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Cyclo-Cross World Cup #3 - CDM
Pijnacker, Netherlands, November 9, 2008
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Race 4 - Elite Men, 65 minutes
Boom beats Albert in great duel
By Brecht Decaluwé in Pijnacker, The Netherlands
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Young wolves Lars Boom (Rabobank) and Niels Albert (Palmans Cras) gave the "old" guys a beating on a true 'cross course during the third World Cup race of the season. The two riders were a good match for each other and despite several attacks in the second half of the race, they entered the last lap together. World champion Boom got rid of Albert in the last corners, and the Dutchman grabbed his second consecutive win on home soil in Pijnacker.
"We were closely matched to each other today, and I think the crowd enjoyed a great spectacle," Boom said after capturing his first win of the cyclo-cross season. "Last year it was my first victory and now it's like that again," the Dutch world champion said to Cyclingnews.
"This year I crossed the finish line with the jersey of the World Champion and that makes this win a bit more special. The race was tougher than last year because of the strong winds," Boom talked about the difficulty that made the muddy course in Pijnacker even tougher.
Albert kept his lead in the World Cup standings despite losing the battle for the victory in The Netherlands. "Lars could take that last corner a bit shorter than me, and thus he was able to find traction quicker than me," Albert said to Cyclingnews.
"He had a gap of 10 metres, and that made it impossible for me to win the race. I think there aren't many riders who can close that gap and overtake him on a road, so I can live with this defeat," said Albert. "Actually the race was already over when Boom attacked with three laps to go, but surprisingly enough he couldn't keep his attack going."
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Half a minute behind the two protagonists Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet - Tonissteiner) allowed Bart Wellens (Fidea Cycling Team) to make a comeback from outside the top 20. The two arch rivals had to sprint for the remaining podium spot - next to their younger heirs - but when Wellens accidentally clicked out of his pedal, the Belgian champion Nys won this duel. Therefore, the podium in Pijnacker held the same three men who were on the podium in the last two important races: the Koppenbercross and the Veghel-Eerde 'cross.
Nys explained that more than a third place wasn't possible for him for the day. "I gave all I had and was able to ride two good laps [of which the second was the fastest lap of the race] but from then on, I allowed the others to take the initiative while I started to make small mistakes," Nys said.
"I had been riding on my own against the wind for awhile, but the fact that Wellens clipped out of his pedal was to my advantage. Because of that I hit the last corner in front which made it impossible for him to overtake me," Nys said.
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Wellens was happy with his performance in the third World Cup race of the season after some lesser performances up until now. "Too bad that I clipped out of my pedal in the sprint, but I've been sitting on the bowl 24 hours a day last week, and I only decided today to start in this race. I didn't expect this but maybe it was because I expected less that I could achieve this," Wellens said.
Jonathan Page featured in the front during the first laps but when the American punctured, he dropped back, went over the handlebars and cracked; Page eventually finished on a poor twenty-ninth place.
"When I punctured I cracked," Page admitted. "I'm frustrated now because it seems like I'm just not the kind of rider who can only perform well once a week, in contrast to the three guys on the podium who're unbelievably strong," Page said to Cyclingnews.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Cyclingnews.com
- Boom and Albert were neck to neck for most of the race.
- Nys muddles through the puddle
- Bart Wellens causes the water to splash as he bolts through.
- Albert storms up the stair section.
- Nys shows the strains of the effort.
- Rob Peeters is thinking of hopping into the shower with his clothes on.
- Richard Groenendaal (AA Drinks) leads Zdenek Stybar (Fidea, r)) and Klaas Vantornout (Sunweb).
- Boom sprints for the line
- Boom can relax before the finish banner
- Albert gets second
- Nys was hoping for more than third place
- Wellens finished in fourth, just outside the podium.
- Lars Boom takes the win to the delight of the Dutch fans.
- Boom prevailed in the mud in Pijnacker.
- The world champion gets to celebrate as he put enough space between himself and Niels Albert.
- A muddy Boom finally gets a win this winter.
- Albert wipes the mud as he managed to beat Nys, but now was bettered by Boom.
- The podium with winner Lars Boom in the centre and runner-up Niels Albert on the left. Sven Nys finished third this time around.
- Niels Albert leads the World Cup and gets a clean, white jersey to prove it.
Images by Roberto Bettini/www.bettiniphoto.net
- Lars Boom (Rabobank) rolls in for victory in the Pijnacker World Cup.
- Dutchman Lars Boom (Rabobank) checks the gap.
- Victory: Lars Boom (Rabobank) wins the Pijnacker World Cup.
- Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner) manages third.
- Riders negotiate water crossings in the Pijnacker World Cup.
- Lars Boom (Rabobank) salutes the crowd in Pijnacker.
- Niels Albert (Palmans Cras) followed by eventual winner Lars Boom (Rabobank).
- Richard Groenendaal (AA Drinks)
- Sven Vanthourenhout (Sunweb Pro Job) finished in fifth.
- Lars Boom (Rabobank) solo.
- Lars Boom (Rabobank) tops the podium with Niels Albert and Sven Nys, l & r.
- Lars Boom (Rabobank) adjusts his World Champion top early on in the race.
