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Nys comes out strong in season opener

Aernouts, Pauwels round out podium in Erpe Mere

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Sven Nys focuses on the first 'cross race of the year

Sven Nys focuses on the first 'cross race of the year (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
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Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet) resumed his position at the front of European 'cross

Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet) resumed his position at the front of European 'cross (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
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Nys puts the pressure on.

Nys puts the pressure on. (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
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Bart Aernouts falls shy of challenging Nys at the line.

Bart Aernouts falls shy of challenging Nys at the line. (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
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Sven Nys takes the season opener in Erpe Mere

Sven Nys takes the season opener in Erpe Mere (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
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Win number 1 of the season for Sven Nys

Win number 1 of the season for Sven Nys (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
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Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet)

Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet) (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
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Belgian champion Sven Nys resumed his winning ways in the Steenbergcross.

Belgian champion Sven Nys resumed his winning ways in the Steenbergcross. (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
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Nys bunny hopes the barriers.

Nys bunny hopes the barriers. (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
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Bart Wellens also bunny hopes the barriers.

Bart Wellens also bunny hopes the barriers. (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
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Tom Meeusen (Telenet-Fidea) concentrates on keeping it upright.

Tom Meeusen (Telenet-Fidea) concentrates on keeping it upright. (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
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Sven Nys on the first 'cross podium of the year.

Sven Nys on the first 'cross podium of the year. (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
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Nys gets cleaned up after the win.

Nys gets cleaned up after the win. (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
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Bart Aernouts on the podium

Bart Aernouts on the podium (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
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Bart Aernouts, Sven Nys and Kevin Pauwels on the podium in Erpe-Mere

Bart Aernouts, Sven Nys and Kevin Pauwels on the podium in Erpe-Mere (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
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Bart Wellens (Telenet-Fidea) looking to regain form after a bad 2009 season.

Bart Wellens (Telenet-Fidea) looking to regain form after a bad 2009 season. (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)

Belgian national champion Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet) won the first international cyclo-cross race of the European season in Erpe Mere, with a blistering sprint on the uphill finish.

Nys beat Bart Aernouts (Rabo-Giant Offroad Team) in the sprint, with Kevin Pauwels (Telenet-Fidea) completing the podium of the Steenbergcross race, 1 seconds down.

With conditions in Belgium dry, the race was extremely fast and Nys attacked during the second lap and only Klaas Vantornout and Bart Aernouts were able to go after him. Vantornout tried his own attack but went out of contention due to a mechanical problem.

Nys and Aernouts stayed away to fight out the sprint on the uphill finish but Nys was far faster and took his fifth victory in the Belgian season-opener.

World champion Zdenek Stybar (Telenet-Fidea) delayed his season debut until next weekend but Nys already seems the biggest threat to his dominance of the off-road winter.

Results

#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
2Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabo - Giant Offroad Team.
3Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Telenet Fidea Cycling Team
4Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus
5Tom Meeusen (Bel) Telenet Fidea Cycling Team
6Bart Wellens (Bel) Telenet Fidea Cycling Team
7Philipp Walsleben (Ger) BKCP-Powerplus
8Steve Chainel (Fra)
9Enrico Franzoi (Ita) BKCP-Powerplus
10Joeri Adams (Bel) Rabobank
11Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Sunweb Revor
12Jim Aernouts (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus
13Rob Peeters (Bel) Telenet Fidea Cycling Team
14Tom Van Den Bosch (Bel) AA Drink Cycling Team
15Ian Field (GBr)
16Arnaud Jouffroy (Fra) BKCP-Powerplus
17Gerben De Knegt (Ned) Rabo - Giant Offroad Team.
18Mariusz Gil (Pol) Baboco - Revor Cycling Team
19Kenneth Van Compernolle (Bel) Sunweb Revor
20Jiri Polnicky (Cze) Sunweb Revor
21Jelle Brackman (Bel) MTB dreamteam
22Radomir Simunek (Cze) BKCP-Powerplus
23Jens Adams (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus
24Karel Hnik (Cze) Telenet Fidea Cycling Team
25Ben Berden (Bel) Qin Cycling Team
26Egoitz Murgoitio Rekalde (Spa)
27Gianni Denolf (Bel) Baboco - Revor Cycling Team
28Nicolas Bazin (Fra)
29Arnaud Grand (Swi)
30Robby Cobbaert (Bel) SDC - Rogelli Cycling Team
31Vincent Baestaens (Bel) Telenet Fidea Cycling Team
32Kobus Hereygers (Ned) ZZPR.NL
33Micki van Empel (Ned) ZZPR.NL
34Gianni Vermeersch (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus
35Tommy Nielsen (Den)
36Geert Wellens (Bel) Scott USA Cycling Team
37Kenneth Hansen (Den)
38Xabier Garcia Irazola (Spa)
39Daniel Ruiz Echeandia (Spa)
40Benedikt Jobb (Ger)
41Stijn Heyse (Bel) Team CATA bikes bianchi
42Wim Allary (Bel) Koninklijke Brugse Velosport VZW
43Alberto Candelas Caballero (Spa)

 

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