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Cyclo-cross World Cup #10 - CDM
Hoogerheide, Netherlands, January 22, 2006
Vervecken ready for the World's
By Brecht Decaluwé
The last World Cup race before the World Championships has been won by Erwin Vervecken of the Fidea team. In the Dutch town of in Hoogerheide, he finished alone ahead of John Gadret (Ag2R) and Enrico Franzoi (Franzoi). Bart Wellens (Fidea) had a good attacking race and finished fourth.
Talking with Belgian Sporza radio, Vervecken explained how took this victory. "Immediately, there were 25 men together, so the race was difficult to control. Bart attacked and I helped him by dropping a small gap. Sven Nys (Rabobank) and Gadret (AG2R) did not spare their efforts when trying to close down the gap with Wellens and Simunek (Palmans). Gadret and Franzoi (Lampre) could follow me when I attacked. On a climbing part of the circuit, I used my turbo to make the difference. Bart Wellens could help me in the final lap by letting a gap go in the downhill part.
"This first big victory of the season is in fact quite logical because I am the number two on the UCI rankings. The last weeks, most of the time, I finished second, so I knew that my stamina was alright. Next week will be more selective than today, but in a tactical race I will have my chance. Nys is no longer the untouchable ride of November when he could win without an effort, but he's still the best."
The biggest surprise today was the eighth place of Sven Nys, after winning eight of the nine stages of the World cup. "I was riding a nervous race, with some serious attacks and some defensive racing in the back of the bunch," he said. "We made contact with the race leaders in the last lap. But then I had a flat tyre. If you encounter such problems in the last lap, there is nothing you can do.
"In a very calm week, with only one race, I gained back my mental freshness. Next week, I'll race more in the offensive, because I don't want to take any risks. All Belgians want to become World Champion, so we don't race as a team. I'll ride for myself, and nobody else."
Bart Wellens was riding in front for most of the race. "In the past two weeks, I trained a lot. After the Belgian Championships, I wanted to get 10 percent better for the World's. Today, I only wanted to get a good feeling in the race. I could ride away on a easy part of the circuit and only Simunek was following. The young guy did a lot of work, but in the last three laps he was out of gas. He did a nice race.
"Nys will always remain the top favourite for the World's, but I want to be his main rival. My team mate Vervecken and also Gadret will make sure it will be a good race. Next week, I want nothing else than the world title."
How it unfolded
The first three laps, there were no gaps between the top riders, so a bunch of some 25 riders was riding in front. Bart Wellens and Radomir Simunek decided to attack and quickly gained an advantage of about half a minute. Nys did not panic and was riding in 20th position. When the race was halfway, Sven Nys unleashed his power and suddenly the gap started decreasing fast.
The bunch shrank into a group of seven riders with Nys, Vervecken, Franzoi, Ausbuher, Gadret, Dlask and Heule. Nys did not continue his efforts and in the sixth lap, the gap was still 15 seconds.
In front, Simunek was riding very strong and did most of the work. When the chasing group came close to the front riders, Wellens decided to try solo.
In the last lap, everything came back together, so the fans saw a tense final. Vervecken accelerated and only Frenchman Gadret and the Italian Franzoi could follow. A that moment Nys punctured and had to settle for eighth. Vervecken kept accelerating and didn't let it come to a sprint. With this well earned victory he took his first World Cup-victory of the season.
