Elite Men: van der Haar on home soil

Just like last year Dutch Champion Lars van der Haar was riding a level above the opposition in his category. The 23-year-old local rider found a course on the legendary Cauberg hill which suited his technical abilities with its short climbs, fast descents and slippery off-camber sections.

Van der Haar gapped the rest of the field already in the opening lap but figured it was too soon to ride alone. Belgians Kevin Pauwels (Sunweb – Napoleon Games) and Tom Meeusen (Telenet – Fidea) were the only riders able to bridge up to Van der Haar. Four laps into the nine-lap long race Van der Haar accelerated again as the main chase group was gaining ground on the leaders. Meeusen quickly settled for his own rhythm while Pauwels locked himself on Van der Haar his wheel. At the end of the lap Pauwels got into a deep rut and was thrown off his bike. Van der Haar powered away and steamed towards a well deserved victory on home soil. Behind him Pauwels won the fierce battle for second place. A few moments later 23-year-old Corne van Kessel (Telenet – Fidea) cracked the World Cup podium for the first time in his career. The Dutchman held off Klaas Vantornout (Sunweb – Napoleon Games).

The top-10 at the finish line featured some surprising names with 22-year-old Jens Adams (Vastgoedservice – Golden Palace Continental Team), US-champion Jeremy Powers and 21-year-old Gianni Vermeersch (Sunweb – Napoleon Games) all having a splendid ride in Valkenburg. Belgian Champion Sven Nys (Crelan AA Drink) struggled with the warm temperatures and a dropped chain. The 38-year-old cyclo-cross star pulled out of the race during the penultimate lap.

Elite Women: Comfortable lead for Compton

In the absence of World Champion Marianne Vos (Rabo Liv Women) who won last year in Valkenburg the Cauberg was waiting to crown a new winner. Pavla Havlikova (Czech Republic) got the best start but Lucie Chainel-Lefevre (France) took over halfway through the opening lap. Katherine Compton ran into trouble during the first scrimmages and had to switch bikes, dropping outside the top 10.

Meanwhile European and British Champion Helen Wyman (Kona Factory Team) surged forward, with Sophie de Boer (Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team) and Nikki Harris (GBR) marking her wheel. Belgian Champion Sanne Cant and her compatriot Ellen Van Loy were not too far behind. During the third lap Compton moved up through the field towards seventh place, passing local rider and former World Cup winner Sanne van Paassen (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team). During the two following laps Wyman moved into the lead while Compton slowly moved up through the lead group. With one-and-a-half laps to go Compton overtook Wyman and put her under pressure. Wyman lost ground on the longer climbs but fought back on the running sections. Not avoiding the risks Compton gapped Wyman on the bumpy descent shortly before the finish and reached the line with a comfortable lead over Wyman. The battle for third place was won by Sophie de Boer. Ellen Van Loy finished fourth, narrowly holding off Elle Anderson (USA).

In the Men Under-23 category in-form riders Michael Vanthourenhout (Belgium) and Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) surged away during the opening lap. A little later Van der Poel crashed, allowing Vanthourenhout to completed a nearly race-long solo ride and repeat his victory from last year. Half a minute later World Champion Wout Van Aert (Belgium) was runner-up before Fabien Doubey (France). Van der Poel was sixth.

Eli Iserbyt (Belgium) was the best in the Junior Men category, finishing well ahead of Max Gulickx (Netherlands), Johan Jacobs (Switzerland) and Thomas Bonnet (France).

The second round of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup takes place on November 22 in the dunes of Koksijde, Belgium. There will be races in the Elite Men and Women category. The next round in the youth categories will be on December 21 in Namur, Belgium.