Results
1 Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank 1.02.30 2 Niels Albert (Bel) Palmans Cras 0.06 3 Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tonissteiner 0.34 4 Bart Wellens (Bel) Fidea Cycling Team 0.38 5 Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Sunweb Pro Job 0.56 6 Richard Groenendaal (Ned) 1.07 7 Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Fidea Cycling Team 1.10 8 Francis Mourey (Fra) Française Des Jeux 1.11 9 Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb Pro Job 1.27 10 Enrico Franzoi (Ita) Liquigas 1.30 11 Gerben De Knegt (Ned) Rabobank 1.33 12 Thijs Al (Ned) 1.37 13 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Fidea Cycling Team 1.58 14 Christian Heule (Swi) 2.08 15 Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) Palmans Cras 2.17 16 Rob Peeters (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tonissteiner 2.25 17 Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabobank 2.34 18 Nicolas Bazin (Fra) Differdange Apiflo Vacances 2.36 19 Simon Zahner (Swi) 2.42 20 Radomir Simunek (Cze) Palmans Cras 3.36 21 Wilant Van Gils (Ned) 3.37 22 Thijs Van Amerongen (Ned) Van Vliet Ebh Elshof 3.44 23 Martin Bina (Cze) 3.56 24 Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) 4.15 25 Kamil Ausbuher (Cze) 4.34 26 Eddy Van Ijzendoorn (Ned) 4.47 27 Fabio Ursi (Ita) 4.53 28 Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) 5.05 29 Jonathan Page (USA) 5.12 30 Constantino Zaballa Gutierrez (Spa) La Mss 5.23 31 Jempy Drucker (Lux) Fidea Cycling Team 5.28 32 Martin Zlamalik (Cze) 5.35 33 Magnus Darvell (Swe) Rietumu Bank-Riga 5.43 34 Marco Bianco (Ita) 5.50 35 Vladimir Kyzivat (Cze) 5.57 36 David Derepas (Fra) Groupe Gobert.Com.Ct 6.07 37 Milan Barenyi (Svk) 6.23 38 Joachim Parbo (Den) 6.51 39 David Kasek (Cze) 6.59 40 Mariusz Gil (Pol) 7.06 41 Johannes Sickmueller (Ger) 7.21 42 Vaclav Metlicka (Svk) 7.39 43 Patrick Van Leeuwen (Ned) 8.17 44 Marcel Wildhaber (Swi) 8.48 45 Gusty Bausch (Lux) 9.10 Behind one lap 46 Roy Van Heeswijk (Ned) 47 Rafael Visinelli (Ita) 48 Oscar Vazquez Crespo (Spa) 49 Robert Glajza (Svk) 50 Martin Haring (Svk) Behind three laps 51 Andre Sutton (Can) World cup standings after three rounds 1 Niels Albert (Bel) Palmans Cras 220 pts 2 Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tonissteiner 205 3 Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank 166 4 Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Fidea Cycling Team 163 5 Bart Wellens (Bel) Fidea Cycling Team 159 6 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Fidea Cycling Team 158 7 Radomir Simunek (Cze) Palmans Cras 139 8 Francis Mourey (Fra) Française Des Jeux 132 9 Martin Bina (Cze) 127 10 Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabobank 125 11 Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb Pro Job 123 12 Thijs Al (Ned) 117 13 Richard Groenendaal (Ned) 116 14 Simon Zahner (Swi) 108 15 Gerben De Knegt (Ned) Rabobank 105 16 Christian Heule (Swi) 98 17 Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Sunweb Pro Job 90 18 Rob Peeters (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tonissteiner 87 19 Wilant Van Gils (Ned) 80 20 Enrico Franzoi (Ita) Liquigas 79 21 Petr Dlask (Cze) Fidea Cycling Team 76 22 Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) Palmans Cras 71 23 Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) 70 24 Eddy Van Ijzendoorn (Ned) 69 25 Kamil Ausbuher (Cze) 68 26 Erwin Vervecken (Bel) Fidea Cycling Team 67 27 Martin Zlamalik (Cze) 63 28 Nicolas Bazin (Fra) Differdange Apiflo Vacances 62 29 Mariusz Gil (Pol) 59 30 Jonathan Lopez (Fra) 57 31 Johannes Sickmueller (Ger) 53 32 Marcel Wildhaber (Swi) 53 33 Marco Bianco (Ita) 49 34 Fabio Ursi (Ita) 46 35 Jonathan Page (USA) 44 36 Thijs Van Amerongen (Ned) Van Vliet EBH Elshof 40 37 Vladimir Kyzivat (Cze) 39 38 Rafael Visinelli (Ita) 39 39 Vaclav Metlicka (Svk) 38 40 Milan Barenyi (Svk) 37 41 Pirmin Lang (Swi) 36 42 Joachim Parbo (Den) 30 43 Geoffrey Clochez (Fra) 28 44 Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) 27 45 Roy Van Heeswijk (Ned) 27 46 Aurelien Duval (Fra) 25 47 Gusty Bausch (Lux) 23 48 David Derepas (Fra) Groupe Gobert.Com.Ct 23 49 Constantino Zaballa Gutierrez (Spa) La MSS 21 50 Jempy Drucker (Lux) Fidea Cycling Team 20 51 Robert Glajza (Svk) 20 52 Patrick Van Leeuwen (Ned) 20 53 Magnus Darvell (Swe) Rietumu Bank-Riga 18 54 Lukas Kloucek (Cze) Sunweb Pro Job 15 55 Oscar Vazquez Crespo (Spa) 15 56 Ian Field (GBr) 14 57 René Birkenfeld (Ger) 14 58 Florian Le Corre (Fra) 13 59 David Kasek (Cze) 12 60 Peter Presslauer (Aut) Volksbank - Corratec 10 61 Martin Haring (Svk) 8 62 Gerald Hauer (Aut) 6 63 Adam Myerson (USA) Time Pro Cycling 5 64 Andre Sutton (Can) 4 65 Thomas Puhmer (Aut) 3 66 Stefano Boggia (Ita) 2 67 Julien Laidoun (Fra) 1
