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2005 Cyclo-cross World Championships - CM
St. Wendel, Germany, January 29-30, 2005
January 30 - Elite Men: 60 Minutes
No surprises: Nys takes World's
By Hedwig Kröner in St. Wendel
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Belgian Sven Nys, leader of the World Cup and winner of the most races this season, completed his career today as he topped it off with the World champion's title. The race was dominated by the Belgians and ended with an all-Belgian podium, Erwin Vervecken and Sven Vanthourenhout finishing second and third.
Nys expressed his considerable joy at the finish. "It's unbelievable! I will come to Germany to race for the rest of my life, I always win here!" Nys won his first World Championships in Munich in the Espoir category, and also a World Cup race in St. Wendel on practically the same course.
"It was a terrible race. All the riders don't begrudge me the title. But you have to achieve it yourself in that hour. I tried to attack often. But Erwin Vervecken was a tough opponent. I should thank Sven Vanthourenhout for his help. We'll certainly go to a chic restaurant to eat."
"I came so close," said a disappointed Erwin Vervecken. "How ever many times Nys attacked, I always came back to his wheel. But on the last lap I really had to let go. But in the end I preferred it that way. If I lost in a sprint, that would hurt more. I gave everything...this hurts. I'm disappointed with second place."
Vanthourenhout's third place was the icing on the cake for the Rabobank boys, who had worked together within the context of a World Championship to ensure Nys' victory. "This is the confirmation of my successful season," he said. "Winning wasn't on the cards. I am still happy for Sven Nys. If he hadn't won, I would have felt bad."
How it unfolded
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The Belgian team had ten riders at the start, but the first to take the lead of the pack was surprisingly the Swiss Michael Baumgartner, followed by the Belgian armada. Soon after, Davy Commeyne and Sven Nys took over, with Sven Vanthourenhout just behind. With Czech riders Petr Dlask and Kamil Ausbuher in seventh and eighth position, Nys took the command of the race as he entered the stadium, crossing the line for the first time after 6:24.
Italian Enrico Franzoi had also made his way into top five, and in one strong effort took over the lead in front of the Belgian superpower Commeyne, Nys, Vanthourenthout and Vannoppen. However, the peloton was still very compact at the front of the race, and nothing was decided just yet. To commence the third lap, Jonathan Page from the United States raced in front, until French Francis Mourey increased the pace to lead. Although Belgians dominated, a lot of the leading riders still were international, including the riders from the Czech Republic and Poland's Dariusz Gil. Sven Nys turned up the gas to create a small head group including Bart Wellens, Sven Vanthourenhout and Martin Zlamalik, but the chasers were too close behind for a decisive move. On a straightforward false flat, Nys put some pressure on his rivals again, and dropped the peloton together with Vanthourenhout and Vervecken, Mourey and Zlamalik, but the gap was still too small.
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With six laps to go, the Belgian train was still leading the race with Nys, Vannoppen and Vanthourenhout in front, but the rest of the top riders were difficult to drop. Zlamalik came back, the Italians and French were still close behind, as well as Jonathan Page. Vannoppen worked hard, but it was difficult to break away on this fast and slippery parcours. After 31:06, five laps were still left to go, and with five Belgians in front, the French Mourey and Gadret, Zlamalik, Swiss Baumgartner and Page right behind, the race was still wide open.
That's when the first rider got overlapped by the speeding Nys, and for the first time a real gap was created when himself, Vanoppen, Vanthourenhout, Commeyne and Vervecken as well as French Francis Mourey broke away. A ten seconds lead separated them from the chasing crowd as they crossed the line for the sixth time. But again, Groenendaal, Zlamalik, Franzoi and Baumgartner managed to catch up with them, and the suspense continued.
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Tom Vannoppen, who did a very good job leading the field, had a small problem with the stairs where he tripped and lost some time. Nys tried again to get away on the straight false flat part of the parcours, but without success, as Vervecken held his wheel, Vanthourenhout caught up to them and Mourey close behind, but it seemed that at least the other contenders were finally out of the game. As they entered the last lap, the Belgian trio was talking, with Frenchman Mourey chasing them and Davy Commeyne seven seconds behind. Nys then placed himself in front where he likes it best this season, and attacked to take 2-3 seconds off his teammates. He obviously didn't want to risk a sprint finish with Vervecken.
