Nys takes tense three-man battle

By Brecht Decaluwé in Hofstade with assistance from Gregor Brown

The beautiful and diverse course in Hofstade often brought great cyclo-cross racing in the past, and today wasn't much different. Three riders offered a spectacle to the huge crowds of about 20,000 people around the lake and they heralded the race afterwards as one of the greatest of the season.

The trio of UCI-leader Sven Nys, Belgian champion Bart Wellens and Dutch champion Lars Boom separated themselves from the rest after only one lap and together they ploughed away from the opposition.

After an exciting race and a great finale Sven Nys added another World Cup win to his palmares. The UCI-leader had enjoyed his time out there and mused on about how the race developed. "This is why we became cyclo-cross riders," Sven Nys said.

See the full report, results and photos here.