) Centro Sportivo Esercito    
45 Sascha Wagner (Ger) Stevens Cyclocross Team Hamburg    
46 Martin Haring (Svk)    
47 Robert Glajza (Svk)    
48 Marek Canecky (Svk)    
49 Zoltan Tisza (Hun)    
World Cup standings after round two
1 Niels Albert (Bel) BKCP - Powerplus 160 pts
2 Zdenek Štybar (Cze) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team 135  
3 Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb-Projob 115  
4 Francis Mourey (Fra) Française des Jeux 110  
5 Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team 96  
6 Gerben de Knegt (Ned) Rabobank 90  
7 Christian Heule (Swi) RendementhypoCycling Team 88  
8 Martin Bína (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor 87  
9 Petr Dlask (Cze) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team 83  
10 Enrico Franzoi (Ita) Liquigas 82  
11 Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabobank 73  
12 Erwin Vervecken (Bel) Revor-Jartazi Continental Team 73  
13 Kamil Ausbuher (Cze) Exe Jeans 72  
14 Martin Zlámalík (Cze) Prodoli Racing Team 72  
15 Thijs Al (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team 71  
16 Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago 70  
17 Laurent Colombatto (Fra) AC Besançon 67  
18 Jan Verstraeten (Bel) KDL Trans NV 67  
19 Thijs Van Amerongen (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team 61  
20 Mariusz Gil (Pol) LKS Pom Strzelce Krajenskie 56  
21 Ondrej Bambula (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor 54  
22 Eddy van IJzendoorn (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team 53  
23 Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) BKCP - Powerplus 50  
24 Radomir Simunek (Cze) BKCP - Powerplus 48  
25 Steve Chainel (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 44  
26 Wilant van Gils (Ned) Pro Cycling Team ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida 44  
27 Jonathan Page (USA) Planet Bike 38  
28 Milan Barenyi (Svk) 36  
29 Robert Gavenda (Svk) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team 35  
30 Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Sunweb-Projob 35  
31 Patrick Van Leeuwen (Ned) Het Snelle Wiel 34  
32 Alessandro Gambino (Ita) Centro Sportivo Esercito 34  
33 Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) KED Bianchi Berlin 33  
34 Marco Bianco (Ita) L Arcobaleno Carraro Team 32  
35 Jonathan Lopez (Fra) VC La Pomme Marseille 32  
36 Marcel Wildhaber (Swi) Scott-Swisspower Mountainbike-Team 31  
37 Johannes Sickmüller (Ger) Stevens Cyclocross Team Hamburg 30  
38 Egoitz Murgoitio Rekalde (Spa) 28  
39 Fabio Ursi (Ita) Centro Sportivo Esercito 26  
40 Vaclav Metlicka (Svk) Team Král 25  
41 Rob Peeters (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago 24  
42 Ian Field (GBr) Hargroves Cycles/Trant/Next/GSI 23  
43 Javier Ruiz De Larrinaga Ibanez 22  
44 David Derepas (Fra) UVCA Troyes 21  
45 Jan Soetens (Bel) Revor-Jartazi Continental Team 20  
46 Sascha Wagner (Ger) Stevens Cyclocross Team Hamburg 18  
47 Pawel Szczepaniak (Pol) LKS Pom Strzelce Krajenskie 17  
48 Lukáš Kloucek (Cze) Sunweb - Projob Cycling Team 17  
49 Roy Van Heeswijk (Ned) Sint Oedenrode 17  
50 Ivar Hartogs (Ned) ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida 17  
51 Jérôme Chevallier (Fra) AC Besançon 14  
52 Zdenek Mlynár (Cze) Max Cursor 13  
53 Luca Damiani (Ita) Colavita Sutter Home 13  
54 Martin Haring (Svk) 13  
55 Robert Glajza (Svk) 11  
56 Jens Westergren (Swe) 10  
57 René Lang (Swi) Delta Elite Team/VC Bützberg 6  
58 Peter Presslauer (Aut) Team Volksbank 4  
59 Marek Canecky (Svk) 3  
60 Andreas Moser (Swi) Bürgis Cycling Team 3  
61 Zoltan Tisza (Hun) 2  
62 Rafael Visinelli (Ita) Gruppo Sportivo Forestale 1