The World Cup leader repeatedly turned his head to see if Vervecken was beaten, and finally he realised it was done. Sven Nys crossed the finish line after 1:01:35 and celebrated at last.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by AFP Photo
- Jonathan Page (USA) leads Franzoi (Ita) and the Belgians
- Erwin Vervecken (Belgium) remounts
- Sven Nys (Belgium) riding a focused race
- Erwin Vervecken and Sven Vanthourenhout (Belgium) tackle the barriers
- Sven Nys (Belgium) taking the barriers with ease
- Sven Nys (Belgium) in front, followed by Martin Zlamalik (Czech Republic)
- Sven Nys (Belgium) wins the Elite Men's Cyclo-cross World Championships
- Sven Nys (Belgium) celebrates his victory
- Sven Nys (Belgium) celebrates with his son on the podium
- The podium (L to R): Erwin Vervecken (2nd), Sven Nys (1st) and Sven Vanthourenhout (3rd)
Images by Birke Ulrich/www.alakarte.de
- Shoe and wheels at the start
- A French rider looks nervous
- Vanthourenhout checks his rig
- Ryan Trebon (USA) seems to be in a good mood
- Keiichi Tsujira (Jpn) the only elite male competitor from Japan
- The glasses of Keiichi Tsujira reflect the scene
- Davy Commeyne (Belgium) prepares for the start
- Bart Wellens (Belgium) gets ready
- Camouflage pants?
- Belgian supporters
- The men
- The men's race gets underway Sven Nys (Belgium) gets the holeshot.
- The start of the men's race
- Around the first corner
- Running up the stairs
- Erwin Vervecken (Belgium) runs up the steps.
- Jan Ramsauer (Swi) and Zdenek Milynar (Cze)
- Ryan Trebon (USA) runs up the stairs
- Fabian Brzezinski (Ger) runs up the stairs
- Peter Presslauer (Aut) the only competitor from Austria
- The men zig-zag through the course
- The team boxes
- Plenty of supporters watching the elite men's race
- Here they come!
- Did I get him? Jens Schwedler (Ger) running up the stairs
- Eric Tonkin (USA) runs up the stairs
- What do you think this Belgian boy is dreaming of?
- Jens Schwedler (Ger) racing up the hill
- Fabian Brzezinski (Ger) racing up the hill
- Unai Yus Kerejeta (Spain) racing up the hill
- Greg Reain (Can) looking fast
- Supporters of Erwin Vervecken
- Tom Vannoppen (Belgium) on the hill, followed by Martin Zlamalik (Cze)
- Erwin Vervecken (Belgium) racing up the hill
- Arnaud Labbe (Fra) on the hill, with a smile
- Tom Vannoppen (Belgium) with his mouth wide open races in shorts
- Francis Mourey (Fra) on the climb
- Martin Nijland (Ned) on the climb
- Steffen Weigold (Ger) and Isaac Suarez Fernandez (Spa) face the hill
- The backside of Fabian Brzezinski (Ger)
- David Seco (Spa) catching some air
- Eric Tonkin (USA) on the hill
- The leading group with an Italian supporter waving his flag
- Why ride If you can also run?
- A runaway American
- Ben Turner (USA) on the second last lap
- 4th Francis Mourey (Fra) and 5th Davy Commeyne (Bel) on the second last lap
- Petr Dlask (Cze) racing
- Jens Schwedler (Ger) on a corner
- Ben Turner (USA) - on the way to 48th.
- Erwin Vervecken (Belgium) in the midst of a Belgian pack
- '"I think Sven might win this one" - a spectator phones home as Nys thunders by.
- All Belgium, all the time Tom Vannoppen leads Sven Nys, Davy Commeyne and Erwin Vanthourenhout.
- Richard Groenendaal (Netherlands) on the way to 16th
- Ben Turner (USA) seemed to find the pace a bit hectic.
- The Belgian medalists in the 2nd last lap - Erwin Vervecken, Sven Nys and Sven Vanthourenhout.
- Jonathan Page was the best US finisher in 14th, just two seconds ahead of Ryan Trebon
- It's a snow velodrome - Jens Schwedler (Germany), Vaclav Jezek (Czech Republic), and Camiel Van Den Bergh (Netherlands) racing in the stadium.
- Maros Kovac (Slovakia) and Jan Ramsauer (Switzerland) in the stadium.
- Marco Bianco (Italy) racing along in the snow
- Beat Morf (Swi) racing alone in the 'velodrome'
- Sven Nys (Belgium) comes into the finish as the new World Champion - at last!
- Sven Nys celebrates for the photographers
- Francis Mourey (Fra) crosses the finish, unhappy with fourth
- Mourey leads Commeyne and Vannoppen across the line
- Fabian Brzezinski (Ger) was the best German in 25th
- The race is over: all the medalists are Belgian!
- The Belgians finished the race, but not the beer
- Erwin Vervecken (Belgium) on the podium.
- Winner Sven Nys (Belgium) is helped into the rainbow jersey by Klaus Bouillon, the major of St.Wendel.
