It only took Stybar – Czech National Champion – a little more than a lap to ride his way back into the top five, catch a group of three, and ride away from the group with five laps to go. He powered through sandy sections, eased his way over hurdles and rocketed over uphills.
The only rider that could stay with Stybar on Saturday was Belgian National Champion Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet). The two rode back and forth for four laps, trading turns at the front. Their biggest gap was roughly 25 seconds to a chasing group of four. As it came down to a two-up sprint, Stybar was at the front and looked back waiting to see if Nys would go. Nys did not, and Stybar went for the sprint just meters from the line. Nys came up on his left side, but couldn’t beat Stybar’s power at the finish.
“This week I trained in Mallorca on my road bike, with my teammates and I enjoyed a lot,” Stybar said. “Honestly today I was surprised to be so strong. I tried to give my best today, even to please my dad. He predicted my victory last night at the phone, I couldn’t delude him. The track was super, with a lot of corners. After the crash in the first part of the race I tried to stay calm and find my rhythm. The last laps with Nys were fantastic. I really enjoyed sharing with him the race sorrounded by the supporters. After this race I’m even more disappointed for the World Championships. I was in great condition but the sickness did not allow me to be competitive.”
This is the 15th win for Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team this season.
Women’s Race
Daphny van den Brand (Ned) AA Drink – Leontien.nl, 33, added another victory to her palmares winning the women’s Superprestige Middelkerke over Nikki Harris (Gbr) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team in second with Harris teammate Pavla Havlikova (Cze) grabbing third.
Results (brief)
1. Daphny van den Brand (Ned) AA Drink – Leontien.nl 0:39:25
2. Nikki Harris (Gbr) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team 0:08
3. Pavla Havlikova (Cze) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team 0:13
Elite Men
1. Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 0:59:05
2. Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
3. Tom Meeusen (Bel) Telenet-Fidea 0:15