Super Prestige Cyclo Cross, Final Round 9

Harnes, France, February 8, 1998


Report

The 9th and final round of the SuperPrestige Trophy was staged in Harnes, France on Sunday. 31-year old Italian and 1997 World Champion Daniele Pontoni, was ruled out of the race due to a broken collarbone which he sustained in a freak accident on the finishing line in the World Championship race in Middelfart last weekend in Denmark.

The real interest was the tussle for the Trophy and the major loser out of the World's race last week, Dutchman and World Cup series winner, Richard Groenendaal confirmed he was the rider of 1997-98 by winning the last race and the overall Super Prestige competition.

The Rabobank rider won by 10 seconds from fellow Dutchman Adri van der Poel. The two Dutch riders, who have dominated Cyclo Cross this season, except for the disastrous performances by both of them in last weekend's world championships, rode away from the peloton from the beginning. In the final sections of the race, Groenendaal attacked with Van der Poel unable to stay with him.

Belgian's Peter van Santvliet came third at 1.37.

Results

 1. Richard Groenendaal (Ned) Rabobank	       59.39
 2. Adri van der Poel (Ned) Rabobank	    	0.10
 3. Peter van Santvliet (Bel)  			1.37
 4. Sven Nijs (Bel)               		s.t. 
 5. Erwin Vervecken (Bel)         		s.t. 
 6. Mario de Clercq (Bel) Palmans		2.35

Final Overall SuperPrestige Standings after Race 9:

                                1   2    3  4    5   6   7   8    9  Total

 1. Richard Groenendaal (Ned)   15  15   15  14  14  15  14  14   15  131
 2. Adri van der Poel (Ned      12  11   14  13  13  14  15  15   14  121
 3. Mario de Clercq (Bel)        9  14    7   9  15   5   9  13   10   91
 4. Erwin Vervecken (Bel)       14   7   11   7   5  12  10  12   11   89
 5. Sven Nijs (Bel)             --  13    4  12  11  13  12  10   12   87

 ------ The Top Five and 9th are correct - more detail later ------------

 6. Radomir Simunek (Cze)        5  10   --   8  12   8   5   9   --   57
 7. Bart Wellens (Bel)          11  12   13  --  --   9  11  --   --   54
 8. Daniele Pontoni (Ita)        2   8   --  15  10  --  13   5   --   66
 9. Peter van Santvliet (Bel)    6  --   10   6  --   9   4  11   13   59
10. Ben Berden (Bel)             4   1    6  11   8   4   6  --   --   40
11. Wim de Vos (Ned)            --  --    8  10   9   6  --  --   --   33
12. Marc Janssens (Bel)          7   3   12  --  --  10  --  --   --   32 
12. Danny de Bie (Bel)          13  --   --  --  --  11   8  --   --   32
14. Arne Daelmans (Bel)          8   9    9  --  --   3  --  --   --   29
15. Lucio Bramati (Ita)         10   4    1   5  --   2   2  --   --   24
16. Alex Moonen (Bel)           --  --    5  --  --  --   7   8   --   20
17. Gretinus Gommers (Ned)	--  --   --  --   7  --   3  --   --   10
19. Erik Boezewinkel (Ned)       1   5    3  --  --  --  --  --   --    9
19. Roland Schätti (Swi)	--  --   --  --  --  --  --   7   --    7
19. Dominic Arnould (Fra)	--  --   --  --   6  --   1  --   --    7
19. Jiri Pospisil (Cze)     	--  --   --   4  --  --  --   3   --    7
22. K. de Roose (Bel)           --   6   --  --  --  --  --  --   --    6
22. Dieter Runkel (Swi)		--  --   --  --  --  --  --   6   --    6
24. F. Dall'Oste (Ita)   	--  --   --  --   4  --  --  --   --    4
24. Beat Wabel (Swi)		--  --   --  --  --  --  --   4   --    4
24. Kamil Ausbuher (Cze)	--  --   --   2  --  --  --   2   --    4
27. G. Bramati (Ita)   		--  --   --  --   3  --  --  --   --    3
27. P. van den Abeele (Bel)      3  --   --  --  --  --  --  --   --    3
27. Thomas Frischknecht (Swi)	--  --   --   3  --  --  --  --   --    3
27. M. Nijland (Ned)            --  --    2  --  --   1  --  --   --    3
31. Daniel Bertoni (Ita)   	--  --   --  --   2  --  --  --   --    2
31. R. Lubberman (Ned)          --   2   --  --  --  --  --  --   --    2
33. O. Lukes (Cze)		--  --   --   1  --  --  --  --   --    1
33. F. Scotti (Ita)		--  --   --  --   1  --  --  --   --    1
33. Patrick Blum (Swi)		--  --   --  --  --  --  --   1   --    1