- Sven Nys salutes from the podium as runner-up Erwin Vervecken looks on.
- Sven Vanthourenhout (Belgium) with the bronze medal.
- Nys junior in front of the legs of the medalists.
- The all-Belgian podium - Erwin Vervecken (2nd) Winner Sven Nys, Sven Vanthourenhout and Nys' cheering son.
- Vervecken, Nys, and Vanthourenhout on the podium.
Images by cyclocrossprosport.be
- Richard Groenendaal (Netherlands) didn't have a good race and ended 16th
- Francis Mourey (France) broke the Belgian deadlock to finish fourth
- Jonathan Page (USA) in the front
- Mlynar leads Nijland
- Fabian Brzezinski (Germany) getting crowded
- Japan's only entrant was Keiichi Tsujira
- Ben Turner (USA) comes to grips with the cold
- Martin Zlamalik (Czech Republic)
- Banzai! Greg Reain (Canada)
- Bart Wellens (Belgium) had an interesting helmet colour scheme
- Jody Crawforth (Great Britain) was 47th
- Marco Bianco (Italy) was well rugged up
- Barry Wicks (USA) in the snow
- Eric Tonkin (USA) was the last rider to finish on the same lap as the leaders
- Unai Yus Kerejeta (Spain) finished 44th
- Maarten Nijland (Netherlands) praying to stay upright
- Gerben de Knegt (Netherlands)
- Kamil Ausbuher (Czech Republic) figured in the early action
- Jonathan Page (USA) was his country's top finisher in 14th
- Sven Nys (Belgium) gives it full gas
- Zdenek Mlynar (Czech Republic) ended in the top 20
- Bart Aernouts (Belgium) didn't have the best of races, finishing 40th
- Stefano Toffoletti (Italy) practices his one footed turning technique
- Santiago Armero Sanchez (Spain) in the snow
- Davy Commeyne (Belgium) on a mission
- Sven Nys (Belgium) in post-race interviews
Results
1 Sven Nys (Belgium) 1.01.34 2 Erwin Vervecken (Belgium) 0.02 3 Sven Vanthourenhout (Belgium) 0.13 4 Francis Mourey (France) 0.31 5 Davy Commeyne (Belgium) 0.32 6 Tom Vannoppen (Belgium) 7 Petr Dlask (Czech Republic) 0.42 8 Enrico Franzoi (Italy) 9 Michael Baumgartner (Switzerland) 10 Wilant Van Gils (Netherlands) 0.43 11 Arnaud Labbe (France) 0.45 12 John Gadret (France) 1.01 13 Martin Zlamalik (Czech Republic) 1.02 14 Jonathan Page (USA) 1.03 15 Ryan Trebon (USA) 1.05 16 Richard Groenendaal (Netherlands) 1.15 17 Maarten Nijland (Netherlands) 1.33 18 Zdenek Mlynar (Czech Republic) 1.40 19 David Derepas (France) 1.41 20 Gerben De Knegt (Netherlands) 2.02 21 Bart Wellens (Belgium) 2.18 22 Camiel Van Den Bergh (Netherlands) 2.19 23 Vaclav Jezek (Czech Republic) 2.31 24 Dariusz Gil (Poland) 2.36 25 Fabian Brzezinski (Germany) 2.38 26 Maros Kovac (Slovakia) 2.44 27 Isaac Suarez Fernandez (Spain) 28 Jan Ramsauer (Switzerland) 2.45 29 Jens Schwedler (Germany) 2.47 30 Barry Wicks (USA) 2.50 31 Milan Barenyi (Slovakia) 2.56 32 Wim Jacobs (Belgium) 3.01 33 Kamil Ausbuher (Czech Republic) 3.07 34 Steffen Weigold (Germany) 3.12 35 Marco Bianco (Italy) 3.21 36 Daniele Pontoni (Italy) 3.37 37 Robert Glajza (Slovakia) 3.38 38 Gusty Bausch (Luxembourg) 3.39 39 David Seco Amundarain (Spain) 4.12 40 Bart Aernouts (Belgium) 4.13 41 Stefano Toffoletti (Italy) 4.39 42 Johannes Sickmueller (Germany) 4.43 43 Beat Morf (Switzerland) 5.40 44 Unai Yus Kerejeta (Spain) 6.03 45 Eric Tonkin (USA) 6.18 46 Santiago Armero Sanchez (Spain) 1 lap 47 Jody Crawforth (Great Britain) 48 Ben Turner (USA) 49 Keiichi Tsujira (Japan) 50 Robin Seymour (Ireland) 51 Greg Reain (Canada) 2 laps 52 Peter Presslauer (Austria) 4 laps
