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December 20, Elite Men: Kalmthout, Belgium

Nys captures Kalmthout World Cup

By:
Brecht Decaluwé
Published:
December 20, 2009, 15:15,
Updated:
December 20, 2009, 21:41

Nys deals opposition a blow in the snow

Sven Nys (Landbouwcredit-Colnago) takes victory in Kalmthout

Sven Nys (Landbouwcredit-Colnago) takes victory in Kalmthout

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Despite a disastrous first lap that included a crash, a flat tyre and a dropped chain, Belgian champion Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago) provided the frozen crowds a fantastic spectacle in the snow of Kalmthout by coming back from nowhere and storming to his first World Cup win of the season.

"It was unbelievable," Nys told Sporza. "I had troubles with my chain and crashed during the first lap and then I got angry because there was no room to move up; some guys just didn't let me pass. That aggression made me boil inside and that's probably why I kept fighting.

"That last lap crash didn't bother me. Nobody could pass me, even if it meant that I would have to go through the last corner at 60 km/h. These are extreme conditions and that's when the real Sven Nys stands up, even though it was really cold.

"This was 'cross at the highest level. It was good to win my first World Cup race of the season."

Czech champion Zdenek Stybar (Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team) took the lead halfway through the race but didn't have an answer for an inspired Nys. Stybar, however, improved his World Cup standings by holding off world champion Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus), the third place finisher.

Albert entered the sixth round of the World Cup in the white leader's skinsuit, but Stybar's performance today moves the Czech into a tie for the World Cup lead with Albert.

Despite edging ever closer to the World Cup lead, Stybar expressed his frustration his performance. "I'm not happy with my race. I had a bad start, but moved up halfway. The last two laps I made too many mistakes and I should've ridden on different tyres. All race long I used slicks and that was too risky in the closing laps. I wasn't having my best day and made too many mistakes.

"My expectation for next month is that there whatever the conditions are the same three guys will stand up. I wanted to win or take the leader's jersey [today], but I'll have to wait until the next race." Stybar said.

Albert, too, pointed to mistakes that may have cost him the chance of a better result in Kalmthout, but drew a similar conclusion to Stybar for the races ahead. "During the last laps I was one of the fastest in the race but Sven [Nys] was really strong by coming back that way, really impressive," Albert told Sporza.

"I made the mistake of staying behind Klaas Vantornout for too long," he continued. "The snow isn't a problem for me. The gaps were small and all three of us could win. It was a promising race for the future."

Sven stutters as Sunweb set things off in the snow

With Nys' first lap plagued by mechanical issues, the early stages of the race was dominated by the Sunweb-Projob pair of Klaas Vantornout and Sven Vanthourenhout. The duo led a group of a dozen riders that also included American Jonathan Page.

The two leaders couldn't gain a decisive advantage of the big hitters and halfway the race there were still eight men in the front group: the two Sunweb-boys, Albert, Stybar, Radomir Simunek, Martin Bina and the two Rabobank riders Gerben De Knegt and Bart Aernouts.

At the end of the fourth lap Simunek crashed hard at the stairs and the Czech was forced to abandon the race. In front, Stybar took over from his compatriot and created a gap of around 15 seconds,. Shortly afterwards Nys connected with the back of the chase group.

Nys needed a lot of time to get past all riders, but once he got to the front of the chase group he began to immediately nibble away at the gap to Stybar. While the snow continued to pour from the heavens, Nys bridged up with Stybar just before the start of the penultimate lap, with Albert and Vantornout still near the front too.

Nys dropped Stybar in the last lap and though he crashed once again he refused to allow Stybar and Albert to get past him. Stybar slipped away in the finale and allowed Nys to take a few metres, enough for the Belgian to grab his first World Cup win of the season.

 

