Boom races to snowy victory in Zolder ahead of Albert
Wellens takes third spot
Lars Boom (Rabobank) captured the win in the only cyclo-cross World Cup round he is racing this season, the sixth round in Zolder, Belgium. The 24-year-old Dutch champion dealt best with the deep snow that had turned the former Belgian F1 car circuit into an extremely challenging and often dangerous course.
After showing great skills on the bike, Boom tackled a cup of beer, showing he was not taking his cyclo-cross adventure too seriously.
"For me this is the most ideal way to prepare for the road season, but don't think I have no respect for the real cyclo-cross riders. Of course, I'm starting these races with a little bit of ambition because I don't want to come here and finish 20th," Boom said.
World Cup leader Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) finished second at 13 seconds behind Boom, but the Belgian strengthened his lead in the World Cup. Albert now holds a lead of more than 60 points, which is the amount of points at stake for the winner of a World Cup round.
"It's always possible to finish out of the points in a race and then my lead is gone, but surely I'm going to defend my lead in the World Cup in the last two races," said Albert. "Then I have at least one jersey at the end of the season."
The leading duo exchanged turns in the lead position during the first five laps, and when Boom dropped his chain for a second time during the third lap, he was trailing by about 15 seconds. "The chain wasn't fine-tuned and on the bumpy downhills, it often dropped but after changing bikes. It was alright," Boom said.
The Dutch champion Boom bridged back up to Albert and in the sixth lap, the latter got stuck into the deep snow on the upper part of the course. "It's a disgrace they didn't remove the snow in that section," both Albert and Boom said. The 24-year-old Belgian Albert wasn't able to close the gap of 13 seconds on his Dutch peer in the closing laps, and he finished second.
"I think we were each other's match technically, but on the road he was phenomenal. He has more power and can make more revolutions. The road was a bit too long for me," said Albert, talking about the start-finish straight of the car circuit.
Veterans Bart Wellens (Telenet-Fidea) and Gerben de Knegt (Rabo-Giant Offroad) captured their best results of the season by finishing respectively third and fourth, both at more than a minute from the winner. For Wellens, it was the first podium result since November 11 in Niel.
"It's great to finally climb the podium after falling just short 11 times this season [five - Ed.]. I had a terrible start but went better throughout the race," said Wellens. "I've never ridden in these conditions in my long career."
During the fifth lap, Wellens bridged up to De Knegt, who quickly encountered a mechanical, forcing him to focus on fourth place rather than third. "Too bad because I think I matched his speed. Riding through the snow is like riding through sand and that's something I'm good at," De Knegt said.
Belgian champion Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet) rode an anonymous race and finished fifth in Zolder. Nys never made it to the front of the race and struggled in the slippery conditions. After the race Nys talked about severe pain in his back. "I crashed on the street this week and already received treatment, but clearly not enough; I felt like a novice," Nys told Sporza.
Czech rider Radomir Simunek excels in icy conditions, and he lived up to the expectations when rode in third place during the fifth lap. On a straightforward section, he suddenly slipped and touched the barriers, going spectacularly over the handlebars. The winner from the Scheldecross in Antwerp probably broke his collarbone.
Tomorrow, most cyclo-cross stars head to Diegem where world champion Zdenek Stybar (Telenet-Fidea) will make his comeback after a knee injury.
