Cyclocross News Roundup, 14 January 2009

Boom wins Surhuisterveen, Enrico Franzoi, UCI Rankings, Dutch team Worlds, Teams for Roubaix, Albert wins Otegem, Valkenswaard cancelled, Jouffroy turns pro with Bbox and Jonathan Baker suspended.

Lars Boom wins Centrumcross Surhuisterveen
World Champion and Dutch Champion Lars Boom has won the 15th Centrumcross in Surhuisterveen. Boom attacked already in the beginning of the race and was on his way to a simple win. In the final lap Boom got a flat tire and had to run for a while to change his bike. His compatriots Thijs Al and Gerben de Knegt were able to pass him but Boom didn't gave up, rejoined the break and outsprinted his companions on the line. Thijs Al finished as second and Gerben de Knegt as third. Richard Groenendaal and Philipp Walsleben completed the top five. Jonathan Page finished as fifteenth.

The women's race was won by Saskia Elemans. Sanne van Paassen and Loes Gunnewijk completed the podium.


Boom takes another win after his National title
Photo © 2008 Bart Hazen

Result
1 Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank
2 Thijs Al (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team
3 Gerben de Knegt (Ned) Rabobank
4 Richard Groenendaal (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team
5 Philipp Walsleben (Ger) Team BKCP-Power Plus
6 Radomír Šimunek Jr. (Cze) BKCP - Power Plus
7 Erwin Vervecken (Bel) Revor-Jartazi Continental Team
8 Eddy van IJzendoorn (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team
9 Thijs Van Amerongen (Ned) Van Vliet EBH Elshof
10 Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago

Enrico Franzoi
Photo © 2008 Bart Hazen

Enrico Franzoi ends his cyclocross season after the Worlds
Newly Italian Champion Enrico Franzoi (Liquigas) has decided to quit his 2008-2009 cyclocross season after the World Championships in Hoogerheide. In Hoogerheide Franzoi is aiming for the podium. Previous to the World Championships Franzoi will compete in the World Cup races of Roubaix and Milano. After the Worlds Franzoi is going to prepare the road season with a team trainings camp on Mallorca. He will make his 2009 road debut with the Challenge de Mallorca followed by the Omloop het Nieuwsblad (former Omloop het Volk). His first big goal will be Paris-Roubaix.

Nys and Kupfernagel lead UCI rankings
Sven Nys and Hanka Kupfernagel remain in the lead of UCI rankings. The UCI rankings are based after the National Championships of the past weekend.

Sven Nys takes the win in Kalmthout earlier this season
Photo © 2008 Bart Hazen

Men
1 Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago 2300 pts
2 Bart Wellens (Bel) Fidea Cycling Team 1575
3 Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Fidea Cycling Team 1545
4 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Fidea Cycling Team 1504
5 Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank 1340
6 Niels Albert (Bel) BKCP - Powerplus 1284
7 Thijs Al (Ned) AA Drink - BeOne 1190
8 Klaas Vantornout (Bel) Sunweb-Projob 1182
9 Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) Sunweb-Projob 1007
10 Radomír Simunek Jr. (Cze) BKCP - Power Plus 1007

Hanka Kupfernagel in action during the World Cup of Pijnacker
Photo © 2008 Bart Hazen

Women
1 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Itera-Stevens 1960 pts
2 Daphny van den Brand (Ned) ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida 1485
3 Katherine Compton (USA) Spike 1285
4 Pavla Havlíková (Cze) 1174
5 Maryline Salvetat (Fra) VSLL Castres 1140
6 Helen Wyman (GBr) Vision 948
7 Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) 945
8 Sanne van Paassen (Ned) ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida 825
9 Saskia Elemans (Ned) Team Flexpoint 810
10 Wendy Simms (Can) Kona Cyclocross Team 764

Marianne Vos will be one of the team captains in Hoogerheide
Photo © 2008 Bart Hazen

Dutch team for World Championships in Hoogerheide
Dutch selector Johan Lammerts has announced the teams for the World Championships in Hoogerheide. The teams will be as follows:

Elite: Lars Boom, Thijs Al, Richard Groenendaal, Gerben de Knegt, Eddy van IJzendoorn, Thijs van Amerongen, Wilant van Gils

Women: Daphny van den Brand, Marianne Vos, Miriam Melchers, Saskia Elemans, Sanne van Paassen

U23: Boy van Poppel, Mitchell Huenders, Micki van Empel, Twan van den Brand, Ramon Sinkeldam

Juniors: Lars van der Haar, Tijmen Eising, Michiel van der Heijden, David van der Poel, Corne van Kessel

Marianne Vos and Lars Boom want to become World Champion in Hoogerheide
Photo © 2008 Bart Hazen

Belgian and Dutch selection for World Cup in Roubaix
National selectors Rudy de Bie (Belgium) and Johan Lammerts (The Netherlands) have announced their teams for the World Cup in Roubaix (January 18).