Full results
1 Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago 1:00:30  
2 Zdenek Štybar (Cze) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team 0:00:03  
3 Niels Albert (Bel) BKCP - Powerplus 0:00:04  
4 Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb-Projob 0:00:09  
5 Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Sunweb-Projob 0:00:16  
6 Martin Bína (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor 0:00:42  
7 Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabobank 0:00:50  
8 Francis Mourey (Fra) Française des Jeux 0:00:54  
9 Bart Wellens (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team 0:01:05  
10 Gerben de Knegt (Ned) Rabobank 0:01:09  
11 Christian Heule (Swi) Rendementhypo Cycling Team 0:01:17  
12 Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) BKCP - Powerplus    
13 Erwin Vervecken (Bel) Baboco-Revor 0:01:20  
14 Thijs Al (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team 0:01:33  
15 Martin Zlámalík (Cze) Prodoli Racing Team 0:01:35  
16 Enrico Franzoi (Ita) Liquigas 0:01:42  
17 Jonathan Page (USA) Planet Bike 0:01:45  
18 Lukas Flückiger (Swi) Trek 0:01:48  
19 Steve Chainel (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 0:01:53  
20 Marcel Wildhaber (Swi) Scott-Swisspower Mountainbike-Team 0:01:55  
21 Thijs Van Amerongen (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team 0:02:25  
22 Elia Silvestri (Ita) 0:02:50  
23 Mariusz Gil (Pol) LKS Pom Strzelce Krajenskie 0:02:54  
24 Sascha Weber (Ger) FC Rheinland-Pfalz Flonheim 0:02:55  
25 Ondrej Bambula (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor 0:02:57  
26 David Derepas (Fra) UVCA Troyes    
27 Luca Damiani (Ita) Colavita-Sutter Home 0:02:59  
28 Eddy van IJzendoorn (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team 0:03:00  
29 John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:03:04  
30 Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) KED Bianchi Berlin 0:03:17  
31 Marco Bianco (Ita) L Arcobaleno Carraro Team 0:03:20  
32 Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team 0:03:31  
33 Laurent Colombatto (Fra) AC Besançon 0:03:32  
34 Fabio Ursi (Ita) Centro Sportivo Esercito 0:03:38  
35 Nicolas Bazin (Fra) Continental Team Differdange 0:04:06  
36 Marek Cichosz (Pol) Legia 192 0:04:16  
37 Jérôme Chevallier (Fra) AC Besançon 0:04:22  
38 James Driscoll (USA) Cyclocrossworld.com / Cannondale 0:04:34  
39 Kamil Ausbuher (Cze) Exe Jeans 0:04:36  
40 Milan Barenyi (Svk) 0:04:38  
41 Philipp Walsleben (Ger) BKCP-Power Plus 0:04:40  
42 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) Continental Team Differdange 0:04:47  
43 Andreas Moser (Swi) Bürgis Cycling Team    
44 Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) Selle Italia Guerciotti A.S.D. 0:05:04  
45 Gusty Bausch (Lux) LC Kayl 0:05:10  
46 Alessandro Gambino (Ita) Centro Sportivo Esercito 0:05:11  
47 René Lang (Swi) Delta Elite Team/VC Bützberg 0:05:15  
48 Patrick Van Leeuwen (Ned) Het Snelle Wiel 0:05:16  
49 Vladimír Kyzivát (Cze) Johnson Controls AS MB 0:05:18  
50 Troy Wells (USA) Clif Bar 0:05:31  
51 Jean-Eudes Demaret (Fra) Cofidis, le credit en ligne 0:05:33  
52 Pawel Szczepaniak (Pol) LKS Pom Strzelce Krajenskie 0:06:00  
53 Keiichi Tsujiura (Jpn) 0:06:05  
54 Yu Takenouchi (Jpn) 0:06:07  
55 Marcel Meisen (Ger) Team Kuota - Indeland 0:06:11  
56 Wilant van Gils (Ned) Pro Cycling Team ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida 0:06:18  
57 Ian Field (GBr) Hargroves Cycles/Trant/Next/GSI 0:06:20  
58 Robert Glajza (Svk)    
59 Mike Garrigan (Can) La Bicicleta 0:06:21  
60 Vaclav Metlicka (Svk) Team Král 0:06:35  
61 Joachim Parbo (Den) CCV Leopard Cycles    
62 Martin Haring (Svk)    
63 Brian Matter (USA) Gear Grinder    
64 Naran Khangarid (Mgl)    
65 Baasankhuu Myagmarsuren (Mgl)    
66 Ariunbold Naranbat (Mgl)    
67 Boldbaatar Bold-Erdene (Mgl)    
World Cup standings after round 6
1 Niels Albert (Bel) BKCP - Powerplus 435 pts
2 Zdenek Štybar (Cze) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team 435  
3 Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago 350  
4 Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb-Projob 339  
5 Francis Mourey (Fra) Française des Jeux 302  
6 Gerben de Knegt (Ned) Rabobank 270  
7 Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabobank 261  