The next round of the World Cup will be held in Pont-Château, France on 2011, January 16.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank | 1:08:29 |
2 | Niels Albert (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus | 0:00:13 |
3 | Bart Wellens (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 0:01:16 |
4 | Gerben De Knegt (Ned) Rabobank-Giant Off Road Team | 0:01:45 |
5 | Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | 0:01:55 |
6 | Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabobank-Giant Off Road Team | 0:02:24 |
7 | Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 0:02:34 |
8 | Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus | Row 7 - Cell 2 |
9 | Christian Heule (Swi) Champion System LBS | 0:02:39 |
10 | Thijs van Amerongen (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team | 0:02:42 |
11 | Tom Meeusen (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 0:02:48 |
12 | Marcel Wildhaber (Swi) Scott-Swisspower MTB-Racing | Row 11 - Cell 2 |
13 | Martin Zlámalík (Cze) Sunweb - Revor | 0:02:54 |
14 | Eddy van Ijzendoorn (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team | 0:03:02 |
15 | Steve Chainel (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom | 0:03:14 |
16 | Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb-Revor | 0:03:23 |
17 | Nicolas Bazin (Fra) Auber 93 | 0:03:30 |
18 | Rob Peeters (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 0:04:12 |
19 | Jonathan Page (USA) Planet Bike | 0:04:19 |
20 | Petr Dlask (Cze) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 0:04:45 |
21 | Thijs Al (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team | 0:05:54 |
22 | Simon Zahner (Swi) BMC Racing Team | 0:06:00 |
23 | Vladimír Kyzivát (Cze) Johnson Controls Aš Mb | 0:06:03 |
24 | Philipp Walsleben (Ger) BKCP-Powerplus | 0:06:44 |
25 | Mariusz Gil (Pol) Baboco - Revor Cycling Team | 0:07:02 |
26 | Enrico Franzoi (Ita) BKCP-Powerplus | 0:07:06 |
27 | John Gadret (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale | 0:07:18 |
28 | David Kášek (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor | 0:07:31 |
29 | Ian Field (GBr) Hargroves Cycles | 0:07:43 |
-1lap | Ondrej Bambula (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor | Row 29 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Patrick van Leeuwen (Ned) | Row 30 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Wilant van Gils (Ned) CX Nederland | Row 31 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Joachim Parbo (Den) Kch Leopard Cycles | Row 32 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Robert Gavenda (Svk) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | Row 33 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Romain Villa (Fra) | Row 34 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Sean Babcock (USA) Kona | Row 35 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Isaac Suarez Fernandez (Spa) | Row 36 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Milan Barenyi (Svk) | Row 37 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Fabio Ursi (Ita) Buergi | Row 38 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Mitchell Huenders (Ned) BKCP-Powerplus | Row 39 - Cell 2 |
-3laps | Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) Van Vliet EBH Elshof | Row 40 - Cell 2 |
-3laps | Yu Takenouchi (Jpn) | Row 41 - Cell 2 |
-3laps | Keiichi Tsujiura (Jpn) | Row 42 - Cell 2 |
-3laps | Laurent Colombatto (Fra) AC Bisontine | Row 43 - Cell 2 |
-3laps | Rene Birkenfeld (Ger) Harvesterhude Rv | Row 44 - Cell 2 |
-3laps | Antonio Suarez Fernandez (Spa) | Row 45 - Cell 2 |
-3laps | Marco Bianco (Ita) | Row 46 - Cell 2 |
-4laps | Mark Lalonde (USA) Specialized | Row 47 - Cell 2 |
-4laps | Craig Richey (Can) Cyclocrossracing.Com p/b Blue | Row 48 - Cell 2 |
-4laps | Paul Voss (Ger) Team Milram | Row 49 - Cell 2 |
