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2009 Cyclo-cross World Championships - CM
Hoogerheide, The Netherlands, January 31-February 1, 2009
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Stage 1 - January 31: Junior Men, 40 minutes
Eising rises above the rest
By Brecht Decaluwé in Hoogerheide, Netherlands
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Tijmen Eising maintained his dominance of the current cyclo-cross season with victory on home soil in the junior men's race at the world championships. The giant Dutch champion outclassed the competition during the morning race and gave his compatriots good reason to kick off a day-long party. After winning the World Cup, the European championships and the national title, Eising completed the grand slam on a super-fast frozen course that looked more like a criterium.
Michael Schweizer (Germany) pulled off the hole shot, but after entering the meadow pre-race favourite Eising took command. Not much later, at one of the few technical passages, Eising took off at a tricky 180-degree corner. "I said before the race that it would be fast right from the start," explained Eising. "That German was behind me and I could create a gap after a few hundreds metres; it turned out to be the decisive move. I never hesitated to go on with the effort, and although I lost time on the road in the wind where the chasers could take turns I knew I would gain time again in the field," Eising added.
Almost six laps later Eising hit the brakes just before the finish line, stepped off, lifted his bike in the air and walked over the line that brought him the rainbow jersey. "During the penultimate lap I was suffering hard but once I got past that one I was floating over the course. Luckily, I didn't forget to step off the bike at the stairs," Eising said, before explaining where he gained his inspiration for today's performance. "I want to be like Lars Boom. I'll keep combining cyclo-cross with the road."
Half a minute later a group of 11 riders sprinted for the remaining two podium spots, and two surprise packets captured the remaining medals. Corne Van Kessel had a good finish in his legs, and his finish resulted in a Dutch one-two. French champion Alexandre Billon (France) captured third place and held off one of the pre-race favourites, Wietse Bosmans (Belgium).
Van Kessel himself was also surprised with his silver medal. "I hoped to get a top six result but this is unbelievable," Van Kessel said. "We were doing stoppage work in the chasing group to protect the attack from Tijmen." The Dutch rider finished thirteenth in the World Cup and didn't think he would be able to sprint for second place during the race. "Actually I was suffering to keep up with the pace from the Italians and the Belgians. In the end I was still there and followed an Italian," Van Kessel said.
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Third placed Billon was an even bigger surprise on the podium. "I hoped for a top-10 result. The national championships were my main goal and I was able to achieve it. If you're the best in France then you can get a result at the World Championships as well," Billon said.
Behind those three medal winners disappointment was reigning. Belgian pre-race favourites Wietse Bosmans and Sean De Bie had different stories to tell. Bosmans could live with his fourth place but De Bie didn't understand where the opposition was coming from. "I've seen riders that I haven't seen at any race this year. Where have they been hiding? The Belgian team was visited by the 'vampires' this morning to take blood controls but they should have visited the French team instead," De Bie said.
Another pre-race favourite was Lars van der Haar but the compatriot from winner Eising had to settle for fifth and he had a hard time to deal with the result. "I was blocked in the sprint. This isn't fair," Van der Haar said.
Before the race it looked like the US team had a good chance on the podium but in the end they fell far away from it. US champion Zach McDonald crashed two times and rolled over the line as nineteenth rider. "I felt pretty good at the start but an Italian came down and I couldn't avoid him. I twisted my handle bars and I had to pit and that makes you lose fifteen positions over here. The next lap another Italian took me down as well after the fly-over, with the same result. I rode pretty well and although a good result would've been nice I didn't need it to come back to race here," McDonald said.
In the end it was Luke Keogh who finished as first American rider although he wasn't happy with his 13th place. "I had to start from the fourth row, and after the start it all stuck together," said Keogh. "There was a crash and I ended up being behind it, then it was over. We were working hard to get back in our group, and I was able to win the sprint of the second chasing group," he added. "I already started my sprint in the field and kept going on the uphill road towards the finish line - I don't think anybody thought about jumping away behind my back. The whole year was a great experience. I'll be back here," he said.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Riccardo Scanferla
- Favourite Tijmen Eising dealt well with the pressure and won in front of the homecrowd.