8 Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team 255  
9 Christian Heule (Swi) Rendementhypo Cycling Team 242  
10 Enrico Franzoi (Ita) Liquigas 238  
11 Erwin Vervecken (Bel) Baboco-Revor 230  
12 Martin Zlámalík (Cze) Prodoli Racing Team 219  
13 Steve Chainel (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 186  
14 Mariusz Gil (Pol) LKS Pom Strzelce Krajenskie 181  
15 Martin Bína (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor 179  
16 Radomir Simunek (Cze) BKCP-Powerplus 176  
17 Petr Dlask (Cze) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team 176  
18 Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Sunweb-Projob 174  
19 Thijs Al (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team 166  
20 Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) BKCP - Powerplus 164  
21 Thijs Van Amerongen (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team 162  
22 Jonathan Page (USA) Planet Bike 153  
23 Marco Bianco (Ita) L Arcobaleno Carraro Team 150  
24 Kamil Ausbuher (Cze) Exe Jeans 146  
25 Bart Wellens (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team 137  
26 Jan Verstraeten (Bel) KDL Trans NV 126  
27 Eddy van IJzendoorn (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team 111  
28 Laurent Colombatto (Fra) AC Besançon 107  
29 Patrick Van Leeuwen (Ned) Het Snelle Wiel 105  
30 Alessandro Gambino (Ita) Centro Sportivo Esercito 98  
31 Marcel Wildhaber (Swi) Scott-Swisspower Mountainbike-Team 95  
32 John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 94  
33 Ondrej Bambula (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor 86  
34 Fabio Ursi (Ita) Centro Sportivo Esercito 82  
35 Luca Damiani (Ita) Colavita-Sutter Home 81  
36 Wilant van Gils (Ned) Pro Cycling Team ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida 74  
37 Jérôme Chevallier (Fra) AC Besançon 72  
38 Jonathan Lopez (Fra) VC La Pomme Marseille 71  
39 Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) KED Bianchi Berlin 68  
40 Nicolas Bazin (Fra) Continental Team Differdange 64  
41 David Derepas (Fra) UVCA Troyes 62  
42 Rob Peeters (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago 59  
43 Milan Barenyi (Svk) 59  
44 Ian Field (GBr) Hargroves Cycles/Trant/Next/GSI 59  
45 Egoitz Murgoitio Rekalde (Spa) 54  
46 Ivar Hartogs (Ned) ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida 51  
47 Johannes Sickmüller (Ger) Stevens Cyclocross Team Hamburg 48  
48 Javier Ruiz De Larrinaga Ibanez 43  
49 Philipp Walsleben (Ger) BKCP-Power Plus 42  
50 Pawel Szczepaniak (Pol) LKS Pom Strzelce Krajenskie 41  
51 Vaclav Metlicka (Svk) Team Král 37  
52 Robert Gavenda (Svk) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team 35  
53 Lukas Flückiger (Swi) Trek 33  
54 Lukáš Kloucek (Cze) Sunweb-Projob 30  
55 Elia Silvestri (Ita) 29  
56 Robert Glajza (Svk) 29  
57 Sascha Weber (Ger) FC Rheinland-Pfalz Flonheim 28  
58 Martin Haring (Svk) 28  
59 Sascha Wagner (Ger) Stevens Cyclocross Team Hamburg 26  
60 Isaac Suarez Fernandez (Spa) 25  
61 Roy Van Heeswijk (Ned) Sint Oedenrode 25  
62 Constantino Zaballa Gutierrez (Spa) LA - Rota Dos Moveis 24  
63 Joachim Parbo (Den) CCV Leopard Cycles 24  
64 Arnaud Labbe (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Télécom 22  
65 Marco Ponta (Ita) 21  
66 Jan Soetens (Bel) Revor-Jartazi Cycling Team 20  
67 Vladimír Kyzivát (Cze) Johnson Controls AS MB 18  
68 David Seco Amundarain (Spa) 16  
69 Marek Cichosz (Pol) Legia 192 15  
70 Unai Yus Kerejeta (Spa) 15  
71 Daniel Ruiz Echeandia (Spa) 14  
72 James Driscoll (USA) Cyclocrossworld.com / Cannondale 13  
73 Jaroslav Kulhavy 13  
74 Zdenek Mlynár (Cze) Max Cursor 13  
75 Jody Crawforth (GBr) Arctic - Premier RT 11  
76 Andreas Moser (Swi) Bürgis Cycling Team 11  
77 Julien Pion (Fra) Charvieu Chavagneux IC 10  
78 Jens Westergren (Swe) 10  
79 René Lang (Swi) Delta Elite Team/VC Bützberg 10  
80 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) Continental Team Differdange 9  
81 David Lozano Riba (Spa) 9  
82 Clément Bourgoin (Fra) VC Rhodanien 9  
83 Gusty Bausch (Lux) LC Kayl 8  
84 Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) Selle Italia Guerciotti A.S.D. 7  
85 Tommy Nielsen (Den) 7  
86 Peter Presslauer (Aut) Team Volksbank 4  
87 Marek Canecky (Svk) 3  
88 Zoltan Tisza (Hun) 2  
89 Troy Wells (USA) Clif Bar 1  
90 Rafael Visinelli (Ita) Gruppo Sportivo Forestale 1