Vervecken leads Belgians at Superprestige No. 5
World champion Erwin Vervecken led a Belgian sweep of the top four placings at the fifth round of the Superprestige cyclo-cross series in Hoogstraten, Belgium, Saturday. In a race which saw Belgian riders collect eight of the top-10 spots, Vervecken beat Mario De Clerq and Sven Nijs in the finishing stretch to chalk up his second win of the series. Vervecken and Nijs battled for most of the race before being joined by DeClerq on the last lap. Nijs was unable to match Vervecken’s finishing speed, but the 25-year-old’s third-place finish allowed him to retain the Superprestige lead with three
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By VeloNews Interactive , copyright AFP 2001
World champion Erwin Vervecken led a Belgian sweep of the top four placings at the fifth round of the Superprestige cyclo-cross series in Hoogstraten, Belgium, Saturday. In a race which saw Belgian riders collect eight of the top-10 spots, Vervecken beat Mario De Clerq and Sven Nijs in the finishing stretch to chalk up his second win of the series.
Vervecken and Nijs battled for most of the race before being joined by DeClerq on the last lap. Nijs was unable to match Vervecken’s finishing speed, but the 25-year-old’s third-place finish allowed him to retain the Superprestige lead with three races left in the eight-race series. Bart Wellens, eighth at Hoogstraten, is second overall, 24 points behind Nijs.
Round six takes place December 30, in Diegen, Belgium.
Results
SUPERPRESTIGE NO. 5, Hoogstraten, Belgium. December 8.;;
1. Erwen Vervecken (B), 1:01:06; 2. Mario DeClerq (B), at o:01; 3. Sven Nijs (B), s.t.; 4. Ben Berden (B), at 0:06; 5. Gerben De Knegt (Nl), at 0:10; 6. Tom Vannoppen (B), at 0:18; 7. Arne Daelmans (B), at 0:35; 8. Bart Wellens (B), at 0:39; 9. Richard Groenendaal (Nl), at 1:12; 10. Sven Vanthourenhout (B), at 1:28.;;
Overall standings (after 5 of 8 events);;
1. Nijs, 131 points;;
2. Wellens, 107;;
3. Vervecken, 105;;
4. Vannoppen, 93
5. De Clerq, 89