-4laps | Jérome Chevallier (Fra) AC Bisontine | Row 50 - Cell 2 |
-4laps | Mik Garrigan (Can) | Row 51 - Cell 2 |
-4laps | Ryan Iddings (USA) Redline | Row 52 - Cell 2 |
-4laps | Robert Glajza (Svk) BKP | Row 53 - Cell 2 |
-5laps | Hikaru Kosaka (Jpn) Utsunomiya Blitzen | Row 54 - Cell 2 |
-5laps | Martin Haring (Svk) CK Banská Bystrica | Row 55 - Cell 2 |
-5laps | Romain Lejeune (Fra) UV Aube | Row 56 - Cell 2 |
-5laps | Ryan Knapp (USA) BikeReg.com | Row 57 - Cell 2 |
-5laps | Mitchell Hoke (USA) Clif Bar Development Team | Row 58 - Cell 2 |
-5laps | Shaun Adamson (Can) Cycle-Smart | Row 59 - Cell 2 |
-5laps | Brian Matter (USA) Gear Grinder | Row 60 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Radomir Simunek Jr. (Cze) BKCP-Powerplus | Row 61 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Marco Ponta (Ita) | Row 62 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Sacha Weber (Ger) Stevens Racing Team | Row 63 - Cell 2 |
DNS | Ryan Trebon (USA) Kona | Row 64 - Cell 2 |
DNS | Alberto Candelas Caballero (Spa) | Row 65 - Cell 2 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | Header Cell - Column 3 |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Niels Albert (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus | 420 | pts |
2 | Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | 354 | Row 1 - Cell 3 |
3 | Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 349 | Row 2 - Cell 3 |
4 | Bart Wellens (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 294 | Row 3 - Cell 3 |
5 | Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabobank-Giant Off Road Team | 293 | Row 4 - Cell 3 |
6 | Francis Mourey (Fra) FDJ | 290 | Row 5 - Cell 3 |
7 | Gerben De Knegt (Ned) Rabobank-Giant Off Road Team | 270 | Row 6 - Cell 3 |
8 | Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb-Revor | 264 | Row 7 - Cell 3 |
9 | Philipp Walsleben (Ger) BKCP-Powerplus | 234 | Row 8 - Cell 3 |
10 | Zdenek Štybar (Cze) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 230 | Row 9 - Cell 3 |
11 | Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus | 226 | Row 10 - Cell 3 |
12 | Eddy van Ijzendoorn (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team | 214 | Row 11 - Cell 3 |
13 | Enrico Franzoi (Ita) BKCP-Powerplus | 212 | Row 12 - Cell 3 |
14 | Thijs van Amerongen (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team | 210 | Row 13 - Cell 3 |
15 | Christian Heule (Swi) Champion System LBS | 208 | Row 14 - Cell 3 |
16 | Marcel Wildhaber (Swi) Scott-Swisspower MTB-Racing | 194 | Row 15 - Cell 3 |
17 | Mariusz Gil (Pol) Baboco - Revor Cycling Team | 180 | Row 16 - Cell 3 |
18 | Nicolas Bazin (Fra) Auber 93 | 177 | Row 17 - Cell 3 |
19 | Tom Meeusen (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 164 | Row 18 - Cell 3 |
20 | Marco Bianco (Ita) | 157 | Row 19 - Cell 3 |
21 | Rob Peeters (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 152 | Row 20 - Cell 3 |
22 | Steve Chainel (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom | 146 | Row 21 - Cell 3 |
23 | Martin Zlámalík (Cze) Sunweb - Revor | 139 | Row 22 - Cell 3 |
24 | Radomir Simunek Jr. (Cze) BKCP-Powerplus | 129 | Row 23 - Cell 3 |
25 | Jonathan Page (USA) Planet Bike | 122 | Row 24 - Cell 3 |
26 | Patrick van Leeuwen (Ned) | 121 | Row 25 - Cell 3 |
27 | Egoitz Murgoitio Rekalde (Spa) | 119 | Row 26 - Cell 3 |
28 | Petr Dlask (Cze) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 119 | Row 27 - Cell 3 |
29 | Thijs Al (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team | 115 | Row 28 - Cell 3 |
30 | Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) Van Vliet EBH Elshof | 106 | Row 29 - Cell 3 |
31 | Mitchell Huenders (Ned) BKCP-Powerplus | 104 | Row 30 - Cell 3 |
32 | David Kášek (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor | 88 | Row 31 - Cell 3 |
33 | Vladimír Kyzivát (Cze) Johnson Controls Aš Mb | 85 | Row 32 - Cell 3 |