- Dutchman Corné van Kessel won the sprint for second place.
- The podium of the juniors (l-r) with second-placed Corné van Kessel, winner Tijmen Eising and Alexandre Billon of France.
- Tijmen Eising carried the Dutch flag on the podium after carrying the Dutch hopes during the race.
Images by Cyclingnews.com
- Emilien Viennet (France)
- Enno Quast (Germany) leads Gianni Vermeersch (Belgium).
- Bart De Vocht (Belgium) squints in the sun.
- Samuel Harrison (Great Britain) tries to escape from an Italian.
- The Worlds are well organised
- Tijmen Eising (Netherlands) carries his bike up the stairs.
- Eising was the big favourite for today.
- Wietse Bosmans (Belgium) was the strongest of the Belgian selection.
- Bosmans even shadowed his teammate Sean De Bie.
- Vinnie Braet (Belgium) on the hard parcours.
- Gianni Vermeersch (Belgium) rolls through.
- Bart De Vocht (Belgium) goes out of the saddle.
- Eising was doing a lonely race at the front.
- Lars Van Der Haar (Netherlands) shadows a French rider.
- Alexandre Billon (France) makes his move
- Sean De Bie (Belgium) tries to hang tough.
- De Bie had a hard time today.
- Wietse Bosmans (Belgium) is on the wheel of Jan Nesvadba (Czech Republic).
- Emilien Viennet (France) suffers
- Valentin Hadoux (France) makes the pace.
- Eising walked his bike across the line.
- Eising was happy he could withstand the pressure.
- Eising won it convincingly.
- The sprint for second was won by Corne Van Kessel (Netherlands).
- Eising on the podium.
- Eising with the World Champion's jersey
- The test to see if it is real.
- Yes, it is...
- The podium with two Dutch riders on the left.
- Alexandre Billon finished third.
- Matej Lasak (Czech Republic) leads the chase group.
- Chris Wallace (United States Of America) grits his teeth.
- Eric Emsky (USA) chose leg warmers on a sunny but cold day.
- Luke Keough (USA) in the start-finish area.
- Runner-up Corne Van Kessel.
- Third-placed Alexandre Billon was happy
- Bosmans on the stairs.
- Lars Van Der Haar runs up the technical section.
Images by Dave McElwaine/www.trailwatch.net
- The long start on the cobbles.
- Fans of Netherlands' riders banged wooden shoes together.
- Eric Emsky (USA) warms up.
- Colorful fans were everywhere.
- Every group of fans seemed to have their country's flag.
- Tijmen Eising (Netherlands) at the start.
- Lars Van Der Haar gets the hole shot in the junior race.
- Tijmen Eising (Netherlands) rounds the first corner on the cobbles.
- Tijmen Eising (Netherlands) finally on the grass.
- Daniele Braidot (Italy) in a long train of riders.
- Alexandre Billon (France) on his way to a third place finish.
- Luke Keough (USA) leads a group of riders on a straightaway.
- Gavin Mannion (USA)
- Tijmen Eising (Netherlands) descends the flyover.
- Matej Lasak (Czech Rep)
- Tijmen Eising (Netherlands) descends a steep pitch.
- Daniel Braidot (Italy)
- Emillien Viennet (France) descends a steep hill.
- Eric Emsky (USA)
- Tijmen Eising (Netherlands) rounds a U-Turn.
- Jan Nesvadba (Czech Rep) with a foot down on a tight turn.
- Sean De Bie (Belgium) puts a foot down at the bottom of the U-Turn.
- Tijmen Eising (Netherlands) carries his bike over the line to take the win.
- Tijmen Eising (Netherlands) looks back after his win- still nobody in sight.
- Corne Van Kessel (Netherlands) wins the sprint for second over Alexandre Billon (France).