Belgium

Elite: Sven Nys, Niels Albert, Klaas Vantornout, Sven Vanthourenhout, Kevin Pauwels, Bart Aernouts, Bart Wellens, Erwin Vervecken and Dieter Vanthourenhout.

Women: Joyce Vanderbeken, Sanne Cant, Veerle Ingels, Katrien Pauwels, Nancy Bober, Nicolle De Bie - Leyten, Gertie Willems and Loes Sels.

U23: Kenneth Van Compernolle, Vincent Baestaens, Jim Aernouts, Tom Meeusen, Joeri

Juniors: Sean de Bie, Wietse Bosmans, Bart De Vocht, Vinnie Braet, Gianni Vermeersch and Matthias Bossuyt.

Lars van der Haar - Sean de Bie and Tijmen Eising, here on the podium at the World Cup in Zolder, can all became Junior World Champion in Hoogerheide.
Photo © 2008 Bart Hazen

The Netherlands

Elite: Thijs Al, Thijs van Amerongen, Lars Boom, Wilant van Gils, Richard Groenendaal, Roy van Heeswijk, Gerben de Knegt, Patrick van Leeuwen and Eddy van IJzendoorn.

Women: Daphny van den Brand, Saskia Elemans, Abke Francissen, Arenda Grimberg, Reza Hormes, Mirjam Melchers, Sanne van Paassen and Marianne Vos.

U23: Twan van den Brand, Micki van Empel, Geert van der Horst, Mitchell Huenders, Boy van Poppel and Ramon Sinkeldam

Juniors: Tijmen Eising, Lars van der Haar, Michiel van der Heijden, Corne van Kessel, David van der Poel and Mike Teunissen.

Lars van der Haar showed his great form last weekend at the Dutch Nationals and is looking forward to battle for the victory in the upcoming races..
Photo © 2008 Bart Hazen

Niels Albert wins in Otegem
BKCP-PowerPlus team captain Niels Albert took revenge, after finishing second behind Sven Nys at the Belgian National Champions, to win the cyclocross of Otegem. In Otegem Albert dominated the race together with Bart Wellens and Klaas Vantornout. With three laps to go Albert attacked and the others weren't able to follow the young Belgian. Bart Wellens finished as second and Klaas Vantornout as third.

Result
1 Niels Albert 57:12
2 Bart Wellens op 0:26
3 Klaas Vantornout 0:51
4 Davy Commeyne 1:10
5 Sven Vanthourenhout
6 Jan Verstraeten
7 Kevin Pauwels 1:20
8 Tom Van Den Bosch 1:24
9 Kenneth Van Compernolle 1:27
10 Jan Soetens 1:31

Cyclocross of Valkenswaard cancelled
The Cyclocross in the Dutch city Valkenswaard has been cancelled. This due to a lack of cooperation of the Dutch federation, thus organizer Koen Monu. The race on the Eurocircuit was scheduled for Saturday January 17.

Click on photos for a larger image:

Arnaud Jouffroy one of the prospects for the future in France
Photo © 2008 Bart Hazen

Arnaud Jouffroy turns pro with Bbox Bouygues Telecom
France's Arnaud Jouffroy will turn pro with Bbox Bouygues Telecom in 2010. The French talented rider will still combine cyclocross with road races. Jouffroy is the present Junior World Champion and is riding a great first season in the U23 category.

With the arrival of Jouffroy the team will turn more and more into a cyclocross team. The team of manager Jean-Rene Bernaudeau has also Arnaud Labbe, Julien Belgy and Steve Chainel in his team for next year.

Jonathan Baker gets three month suspension
USA Cycling announced Wednesday that Jonathan Baker has been given a three month suspension for his behavior during the Nationals in Kansas City in December. Baker and his compatriot Adam Myerson got tangled, and while trying to separate the bikes, he punched Myerson on the head.

The ban will start on January 17 and will end on April 17. This will prevent Baker to participate at the remaining races in Europe and especially the World Championships.

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