34 | Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Sunweb-Revor | 82 | Row 33 - Cell 3 |
35 | Johannes Sickmüller (Ger) Stevens Racing Team | 82 | Row 34 - Cell 3 |
36 | Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank | 80 | Row 35 - Cell 3 |
37 | Ondrej Bambula (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor | 77 | Row 36 - Cell 3 |
38 | John Gadret (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale | 77 | Row 37 - Cell 3 |
39 | Ian Field (GBr) Hargroves Cycles | 77 | Row 38 - Cell 3 |
40 | Robert Gavenda (Svk) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 73 | Row 39 - Cell 3 |
41 | Romain Villa (Fra) | 69 | Row 40 - Cell 3 |
42 | Fabio Ursi (Ita) Buergi | 59 | Row 41 - Cell 3 |
43 | Sacha Weber (Ger) Stevens Racing Team | 59 | Row 42 - Cell 3 |
44 | Isaac Suarez Fernandez (Spa) | 52 | Row 43 - Cell 3 |
45 | Joachim Parbo (Den) Kch Leopard Cycles | 47 | Row 44 - Cell 3 |
46 | Laurent Colombatto (Fra) AC Bisontine | 46 | Row 45 - Cell 3 |
47 | Timothy Johnson (USA) Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com | 43 | Row 46 - Cell 3 |
48 | Jirí Polnický (Cze) Sunweb - Revor | 41 | Row 47 - Cell 3 |
49 | Javier Ruiz De Larrinaga Ibanez (Spa) | 39 | Row 48 - Cell 3 |
50 | Guillaume Perrot (Fra) | 39 | Row 49 - Cell 3 |
51 | Pirmin Lang (Swi) Buergi | 37 | Row 50 - Cell 3 |
52 | Wilant van Gils (Ned) CX Nederland | 36 | Row 51 - Cell 3 |
53 | Marek Cichosz (Pol) Legia - Felt | 35 | Row 52 - Cell 3 |
54 | Jeremy Powers (USA) Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com | 31 | Row 53 - Cell 3 |
55 | Jérome Chevallier (Fra) AC Bisontine | 30 | Row 54 - Cell 3 |
56 | Simon Zahner (Swi) Bmc Racing Team | 29 | Row 55 - Cell 3 |
57 | James Driscoll (USA) Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com | 27 | Row 56 - Cell 3 |
58 | Marco Ponta (Ita) | 27 | Row 57 - Cell 3 |
59 | Tijmen Eising (Ned) Sunweb-Revor | 26 | Row 58 - Cell 3 |
60 | Milan Barenyi (Svk) | 23 | Row 59 - Cell 3 |
61 | Karel Hník (Cze) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 22 | Row 60 - Cell 3 |
62 | David Lozano Riba (Spa) | 21 | Row 61 - Cell 3 |
63 | Tommy Nielsen (Den) | 21 | Row 62 - Cell 3 |
64 | Daniel Ruiz Echeandia (Spa) | 20 | Row 63 - Cell 3 |
65 | Ryan Trebon (USA) Kona | 19 | Row 64 - Cell 3 |
66 | Kenneth Hansen (Den) | 19 | Row 65 - Cell 3 |
67 | Florian Le Corre (Fra) Flers Cyclisme 61 | 19 | Row 66 - Cell 3 |
68 | Geert van der Horst (Ned) | 18 | Row 67 - Cell 3 |
69 | Mauro Gonzalez Fontan (Spa) | 17 | Row 68 - Cell 3 |
70 | Mik Garrigan (Can) | 17 | Row 69 - Cell 3 |
71 | Erlantz Uriarte Okamika (Spa) | 16 | Row 70 - Cell 3 |
72 | Sean Babcock (USA) Kona | 15 | Row 71 - Cell 3 |
73 | David Juarez Alday (Spa) | 15 | Row 72 - Cell 3 |
74 | Keiichi Tsujiura (Jpn) | 14 | Row 73 - Cell 3 |
75 | Matthieu Boulo (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole | 13 | Row 74 - Cell 3 |
76 | René Lang (Swi) | 12 | Row 75 - Cell 3 |
77 | Václav Metlicka (Svk) Johnson Controls Aš Mb | 11 | Row 76 - Cell 3 |
78 | Yu Takenouchi (Jpn) | 9 | Row 77 - Cell 3 |
79 | Rene Birkenfeld (Ger) Harvesterhude Rv | 8 | Row 78 - Cell 3 |
80 | Michael Schweizer (Ger) Stevens Racing Team | 7 | Row 79 - Cell 3 |
81 | Martin Haring (Svk) CK Banská Bystrica | 6 | Row 80 - Cell 3 |
82 | Mirko Tabacchi (Ita) | 6 | Row 81 - Cell 3 |
83 | Craig Richey (Can) Cyclocrossracing.Com p/b Blue | 6 | Row 82 - Cell 3 |
84 | Antonio Suarez Fernandez (Spa) | 5 | Row 83 - Cell 3 |
85 | Mark Lalonde (USA) Specialized | 3 | Row 84 - Cell 3 |
86 | David van der Poel (Ned) BKCP-Powerplus | 3 | Row 85 - Cell 3 |
87 | Robert Glajza (Svk) BKP | 2 | Row 86 - Cell 3 |
88 | Paul Voss (Ger) Team Milram | 1 | Row 87 - Cell 3 |
89 | Gusty Bausch (Lux) | 1 | Row 88 - Cell 3 |
90 | Xabier Garcia Irazola (Spa) | 1 | Row 89 - Cell 3 |
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