Stybar solos to World Cup win
World champ dominates in Aigle, remains unbeaten this season
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.
1 | Zdenek Štybar (Cze) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 1:03:48 |
2 | Niels Albert (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus | 0:00:09 |
3 | Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 0:00:14 |
4 | Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb-Revor | 0:00:20 |
5 | Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus | 0:00:28 |
6 | Francis Mourey (Fra) FDJ | 0:00:30 |
7 | Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Sunweb-Revor | Row 6 - Cell 2 |
8 | Steve Chainel (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom | 0:00:31 |
9 | Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | 0:00:43 |
10 | Bart Wellens (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 0:00:54 |
11 | Gerben De Knegt (Ned) Rabobank-Giant Off-Road Team | 0:00:57 |
12 | Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabobank - Giant Offroad Team | 0:01:33 |
13 | Enrico Franzoi (Ita) BKCP-Powerplus | 0:01:41 |
14 | Radomir Simunek Jr. (Cze) BKCP-Powerplus | Row 13 - Cell 2 |
15 | Philipp Walsleben (Ger) BKCP-Powerplus | 0:02:33 |
16 | Mariusz Gil (Pol) Baboco - Revor Cycling Team | 0:02:39 |
17 | Thijs van Amerongen (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team | 0:02:40 |
18 | Eddy van Ijzendoorn (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team | 0:02:41 |
19 | Jonathan Page (USA) Planet Bike | Row 18 - Cell 2 |
20 | Jeremy Powers (USA) Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com | 0:02:44 |
21 | Patrick van Leeuwen (Ned) | 0:02:45 |
22 | Robert Gavenda (Svk) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 0:02:49 |
23 | Christian Heule (Swi) Champion System LBS | 0:02:51 |
24 | James Driscoll (USA) Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com | 0:02:52 |
25 | Tijmen Eising (Ned) Sunweb-Revor | 0:02:53 |
26 | Timothy Johnson (USA) Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com | 0:03:02 |
27 | Ondrej Bambula (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor | 0:03:24 |
28 | Marco Bianco (Ita) | Row 27 - Cell 2 |
29 | Marcel Wildhaber (Swi) Scott-Swisspower MTB-Racing | Row 28 - Cell 2 |
30 | Nicolas Bazin (Fra) | 0:03:26 |
31 | David Kášek (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor | 0:03:33 |
32 | Mitchell Huenders (Ned) BKCP-Powerplus | 0:03:40 |
33 | Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) Van Vliet EBH Elshof | 0:03:41 |
34 | Ian Field (GBr) | 0:03:42 |
35 | Jérome Chevallier (Fra) | 0:03:43 |
36 | Petr Dlask (Cze) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 0:03:51 |
37 | Egoitz Murgoitio Rekalde (Spa) | 0:03:59 |
38 | Matthieu Boulo (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole | 0:04:01 |
39 | Johannes Sickmueller (Ger) | 0:04:04 |
40 | Jirí Polnický (Cze) Sunweb - Revor | 0:04:11 |
41 | Pirmin Lang (Swi) | 0:04:12 |
42 | Florian Le Corre (Fra) | 0:04:13 |
43 | Sacha Weber (Ger) Stevens Racing Team | -1lap |
44 | Marco Ponta (Ita) | Row 43 - Cell 2 |
45 | Mirko Tabacchi (Ita) | Row 44 - Cell 2 |
46 | Fabio Ursi (Ita) | Row 45 - Cell 2 |
47 | Martin Zlámalík (Cze) Sunweb - Revor | Row 46 - Cell 2 |
48 | Kenneth Hansen (Den) | Row 47 - Cell 2 |
49 | Václav Metlicka (Svk) Johnson Controls Aš Mb | Row 48 - Cell 2 |
50 | Thijs Al (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team | -2laps |
51 | David van der Poel (Ned) BKCP-Powerplus | Row 50 - Cell 2 |
52 | Mik Garrigan (Can) | Row 51 - Cell 2 |
53 | Andreas Moser (Swi) | -3laps |
54 | René Lang (Swi) | Row 53 - Cell 2 |
55 | Lukas Winterberg (Swi) | Row 54 - Cell 2 |
56 | Daniele Mensi (Ita) | Row 55 - Cell 2 |
57 | Vladimír Kyzivát (Cze) Johnson Controls Aš Mb | Row 56 - Cell 2 |
58 | Yves Corminboeuf (Swi) | Row 57 - Cell 2 |
59 | Laurent Colombatto (Fra) | -4laps |
60 | Xabier Garcia Irazola (Spa) | Row 59 - Cell 2 |