Results

Elite Women
1. Katherine Compton (USA) 0:43:50
2. Helen Wyman (Gbr) Kona Factory Team 0:13
3. Sophie De Boer (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team 0:25
4. Ellen Van Loy (Bel) 0:38
5. Elle Anderson (USA) 0:42
6. Nikki Harris (Gbr) 0:57
7. Sanne Cant (Bel) 1:03
8. Pavla Havlikova (Cze) 1:09
9. Sanne Van Paassen (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team 1:25
10. Jolien Verschueren (Bel) 1:32
11. Arley Kemmerer (USA) 2:10
12. Lucie Chainel-Lefevre (Fra) 2:29
13. Githa Michiels (Bel) Trek-KMC Trade Team 2:40
14. Aida Nuno (Esp) Lointek 3:03
15. Marlene Petit (Fra) 3:51
16. Laura Perry (Fra) 4:02
17. Nikola Noskova (Cze)
18. Martina Mikulaskova (Cze) 4:13
19. Karen Verhestraeten (Bel) 4:16
20. Stephanie Vaxillaire (Fra) 4:29
21. Juliette Labous (Fra) 4:34
22. Asa Maria Erlandsson (Swe) 4:36
23. Laura Verdonschot (Bel) 4:39
24. Nadja Heigl (Aut) 4:49
25. Elena Valentini (Ita) Btc City Ljubljana 4:53
26. Lizzy Witlox (Ned) 5:21
27. Lise-Marie Henzelin (Sui) 5:26
28. Vendula Kuntova (Cze) Remerx-Merida Team Kolin 5:30
29. Reza Hormes (Ned) 5:44
30. Hannah Payton (Gbr) 5:52
31. Katrien Thijs (Bel) 6:07
32. Olivia Hottinger (Sui) 6:10
33. Lisa Heckmann (Ger)
34. Adela Bajgerova (Cze) 8:20
35. Suzie Godart (Lux) 8:25
36. Yvonne Fiedler (Ger) -2 laps
37. Liv-Susanne Bachmann (Ger) – 2 laps

Elite Men
1. Lars Van Der Haar (Ned) Development Team Giant-Shimano 1:05:42
2. Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Sunweb-Napoleon Games Cycling Team 0:26
3. Corne Van Kessel (Ned) Telenet-Fidea 0:34
4. Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb-Napoleon Games Cycling Team 0:38
5. Tom Meeusen (Bel) Telenet-Fidea
6. Thijs Van Amerongen (Ned) Telenet-Fidea 0:41
7. Philipp Walsleben (Ger) Bkcp-Powerplus 0:48
8. Jens Adams (Bel) Vastgoedservice-Golden Palace Continental Team 0:59
9. Jeremy Powers (USA) 1:10
10. Gianni Vermeersch (Bel) Sunweb-Napoleon Games Cycling Team 1:24
11. Tim Merlier (Bel) Sunweb-Napoleon Games Cycling Team 1:31
12. Bart Wellens (Bel) Telenet-Fidea 1:38
13. Michael Boros (Cze) 1:58
14. Jim Aernouts (Bel) Sunweb-Napoleon Games Cycling Team 2:05
15. Niels Wubben (Ned) Telenet-Fidea 2:18
16. Francis Mourey (Fra) Fdj.Fr 2:23
17. Arnaud Grand (Sui) 2:25
18. Fabien Canal (Fra) Look-Beaumes De Venise 2:30
19. Twan Van Den Brand (Ned) 2:35
20. Enrico Franzoi (Ita) Marchiol Emisfero 2:48
21. Tomas Paprstka (Cze) Remerx-Merida Team Kolin 2:55
22. Bart Aernouts (Bel) Corendon-Kwadro 3:04
23. Julien Taramarcaz (Sui) Corendon-Kwadro 3:08
24. Rob Peeters (Bel) Vastgoedservice-Golden Palace Continental Team 3:24
25. Andreas Moser (Sui) 3:25
26. Patrick Van Leeuwen (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels 3:38
27. Marcel Meisen (Ger) Corendon-Kwadro 4:02
28. Sascha Weber (Ger) Veranclassic-Doltcini 4:11
29. Simon Zahner (Sui) 4:12
30. Ian Field (Gbr) 4:42
31. Javier Ruiz De Larrinaga Ibanez (Esp) 4:51
32. Melvin Rulliere (Fra) 4:58
33. Lukas Winterberg (Sui) 5:24
34. Marco Bianco (Ita) -1 lap
35. Clement Lhotellerie (Fra) -1 lap
36. Mariusz Gil (Pol) Corendon-Kwadro -1 lap
37. Eddy Van Ijzendoorn (Ned) -2 laps
38. Kenneth Hansen (Den) -2 laps
39. Severin Saegesser (Sui) -2 laps
40. Ben Berden (Bel) -2 laps
41. Jonathan Page (USA) -2 laps
42. Josep Betalu (Esp) -3 laps
43. David Van Der Poel (Ned) Bkcp-Powerplus -3 laps
44. Yu Takenouchi (Jpn) Veranclassic-Doltcini -4 laps
45. Joachim Parbo (Den) -4 laps
46. Elia Silvestri (Ita) -4 laps
47. Angus Edmond (Nzl) -5 laps