Results
Elite men 1 Erwin Vervecken (Bel) Fidea Cycling Team 1.01.40 2 John Gadret (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance 0.03 3 Enrico Franzoi (Ita) Lampre - Caffita 0.05 4 Bart Wellens (Bel) Fidea Cycling Team 0.08 5 Radomir (Jr) Simunek (Cze) 0.12 6 Kamil Ausbuher (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor 0.15 7 Petr Dlask (Cze) Empella Czech Team 0.30 8 Sven Nys (Bel) Rabobank 0.39 9 Christian Heule (Swi) Stevens Racing Team 0.41 10 Gerben De Knegt (Ned) AA drink-Bejan 0.44 11 Simon Zahner (Swi) 0.45 12 Wilant Van Gils (Ned) ZZPR.nl 0.46 13 Jan Verstraeten (Bel) Fidea Cycling Team 0.48 14 Richard Groenendaal (Ned) Rabobank 0.51 15 Steve Chainel (Fra) 0.59 16 Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabobank 1.09 17 Thijs Al (Ned) B & E Cycling Team 1.39 18 Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Rabobank 1.41 19 Zdenek Mlynár (Cze) Max Cursor 1.42 20 Jonathan Page (USA) Cervélo 21 Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Morgan Blue 22 Malte Urban (Ger) Stevens Racing Team 1.41 23 David Derepas (Fra) 1.46 24 Vladimír Kyzivát (Cze) Johnson Controls As MB 1.49 25 Camiel Van Den Bergh (Ned) Stevens Racing Team 1.55 26 Wim Jacobs (Bel) Fidea Cycling Team 2.04 27 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Fidea Cycling Team 2.38 28 Michael Baumgartner (Swi) 2.47 29 Maarten Nijland (Ned) Eurogifts.Com 2.55 30 Eddy Van Ijzendoorn (Ned) Palmans-Sapim-Collstrop 3.04 31 Johannes Sickmüller (Ger) Stevens Racing Team 3.05 32 Marco Bianco (Ita) 3.06 33 Davide Frattini (Ita) 3.20 34 Johan Van De Ven (Ned) 3.36 35 Alessandro Fontana (Ita) 3.48 36 Barry Wicks (USA) 3.55 37 Joachim Parbo (Den) Cycling Aarhus 4.14 38 Jeremy Powers (USA) Jelly Belly - Pool Gel 4.15 39 Jonathan Baker (USA) 40 Eric Tonkin (USA) 4.17 41 Gusty Bausch (Lux) 42 Keiichi Tsujiura (Jpn) 4.21 43 Václav Metlicka (Svk) Team Kral R.C. Pfeil Hof E.V 4.24 44 Roberto Petito (Ita) 4.36 45 Jochen Uhrig (Ger) 6.09 46 Greg Reain (Can) Stevens Racing Team 6.40 One lap behind 47 Anders Klinkby (Den) 48 Masanori Kosaka (Jpn) DNF Tom Vannoppen (Bel) Palmans-Sapim-Collstrop DNF Martin Bína (Cze) Author Praha DNF Fabian Brzezinski (Ger) Stevens Racing Team DNF René Birkenfeld (Ger) Women 1 Daphny Van Den Brand (Ned) ZZPR.nl 38.39 2 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Vlaanderen-Capri Sonne-T Interim 3 Mirjam Melchers-Van Poppel (Ned) 0.29 4 Marianne Vos (Ned) 0.56 5 Maryline Salvetat (Fra) VSLL Castres 1.03 6 Lyne Bessette (Can) 1.14 7 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 1.18 8 Laurence Leboucher (Fra) CD Sarthe 1.19 9 Helen Wyman (GBr) 1.21 10 Birgit Hollmann (Ger) 1.23 11 Kathy Ingels (Bel) 2.02 12 Nadia Triquet-Claude (Fra) VC Moyenmoutier 2.07 13 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Therme Skin Care 14 Daniela Bresciani (Ita) 2.11 15 Christel Ferrier (Fra) Béziers Méditerranée 2.18 16 Wendy Simms (Can) 17 Anja Nobus (Bel) 2.19 18 Ann Knapp (USA) 2.23 19 Victoria Wilkinson (GBr) 2.27 20 Christine Vardaros (USA) 2.33 21 Joyce Vanderbeken (Bel) 2.42 22 Reza Hormes-Ravenstijn (Ned) 2.56 23 Barbara Howe (USA) 24 Britt Jochems (Ned) 3.00 25 Veerle Ingels (Bel) Vlaanderen-Capri Sonne-T Interim 3.11 26 Stacey Spencer (Can) 3.21 27 Susanne Juranek (Ger) 3.22 28 Corinne Sempe (Fra) Lescar VS 3.24 29 Abke Francissen (Ned) 3.50 30 Nicole Kampeter (Ger) 3.56 31 Rhonda Mazza (USA) 4.15 32 Suzie Godart (Lux) 4.16 33 Monica Brunati (Ita) 4.33 34 Marijke De Smedt (Bel) 4.36 35 Milena Cavani (Ita) 5.05 36 Maureen Bruno Roy (USA) 5.26 37 Katrien Aerts (Bel) 5.50 38 Valeria