Nys captures Kalmthout World Cup

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Despite a disastrous first lap that included a crash, a flat tyre and a dropped chain, Belgian champion Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago) provided the frozen crowds a fantastic spectacle in the snow of Kalmthout by coming back from nowhere and storming to his first World Cup win of the season.

"It was unbelievable," Nys told Sporza. "I had troubles with my chain and crashed during the first lap and then I got angry because there was no room to move up; some guys just didn't let me pass. That aggression made me boil inside and that's probably why I kept fighting.

"That last lap crash didn't bother me. Nobody could pass me, even if it meant that I would have to go through the last corner at 60 km/h. These are extreme conditions and that's when the real Sven Nys stands up, even though it was really cold.

"This was 'cross at the highest level. It was good to win my first World Cup race of the season."

Czech champion Zdenek Stybar (Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team) took the lead halfway through the race but didn't have an answer for an inspired Nys. Stybar, however, improved his World Cup standings by holding off world champion Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus), the third place finisher.

Albert entered the sixth round of the World Cup in the white leader's skinsuit, but Stybar's performance today moves the Czech into a tie for the World Cup lead with Albert.

Despite edging ever closer to the World Cup lead, Stybar expressed his frustration his performance. "I'm not happy with my race. I had a bad start, but moved up halfway. The last two laps I made too many mistakes and I should've ridden on different tyres. All race long I used slicks and that was too risky in the closing laps. I wasn't having my best day and made too many mistakes.

"My expectation for next month is that there whatever the conditions are the same three guys will stand up. I wanted to win or take the leader's jersey [today], but I'll have to wait until the next race." Stybar said.

Albert, too, pointed to mistakes that may have cost him the chance of a better result in Kalmthout, but drew a similar conclusion to Stybar for the races ahead. "During the last laps I was one of the fastest in the race but Sven [Nys] was really strong by coming back that way, really impressive," Albert told Sporza.

"I made the mistake of staying behind Klaas Vantornout for too long," he continued. "The snow isn't a problem for me. The gaps were small and all three of us could win. It was a promising race for the future."

Sven stutters as Sunweb set things off in the snow

With Nys' first lap plagued by mechanical issues, the early stages of the race was dominated by the Sunweb-Projob pair of Klaas Vantornout and Sven Vanthourenhout. The duo led a group of a dozen riders that also included American Jonathan Page.

The two leaders couldn't gain a decisive advantage of the big hitters and halfway the race there were still eight men in the front group: the two Sunweb-boys, Albert, Stybar, Radomir Simunek, Martin Bina and the two Rabobank riders Gerben De Knegt and Bart Aernouts.

At the end of the fourth lap Simunek crashed hard at the stairs and the Czech was forced to abandon the race. In front, Stybar took over from his compatriot and created a gap of around 15 seconds,. Shortly afterwards Nys connected with the back of the chase group.

Nys needed a lot of time to get past all riders, but once he got to the front of the chase group he began to immediately nibble away at the gap to Stybar. While the snow continued to pour from the heavens, Nys bridged up with Stybar just before the start of the penultimate lap, with Albert and Vantornout still near the front too.

Nys dropped Stybar in the last lap and though he crashed once again he refused to allow Stybar and Albert to get past him. Stybar slipped away in the finale and allowed Nys to take a few metres, enough for the Belgian to grab his first World Cup win of the season.