Experienced duo overtake younger rivals
The 2004/2005 season world champion Sven Nys has taken over at the top of the UCI cyclo cross rankings, taking advantage of both his strong form this winter and also the absence of Zdenek Stybar in recent races.
The Belgian rider tops the new standings, amassing 1250 points and overtaking Stybar, who drops to fourth. His closest challengers are compatriots Niels Albert and Kevin Pauwels, who are 152 and 210 points back respectively.
World champion Stybar has been affected by a knee injury since last month and in on an enforced break from racing. However he has said that he could return this Sunday in the World Cup race in Zolder, Belgium, or possibly Monday’s Superprestige in Diegem
If he’s back in action soon and has good form, the battle for the UCI ranking will rage. Stybar, nine years Nys’ junior, will want to take back points. But of even greater importance is the world championships at the end of January, where he will be aiming to win once more.
Nys is enjoying a fine run of form and will be equally determined to take his second Elite title. He won the Vlaamse Druivenveldrit and GP Rouwmoer races recently, and netted second behind Tom Meeusen (Telenet-Fidea) in Sunday’s World Cup in Kalmthout.
American woman Katy Compton’s strong recent form has also moved up into the number one slot, the Kalmthout World Cup victor jumping up over Daphny Van Den Brand (Netherlands).
Saane Van Paassen also passes her compatriot and is currently second, 80 points behind Compton.
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UCI cyclo-cross world ranking as of December 21:
Elite men (previous ranking in brackets)
1(2) Sven NYS (Belgium) 1,250
2(3) Niels ALBERT (Belgium) 1,098
3(4) Kevin PAUWELS (Belgium) 1,040
4(1) Zdenek STYBAR (Czech Republic) 1,015
5(5) Francis MOUREY (France) 902
6(6) Bart AERNOUTS (Belgium) 775
7(7) Klaas VANTORNOUT (Belgium) 719
8(10) Bart WELLENS (Belgium) 630
9(8) Jeremy POWERS (United States) 554
10(9) Timothy JOHNSON (United States) 533
11(12) Christian HEULE (Switzerland) 516
12(22) Tom MEEUSEN (Belgium) 503
13(11) Gerben DE KNEGT (Netherlands) 500
14(14) Dieter VANTHOURENHOUT (Belgium) 463
15(23) Radomir SIMUNEK (Czech Republic) 435
16(13) James DRISCOLL (United States) 405
17(17) Steve CHAINEL (France) 389
18(16) Nicolas BAZIN (France) 382
19(15) Ryan TREBON (United States) 378
20(19) Lars VAN DER HAAR (Netherlands) 368
21(21) Philipp WALSLEBEN (Germany) 353
22(30) Vincent BAESTAENS (Belgium) 348
23(26) Enrico FRANZOI (Italy) 336
24(24) Marcel WILDHABER (Switzerland) 334
25(20) Christoph PFINGSTEN (Germany) 332
26(29) Rob PEETERS (Belgium) 319
27(28) Egoitz MURGOITIO REKALDE (Spain) 313
28(18) Todd WELLS (United States) 301
29(33) Eddy VAN IJZENDOORN (Netherlands) 296
30(32) Thijs VAN AMERONGEN (Netherlands) 289
31(31) Jonathan PAGE (United States) 281
32(25) Christopher JONES (United States) 273
33(41) Sven VANTHOURENHOUT (Belgium) 267
34(34) Mariusz GIL (Poland) 263
35(27) Ondrej BAMBULA (Czech Republic) 262
36(39) Vladimir KYZIVAT (Czech Republic) 249
37(43) Marco BIANCO (Italy) 237
38(35) David KASEK (Czech Republic) 235
39(38) Johannes SICKMUELLER (Germany) 216
40(36) Geoff KABUSH (Canada) 211
41(37) Davide FRATTINI (Italy) 210
42(52) Isaac SUAREZ FERNANDEZ (Spain) 206
43(56) Martin ZLAMALIK (Czech Republic) 203
44(40) Jim AERNOUTS (Belgium) 201
45(48) Joeri ADAMS (Belgium) 195
46(42) Pirmin LANG (Switzerland) 185
47(61) Ian FIELD (Great Britain) 179
48(58) Petr DLASK (Czech Republic) 176
49(60) Javier RUIZ DE LARRINAGA IBANEZ (Spain) 172
50(45) Adam MYERSON (United States) 170
Elite women:
1(2) Katherine COMPTON (United States) 910
2(3) Sanne VAN PAASSEN (Netherlands) 830
3(1) Daphny VAN DEN BRAND (Netherlands) 765
4(4) Katerina NASH (Czech Republic) 690
5(5) Helen WYMAN (Great Britain) 620
6(7) Sanne CANT (Belgium) 542
7(8) Pavla HAVLIKOVA (Czech Republic) 509
8(6) Laura VAN GILDER (United States) 480
9(15) Hanka KUPFERNAGEL (Germany) 460
10(9) Christel FERRIER-BRUNEAU (France) 447
11(12) Sophie DE BOER (Netherlands) 402
12(10) Susan BUTLER (United States) 371
13(16) Caroline MANI (France) 340
14(14) Meredith MILLER (United States) 337
15(11) Sally ANNIS (United States) 333
16(13) Georgia GOULD (United States) 325
17(20) Jasmin ACHERMANN (Switzerland) 307
18(17) Natasha ELLIOTT (Canada) 280
19(18) Andrea SMITH (United States) 268
20(19) Deidre WINFIELD (United States) 255
21(26) Nikki HARRIS (Great Britain) 246
22(24) Sabrina SCHWEIZER (Germany) 243
23(23) Linda VAN RIJEN (Netherlands) 235
24(27) Arenda GRIMBERG (Netherlands) 234
25(28) Nadia TRIQUET-CLAUDE (France) 231
26(51) Pauline FERRAND PREVOT (France) 228
27(21) Amy DOMBROSKI (United States) 213
28(32) Sabrina STULTIENS (Netherlands) 207
29(30) Reza HORMES (Netherlands) 204
30(22) Arley KEMMERER (United States) 193
31(-) Marianne VOS (Netherlands) 190
32(25) Maureen BRUNO ROY (United States) 183
33(29) Sara BRESNICK-ZOCCHI (United States) 166
34(39) Gabriella DAY (Great Britain) 165
35(48) Ellen VAN LOY (Belgium) 159
36(31) Joyce VANDERBEKEN (Belgium) 157
37(45) Martina ZWICK (Germany) 152
38(46) Nancy BOBER (Belgium) 148
39(33) Kristin GAVIN (United States) 147
40(34) Devon HASKELL (United States) 145
41(35) Nicole DUKE (United States) 140
42(55) Martina MIKULASKOVA (Czech Republic) 132
43(36) Amanda MILLER (United States) 129
44(37) Crystal ANTHONY (United States) 129
45(38) Ashley JAMES (United States) 129
46(40) Ann D’AMBRUOSO (United States) 125
47(41) Katherine SHERWIN (United States) 123
48(42) Teal STETSON-LEE (United States) 123
49(43) Carolyn POPOVIC (United States) 120
50(44) Nicole THIEMANN (United States) 119