Stybar, Van den Brand new leaders of UCI 'cross standings

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Czech champion Zdenek Stybar (Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team) and Dutch champion Daphny Van den Brand (ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida) moved into the lead of the UCI cyclo-cross standings after Sunday's penultimate World Cup round in Roubaix, France, unseating Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) and Katie Compton (Planet Bike) from their familiar positions atop the men's and women's rankings respectively.

Stybar won the World Cup round in Roubaix, France and earned 300 points, bringing the Czech's season total to 2,570 points. Entering the Roubaix World Cup, previous UCI leader and world champion Niels Albert led Stybar by 40 points, but an eighth place finish only garnered Albert 130 points, dropping him to second on the season standings with a 2,440 point total.

Albert had stood atop the men's rankings the entire 2009-2010 season, but the world champion is still feeling the effects of a fractured rib suffered at the hands of a drunk spectator during Belgium's national championships on January 10.

Besides Stybar and Albert swapping positions at the top of the standings, there were a few shuffles in the top-10 due to placings at Roubaix. Dutchman Gerben de Knegt (Rabobank), sixth at Roubaix, bumped Belgium's Kevin Pauwels (Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team), 11th at Roubaix, from fifth position in the standings.

Erwin Vervecken's fourth place finish at Roubaix moved the 37-year-old Belgian up three positions into ninth place, his highest ranking of the season. Switzerland's Steven Heule, previously ninth, dropped to 10th overall while previous 10th place holder, the Czech Republic's Radomir Simunek, dropped to 12th.

For the women's standings, Daphny Van den Brand moved into the lead for the first time this season after finishing fourth in the women's World Cup event at Roubaix. The 190 points earned on Sunday increased her total to 1,732 and moved the Dutchwoman from second into first.

American champion Katie Compton, the leader of the World Cup for the entire season, dropped to third place overall after an occurrence of leg cramps prevented her from starting in Roubaix. She remains at 1,600 points for the season.

World champion Marianne Vos, third in Roubaix, moved from third on the standings into second with 1,660 points.

The Netherlands' Sanne Van Paassen remains in fourth place while Germany's Hanka Kupfernagel jumped from seventh to fifth place after finishing second in Roubaix, her best World Cup performance of the season.