- The Dutch medal presenters
- Junior podium (L to R) Corne Van Kessel (Netherlands) second, Tijmen Eising (Netherlands) fist, Alexandre Billon (France) third
- Tijmen Eising (Netherlands) with his gold medal and world championship jersey
- Junior podium
- Tijmen Eising (Netherlands) tastes gold.
- Alexandre Billon (France) shows off his bronze medal.
Images by Mitch Clinton/www.clintonphoto.com
- Wietse Bosmans (Belgium) finished fourth in Hoogerheide.
- Corn Van Kessel (Ned) on his way to second place.
- Tijmen Eising (Ned) celebrates the win in Hoogerheide to make it a Dutch one-two on home soil.
- The sprint for second place was contested between Alexandre Billon (France), Corne Van Kessel (Ned) and Wietse Bosmans (Belgium).
Images by Tom de Meyer
- Wietse Bosmans rides up the hill
- Eising dominated
- The Czech team chased in vain
- Eising look smooth even on the one running section.
- Sean De Bie carries the bike up the stairs.
- Bart De Vocht for Belgium
- Eising solo in front
- The Dutch team could relax as Eising was ahead.
- Bart De Vocht in the Dutch sun
- Bartosz Pilis (Poland)
- The podium
- Winner Eising of the host nation
Results
1 Tijmen Eising (Netherlands) 40.06 2 Corne Van Kessel (Netherlands) 0.25 3 Alexandre Billon (France) 4 Wietse Bosmans (Belgium) 5 Lars Van Der Haar (Netherlands) 6 Luca Braidot (Italy) 0.26 7 Jan Nesvadba (Czech Republic) 8 Daniele Braidot (Italy) 9 Sean De Bie (Belgium) 10 Michiel Van Der Heijden (Netherlands) 11 Emilien Viennet (France) 0.27 12 Vinnie Braet (Belgium) 0.28 13 Luke Keough (United States Of America) 0.40 14 Daniele Dall'oste (Italy) 0.43 15 Matej Lasak (Czech Republic) 0.44 16 Jimmy Turgis (France) 17 Bryan Falaschi (Italy) 0.48 18 David Van Der Poel (Netherlands) 1.09 19 Zach Mc Donald (United States Of America) 1.18 20 Pierre Garson (France) 1.19 21 Enno Quast (Germany) 1.26 22 Valentin Hadoux (France) 23 Gianni Vermeersch (Belgium) 1.28 24 Matej Medved (Slovakia) 1.29 25 Michael Boros (Czech Republic) 26 Radek Polnicky (Czech Republic) 1.30 27 Anthony Grand (Switzerland) 1.44 28 Chris Wallace (United States Of America) 29 Yannick Mayer (Germany) 30 Gavin Mannion (United States Of America) 1.45 31 Ismael Barba Frutos (Spain) 1.46 32 Thomas Moses (Great Britain) 1.50 33 Tomas Paprstka (Czech Republic) 2.00 34 Andrzej Bartkiewicz (Poland) 2.16 35 Jannick Geisler (Germany) 2.17 36 Kenneth Hansen (Denmark) 2.19 37 Inigo Gomez Elorriaga (Spain) 38 Eric Emsky (United States Of America) 2.22 39 Bart De Vocht (Belgium) 2.26 40 Daniel Mclay (Great Britain) 2.31 41 Rudy Lorenzon (Italy) 2.32 42 Toni Bretschneider (Germany) 2.36 43 Michael (Jr) Schweizer (Germany) 2.37 44 Bob Jungels (Luxembourg) 2.38 45 Samuel Harrison (Great Britain) 3.06 46 Josep Nadal Magrinya (Spain) 3.15 47 Dario Stäuble (Switzerland) 3.32 48 Bartosz Pilis (Poland) 3.51 49 Eduard - Michael Grosu (Romania) 6.39 50 Olivier Webster (Great Britain) 7.23 DNF Alex Kirsch (Luxembourg)
