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Cyclo-Cross World Cup #6 - CDM
Pijnacker, Netherlands, February 15, 2004
Results World Cup standings Past Winners
Groenendaal scores surprise double
Nys beaten at the post in World Cup standings
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Dutch champion Richard Groenendaal powered to an impressive win in the final round of the Cyclocross World Cup in Pijnacker, the Netherlands. And with it, thanks to the double points on offer and Sven Nys' seventh place today, Groenendaal also took the overall World Cup jersey, with Nys finishing second. It was a slightly unexpected end to the series, but with today's race being worth so much in terms of points, anything was possible.
World Champion Bart Wellens (Belgium) was expected to be the man to challenge Nys today, but he had a very inconsistent race, falling off the pace several times before recovering to finish fourth behind compatriots Tom Vannoppen and Erwin Vervecken in the bunch sprint. Although Nys rode an excellent race, his legs and positioning let him down on the last lap, and he finished seventh - two places lower than was permissible for him to retain the World Cup jersey.
"This is an out and out declaration of war!" said the extremely disappointed Nys about his Belgian teammates. "I was well placed in the last lap until a whole pack of Belgians went past me. They profited the whole race and then came and beat me in the sprint...Apparently they don't want to grant me the success. The same jersey in cyclo-cross certainly doesn't mean the same team. Everyone in the group knew that I had to finish at least fifth, I said that several times. I find it very disappointing that the success from recent years is beginning to work against me. My eyes were opened once again today."
Richard Groenendaal's win on the day was no great surprise, as he has now won five out of the last six races on the technical, but fast course at Pijnacker. Attacking on the third lap, Groenendaal punished the rest of the field, increasing his lead to a maximum of 1'13 at the end of the ninth lap. To an outsider, it looked as though Rabobank (but not national) teammate Sven Nys controlled the rabid group of Belgians behind, and Groenendaal's victory looked secure by halfway. Maybe this is what played against Nys at the end.
Bart Wellens was having an up and down race, at times being dropped off the back of the chasing group which contained Nys, Vervecken, Vannoppen, Van der Linden, Berden, Mourey, Page, Dlask and Huele, among others. But each time, Wellens managed to claw his way back on and then would surprise everyone by going to the front and doing a strong turn. At the end, he was part of the leading group and had a good sprint to finish fourth.
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Nys did in fact look much stronger than in previous races, but he was swarmed in the finish by his 'teammates' and came just a few metres short of winning his third World Cup in five years. His only consolation was that his trade teammate Richard Groenendaal took the double prize after an almost winless season. As he crossed the line, Groenendaal pointed to his left knee in the manner of Johan Museeuw (2000 Paris-Roubaix), an injury that plagued him at the start of the season but certainly not at the finish.
Results
Elite Men 1 Richard Groenendaal (Netherlands) 1.01.59 2 Tom Vannoppen (Belgium) 0.51 3 Erwin Vervecken (Belgium) 4 Bart Wellens (Belgium) 5 Christian Heule (Switzerland) 6 Wesley Van Der Linden (Belgium) 7 Sven Nijs (Belgium) 8 Sven Vanthourenhout (Belgium) 9 John Gadret (France) 0.57 10 Peter Dlask (Czech Republic) 11 Francis Mourey (France) 12 Maarten Nijland (Netherlands) 13 Ben Berden (Belgium) 14 Wilant Van Gils (Netherlands) 1.06 15 Alessandro Fontana (Italy) 16 Jonathan Page (USA) 1.20 17 Enrico Franzoi (Italy) 1.44 18 Arnaud Labbe (France) 2.02 19 Gerben De Knegt (Netherlands) 20 Beat Morf (Switzerland) 21 Martin Zlamalik (Czech Republic) 2.37 22 Robert Glajza (Slovakia) 23 David Derepas (France) 24 Vladimir Kyzivat (Czech Republic) 2.45 25 Vaclav Jezek (Czech Republic) 3.17 26 Vaclav Metlicka (Slovakia) 3.22 27 David Seco Amundarain (Spain) 3.30 28 Simon Zahner (Switzerland) 3.36 29 David Rusch (Switzerland) 3.47 30 Daniele Pontoni (Italy) 4.04 31 Jan Ramsauer (Switzerland) 32 Mariusz Gil (Poland) 4.37 33 Kamil Ausbuher (Czech Republic) 4.51 34 Gusty Bausch (Luxembourg) 35 Camiel Van Den Bergh (Netherlands) 5.36 36 Joachim Parbo (Denmark) 5.40 37 David Collins (Great Britain) 5.56 38 Maik Muller (Germany) 6.56 39 Marek Cichosz (Poland) Women 1 Marianne Vos (Netherlands) 39.09 2 Hanka Kupfernagel (Germany) 3 Daphny Van Den Brand (Netherlands) 4 Laurence Leboucher (France) 0.10 5 Reza Hormes-Ravenstijn (Netherlands) 0.27 6 Birgit Hollmann (Germany) 0.29 7 Maryline Salvetat (France) 0.31 8 Corine Dorland (Netherlands) 0.39 9 Anja Nobus (Belgium) 0.58 10 Nadia Triquet (France) 1.05 11 Hilde Quintens (Belgium) 1.29 12 Victoria Wilkinson (Great Britain) 2.05 13 Loes Sels (Belgium) 2.36 14 Helen Saunders (Great Britain) 2.55 15 Nancy Bollansee (Belgium) 3.27 U23 Men 1 Klaas Vantornout (Belgium) 2 Bart Aernouts (Belgium) 3 Eddy Van Yzendoorn (Netherlands) 4 Bart Dirkx (Netherlands) 5 Daan De Jonge (Netherlands) 6 Yordi Schmidt (Netherlands) 7 Marijn Went (Netherlands) 8 Frank Van Grootel (Netherlands) 9 Arnaud Van Leest (Netherlands) Juniors 1 Niels Albert (Belgium) 2 Thijs Van Amerongen (Netherlands) 3 Rikkie Dijkxhoorn (Netherlands) 4 Maxim Debusschere (Belgium) 5 Wim Leemans (Belgium) 6 Rik Van Yzendoorn (Netherlands) 7 Kenny Geluykens (Belgium) 8 Maxime Van Dael (Netherlands) 9 Koen Boelens (Belgium) 10 Ricardo Van Der Velde (Netherlands) 11 Patrick Vliegen (Netherlands) 12 Bart Senders (Netherlands) 13 Dennis Verhoeven (Belgium) 14 Roderik Egberink (Netherlands) 15 Michiel Van Der Linde (Netherlands) 16 Matthias Onghena (Belgium) 17 Rene Bunnik (Netherlands) 18 Christiaan Grootveld (Netherlands)
Final World Cup standings
Men 1 Richard Groenendaal (Netherlands) 310 pts 2 Sven Nys (Belgium) 299 3 Bart Wellens (Belgium) 280 4 Ben Berden (Belgium) 240 5 Tom Vannoppen (Belgium) 238 6 Erwin Vervecken (Belgium) 229 7 Francis Mourey (France) 190 8 Sven Vanthourenhout (Belgium) 189 9 Christian Heule (Switzerland) 179 Women 1 Hanka Kupfernagel (Germany)
Past winners
2003 Richard Groenendaal (Ned) Rabobank 2002 Richard Groenendaal (Ned) Rabobank Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com
