Thibau Nys (Baloise Verzekeringen-Het Poetsbureau Lions) defended his elite men's title at Belgian Cyclo-cross National Championships on Sunday.
A fast-closing Emiel Verstrynge (Crelan-Corendon) secured the silver medal, just a few bike lengths back. Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw) rode solo for the bronze.
Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw) rode solo for the bronze, 52 seconds back. Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Premier Tech Development) finished fourth and Joran Wyseure (Crelan-Corendon) was fifth.
Nys took control from the start on the frosty course with only Vanthourenhout staying close, while Verstrynge crashed early and had to regroup. Vanthourenhout lost touch with Nys on a steep hill on the third lap, letting the youngster go and allowing him to stretch the lead to almost 20 seconds.
Sailing along and looking set for an uncontested second elite title, Nys stumbled at the mid-point and crashed, taking almost 10 seconds to stabilise himself and charge on. This allowed Verstrynge, riding alone in second place, to carve into his lead across the next few laps.
Meanwhile, Verstryne made the catch to the second-placed rider and then struck out on his own with half the race still to go. Two laps later, he reconnected with Nys and it became a two-rider duel for the victory, one jersey not to be shared.
Once heading onto the finish straight, Nys pulled away for the victory.
"It was about riding to the finish as safely as possible. Emiel got right up to my wheel, but it was so treacherous and I didn't want to take any risks. As a result, I lost seconds in every corner," Nys told Sporza after the race in the media tent about saving something on the final climb.
"That was the safest way to win the title, because I knew I had enough power for one last burst of energy. I felt it was under control. There was calm.
"I'm really attached to this jersey and hope to wear it for a long time."
Verstrynge had kept applying pressure in the chase after he overcame an early fall and moved into a podium spot, with thoughts of a victory entering his mind as he reeled back Nys on the sixth of seven laps.
"The strongest rider won," Verstrynge told Nieuwsblad. "Everyone was completely exhausted. It was a fantastic championship. I can be a little disappointed, but in a month, I'll look back on this period with satisfaction.
"It might have been less bitter if I hadn't come so close, so that hurt a bit. My confidence had dropped for a moment after the early crash, so I kept putting pressure on Thibau after his slip. I thought I'd be able to get back, but in the penultimate corner, I lost a meter and a half, and it was over."
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