Niels Albert

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Albert emerges as a successful coach and mentor, finding real satisfaction in his new work, despite ending his racing career early due to a heart condition.

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The Belgian suffers from a heart problem that could lead to a heart attack during a race

Nys takes the overall title as Albert comes to life in the final round of the series

Photos from the final round of the 2013-14 Superprestige series

Nys finishes on the podium while Albert can manage only seventh in the finale

The Belgian champion is now within two points of overhauling Albert to win the Superprestige series

Albert slips away in a tight corner and stays gone despite a chase from world champ Nys and World Cup leader van der Haar

The world champ lays it down in the mud, but gets back up and races toward a strong solo victory ahead of a gritty Meeusen

As world champ Nys crashes while bunny-hopping a barrier, Pauwels takes over the lead and never looks back

Compton solos to the victory ahead of Cant while Albert bests youngster van der Poel

Albert prevails as van der Haar suffers a last-lap mechanical and Nys quits the race

Both victors solo to the top step of the podium through the deep sand of Koksijde

The world champion proves strongest of a three-man break containing Albert and Belgian champ Vantornout

Albert rides away from world champion Nys while Harris leads from wire to wire

A slow start didn't keep Nys from repeating his 2012 victory at Zonhoven, as a late surge by Albert fell just short of success

Niels Albert, Sven Nys, Amy Dombroski and others look back on the season that was in 2012-13

Albert locks up series title with snowy solo win

The Belgian champion escapes Nys, Albert and Meeusen and rides the last two laps alone to victory

Albert continues to lead the Bpost Bank Trofee series with one race remaining

Logan VonBokel spends some quality time with Niels Albert's Colnago Prestige

The Belgian contingent met its home-country press Friday morning and pointed at each other to win in Louisville

We handicap the favorites for UCI Elite Cyclocross World Championships

The most likely characters to step up on Sunday in Louisville and prevent a repeat of Belgium's top-seven sweep at the world championships

Cincinnati takes on a European flair as worlds loom in Kentucky

A rare Belgian-free podium, worlds in the U.S. and a new international squad may herald the globalization of cyclocross

Kevin Pauwels wins drag race in Rome

Katie Compton can clinch the World Cup overall on Sunday, and ’cross titans address beer-throwing fans

Sven Nys is fallible, Meredith Miller and Amy Dombroski are likely to be in Louisville, and Logan Owen is a world title contender

The world champ escapes with four laps to race and never looks back

American Jonathan Page turns in a fine ride to place fifth in Bredene

The previously invincible Sven Nys has a race to forget, crashing at least twice and confronting an unruly spectator

The Belgian champ pries open a small gap on a climb, then breaks away on a sandy decline to win in Zolder

The wily Belgian champ makes his move going into a run-up and holds his advantage to the finish

The Belgian champion appears to unclip in the two-up sprint, leaving Pauwels to take the victory

Can anyone step up to end Sven Nys' six weeks of domination in Overijse or Antwerp?

Nys works his way through the field and into an elite lead group, then makes the winning move in the final lap

Kaitie Antonneau, Jasmin Achermann lead a generation of young female cyclocrossers in Europe that are benefiting from the sport's growth

The Belgian champ starts well back in the field, but battles back in time to capitalize on a late miscue by the rainbow jersey

A nearly perfect Belgian champion keeps his cool after a bobble and wins the race

Dan Seaton answers reader questions on the Albert/Nys rivalry, the best mud tires, and the chances for the U.K. to host a World Cup

Albert calls Van Der Haar the favorite for worlds in Louisville, but the levelheaded young Dutch rider has more modest goals

An early bobble by Van Der Haar gives Nys the chance he needs to take the lead and the win

The world champ proves unstoppable on a heavy course with a lot of running

Our man in the Belgian mud previews Belgian 'cross racing on the coming weekend of Armistice Day

Familiarity with cantilevers, easy wheel changes and bad noise have most top pros sticking with old-school stoppers

The two fought a battle royale that didn't end until the final meters of dirt, where Nys shot past Albert for the win

The Belgian champion shells the rainbow jersey on the final muddy climb

Albert takes the win over Klaas Vantornout.

Our man in the Belgian mud answers reader questions on disc brake adoption in Europe and what sets European ’cross apart from the U.S.

U.S. champion Jeremy Powers rides to a strong seventh place in the World Cup opener

Pauwels nearly overhauls the rainbow jersey at the line as Sven Nys crosses for third, nearly a minute down

The Belgian champ put it all into one final attack going into the finishing straight

Belgians take the seven top places

Belgian champion Niels ALbert (BKCP-Powerplus) escaped Lars Boom (Rabobank) with just under five laps to race in the GVA Trofee Loenhout, then held his advantage over a four-man chase including Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet), Telenet-Fidea teammates Bart Wellens and Rob Peeters, and world champion Zdenek Stybar (Quick-Step).

Sven Nys bounced back from Saturday's DNF to win a two-man battle with Niels Albert and take the lead in the UCI World Cup on Sunday at Namur.

Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) and Sanne Van Paassen (Brainwash) won the Superprestige stop in Zonhoven on Sunday.

Belgian champion Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) won a muddy Superprestige opener in Ruddervoorde on Sunday.

Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) won the Vlaamse Industrieprijs Bosduin on Sunday in Kalmthout.

Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet) clinched the overall victory in the GvA Trofee series on Sunday as Belgian champion Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) won the finale in Oostmalle.

Niels Albert wins the finale in Hoogerheide and clinches the World Cup title.

Kevin Pauwels outduels World Cup leader Niels Albert in Pont-Château, France.

Niels Albert (BKCP) won one of cyclocross' most coveted titles on Sunday, earning the first Belgian national championship title of his career.

Just a week ahead of the Belgian championships, the evenly matched Nys and Albert stand alone as the favorites.

A mechanical derails Niels Albert's train and Sven Nys slips past for the win in Essen.

Former world champion Niels Albert runs a Stevens carbon Team DA bike outfitted with a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 group.

• 1. Zdenek Stybar (Cze), 57:58
• 2. Niels Albert (B), 58:04
• 3. Radomir Simunek (Cze), 58:07
• 4. Sven Nys (B), 58:07
• 5. Dieter Vanthourenhout (B), 58:57

World champion Zdenek Stybar wins the Superprestige series in a dramatic last-round battle with Niels Albert.

Zdenek Stybar is the champion of the 2009-10 Superprestige cyclocross series.

World champion Niels Albert wins the final round of the cyclocross World Cup as Zdenek Stybar takes the series title.

Zdenek Stybar (Telenet-Fidea) and Katerina Nash (Luna) take the eighth round of the cyclocross World Cup.

Zdenek Stybar (Telenet-Fidea) and Katerina Nash (Luna) take the wins in round eight of the cyclocross World Cup.

Sven Nys repeats as Belgian national cyclocross champion.

Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago) wins his seventh Belgian cyclocross championship.

Zdenek Stybar (Telenet-Fidea) wins the Fidea Cyclocross Tervuren in Belgium.