Tom Meeusen (Telenet-Fidea) won the cyclocross World Cup race in Kalmthout, Belgium. The 22-year-old outsprinted Belgian champion Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet) at the end of the snowy race to take his first ever senior World Cup race in his first senior season. Local rider Kevin Pauwels (Telenet-Fidea) followed them over in third place just 2 seconds behind.
“This is really cool to have such a race on my palmares,” said Meeusen to Sporza after the race, “this is one of the most beautiful races of the season. This is my third victory of the year and I didn’t think I could get a World Cup race this season.
“Last week I was sick, but today everything was great,” he added. “I like to race on snow and ice, and also the course was in to my liking.”
Despite constant pressure form Nys in the closing stages Meeusen managed to hang on to him, and was confident that he could beat the Belgian champion in a sprint.
“Nys was constantly looking behind him on the final lap to see if he had a metre on me and attack,” Meeusen explained, “but I continued to fight and was perfectly on his wheel for the sprint; I sprinted in the right gear.”
French champion Francis Mourey (FDJ) was to make the first move of the race, pursued by compatriot Steve Chainel (Bbox Bouygues Telecom). Chainel almost came off on a slippery corner though, allowing Mourey to get a decent gap, and he was to stay out front alone for the first third of the race.
A loose group of five riders began to steadily reel in the French champion though, made up of Meeusen, Nys and Pauwels, with World Cup leader Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) and Bart Aernouts (Rabo-Giant). Albert was the first to catch up with Mourey after 20 minutes of the race, and immediately tried to make a break himself. Gradually the others joined him though forming a lead group of six.
Not far behind the leaders, and looking as though he might be about to join them, Klaas Vantournout (Sunweb-Revor) crashed on the outside of a tight bend. He was unable to get up in time to avoid bringing down Dieter Vanthourenhout and Philipp Walsleben (both BKCP-Powerplus) and Sven Vanthourenhout (Sunweb-Revor). This left no one with any chance of joining the six up front, and Vantournout himself was forced to carry his bike to the pits to get a replacement.
With five laps to go Aernouts, who led yesterday’s Scheldecross for long periods, put in an attack, but it came to nothing and Nys took over on the front. The Belgian champion seemed to be having a problem with his bike though and allowed Pauwels, Meeusen and Aernouts to come by; as Pauwels accelerated Meeusen and Aernouts tangled a little on a tight corner and the local rider escaped.
Having changed his bike, Nys led the chase back up to Pauwels, and with two laps to go those two led Mourey and Meeusen by 6 seconds and Albert and Aernouts, both of whom seemed to be fading, by 11. The more experienced Nys allowed Pauwels to lead, with the younger man contrantly looking over his shoulder.
Mourey and Meeusen made contact just as Nys put in one of his trademark accelerations, he slipped slightly on a corner though, allowing the others to close the small gap he‘d made.
Nys led the race for the whole of the final lap, constantly trying to escape; the dogged Meeusen refused to allow him to escape though, but the two of them gradually began to distance the other two. As they came into the finishing straight, Nys opened up the sprint, but it proved to be the Belgian champion’s Achilles heel once more as Meeusen easily came past him to take the biggest win of his career so far.
Pauwels did not contest the sprint but rolled over the line just behind them, with Mourey finishing a few seconds later. Albert came in 30 seconds after Meeusen to take fifth place and hold on to his World Cup lead.
Result Kalmthout World Cup
1. Tom Meeusen (Bel) Telenet-Fidea
2. Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
3. Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Telenet-Fidea @ 2s
4. Francis Mourey (Fra) FDJ @ 7s
5. Niels Albert (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus @ 30s
6. Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabo-Giant Offroad Team @ 39s
7. Bart Wellens (Bel) Telenet-Fidea @ 52s
8. Radomir Simunek (Cze) BKCP-Powerplus @ 53s
9. Dieter Vanthourenhout (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus @ 54s
10. Martin Zlamalik (Cze) (Sunweb-Revor) @ 1’04”
UCI World Cup standings after five rounds
1. Niels Albert (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus 350pts
2. Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Telenet-Fidea 301
3. Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet 299
4. Francis Mourey (Fra) FDJ 290
5. Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabo-Giant Offroad Team 243