61 | Jonas Schau Guddal (Den) | -5laps |
1 | Zdenek Štybar (Cze) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 80 | pts |
2 | Niels Albert (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus | 70 | Row 1 - Cell 3 |
3 | Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 65 | Row 2 - Cell 3 |
4 | Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb-Revor | 60 | Row 3 - Cell 3 |
5 | Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus | 55 | Row 4 - Cell 3 |
6 | Francis Mourey (Fra) FDJ | 50 | Row 5 - Cell 3 |
7 | Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Sunweb-Revor | 48 | Row 6 - Cell 3 |
8 | Steve Chainel (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom | 46 | Row 7 - Cell 3 |
9 | Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | 44 | Row 8 - Cell 3 |
10 | Bart Wellens (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 42 | Row 9 - Cell 3 |
11 | Gerben De Knegt (Ned) Rabobank-Giant Off-Road Team | 40 | Row 10 - Cell 3 |
12 | Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabobank - Giant Offroad Team | 39 | Row 11 - Cell 3 |
13 | Enrico Franzoi (Ita) BKCP-Powerplus | 38 | Row 12 - Cell 3 |
14 | Radomir Simunek Jr. (Cze) BKCP-Powerplus | 37 | Row 13 - Cell 3 |
15 | Philipp Walsleben (Ger) BKCP-Powerplus | 36 | Row 14 - Cell 3 |
16 | Mariusz Gil (Pol) Baboco - Revor Cycling Team | 35 | Row 15 - Cell 3 |
17 | Thijs van Amerongen (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team | 34 | Row 16 - Cell 3 |
18 | Eddy van Ijzendoorn (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team | 33 | Row 17 - Cell 3 |
19 | Jonathan Page (USA) Planet Bike | 32 | Row 18 - Cell 3 |
20 | Jeremy Powers (USA) Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com | 31 | Row 19 - Cell 3 |
21 | Patrick van Leeuwen (Ned) | 30 | Row 20 - Cell 3 |
22 | Robert Gavenda (Svk) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 29 | Row 21 - Cell 3 |
23 | Christian Heule (Swi) Champion System LBS | 28 | Row 22 - Cell 3 |
24 | James Driscoll (USA) Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com | 27 | Row 23 - Cell 3 |
25 | Tijmen Eising (Ned) Sunweb-Revor | 26 | Row 24 - Cell 3 |
26 | Timothy Johnson (USA) Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com | 25 | Row 25 - Cell 3 |
27 | Ondrej Bambula (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor | 24 | Row 26 - Cell 3 |
28 | Marco Bianco (Ita) | 23 | Row 27 - Cell 3 |
29 | Marcel Wildhaber (Swi) Scott-Swisspower MTB-Racing | 22 | Row 28 - Cell 3 |
30 | Nicolas Bazin (Fra) | 21 | Row 29 - Cell 3 |
31 | David Kášek (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor | 20 | Row 30 - Cell 3 |
32 | Mitchell Huenders (Ned) BKCP-Powerplus | 19 | Row 31 - Cell 3 |
33 | Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) Van Vliet EBH Elshof | 18 | Row 32 - Cell 3 |
34 | Ian Field (GBr) | 17 | Row 33 - Cell 3 |
35 | Jérome Chevallier (Fra) | 16 | Row 34 - Cell 3 |
36 | Petr Dlask (Cze) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 15 | Row 35 - Cell 3 |
37 | Egoitz Murgoitio Rekalde (Spa) | 14 | Row 36 - Cell 3 |
38 | Matthieu Boulo (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole | 13 | Row 37 - Cell 3 |
39 | Johannes Sickmueller (Ger) | 12 | Row 38 - Cell 3 |
40 | Jirí Polnický (Cze) Sunweb - Revor | 11 | Row 39 - Cell 3 |
41 | Pirmin Lang (Swi) | 10 | Row 40 - Cell 3 |
42 | Florian Le Corre (Fra) | 9 | Row 41 - Cell 3 |
43 | Sacha Weber (Ger) Stevens Racing Team | 8 | Row 42 - Cell 3 |
44 | Marco Ponta (Ita) | 7 | Row 43 - Cell 3 |
45 | Mirko Tabacchi (Ita) | 6 | Row 44 - Cell 3 |
46 | Fabio Ursi (Ita) | 5 | Row 45 - Cell 3 |
47 | Martin Zlámalík (Cze) Sunweb - Revor | 4 | Row 46 - Cell 3 |
48 | Kenneth Hansen (Den) | 3 | Row 47 - Cell 3 |
49 | Václav Metlicka (Svk) Johnson Controls Aš Mb | 2 | Row 48 - Cell 3 |
50 | Thijs Al (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team | 1 | Row 49 - Cell 3 |
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