Sven Nys (Crelan-KDL) took his fourth victory in the GP Hasselt in a three-man sprint over Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) and Klaas Vantornout (Sunweb-Napoleon Games) after the three “toppers” dominated the eight-lap race. After a big acceleration of his own was unable to break the others, the World champion managed to roll with their punches. Hitting the final corner first, Nys was able to outpace a frustrated Albert all the way to the line, with Belgian champion Vantornout taking third.
The victory meant that Nys widened his overall lead in the Bpost Bank Trofee classification, with three of the eight rounds done.
Vantornout made his customary fast start, and led the field around the first lap, with the pack thinning behind the tall Belgian champion. By the time he reached the finish, Vantornout had just teammate Kevin Pauwels, Martin Bina and Marcel Meisen (both Kwadro-Stannah), German champion Philipp Walsleben (BKCP-Powerplus) and Bart Aernouts (AA Drink) with him. The group containing Tom Meeusen (Telenet-Fidea), Nys and Albert was not far behind; the former having made a mistake as he tangled with the end barrier around a dead turn, and the latter coming back from yet another bad start.
Bina then took the lead into lap two, pulling Vantornout and Walsleben clear just as the others were joining the front group. Vantornout then sprinted around the Czech rider to take the GvA sprint - and six bonus seconds towards the overall Bpost Bank classification - with Walsleben following him over in second.
Walsleben then tripped over the second of the two plank hurdles - landing head first in the thick mud that followed - while other riders were making contact with the leaders again. Albert moved up to behind Vantornout for a few moments, before taking the lead and accelerating away.
The Belgian champion followed but, as both riders rode through the pits to change their bikes, Nys accelerated himself to try to take advantage. The World champion was unable to escape the two leaders, and Albert accelerated again; only Nys and Vantornout were able to follow the BKCP-Powerplus rider, despite the best efforts of his teammate Wietse Bosmans.
As the three riders pulled clear Albert looked to Nys to take over at the front, and the World champion duly obliged. The gap to the chasing group was just 15 seconds with two laps to go, however, with Corné van Kessel (Telenet-Fidea) in between after having broken clear. Nys then tried to accelerate clear through the lengthly sandpit, but Vantornout refused to allow him to get away.
Van Kessel made contact with the leaders before they reached the bell, while teammate Meeusen was also sprinting clear of the chasers and trying to make contact. Vantornout was the first to try to get away in the final lap, accelerating through the sand, but van Kessel led the others across and then tried his own luck soon afterwards.
Meeusen finally managed to reach the leaders, but Albert attacked again shortly after the hurdles, and van Kessel couldn’t follow. Meeusen just managed to stay with the group, but then tangled with the same end barrier that Nys had earlier, and lost contact himself. Albert continued to try to crack the other two, but was unable to tear himself clear on the final corners, and the three Belgians were heading for a sprint.
Nys managed to get himself to the front on the final corner, and held that lead all the way to the line. Meeusen gestured towards the World champion in frustration as he crossed the line behind him, as Vantornout took third.
Sanne Cant takes Women’s race after race-long battle with Helen Wyman
Sanne Cant (Enertherm-BKCP) sprinted to victory in the women’s race, just ahead of Helen Wyman (Kona), after a race-long battle between the Belgian and European champions. Gabby Durrin (Rapha-Focus) completed the podium - taking her best European result of the season - as she beat British champion Nikki Harris (Telenet-Fidea) in the sprint for third.
Cant and Wyman pulled clear of the rest from the start, with Wyman taking the initiative and opening up a gap over the Belgian champion. Behind them, the battle for third place was already developing, as Durrin and Harris - clear of all the others - were fighting to leave one another behind.
Cant managed to keep Wyman in sight, and reeled the seven-time British champion just before they began the final lap. She then attacked through the sand herself as they took the and managed to open a small gap. Wyman managed to pull back the Belgian champion, then accelerated through the second sandpit, but Cant was able to respond and the two of them arrived at the finish together.
Hitting the final corner first, as Nys was to do later, Cant was able to open up her sprint and hold off Wyman to the line. Behind them, Durrin began her own sprint and, unable to respond, Harris was forced to watch her compatriot take the final podium spot.
The victory was enough for Wyman to overtake compatriot Harris in the overall Bpost Bank Trofee classification.
Result Elite Men
1. Sven Nys (Bel) Crelan-KDL
2. Niels Albert (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus
3. Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb-Napoleon Games
4. Tom Meeusen (Bel) Telenet-Fidea
5. Corné van Kessel (Ned) Telenet-Fidea
6. Bart Aernouts (Bel) AA Drink
7. Bart Wellens (Bel) Telenet-Fidea
8. Wietse Bosmans (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus
9. Thijs van Amerongen (Ned) AA Drink
10. Jim Aernouts (Bel) Sunweb-Napoleon Games
Result Elite Women
1. Sanne Cant (Bel) Enertherm-BKCP
2. Helen Wyman (GBr) Kona Factory Racing
3. Gabriella Durrin (GBr) Rapha-Focus
4. Nikki Harris (GBr) Telenet-Fidea
5. Pavla Havlíková (Cze) Telenet-Fidea
6. Sophie de Boer (Ned) Telenet-Fidea
7. Githa Michiels (Bel)
8. Sabrina Stultiëns (Ned) Rabobank-Liv/Giant
9. Reza Hormes-Ravenstijn (Ned) Orange Babies Cycling Team
10. Loes Sels (Bel) DNCS-Pro 2012 Cycling Team