Stybar racks up World Cup win in sprint battle
By Brecht Decaluwé published
Nys, Vantornout bested by Czech champ
After winning two races last weekend, Czech champion Zdenek Stybar added to streak with a spectacular win in the fourth round of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Koksijde.
The Telenet Fidea rider found himself in a group of five coming to the line, and unleashed a perfectly timed sprint to claim the win over Belgian champion Sven Nys and Klaas Vantornout.
World Champion and World Cup leader Niels Albert took fourth ahead of Frenchman Francis Mourey.
Stybar rode a strong race, occasionally riding up dunes where others were forced to dismount and run. "Unbelievable. I don't have any words for this. I can't believe I've won three races in a row," Stybar said after his win.
The young Czech, who doesn't consider himself to be a sand specialist, finished third in the same race last year and this year defied even his own expectations to win the most important sand race of the season.
"It's not only about the sand in this race. This year it was a little bit easier because it was wet, but form is also an important factor here," said Stybar after proving himself one of the only riders able to ride up certain dunes.
Entering the last sections of the race Stybar sneaked past Nys and into the lead. "Riding in front over there was crucial because last year Nys attacked on that last dune and rode completely to the top where others had to run," Stybar said. "Winning here is very important because it's like breaking through a barrier."
"Of course it's important to race and win in Koksijde. Now I don't have to be afraid of my rivals on these courses," said Stybar, who concluded that if he can win in the sand he can win anywhere.
Gracious in defeat, runner-up Nys congratulated Stybar on his victory. "I had good sensations today and I'm happy about my race. I came in the lead at the right moment during the lap and I wanted to attack on the next dune, but then Stybar passed me; top class from him. The top riders are so close to one another these days, but Stybar's the fastest and he's a deserved winner," Nys said.
Stybar steps up the standings
Niels Albert remains in the lead of the World Cup standings after four rounds, but the World Champion's lead has been narrowed to 15 points over the in-form Stybar.
While the Belgian and Czech rider have forged their positions through World Cup race wins, Francis Mourey has proven that consistency is worth almost as much. The French champion has finished fifth in all four rounds of the World Cup this season, a record that puts him in third overall at 80 points from Albert.
Struck by an apparent mid-season slump, Albert told Cyclingnews his morale has dipped after a dominant start to the season.
"My form is low right now and things are not going my way anymore. Halfway the race I received a gap but I was unable to develop it and keep the others at distance. In reality, I blew up my engine there and I had nothing left for the sprint. Hopefully my form will get better soon," said Albert before heading to the doping control.
One rider who was paying particular attention to the anti-doping controls at the race was the USA's Jonathan Page. The American missed a control at the same race last season after pulling out half-way through the event. He was later cleared of any wrongdoing by the USADA, but the incident has clearly left its mark on Page. This year, Page was trying to find the list of riders who were to face controls, but was unable to locate the UCI's anti-doping controllers.
"One year it's like this, and then the next it's done in another way. This is how things go wrong," said Page.
Page's frustration was not helped by a 27th place finish. "When is luck going to turn my way? I had two flat tyres today. I tried to stay cool after puncturing and pick it up later [Page rode the second fastest time on lap six – ed.] but it wasn't to be," Page said.
Belgian star Bart Wellens returned to racing in Koksijde and in spite of a back row starting position he finished in a solid thirteenth spot. The riders will return to World Cup action next week in Igorre, Spain for the final round of the series.