World Cup Standings

Elite Women
1. Katherine Compton (USA) 60 pts
2. Helen Wyman (Gbr) Kona Factory Team 50
3. Sophie De Boer (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team 45
4. Ellen Van Loy (Bel) 40
5. Elle Anderson (USA) 35
6. Nikki Harris (Gbr) 30
7. Sanne Cant (Bel) 28
8. Pavla Havlikova (Cze) 26
9. Sanne Van Paassen (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team 24
10. Jolien Verschueren (Bel) 22
11. Arley Kemmerer (USA) 20
12. Lucie Chainel-Lefevre (Fra) 19
13. Githa Michiels (Bel) Trek-KMC Trade Team 18
14. Aida Nuno (Esp) Lointek 17
15. Marlene Petit (Fra) 16
16. Laura Perry (Fra) 15
17. Nikola Noskova (Cze) 14
18. Martina Mikulaskova (Cze) 13
19. Karen Verhestraeten (Bel) 12
20. Stephanie Vaxillaire (Fra) 11
21. Juliette Labous (Fra) 10
22. Asa Maria Erlandsson (Swe) 9
23. Laura Verdonschot (Bel) 8
24. Nadja Heigl (Aut) 7
25. Elena Valentini (Ita) Btc City Ljubljana 6
26. Lizzy Witlox (Ned) 5
27. Lise-Marie Henzelin (Sui) 4
28. Vendula Kuntova (Cze) Remerx-Merida Team Kolin 3
29. Reza Hormes (Ned) 2
30. Hannah Payton (Gbr) 1Elite Men

Elite Men

1. Lars Van Der Haar (Ned) Development Team Giant-Shimano 80 pts
2. Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Sunweb-Napoleon Games Cycling Team 70
3. Corne Van Kessel (Ned) Telenet-Fidea 65
4. Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb-Napoleon Games Cycling Team 60
5. Tom Meeusen (Bel) Telenet-Fidea 55
6. Thijs Van Amerongen (Ned) Telenet-Fidea 50
7. Philipp Walsleben (Ger) Bkcp-Powerplus 48
8. Jens Adams (Bel) Vastgoedservice-Golden Palace Ct 46
9. Jeremy Powers (USA) 44
10. Gianni Vermeersch (Bel) Sunweb-Napoleon Games Cycling Team 42
11. Tim Merlier (Bel) Sunweb-Napoleon Games Cycling Team 40
12. Bart Wellens (Bel) Telenet-Fidea 39
13. Michael Boros (Cze) 38
14. Jim Aernouts (Bel) Sunweb-Napoleon Games Cycling Team 37
15. Niels Wubben (Ned) Telenet-Fidea 36
16. Francis Mourey (Fra) Fdj.Fr 35
17. Arnaud Grand (Sui) 34
18. Fabien Canal (Fra) Look-Beaumes De Venise 33
19. Twan Van Den Brand (Ned) 32
20. Enrico Franzoi (Ita) Marchiol Emisfero 31
21. Tomas Paprstka (Cze) Remerx-Merida Team Kolin 30
22. Bart Aernouts (Bel) Corendon-Kwadro 29
23. Julien Taramarcaz (Sui) Corendon-Kwadro 28
24. Rob Peeters (Bel) Vastgoedservice-Golden Palace Ct 27
25. Andreas Moser (Sui) 26
26. Patrick Van Leeuwen (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels 25
27. Marcel Meisen (Ger) Corendon-Kwadro 24
28. Sascha Weber (Ger) Veranclassic-Doltcini 23
29. Simon Zahner (Sui) 22
30. Ian Field (Gbr) 21
31. Javier Ruiz De Larrinaga Ibanez (Esp) 20
32. Melvin Rulliere (Fra) 19
33. Lukas Winterberg (Sui) 18
34. Marco Bianco (Ita) 17
35. Clement Lhotellerie (Fra) 16
36. Mariusz Gil (Pol) Corendon-Kwadro 15
37. Eddy Van Ijzendoorn (Ned) 14
38. Kenneth Hansen (Den) 13
39. Severin Saegesser (Sui) 12
40. Ben Berden (Bel) 11
41. Jonathan Page (USA) 10
42. Josep Betalu (Esp) 9
43. David Van Der Poel (Ned) Bkcp-Powerplus 8
44. Yu Takenouchi (Jpn) Veranclassic-Doltcini 7
45. Joachim Parbo (Den) 6
46. Elia Silvestri (Ita) 5
47. Angus Edmond (Nzl) 4