Stybar solos to World Cup win

World champion Zdenek Stybar (Telenet-Fidea) continued his early season domination with a victory today at the first round of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Aigle, Switzerland. Stybar attacked halfway into the one-hour race and the 24-year-old Czech soloed to victory, remaining unbeaten this season with his sixth straight win.

"The form is really good," Stybar said. "Every race is difficult so I have to enjoy every win in this world champion's jersey because the form can fade. I still have some margin on my top form, though. I trained a lot during the last few weeks and now I'm going to recover from all those efforts in order to stay fresh."

Behind Stybar two young Belgians captured the remaining podium spots as Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) and Kevin Pauwels (Telenet-Fidea) claimed second and third respectively.

Klaas Vantornout (Sunweb-Revor) won the sprint for fourth place ahead of surprisingly strong Dieter Vanthourenhout (BKCP-Powerplus). Four Belgians finished in the top five but they couldn't keep the Czech from winning on the course next to the UCI's headquarters in Aigle.

French champion Francis Mourey (FDJ) showed grit and fought his way to a solid sixth place, outsprinting Sven Vanthourenhout (Sunweb-Revor) and Steve Chainel (Bouygues Telecom).

Belgian champion Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet) faded halfway into the race and finished in a disappointing ninth place. Bart Wellens (Telenet-Fidea) was dropped from the lead group due to a mechanical issue with his chain and ended the day in 10th place.

The four American representatives were never in contention for a top 10 result. Jonathan Page (Planet Bike) was the highest placed finisher in 19th while Jeremy Powers (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld) finished seconds later in 20th, having moved up six positions on the last lap. Jamey Driscoll (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld) finished in 24th and US champion Timothy Johnson (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld) crossed the line in 26th, 3:02 down on Stybar.

The race turned out to be a tactical battle for the opening half hour. Both Nys and Stybar led a large group over the fast and technical course but no major gaps were created. After five laps of racing 11 men remained in the lead group, but Stybar would soon pounce as he noticed some of his key rivals dropping back to the rear of the paceline. The Czech powerhouse set a furious tempo and slowly but surely whittled down his opposition until he found himself alone in the lead on the seventh of 11 laps.

The world champion gained 20 seconds on a chase group comprised of Vantornout, teammates Pauwels and Dieter Vanthourenhout and former world champion, 24-year-old Niels Albert. The latter struggled early in the race to keep up with the leaders but he steadily improved each lap; it was only his third race of the season after being troubled with a knee injury in September.

Albert gapped the rest of the chasers on the penultimate lap to secure second place, but Stybar remained just out of reach in the finale. Stybar won the season's first World Cup with a nine-second advantage over Albert, while Pauwels completed the podium five seconds later.