1 | Zdenek Štybar (Cze) Telenet Fidea Cycling Team | 1:04:23 |
2 | Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago | |
3 | Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb-Projob | 0:00:01 |
4 | Niels Albert (Bel) BKCP - Powerplus | |
5 | Francis Mourey (Fra) Française des Jeux | 0:00:03 |
6 | Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabobank | 0:00:12 |
7 | Gerben de Knegt (Ned) Rabobank | 0:00:18 |
8 | Erwin Vervecken (Bel) | 0:00:47 |
9 | Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Sunweb-Projob | 0:01:11 |
10 | Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Telenet Fidea Cycling Team | 0:01:28 |
11 | Radomír Šimunek Ml (Cze) BKCP - Power Plus | 0:01:38 |
12 | Steve Chainel (Fra) Bouygues Telecom | 0:01:47 |
13 | Bart Wellens (Bel) Telenet Fidea Cycling Team | 0:01:48 |
14 | Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) BKCP - Powerplus | 0:01:51 |
15 | Enrico Franzoi (Ita) Liquigas | |
16 | John Gadret (Fra) AG2R LA MONDIALE | 0:02:00 |
17 | Christian Heule (Swi) RendementhypoCycling Team | 0:02:07 |
18 | Petr Dlask (Cze) Telenet Fidea Cycling Team | 0:02:09 |
19 | Martin Zlámalík (Cze) Prodoli Racing Team | 0:02:13 |
20 | Marco Bianco (Ita) L Arcobaleno Carraro Team | 0:02:33 |
21 | Wilant van Gils (Ned) Pro Cycling Team ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida | |
22 | Thijs Al (Ned) AA Drink - BeOne | 0:02:48 |
23 | Mariusz Gil (Pol) LKS Pom Strzelce Krajenskie | 0:03:05 |
24 | Thijs Van Amerongen (Ned) Vacansoleil | 0:03:17 |
25 | Marcel Wildhaber (Swi) Scott-Swisspower Mountainbike-Team | 0:03:23 |
26 | Martin Bína (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor | 0:03:25 |
27 | Jonathan Page (USA) Planet Bike | 0:03:57 |
28 | Kamil Ausbuher (Cze) Exe Jeans | 0:04:14 |
29 | Patrick Van Leeuwen (Ned) Het Snelle Wiel | 0:04:17 |
30 | Fabio Ursi (Ita) Centro Sportivo Esercito | 0:04:19 |
31 | Nicolas Bazin (Fra) Differdange | 0:04:46 |
32 | Jérôme Chevallier (Fra) AC Besançon | 0:05:04 |
33 | Johannes Sickmüller (Ger) Stevens Cyclocross Team Hamburg | 0:05:21 |
34 | Ian Field (GBr) Hargroves Cycles/Trant/Next/GSI | 0:05:28 |
35 | Vladimír Kyzivát (Cze) Johnson Controls AS MB | 0:05:47 |
36 | Eddy van IJzendoorn (Ned) AA Drink - BeOne | 0:05:57 |
37 | Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) KED Bianchi Berlin | 0:05:58 |
38 | Alessandro Gambino (Ita) Centro Sportivo Esercito | 0:06:02 |
39 | Vaclav Metlicka (Svk) Team Král | 0:06:13 |
40 | Jody Crawforth (GBr) Arctic - Premier RT | 0:06:51 |
41 | Luca Damiani (Ita) Colavita Sutter Home | -1 lap |
42 | Ivar Hartogs (Ned) ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida | |
43 | Milan Barenyi (Svk) | |
44 | Tommy Nielsen (Den) | |
45 | Jonathan Lopez (Fra) VC La Pomme Marseille | |
46 | Joachim Parbo (Den) CCV Cyclo crosss Team | -2 laps |
47 | Robert Glajza (Svk) | |
48 | Sascha Wagner (Ger) Stevens Cyclocross Team Hamburg | |
49 | Gusty Bausch (Lux) LC Kayl | |
50 | Martin Haring (Svk) | -3 laps |
51 | Mike Garrigan (Can) | -4 laps |
52 | Ariunbold Naranbat (Mgl) | -6 laps |
53 | Boldbaatar Bold-Erdene (Mgl) |
1 | Niels Albert (Bel) BKCP - Powerplus | 300 | pts |
2 | Zdenek Štybar (Cze) Telenet Fidea Cycling Team | 285 | |
3 | Francis Mourey (Fra) Française des Jeux | 220 | |
4 | Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb-Projob | 219 | |
5 | Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago | 205 | |
6 | Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Telenet Fidea Cycling Team | 198 | |
7 | Gerben de Knegt (Ned) Rabobank | 180 | |
8 | Christian Heule (Swi) RendementhypoCycling Team | 172 | |
9 | Enrico Franzoi (Ita) Liquigas | 164 | |
10 | Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabobank | 163 | |
11 | Martin Zlámalík (Cze) Prodoli Racing Team | 152 | |
12 | Erwin Vervecken (Bel) Baboco Revor | 150 | |
13 | Petr Dlask (Cze) Telenet Fidea Cycling Team | 142 | |
14 | Radomír Šimunek Ml (Cze) BKCP - Power Plus | 132 | |
15 | Martin Bína (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor | 129 | |
16 | Thijs Al (Ned) AA Drink - BeOne | 129 | |
