Belgian champion out to win the race he has never started before
The Kermiscross in the village of Ardooie, just outside Roeselare in West Flanders, is one of the very few races that has never been taken by Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet). The Kannibaal van Baal has never even take the start of the race, which is something that will change in tomorrow’s 16th edition of the race.
“I really want this cross to add to my palmares,” said Nys in a statement. “I’m coming to Ardooie simply to win as I want to fill that gap on my list of victories.”
So far this season Nys has taken two victories; he won his first two races in Erpe-Mere and Neerpelt. Both of the big races of the year so far though, the GvA Trofee race at Namur and the Superprestige in Ruddervoorde, have been taken by World champion Zdenek Stybar (Telenet-Fidea). Nys failed to finish in Namur in a rare off-day, and was third in Ruddervoorde.
With Stybar, and 2009 World champion Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) both looking towards the first World Cup race of the year, at the International Cycling Union (UCI) headquarters in Aigle, Switzerland on Sunday, Nys hopes to take the Kermiscross at his first attempt.
“I’ve never even started in Ardooie,” Nys told Sporza, “and it’s on of the few races that I have never won. I would like to fill that gap.”
Although Nys is also looking towards the Aigle race, he will not be holding back.
“I don’t see the Kermiscross as a training race,” he said, “but I’ll go all out to get the win.”
Last year’s Kermiscross was won by Albert, ahead of Stybar; as well as those two, the rest of the top cyclocross riders will be present, including Klaas Vantournout and Sven Vanthourenhout (both Sunweb-Revor), Dieter Vanthourenhout (BKCP-Powerplus) and Jonathan Page (Planet Bike).