Belgian Cyclocross Championships

Soumagne, January 10, 1999

Preview

Eric De Vlaeminck thinks that the juniors and juvenile races will be dominated by a single rider respectively. Also he thinks that Bart Wellens will win the Espoirs (Under-23) title: "He cannot lose although he now has some competition from Tom Vannoppen." But the professional race (elites) is another question altogether. Of the hopes, the skilful Marc Janssens - who is on one day and off the next - has some support. He is the smartest rider. He is the rider who knows how to peak and he is a man in form. Erwin Vervecken must use his long legs to perform some tricks on the obstacles but the most likely contenders, apart from Janssens are Sven Nijs or Mario De Clercq scoren. Nijs, is an acrobat, who is the best rider this season so far. De Clercq, is the tough man, the hatchet-man, the current World Champion. Their confrontation will answer some of the questions as to who is the best.

Belgian journalist Noël Truyers interviewed the two contenders Mario De Clercq and Sven Nijs.

Mario De Clercq

Parcours: "I will judge it tomorrow when I see it. I will ride it after the junior race and get a pretty clear picture then."

Favourites: "Marc Janssens because he is in the best condition. When he is on form no-one can surpass him. He takes a lot of chances in other races and sometimes he storms. I cannot ride like that as it is against my character. I am also in the process of peaking. I have been on a constant high, since the summer road season. It follows that I am less fresh than Marc.

Start Tactics: "Everyone will be watching out for some tricks in the first metres. In the next section, there will be a lot of forcing the pace. Then we have to watch over the hurdles. I want to be in 4th or 5th position as we enter the field. I will look to have a good first lap. While the tactics remain within the team, I will work for Marc Janssens. He helped me win the World Championship and so on Sunday it is my turn to give him a hand. Unless we ride over the line together, we want to make sure of a win for the team.

Number of bikes: "3. Two are identical and the third is not really used unless the other 2 fail. The 2 are set up with the angles of the frame just the way I like it."

National Titles: "I have won the World title naturally, but never a National title. I did get a second place in the juniors and a second place with the professionals at Hoogstraten. On the road, I came fourth once.

Most recent training: "On Tuesday I rode 100 kms and on Friday 60 kms behind a car. During the derny ride I spent the whole time with my fingers freezing from the cold. Behind the car I ride very smoothly. The police in my town know that I do this regularly but as I go past they look the other way!"

What about Sven Nijs?: "A fabulous bloke. I am not a beer drinker but I still like to go out to a cafe with him. He is always honest and fair, and remains down-to-earth. You must know as a rider what you can do and Sven is good like that.

Superstitions: "Two years ago my grandmother gave me a small medal of Our Lady Mary. I take it everywhere with me and it is always under my jersey.

Secret Weapon: "That is always my father René. He is more nervous than I am but he understands racing and the circuit like no other. What he says is true. He has a perfect insight into the current racing scene. He hopes that I can win the title, me also."

Sven Nijs

Parcours: "Very nice, but very muddy. There is a chance of injury. But my father says that I must not take chances. He says I have to aim for the World Championships."

Favourite: "Erwin Vervecken because he has the longest legs. Others with a good chance are Marc Janssens and Mario De Clercq. I don't think that Mario will give Marc Janssens the title as a gift. A world champion gives no gifts. Mario would be a great champion but of-course Janssens is at the moment the rider with the most power."

Start: "I want to be in 3rd or 4th position going onto the field. At the start is is crucial that you avoid being checked. Mario De Clercq is a rider who can go hard from the start. But I can also do that."

Number of bikes: "Normally 3, but for Soumagne I will take a 4th: a cycle with a different front set up. A 42, so that I can get the best match of speed and weight for efficiency and perhaps fly over the mud better. In this way I hope to avoid any problems with speed changes at the crucial moments."

National Titles: "9 in the BMX category, 1 in cyclocross. I won once here at Soumagne with the juniors but it was then in the snow and the parcours was different. Lighter to ride on."

Number of supporters: "120 are coming by bus and 200 will travel to the east in their own cars."

Most recent training: "No kms behind the derny. On Tuesday I did a very long 160 kms ride, and Thursday a 2 hour ride at an average speed on 34 kms/h. I am thus pretty rested."

What about Mario De Clercq?: "He is a very tough character. A top bloke who will go to the pub with me even though he doesn't drink. He is always friendly and is not outspoken, and remains very honest and fair. He is always aiming to win. He is a very worthy world champion."

Superstitions: "None really."

Secret Weapon: "Food is important. I have been eating a lot of vegetables early this week. From Thursday I have been eating a lot of spaghetti. This week, for the first time, I have eaten some pigeon. My mother says that a pigeon has very substantial meat. Before the race I will have a big meal of spaghetti, a small coffee and a rice pudding. That is my normal pattern."

