Nys sprints to victory at GP Hasselt

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World champion Sven Nys (Crelan KDL) continued to dominate the international cyclo-cross races in Belgium, again using his famous bike handling skills and sprint finish to win the GP Hasselt race that is part of the Bpost Bank Trofee series.

Nys out-sprinted a very disappointed and angry Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) and Belgian national champion Klaas Vantornout (Sunweb-Napoleon Games) after a fast race. Nys strengthens his lead in the Bpost Bank cyclo-cross series by five seconds and now leads by fifty seconds, ahead of Albert.

“It’s my fifth win. I’m happy,” Nys told Sporza.

The 36-year-old world champion needed half a race before he got to the front but once there he kept things under control. Just before the final corner Nys moved up from behind and left Albert and Vantornout no chance in the sprint.

“I didn’t feel like I was on my limit. I’m normally the fastest too,” he said. “The sprint isn’t always about speed but about power. There’s a big difference between riding just over or just under the red zone. I had an acceleration left.”

While Nys was clearly the strongest man in the last metres of the race, he allowed Vantornout and Albert to take the initiative in the hour before the sprint.

Vantornout profited from his usual good start while Albert ended up riding outside the top-20 early on. While Vantornout kept the pace high Albert managed to gain positions while Nys struggled.

“I didn’t have a good start and I kept losing positions. That’s why I switched to Grypho tyres,” Nys said.

By the third of eight laps Albert took over the lead from Vantornout and increased the speed some more. Nys explained that it was a key moment to move up.

“Albert put the hammer down. It was time for me to move up quickly. If you’re caught behind at that moment you’re never coming back. Once there I rode tactically and moved up when I had to,” he said.

Albert tried all he could to get rid of his rivals but he wasn’t successful. When he crossed the finish line he waved his arms in anger towards Nys but a little later he blamed all but himself.

“I think that I can say that I was the best in the race,” Albert said. “After every long section there was a kermesse corner. I couldn’t use my power. That’s where I lost the race. In the sprint Sven benefited as he could come out of the wind to the front.”

Meeusen's late charge

Before the sprint the three protagonists noticed that Telenet-Fidea riders Corné van Kessel and Tom Meeusen had managed to close the gap on them late in the race. Nevertheless Vantornout was confident they weren’t a threat for the victory.

“When it went really hard there was only the three of us. In the last lap Van Kessel forced himself in between us, which was his right of course. My plan was to moved ahead of him just before the sand section with barriers but Albert stormed forward there,” Vantornout said.

Van Kessel faded after also taking a dive in the mud earlier in the race, while Meeusen got stuck in a late 180 degrees corner and lost Nys’ wheel.

“I had a lot of problems with my ankle which was firmly taped up and okay when running. But it wasn’t to be. Just before that mistake I was perfectly positioned in the wheels of Nys,” Meeusen admitted.

On Sunday the riders head to Asper-Gavere for the prestigious Superprestige race.