Venturini leads French charge

Clément Venturini (France) captured his first victory in a round of the UCI's World Cup on home soil in Pontchâteau, France, as six French riders filled the top-ten of the Junior Men category race.

The only French World Cup round of the cyclo-cross season kicked off with a splendid start for the local fans as the French riders performed at their best in Pontchâteau. Venturini rode near the front of a large leading group all race long. Then after a blistering fast final lap, he held off a combative Danny van Poppel (The Netherlands) and compatriot Quentin Jauregui (France). Vojtech Nipl (Czech Republic), Kévin Bouvard (France) and Silvio Herklotz (Germany) finished just off the podium.

World Cup leader Laurens Sweeck and the other Belgians who were seemingly unbeatable up until this stage of the season failed to crack the top-10 in Pontchâteau. Sweeck finished 14th at more than half a minute from winner Venturini. Nevertheless Sweeck remains comfortably in the lead of the World Cup rankings. Daniel Peeters (Belgium) moved up from third to second place overall because Lars Forster (Switzerland) skipped the Pontchâteau race. Peeters' 12th place was just enough to stay one point ahead of Venturini, who moved up from sixth to third place. Laurens Sweeck's twin brother Diether failed to score any points in Pontchâteau and he tumbled from fourth to sixth place overall.

The results mean next week's last World Cup race in Hoogerheide, in the Netherlands, will be fiercely contested. Laurens Sweeck has to score points to secure his World Cup victory. Peeters, Venturini and Forster look the favourites to fight for the podium places in the overall rankings.

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Full Results
1Clément Venturini (Fra) France0:41:11
2Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Netherlands0:00:03
3Quentin Jauregui (Fra) France0:00:04
4Vojtech Nipl (Cze) Czech RepublicRow 3 - Cell 2
5Kévin Bouvard (Fra) France0:00:05
6Silvio Herklotz (Ger) Germany0:00:06
7Fabien Doubey (Fra) France0:00:11
8Romain Seigle (Fra) France-B0:00:13
9Jaap De Man (Ned) NetherlandsRow 8 - Cell 2
10Loic Doubey (Fra) France0:00:14
11Michael Vanthourenhout (Bel) Belgium0:00:23
12Daniel Peeters (Bel) Belgium0:00:26
13Stan Godrie (Ned) Netherlands0:00:30
14Laurens Sweeck (Bel) Belgium0:00:33
15Tomas Medek (Cze) Czech Republic0:00:35
16Jens Vandekinderen (Bel) Belgium0:00:40
17Jakub Skala (Cze) Czech Republic0:00:43
18Anthony Turgis (Fra) France-B0:00:46
19Justin Mottier (Fra) France-B0:00:57
20Pablo Rodriguez Guede (Spa) Spain0:00:58
21Nicolas Rigaud (Fra) France-B0:00:59
22Kevin Ledanois (Fra) France-B0:01:03
23Jan Dieteren (Ger) Germany0:01:07
24Twan Brusselman (Ned) Netherlands0:01:28
25Victor Koretzky (Fra) France-B0:01:34
26Yannick Eckmann (Ger) Germany0:01:36
27Julian Lehmann (Ger) Germany0:01:47
28Anthonin Didier (Fra) France0:01:54
29Toon Aerts (Bel) Belgium0:02:12
30Yannick Gruner (Ger) GermanyRow 29 - Cell 2
31Yorben Van Tichelt (Bel) Belgium0:02:24
32Diether Sweeck (Bel) Belgium0:02:27
33Federico Zurlo (Ita) Italy0:02:29
34Douwe Verberne (Ned) Netherlands0:02:42
35Lorenzo Samparisi (Ita) Italy0:03:39
36Kevin Suarez Fernandez (Spa) Spain0:04:24
37Tomas Svoboda (Cze) Czech Republic0:05:35
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World Cup standings after round 4
1Laurens Sweeck (Bel) Belgium177pts
2Daniel Peeters (Bel) Belgium138Row 1 - Cell 3
3Clément Venturini (Fra) France137Row 2 - Cell 3
4Lars Forster (Swi) Switzerland130Row 3 - Cell 3
5Vojtech Nipl (Cze) Czech Republic118Row 4 - Cell 3
6Diether Sweeck (Bel) Belgium114Row 5 - Cell 3
7Quentin Jauregui (Fra) France106Row 6 - Cell 3
8Stan Godrie (Ned) Netherlands91Row 7 - Cell 3
9Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Netherlands90Row 8 - Cell 3
10Jaap De Man (Ned) Netherlands90Row 9 - Cell 3
11Fabien Doubey (Fra) France84Row 10 - Cell 3
12Tomas Medek (Cze) Czech Republic77Row 11 - Cell 3
13Jakub Skala (Cze) Czech Republic75Row 12 - Cell 3
14Jens Vandekinderen (Bel) Belgium73Row 13 - Cell 3
15Yannick Eckmann (Ger) Germany72Row 14 - Cell 3
16Yorben Van Tichelt (Bel) Belgium71Row 15 - Cell 3
17Kévin Bouvard (Fra) France69Row 16 - Cell 3
18Silvio Herklotz (Ger) Germany68Row 17 - Cell 3
19Michael Vanthourenhout (Bel) Belgium48Row 18 - Cell 3
20Federico Zurlo (Ita) Italy41Row 19 - Cell 3
21Pablo Rodriguez Guede (Spa) Spain41Row 20 - Cell 3
22Daan Soete (Bel) Belgium35Row 21 - Cell 3
23Lorenzo Samparisi (Ita) Italy34Row 22 - Cell 3
24Toon Aerts (Bel) Belgium34Row 23 - Cell 3
25Romain Seigle (Fra) France26Row 24 - Cell 3
26Tomas Bohata (Cze) Czech Republic23Row 25 - Cell 3
27Loic Doubey (Fra) France22Row 26 - Cell 3
28Douwe Verberne (Ned) Netherlands21Row 27 - Cell 3
29Daan Hoeyberghs (Bel) Belgium18Row 28 - Cell 3
30Jeroen Meijers (Ned) Netherlands14Row 29 - Cell 3
31Maxim Panis (Bel) Belgium14Row 30 - Cell 3
32Matthias Van De Velde (Bel) Belgium14Row 31 - Cell 3
33Anthony Turgis (Fra) France13Row 32 - Cell 3
34Justin Mottier (Fra) France12Row 33 - Cell 3
35Kevin Ledanois (Fra) France12Row 34 - Cell 3
36Fabian Lienhard (Swi) Switzerland12Row 35 - Cell 3
37Nicolas Rigaud (Fra) France10Row 36 - Cell 3
38Julian Lehmann (Ger) Germany9Row 37 - Cell 3
39Jan Dieteren (Ger) Germany8Row 38 - Cell 3
40Twan Brusselman (Ned) Netherlands7Row 39 - Cell 3
41Tomas Svoboda (Cze) Czech Republic7Row 40 - Cell 3
42Jorn Claes (Bel) Belgium7Row 41 - Cell 3
43Victor Koretzky (Fra) France6Row 42 - Cell 3
44Anthonin Didier (Fra) France3Row 43 - Cell 3
45Andrew Dillman (USA) United States2Row 44 - Cell 3
46Andri Frischknecht (Swi) Switzerland2Row 45 - Cell 3
47Dominic Zumstein (Swi) Switzerland2Row 46 - Cell 3
48Yannick Gruner (Ger) Germany1Row 47 - Cell 3
49Wojciech Malec (Pol) Poland1Row 48 - Cell 3
50Emil Arvid Olsen (Den) Denmark1Row 49 - Cell 3

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