World champion’s perfect season continues with fifth straight victory
Zdenek Stybar (Telenet-Fidea) won the Kermiscross in the village of Ardooie, just outside Roeselare in West Flanders. The World champion won a three-up sprint over Belgian champion Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet) and Klaas Vantournout (Sunweb-Revor) to take his fifth victory in five races so far his season.
“I had tired legs in Ardooie today,” said Stybar to Het Laatste Nieuws, “After the race in Ruddervoorde [last Sunday’s Superprestige race – ed] I did some pretty hard training so my I didn’t feel very fresh when I got to the start.
When we were cruising round in the big group I wanted to do everything I could to take control of the race,” he continued. “The scenario was perfect for me when we finally got it down to three men at the start of the final lap. The small gap we had over the rest was enough for the three of us to sprint for the victory.”
The first move of the race was made by Vantournout, forcing a selection of just eleven riders after the third lap. After 40 minutes though, an acceleration from Nys caused a further split; the Belgian champion taking just Stybar, Vantournout, Niels Albert and Dieter Vanthourenhout (both BKCP-Powerplus) with him. Stybar’s Telenet-Fidea teammate just managed to claw his way back to the leaders and the six riders took the bell, signifying the final lap, together.
Another attack from Nys as the final lap began managed to drop all but Stybar and Vantournout; the three riders stayed together all the way around with none of them able to break clear. As they entered the finish area Vantournout was easily beaten by the other two, who took the race all the way to the line; the World champion managed to use his superior sprint though, and he narrowly beat Nys to take the win.
Result Kermiscross
1. Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Telenet-Fidea
2. Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
3. Klaas Vantournout (Bel) Sunweb-Revor @ 6s
4. Niels Albert (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus @ 16s
5. Rob Peeters (Bel) Telenet-Fidea @ 24s
6. Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus @ 32s
7. Jim Aernouts (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus
8. Thijs van Amerongen (Ned) AA Cycling Team
9. Jonathan Page (USA) Planet Bike
10. Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Sunweb-Revor