World Cup #8; Nys wins survival of the toughest

Sven Nys (Rabobank) notched up his seventh World Cup victory this season by winning the cold and muddy eighth round in Hooglede, Belgium. The World Champion headed home Erwin Vervecken (Fidea) by half a minute with Richard Groenendaal 1'18 back in third.

"This weather is appalling, but that's the same for everyone, of course," said the mud-covered Nys at the end. "It wasn't easy to keep yourself warm: your feet, your hands, your eyes. Because of the mud, I saw nothing, with or without glasses. Actually I was riding just about blind. It was about survival and riding my own race. I couldn't even see the other rivals."

Nys did comment on Erwin Vervecken, who managed to stay in contact until the last lap, when he fell. "Vervecken was definitely strong, but I deserved to win."

As Nys and Vervecken pulled away from the rest, with Groenendaal taking third position, Bart Wellens (Fidea) tried to close the gap on his own. He couldn't do it, and had to abandon due to the cold.

In the women's race, Daphny Van den Brand (ZZPR.nl) proved that she was the best in the field again, beating Hanka Kupfernagel (Vlaanderen-Capri Sonne-T Interim) and Lyne Bessette (Canada). Van den Brand, the World Cup leader, went solo just before the halfway point, and was never caught. Bessette hung onto second place for a while before Kupfernagel passed here later in the race.