17 | Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) BKCP - Powerplus | 125 | |
18 | Mariusz Gil (Pol) LKS Pom Strzelce Krajenskie | 121 | |
19 | Steve Chainel (Fra) Bouygues Telecom | 119 | |
20 | Thijs Van Amerongen (Ned) Van Vliet EBH Elshof | 115 | |
21 | Kamil Ausbuher (Cze) Exe Jeans | 107 | |
22 | Jan Verstraeten (Bel) KDL Trans NV | 97 | |
23 | Marco Bianco (Ita) L Arcobaleno Carraro Team | 97 | |
24 | Laurent Colombatto (Fra) AC Besançon | 89 | |
25 | Eddy van IJzendoorn (Ned) AA Drink - BeOne | 88 | |
26 | Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Sunweb-Projob | 79 | |
27 | Patrick Van Leeuwen (Ned) Het Snelle Wiel | 79 | |
28 | Alessandro Gambino (Ita) Centro Sportivo Esercito | 75 | |
29 | Wilant van Gils (Ned) Pro Cycling Team ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida | 74 | |
30 | Jonathan Page (USA) Planet Bike | 73 | |
31 | Jonathan Lopez (Fra) VC La Pomme Marseille | 71 | |
32 | Fabio Ursi (Ita) Centro Sportivo Esercito | 65 | |
33 | Marcel Wildhaber (Swi) Scott-Swisspower Mountainbike-Team | 64 | |
34 | Ondrej Bambula (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor | 60 | |
35 | Rob Peeters (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago | 59 | |
36 | Ian Field (GBr) Hargroves Cycles/Trant/Next/GSI | 59 | |
37 | Jérôme Chevallier (Fra) AC Besançon | 58 | |
38 | Milan Barenyi (Svk) | 48 | |
39 | Johannes Sickmüller (Ger) Stevens Cyclocross Team Hamburg | 48 | |
40 | Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) KED Bianchi Berlin | 47 | |
41 | Pawel Szczepaniak (Pol) LKS Pom Strzelce Krajenskie | 41 | |
42 | Ivar Hartogs (Ned) ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida | 41 | |
43 | Bart Wellens (Bel) Telenet Fidea Cycling Team | 38 | |
44 | David Derepas (Fra) UVCA Troyes | 37 | |
45 | Luca Damiani (Ita) Colavita Sutter Home | 37 | |
46 | Vaclav Metlicka (Svk) Team Král | 37 | |
47 | John Gadret (Fra) AG2R LA MONDIALE | 35 | |
48 | Robert Gavenda (Svk) Telenet Fidea Cycling Team | 35 | |
49 | Philipp Walsleben (Ger) Team BKCP-Power Plus | 32 | |
50 | Lukáš Kloucek (Cze) Sunweb - Projob Cycling Team | 30 | |
51 | Egoitz Murgoitio Rekalde (Spa) | 28 | |
52 | Sascha Wagner (Ger) Stevens Cyclocross Team Hamburg | 26 | |
53 | Roy Van Heeswijk (Ned) Sint Oedenrode | 25 | |
54 | Javier Ruiz De Larrinaga Ibanez (Spa) | 22 | |
55 | Marco Ponta (Ita) | 21 | |
56 | Nicolas Bazin (Fra) Us Domont Cyclisme | 20 | |
57 | Jan Soetens (Bel) Revor-Jartazi Continental Team | 20 | |
58 | Martin Haring (Svk) | 17 | |
59 | Robert Glajza (Svk) | 17 | |
60 | Vladimír Kyzivát (Cze) Johnson Controls AS MB | 16 | |
61 | Zdenek Mlynár (Cze) Max Cursor | 13 | |
62 | Jody Crawforth (GBr) Arctic - Premier RT | 11 | |
63 | Julien Pion (Fra) Charvieu Chavagneux IC | 10 | |
64 | Jens Westergren (Swe) | 10 | |
65 | Clément Bourgoin (Fra) VC Rhodanien | 9 | |
66 | Tommy Nielsen (Den) | 7 | |
67 | René Lang (Swi) Delta Elite Team/VC Bützberg | 6 | |
68 | Joachim Parbo (Den) CCV Cyclo crosss Team | 5 | |
69 | Peter Presslauer (Aut) Team Volksbank | 4 | |
70 | Marek Canecky (Svk) | 3 | |
71 | Andreas Moser (Swi) Bürgis Cycling Team | 3 | |
72 | Gusty Bausch (Lux) LC Kayl | 2 | |
73 | Zoltan Tisza (Hun) | 2 | |
74 | Sascha Weber (Ger) FC Rheinland-Pfalz Flonheim | 1 | |
75 | Rafael Visinelli (Ita) Gruppo Sportivo Forestale | 1 |

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month*
Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
after your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59

Join now for unlimited access
Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to Cyclingnews. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
Simon Yates confirms knee injury from stage 4 crash in Giro d’Italia
Briton upbeat about Sunday’s crunch stage despite injury -
Simon outduels Kristoff to win GP du Morbihan
Jake Stewart takes third in bunch sprint -
Giro d'Italia: GC standings after stage 8
Naples provided drama for the stage win, while Guillaume Martin jumped to fourth in GC -
Romain Bardet: Nowhere to hide when Giro d’Italia hits Blockhaus
Frenchman expects gaps as race reaches major rendezvous