Tagliabue (Ita) 5.51 39 An Arnouts (Bel) 5.57 40 Gabriella Day (GBr) 6.06 41 Ikumi Tajika (Jpn) 7.31 42 Mika Ogishima (Jpn) 7.36 43 Elisabetta Borgia (Ita) 7.51 DNF Katrien Pauwels (Bel) DNF Annabella Stropparo (Ita) Under 23 men 1 Lars Boom (Ned) 55.35 2 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) 0.26 3 Fontana Marco Aurelio (Ita) 0.27 4 Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Fidea Cycling Team 0.38 5 Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) 0.41 6 Derik Zampedri (Ita) 0.44 7 Romain Villa (Fra) 0.48 8 Lukas Flückiger (Swi) 0.49 9 Thijs Van Amerongen (Ned) 0.50 10 Rob Peeters (Bel) 0.52 11 Pirmin Lang (Swi) 0.53 12 Frantisek Kloucek (Cze) Author Praha 0.57 13 Luca Damiani (Ita) 1.03 14 Thorsten Struch (Ger) 1.12 15 Jempy Drucker (Lux) 1.25 16 Rafael Visinelli (Ita) V.C. Bologna 1.40 17 Felix Gniot (Ger) 18 Paul Voss (Ger) 19 Finn Heitmann (Ger) Stevens Racing Team 1.42 20 Pavel Adel (Cze) Klub Cyklistiky Hlinsko 1.45 21 Lukás Kloucek (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor 1.59 22 Davide Malacarne (Ita) 2.09 23 Clément L'hotellerie (Fra) 2.40 24 Jonathan Lopez (Fra) 2.58 25 Egon Van Kessel (Ned) 2.59 26 Jan Arnouts (Bel) 3.00 27 Florian Le Corre (Fra) 3.01 28 Wim Leemans (Bel) 3.04 29 Daan De Jonge (Ned) 3.05 30 Kenny Geluykens (Bel) 3.08 31 Andreas Moser (Swi) 3.09 32 Julien Taramarcaz (Swi) 3.19 33 Philipp Walsleben (Ger) 3.49 34 Ondrej Bambula (Cze) Cyklo Team Budvar Tábor 3.53 35 Jesse Anthony (USA) 36 Jan Mikkers (Ned) 4.18 37 Rik Van Ijzendoorn (Ned) Palmans-Sapim-Collstrop 38 Ricardo Van Der Velde (Ned) 4.28 39 Troy Wells (USA) 40 Joost Spring In T Veld (Ned) 4.29 41 Kohei Yamamoto (Jpn) 5.05 42 Jan Verhaegh (Ned) 5.07 43 Ryan Hopping (Can) 5.18 44 Clément Cid (Fra) 5.27 45 Ivar Hartogs (Ned) 5.38 46 Joeri Kouwenhoven (Ned) 5.53 47 David Claerebout (Lux) LG Alzingen 5.58 48 Frank Van Grootel (Ned) 8.40 One lap behind 49 Adam McGrath (USA) 50 Daniel Neyens (USA) 51 Remco Kuijlenburg (Ned) 52 Pieter Homan (Ned) DNF René Lang (Swi) DNF Michal Werstak (Pol) DNF Freek Van Gurp (Ned) DNF Fabio Ursi (Ita) DNF Djuri Van Rijbroek (Ned) Junior men 1 Yannick Martinez (Fra) 43.29 2 Boy Van Poppel (Ned) 3 Dries Govaerts (Bel) 4 Cristian Cominelli (Ita) 5 Tom Meeusen (Bel) 6 Robert Gavenda (Svk) 7 Dennis Vanendert (Bel) 8 Aurelien Duval (Fra) 9 Sascha Weber (Ger) 10 Matteo Trentin (Ita) 11 Marcel Meisen (Ger) 12 Mathias Flückiger (Swi) 13 Mitchell Huenders (Ned) 14 Jules Chabanon (Fra) 15 Remco Broers (Ned) 16 Thomas Collinet (Fra) 17 Yannick Wydooghe (Bel) 18 Jordy Beuker (Ned) 19 Yu Takenouchi (Jpn) 20 Joeri Adams (Bel) 21 Omar Sottocornola (Ita) 22 David Menger (Cze) 23 Alessandro Calderan (Ita) 24 Ole Quast (Ger) 25 Bjorn Selander (USA) 26 Pascal Meyer (Swi) 27 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) 28 Jiri Polnicky (Cze) 29 Kenneth Van Compernolle (Bel) 30 Lukas Winterberg (Swi) 31 Rafal Szczepaniak (Pol) 32 Johim Ariesen (Ned) 33 Ondrej Vobora (Cze) 34 Rob Van Der Velde (Ned) 35 Tomasz Domagala (Pol) 36 Marcin Bartolewski (Pol) 37 Johannes Tiedt (Ger) 38 Chance Noble (USA) 39 Fabrizio Braggion (Ita) 40 Lukas Prihoda (Cze) 41 Nico Brüngger (Swi) 42 Sylwester Janizewski (Pol) 43 Jan Pohan (Cze) 44 Piotr Antkowiak (Pol) 45 Edwin Arts (Ned) 46 Christopher Janssens (Ned) 47 David Schloesser (Lux) 48 Bas Stamsnijder (Ned) 49 Pierre Kaeslin (Swi) 50 Anthony Lavoine (Fra) 51 Kondrat Jasik (Pol) 52 Luc Hammer (Lux) 53 Mike Bidniak (Can) 54 Ethan Gilmour (USA) One lap behind 55 Casper Oppenneer (Ned) DNF Stephan Sprinke (Ger) DNF Andrea Caimi (Ita) Courtesy of www.uci.ch
