Sven Nys (Landboukrediet) has enjoyed his much-needed rest after his 9th place in the Olympic mountain bike race. He’s started his season off fresh, and like Powers, Dombroski, Trebon, and Compton, he enjoyed his own set of repeat wins by taking his seventh Ruddervoorde Superprestige win on Sunday after winning the Gran Prix of Wallonia on Saturday. Sven Nys opened his season with a win in the Wallonia race on Saturday, beating teammate Rob Peetrs and young Niels Albert (Palmans) in a sprint. Albert was furious after the race, maintain that Nys’ 8,000 Euro start money requirement should mean the rider should ride from the front instead of coming around at the very end for the win. After the race, Albert said he was “doubly motivated to take Nys” the next day. Enrico Franzoi and Ben Berden (who has also been vocal about the disparity in start money) took fourth and fifth, respectively. Bart Wellens, World Champion Lars Boom, and Zdenek Stybar decided to rest to save their legs for Sunday’s Superprestige opener. Sfter struggling to win on Saturday, Nys still doubted his form and legs going into Sunday.
But on Sunday, Nys again returned to the top step of the podium, this time again beating Niels Ablert and a strong Klaas Vantornout in a sprint. Nys said the course “requires a lot of horsepower” and he “held his gas back” and decided to save it all for the last lap. It seemed to work, and he picked up his seventh win on the course, and took the lead in the Superprestige series.
Stay tuned for more details.
Gran Prix of Wallonia Results:
- Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet-Tönissteiner/Baal) (Bel) in 59:40
- Rob Peeters (Bel)
- Niels Albert (Bel)
- Enrico Franzoi (Ita) 0:36
- Ben Berden 1:51 (Bel)
- Wesley Van der Linden (Bel)
- Davy Commeyne 2:13
- Françis Mourey (Fra) 2:18
- Tom Van den Bosch (Bel) 2:36
- David Willemsens (Bel) 2:47
Superprestige #1 – Ruddervoorde
- Sven Nys (BEL) 59:34
- Klaas Vantornout (BEL) 0:02.
- Niels Albert (BEL) 0:04.
- Rob Peeters (BEL) 0:23
- Kevin Pauwels (BEL)
- Bart Wellens (BEL) 0:45
- Thijs Al (NED) 1:04
- Erwin Vervecken (BEL) 1:09
- Bart Aernouts (BEL)
- Dieter Vanthourenhout (BEL) 1:13
- Jan Soetens (BEL) 1:16
- Richard Groenendaal (NED) 1:23
- Gerben de Knegt (NED) 1:27
- Ben Berden 1:50
- Tom Van den Bosch (BEL)
- Zdenek Stybar (CZE) 2:10
- Jonathan Page (USA) 2:20
- Lars Boom (NED) 2:30
- Radomir Simunek (CZE) 2:50
- Christian Heule (SUI)
- Björn Rondelez 2:54
- Petr Dlask (CZE)
- Jan Verstraeten (BEL) 3:03
- Roy van Heeswijk (NED)
- Wilant van Gils (NED)
- Martin Zlamalik (CZE) 3:47
- Thijs van Amerongen (NED) 3:54
- Tim Van Nuffel (BEL) 4:40
- Ian Field (GBr) 4:49
- Stijn Huys (BEL) 5:10
- Michael Müller (SUI) 5:13
- Geert Wellens 5:23
- David Seco (SPA) 5:37
- Patrick van Leeuwen (NED) 5:49
- Crespo Vazquez (SPA) 5:53
- Constantino Zaballa (SPA) 6:11
- Bart Verschueren (BEL) 6:48
- Pieter Ghyllebert (BEL) 7:00
- Jerry Kallenfels (NED) 1 lap down
- Steven De Schoesitter (BEL) 4 laps down
