Hoogerheide decides World Cup Champions

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After the final round in Hoogerheide, The Netherlands, Zdenek Stybar, Daphny Van den Brand, Tom Meeusen and David Van der Poel emerged from the 2009/2010 Cyclo-cross World Cup as the champions of their respective categories.

While Stybar and Meeusen were able to hold on to existing leads, Van den Brand's and Van der Poel's wins came as their rivals fell by the wayside on the final hurdles of the World Cup season. While Dutchman Van der Poel was the only overall Champion to record victory over the weekend, with a win in the junior men's race, his fellow title winners all faced hard-fought finales.

"I'm hurting all over," Fidea's Zdenek Stybar told Sporza. "It was a tough race. Niels [Albert] rode very strongly today; it was like day and night compared to last week [at the Roubaix World Cup round]. I did not feel very well today and made many mistakes."

Despite his assessment of the race, Stybar's second place was enough to secure a four-point victory over Albert in the World Cup standings. While the Belgian's win in The Netherlands saw him finish with a 4-3 advantage in terms of World Cup race victories, Stybar's consistency in the remaining events was the key to his title.

With US rider Katie Compton absent from the final two rounds of the women's World Cup series, Dutchwoman Van den Brand was able to assume an unassailable lead. Podium positions in all but two rounds put her in a position to contend for the title, and despite a late charge by her compatriot Marianne Vos - who claimed the final round on Sunday - Van den Brand's third was enough to secure the title with a five-point margin.

In contrast to the tight contests of his fellow title winners, Meeusen's victory was commanding, 70 points clear of Slovakia's Robert Gavenda. A race winner in Roubaix last week and Zolder in December, Meeusen was upstaged by Kacper Szczepaniak (Poland) in the final round, but will now head into the elite category with the under-23 World Cup title stamped on his palmares.

Van der Poel's victory in the junior men's race in Hoogerheide turned into a double celebration as his closest rival in the title race, compatriot Gert-Jan Bosman, faded to sixth.

World Championship favourite tag begins

With the World Cup finale doubling as a final hit-out for next weekend's Cyclo-cross World Championships in Tabor, Czech Republic, the favourites for the elite men have also started to jostle for the underdog tag.

World Cup winner Stybar will be charged to take a home championship victory, but pointed to Belgian rival Sven Nys as the man most likely to perform on what will be an icy Czech course.

"I hope to recover properly for the World Championships," Stybar told Sporza after today's race. "Sven Nys is the main favorite for me there. He is the strongest on ice."

Nys himself surprised observers with a fifth place finish in Hoogerheide, but deflected attention for next week's Worlds towards his compatriot and reigning champion, Albert. "It is clear that Albert is also a favorite in Tabor," he said. "He was very strong [today], but I hope I will play a role. It will be an exciting World Championships."