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Full Results
1Zdenek Štybar (Cze) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team1:03:48
2Niels Albert (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus0:00:09
3Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team0:00:14
4Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb-Revor0:00:20
5Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus0:00:28
6Francis Mourey (Fra) FDJ0:00:30
7Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Sunweb-RevorRow 6 - Cell 2
8Steve Chainel (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom0:00:31
9Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet0:00:43
10Bart Wellens (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team0:00:54
11Gerben De Knegt (Ned) Rabobank-Giant Off-Road Team0:00:57
12Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabobank - Giant Offroad Team0:01:33
13Enrico Franzoi (Ita) BKCP-Powerplus0:01:41
14Radomir Simunek Jr. (Cze) BKCP-PowerplusRow 13 - Cell 2
15Philipp Walsleben (Ger) BKCP-Powerplus0:02:33
16Mariusz Gil (Pol) Baboco - Revor Cycling Team0:02:39
17Thijs van Amerongen (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team0:02:40
18Eddy van Ijzendoorn (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team0:02:41
19Jonathan Page (USA) Planet BikeRow 18 - Cell 2
20Jeremy Powers (USA) Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com0:02:44
21Patrick van Leeuwen (Ned)0:02:45
22Robert Gavenda (Svk) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team0:02:49
23Christian Heule (Swi) Champion System LBS0:02:51
24James Driscoll (USA) Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com0:02:52
25Tijmen Eising (Ned) Sunweb-Revor0:02:53
26Timothy Johnson (USA) Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com0:03:02
27Ondrej Bambula (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor0:03:24
28Marco Bianco (Ita)Row 27 - Cell 2
29Marcel Wildhaber (Swi) Scott-Swisspower MTB-RacingRow 28 - Cell 2
30Nicolas Bazin (Fra)0:03:26
31David Kášek (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor0:03:33
32Mitchell Huenders (Ned) BKCP-Powerplus0:03:40
33Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) Van Vliet EBH Elshof0:03:41
34Ian Field (GBr)0:03:42
35Jérome Chevallier (Fra)0:03:43
36Petr Dlask (Cze) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team0:03:51
37Egoitz Murgoitio Rekalde (Spa)0:03:59
38Matthieu Boulo (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole0:04:01
39Johannes Sickmueller (Ger)0:04:04
40Jirí Polnický (Cze) Sunweb - Revor0:04:11
41Pirmin Lang (Swi)0:04:12
42Florian Le Corre (Fra)0:04:13
43Sacha Weber (Ger) Stevens Racing Team-1lap
44Marco Ponta (Ita)Row 43 - Cell 2
45Mirko Tabacchi (Ita)Row 44 - Cell 2
46Fabio Ursi (Ita)Row 45 - Cell 2
47Martin Zlámalík (Cze) Sunweb - RevorRow 46 - Cell 2
48Kenneth Hansen (Den)Row 47 - Cell 2
49Václav Metlicka (Svk) Johnson Controls Aš MbRow 48 - Cell 2
50Thijs Al (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team-2laps
51David van der Poel (Ned) BKCP-PowerplusRow 50 - Cell 2
52Mik Garrigan (Can)Row 51 - Cell 2
53Andreas Moser (Swi)-3laps
54René Lang (Swi)Row 53 - Cell 2
55Lukas Winterberg (Swi)Row 54 - Cell 2
56Daniele Mensi (Ita)Row 55 - Cell 2
57Vladimír Kyzivát (Cze) Johnson Controls Aš MbRow 56 - Cell 2
58Yves Corminboeuf (Swi)Row 57 - Cell 2
59Laurent Colombatto (Fra)-4laps
60Xabier Garcia Irazola (Spa)Row 59 - Cell 2
61Jonas Schau Guddal (Den)-5laps
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UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup rankings after round 1
1Zdenek Štybar (Cze) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team80pts
2Niels Albert (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus70Row 1 - Cell 3
3Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team65Row 2 - Cell 3
4Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb-Revor60Row 3 - Cell 3
5Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus55Row 4 - Cell 3
6Francis Mourey (Fra) FDJ50Row 5 - Cell 3
7Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Sunweb-Revor48Row 6 - Cell 3
8Steve Chainel (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom46Row 7 - Cell 3
9Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet44Row 8 - Cell 3
10Bart Wellens (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team42Row 9 - Cell 3
11Gerben De Knegt (Ned) Rabobank-Giant Off-Road Team40Row 10 - Cell 3
12Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabobank - Giant Offroad Team39Row 11 - Cell 3
13Enrico Franzoi (Ita) BKCP-Powerplus38Row 12 - Cell 3
14Radomir Simunek Jr. (Cze) BKCP-Powerplus37Row 13 - Cell 3
15Philipp Walsleben (Ger) BKCP-Powerplus36Row 14 - Cell 3
16Mariusz Gil (Pol) Baboco - Revor Cycling Team35Row 15 - Cell 3
17Thijs van Amerongen (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team34Row 16 - Cell 3
18Eddy van Ijzendoorn (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team33Row 17 - Cell 3
19Jonathan Page (USA) Planet Bike32Row 18 - Cell 3
20Jeremy Powers (USA) Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com31Row 19 - Cell 3
21Patrick van Leeuwen (Ned)30Row 20 - Cell 3
22Robert Gavenda (Svk) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team29Row 21 - Cell 3
23Christian Heule (Swi) Champion System LBS28Row 22 - Cell 3
24James Driscoll (USA) Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com27Row 23 - Cell 3
25Tijmen Eising (Ned) Sunweb-Revor26Row 24 - Cell 3
26Timothy Johnson (USA) Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com25Row 25 - Cell 3
27Ondrej Bambula (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor24Row 26 - Cell 3
28Marco Bianco (Ita)23Row 27 - Cell 3
29Marcel Wildhaber (Swi) Scott-Swisspower MTB-Racing22Row 28 - Cell 3
30Nicolas Bazin (Fra)21Row 29 - Cell 3
31David Kášek (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor20Row 30 - Cell 3
32Mitchell Huenders (Ned) BKCP-Powerplus19Row 31 - Cell 3
33Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) Van Vliet EBH Elshof18Row 32 - Cell 3
34Ian Field (GBr)17Row 33 - Cell 3
35Jérome Chevallier (Fra)16Row 34 - Cell 3
36Petr Dlask (Cze) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team15Row 35 - Cell 3
37Egoitz Murgoitio Rekalde (Spa)14Row 36 - Cell 3
38Matthieu Boulo (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole13Row 37 - Cell 3
39Johannes Sickmueller (Ger)12Row 38 - Cell 3
40Jirí Polnický (Cze) Sunweb - Revor11Row 39 - Cell 3
41Pirmin Lang (Swi)10Row 40 - Cell 3
42Florian Le Corre (Fra)9Row 41 - Cell 3
43Sacha Weber (Ger) Stevens Racing Team8Row 42 - Cell 3
44Marco Ponta (Ita)7Row 43 - Cell 3
45Mirko Tabacchi (Ita)6Row 44 - Cell 3
46Fabio Ursi (Ita)5Row 45 - Cell 3
47Martin Zlámalík (Cze) Sunweb - Revor4Row 46 - Cell 3
48Kenneth Hansen (Den)3Row 47 - Cell 3
49Václav Metlicka (Svk) Johnson Controls Aš Mb2Row 48 - Cell 3
50Thijs Al (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team1Row 49 - Cell 3

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