Results

 1. Geert Wellens (Vorselaar) *
 2. Kevin Braeckevelt			0.15
 3. Dries Devenyns
 4. Jef De Boeck
 5. Benny Buysse
 6. Steven Scevenels
 7. David Schmets
 8. Nic Ingels
 9. Bart Van Damme
10. Christophe Janssens
11. Krisof Van Heck
12. Ruben Lambrigts
13. Mike Thielemans
14. Andy Dierckx
15. Johan Sermon
16. Steven Janssens
17. Stijn Debrouckx
18. Nick Schuermans
19. Gregory Vandycke
20. Marco Potargent

Started: 35

Juniors, January 9:

 1. Sven Vanthourenhout (Beernem) *
 2. Tim Van Nuffel
 3. Tim Pauwels
 4. Wesley Vanderlinden
 5. Pieter Ghyllebert
 6. Kurt Rogiers
 7. Bart Aernoudts
 8. Jan Geerts
 9. Philippe Gilbert
10. Klaas Vantornout
11. Dimitri Maes
12. Guy Bertels
13. Christophe Vandevivere
14. Maarten Wijnants
15. Wesley Chantrain
16. Robby Debaene
17. Nicky David
18. Damien Bynens
19. Tony Gooossens
20. Bert Dewispelaere

Started: 39

Masters:

 1. Eric Vervaet 		       40.09
 2. Ronny Devos 			0.29
 3. Jan Vervecken 			2.06
 4. Rony Vanthoerenthout 		2.52
 5. François Mertens 			3.05
 6. Alex Weytens 			3.10
 7. Daniel Van Oosterwijck 		3.26
 8. Marc Dyck 				3.49
 9. Pierrot Potargent 			4.39
10. Paul Isebaert 			4.46

Elite, January 10:

Roger Hughes reports that the Elite race came down to a very tight sprint. The race came down to a group of four over the closing couple of laps (fourth rider was Vervecken), with Van den Abeele and Van Santvliet playing the invisible yoyo. De Clercq had a chain off with about 1km to go but got back, and was probably the strongest rider throughout. It was a long tarmac finish (500m or so) and it made a sprint finish almost inevitable. Sven Nijs didn't look very comfortable in the mud (of which there was lots). Erwin Vervecken came close to getting away on the last lap but couldn't hold it to the tarmac.

 1. Marc Janssens		     1.02.00
 2. Mario de Clercq
 3. Sven Nijs
 4. Peter van den Abeele		0.06
 5. Erwin Vervecken
 6. Peter van Santvliet
 7. Ben Berden
 8. Arne Daelmans
 9. Björn Rondelez
10. Kris Wouters

Under-23, January 10:

Bart Wellens won by more than 3 minutes to no-one's surprise.

 1. Bart Wellens
 2. Tom Vanoppen
 3. Kipcko Volckaerts

Reports and Interviews

In 1993 at Houthalen, the Belgian Championship ended in a sprint. In 1999, once again Janssens had to outsprint his teammate Mario De Clercq to win by millimetres on a photofinish. "I knew the race was going to come down to the finale. As the end approached I was in 4th place in a top group of 4. By the time we came into the last bend I was leading and I came out of it at full speed. Every drip of energy was being used. I looked around and I saw Sven Nijs on my wheel. Then there as panic, if I wasn't able to win then Mario De Clercq had to. But on the finish line I felt that anyone could have jumped and taken it. I hoped that I had won but I had doubts. Mario's eye reflected disillusionment. Naturally he had gone for the win, no-one hands out gifts at that stage."

The World Champion Mario De Clercq, was the best rider on the day. He had said that he would help his teammate but that did not happen at all. De Clercq raced his own race. He said: "Marc was away on his one for a brief moment with a 50 metre gap around the halfway mark. Because he was not increasing the lead, I was not going to hold back. I knew he was looking back for me and thought we could do it together. But when I came back to him there was Vervecken and Nijs. I was very glad that it came down to just the two of us."

Marc Janssens is a traditional sort of cyclocross racer: an attacking grafting sort of rider. He has a motor like a diesel, and he goes hard from the start. He always makes it hard to beat him, except yesterday, when he rode more conservatively. Janssens said: "I was sorry that I rode the whole race in the wheels of the top group of 4, but that was because I could not do any better. My legs were pretty ordinary. Therefore, it is true, I was surprised to take the title. I did not force the pace at all, but apparently that applied to the others too. Clearly, Mario De Clercq was the best of us."

"Look at my jersey. It is beautiful. Fate has given me what I had hoped for at the start of the season. Last year I was focused on the World Championships and I was disillusioned with my 11th place there. I finished behind riders who are not as good as me. I felt like hanging my hat up. But I took the challenge and hence I have done more derny training, and now I have nore strength and reserves to call upon. But still I remain a faithful team rider. I am mot a fanatic. Perhaps that is precisely my problem and is why I have not got more out of the talent that I have. I am not jealous of anyone and that is the greatest error that a person can have. But when Mario De Clercq became World Champion it was my motivation to try even harder and see what I could do."

Charel Palmans, the team sponsor of Marc Janssens and Mario De Clercq, did not break out the champagne but he had a huge smile all over his face. Despite the clear jealousy between his top crossers. He said: "It is something that I cannot change, it is their characters. Marc and Mario agree about nothing. Marc is the decent type and he has the character of a scout, a trail-tourist, a luitenant. He underplays things. Meanwhile Mario is the master, he lives to win. Without that he is not content. A Napoleon. But still a lovely man."

