Belgian champion takes first win of the season as Nikki Harris takes first of career in women’s race
Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet-Euphony) opened his account for the 2012/13 cyclocross season as he outsprinted World champion Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) at the finish of the Soudla Grote Prijs in Neerpelt. The Belgian champion, who had spent much of the race in a lone attack before being caught in the closing laps by a persistent Albert, proved to be the strongest on the finishing straight and crossed the line more than a length clear of his younger rival.
Klaas Vantornout (Sunweb-Revor) tok third place, ahead of a pack of chasing riders, with Dieter Vanthourenhout (BKCP-Powerplus) beating Vantornout’s Sunweb-Revor teammate Kevin Pauwels in the race for fourth.
"To my surprise it went very well,’ said Nys afterwards. “Initially I rode my own pace and none of the others could follow. Only when I saw Albert approaching did I slow down, and I sat in his wheel for a while.
“But then I felt I was still strong enough to finish it,” he explained. “Niels was not able to pull away but I came off his wheel and beat him in the sprint.”
The early part of the race saw Nys and Vantornout away with Tom Meeusen (Telenet-Fidea) but, where Nys was able to ride up a steep technical slope, the others were forced to dismount and run up, which allowed the Belgian champion to escape. Despite the technical nature of the course however, the dry track meant that the Kannibaal was not able to get far away; after passing Meeusen and Vantornout, Albert began to slowly reel Nys in, and eventually joined him with just a few laps left.
Both riders tried to drop the other - with Albert particularly aggressive on the final lap - but neither was able to escape and they arrived on the finishing straight together. Despite Albert opening up his sprint first, Nys was able to come around and cross the line well clear as the World champion gave up.
Earlier in the afternoon British number two Nikki Harris (Telenet-Fidea) won the women’s race, to take her first ever victory at the elite level. Most of the Derby-born rider’s competition came from within her own team, with Pavla Havlikova finishing second and Amy Dombroski fourth.
An all-Telenet-Fidea podium was only denied by Belgian champion Sanne Cant (Enertherm-BKCP) in third.
Result Elite Men
1. Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Euphony
2. Niels Albert (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus
3. Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb-Revor
4. Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus
5. Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Sunweb-Revor
6. Bart Wellens (Bel) Telenet-Fidea
7. Bart Aernouts (Bel) AA Drink-Leontien.nl
8. Tom Meeusen (Bel) Telenet-Fidea
9. Marcel Meisen (Ger) BKCP-Powerplus
10. Radomir Simunek (Cze) BKCP-Powerplus
Result Elite Women
1. Nikki Harris (GBr) Telenet-Fidea
2. Pavla Havlikova (Cze) Telenet-Fidea
3. Sanne Cant (Bel) Enertherm-BKCP
4. Amy Dombroski (USA) Telenet-Fidea
5. Joyce Vanderbeken (Bel) Cycling Team Vermeeren
6. Ellen Van Looy (Bel) Kriekel Cycling Team Tessenderlo
7. Kim Van De Steene (Bel) Afdeling Oost-Vlaanderen WBV-VZW
8. Hilde Quintens (Bel) Van Goethem-Prorace-cycling team
9. Nancy Bober (Bel) Style & Concept Cycling Team
10. Christine Vardaros (USA) Baboco-Revor Cycling Team