Mario De Clercq:

The disappointment was great. After his teammate had just won the coveted Belgian tri-colour championship jersey, Mario De Clercq was sitting in the corner of the parking lot coming to terms with his defeat.

"How did I lose that sprint? I just don't know. I chose the wheel of Nijs and he blocked me in the last corner. That probably cost me the title. Perhaps that is why I had to chase in the sprint. Also a half a lap from the end I had some problems with my chain and I thought that I had lost my chances then."

What about the rivalry between the two Palmans teammates?

"It was not easy to talk during the race. Once the sprint had begun we did not have a chance to talk. But at that moment it was everyone for themselves. Was I the best? Yes, perhaps so. But in races like that it is not always the best who wins."

Sven Nijs:

"What? Is De Clercq saying that he lost the championship because I hooked him in the last corner. Sorry, but I cannot agree with that at all. I went on the outside of the corner and De Clercq tried to cut me off. I can easily say that his manoeuvre cost me the title."

That Nijs even got to contest the title in the final sprint was a surprise because the parcours did not suit him very much.

"I am glad I had a small chance to win, but overall I rode a pretty good race. In the second last lap I had to change my bike because of a tyre problem. I was thus happy to get to the sprint. A bronze medal is not a disappointment. I know that today I had good form. I shall be very fresh for the World Championships."

Belgian World Championship selection:

There were no surprises in the Belgian selection for the World Championships to be held in the Slovak town of Poprad between January 30-31. Coach Eric De Vlaeminck said that all the riders had earned their places. "There were some questions in the Junior team, but for the rest the riders was reflected in the outcomes of the national championships."

The fact that Peter Van den Abeele, who placed 5th in national championships, was not even selected as an emergency was no real surprise. Assistant coach Rudy De Bie said: "Van den Abeele will say today that he is a worthy cyclocrosser, but as to the Worlds there will be no criticism. The Championships are not in his program to prepare for the MTB season ahead."

Geert Wellens is not in the Junior team as a result of team policy. De Vlaeminck: "We have taken in the past 2nd year nieuwlingens but Geert is too young and he must wait another year."

Elite: Mario De Clercq, Ben Berden, Marc Janssens, Sven Nijs, Peter Van Santvliet and Erwin Vervecken.

Emergencies: Arne Daelmans and Bjorn Rondelez.

Under-23: Davy Commeyne, Andrew Vancoillie, Tom Vannoppen, Kipcho Volckaert and Bart Wellens

Emergencies: Dieter Honraet, Wim Jacobs and Paul Van Loon

Juniors: Pieter Ghyllebert, Tim Pauwels, Wesley Van der Linden, Tim Van Nuffel and Sven Vanthourenhout

Emergencies: Bart Aernouts and Kurt Rogier

Participants

Professional (Elite)		Under-23:

 1. Marc Janssens	 	 1. Bart Wellens
 2. Ben Berden	 		 2. Patrick Bassez
 3. Koen Bulckens	 	 3. Kristof Boelens
 4. Nico Clarysse	 	 4. Kevin Bossaerts
 5. Ronny Couliez	 	 5. Hans Carron
 6. Arne Daelmans	 	 6. Bjorn Christiaen
 7. Gianni David	 	 7. Davy Commeyne
 8. Danny De Bie	 	 8. Michel De Kezel
 9. Tom De Kort	 		 9. Gert De Vos
10. Kurt De Roose		10. Wim Jacobs
11. Jaak Eeckhout		11. Sten Raeymakers
12. Jan Goris			12. David Roodhooft
13. Nico Henderickx		13. Wim Sas
14. Paul Herijgers		14. Ken Van Dessel
15. Luc Joos			15. Paul Van Loon
16. David Laenen		16. Andrew Vancoillie
17. Geert Lauwers		17. Frederik Vandevivere
18. Erik Myngheer		18. Frederik Vanlerberghe
19. Johan Myngheer		19. Tom Van Minnebruggen
20. Axel Naessens		20. Kipcho Volckaerts
21. Stefan Nerinckx		21. Tom Weytens
22. Robby Pelgrims		22. Olivier Willems
23. Tom Pynaert			23. David Romischer
24. Bjorn Rondelez		24. Tom Vannoppen
25. Christoph Roodhooft		25. Yoeri Leaerts
26. Patrick Schurmans		26. Tim Goris
27. Kris Smits			27. Dieter Honraet
28. Marnik Snoeck		28. Rik Van Isterdael
29. Eddy Van Bouwel
30. Geert Van Daele
31. Peter Van Den Abeele
32. Jan Van Doninck
33. Pascal Van Riet
34. Peter Van Santvliet
35. Bert Vervecken
36. Erwin Vervecken
37. Ivan Verweft
38. David Willemsens
39. Peter Willemsens
40. Kris Wouters
41. Mario De Clercq
42. Sven Nijs
43. Geert Vandaele
44. Koen Claes
45. Hans Wuyts