St Wendel proved lucky for Zdenek Stybar back in 2005 when he won the U23 World Championship. The Czech has now defended his elite Rainbow Jersey in the same town. “It was something I never dreamt of,” said the happy Stybar after the race. “I had a knee injury at the end of December and I didn’t know whether I’d have enough time to get fit again for the World’s. But everything went fantastically today,” said the old and new champion, who relegated Belgians Sven Nys and Kevin Pauwels to second and third. Philipp Walsleben, from the host nation Germany, was fifth after a courageous ride. After attacking strongly in the fifth lap before the end, Zdenek Stybar put distance between himself and the last Belgian Sven Nys. The 25-year-old Czech had used a similar tactic one year ago in front of his home fans in Tabor. “I didn’t plan it that way. I felt good at the start and didn’t want to have too many Belgians around me,” said Stybar when explaining the reasons for his aggressive riding. He underlined his ambitions right from the start when leading out the bunch through the first lap and then proceeded to control the race from there on. A six-man leading group was reduced to a trio after six riders were back riding together for a short while. But then Stybar attacked again. The only one to stay on his wheel was Sven Nys who then rode together with the Czech for two more circuits. Another short sharp attack by Stybar followed and now he was finally out on his own. Zdenek Stybar had started the season with a series of wins before a knee injury stopped him in his tracks. There was a danger that he wouldn’t be able to compete at the World’s. The Czech returned to the fray and was top fit at exactly the right time. “Nobody expected it of me. I went to Mallorca and did interval training on the hills there. They were really painful.” The German Philipp Walsleben fulfilled all expectations. The German crowd roared when he set off on the third lap sitting in third behind Stybar and Nys. He was eventually a victim of the Belgian tactics as he found himself riding in the chasing group with the two Belgians Kevin Pauwels and Klaas Vantornout. The German champion made the best of the situation and ended the elite race in fifth. It was his best international result this winter and the best World Championship placing for a German for a number of years. Walsleben was the U23 World Champion in 2009. The last World’s medal in the elite race was won by Mike Kluge 18 years ago in Corva di Decimo, Italy. He came second behind Frenchman Dominique Arnaud.

 

 Lars van der Haar actually started out as a gymnast. But then an injury to his Achilles tendon forced him to give up artistic gymnastics. A visit to the Tour de France motivated him so much that the decided to become a cyclist. And now the young Dutchman from Wondenberg has crowned his short career by becoming the U23 World Champion. Germany appears to inspire him as he won last year’s European Championships in Frankfurt. He also came first in the national championships and secured the World Cup overall win without actually winning a single race in the series.

In St Wendel, he set the pace for a long time at the front of the leading bunch along with his countryman Mike Teunissen before opening up a gap entering the stadium to take the title. “It was very hard especially at the finish. But I went flat out and gave it everything,” said the jubilant U23 World Champion after the race. The Dutch champion left countryman Mike Teunissen and the Czech Karel Hnik, who was well-pleased with his third place, trailing in his wake. “I’m so happy as I started back in 15th and had to work my way through the field. “ Second placed Mike Teunissen however was a little disappointed with his performance. “Up until the last lap I was still hoping I’d win. But the last climb was hard for me. In the end, I’m happy enough coming second.” Going into the last circuit, the race was dominated by a large bunch on the frozen hard course. The group was eventually split when Mike Teunissen attacked and then Lars van der Haar opened up a gap which he kept until the finishing line. Teunissen then only just fended off the Czech to take the silver medal. As they had in the juniors’s race in the morning, the Belgians ended up empty handed. 

The German riders soon lost contact with the leading group. Only Marcel Meisen was able to work his way up the field in the middle part of the race but then fell back again on the penultimate lap. Coming back strongly he eventually placed eleventh. “I’m happy with the result as I aimed to get in the top 10,” said the German who took silver in the German Championships behind Ole Quast. The German champion finished the World Championships race back in 24th.

 

World Champion Clement Venturini: It was a great race for us. I went hard at the start so that I could ride my own race. I was quite confident and just kept going. After the French championships, where I only placed 18th after riding badly, I wanted to give up. But after coming sixth in the World Cup race I was able to qualify for the World’s. And today I just wanted to show everybody what I was capable of. I was very nervous before the race but I get fired up when it really matters. Fabien Doubey, France, 2nd: Teamwise we were really strong today and it’s just how we wanted it to be. In the end, it was a fantastic result for us and we’re all very happy.

Loic Doubey (France), 3rd: I saw my brother ahead of me and was then able to catch him up. On the evening before, we agreed to ride here together as a team. In the race itself we concentrated on Clement. When my brother moved up the field I just knew we could do something special. 

Silvio Herklotz (Germany), 8th:  I could have done better today. I was up with the leading group when the crash happened. Everyone fell on top of me and I needed a minute to get going again. From then on it was a battle all the way to close on the leaders. All-in-all I’m pleased with the way the race went. One moment you’re lucky and the next unlucky. 

Julian Lehmann, (Germany), 12th: That was my best international result. I’m obviously pleased. I punctured in the final lap and dropped to 12th. My aim was to finish inside the top 15 and I’ve now proved I can hold my own in international races.

Yannick Eckmann (Germany), 26th:  I’m really disappointed. I was got caught up in the crash and had a puncture. I dropped back 30 places and was never in contention. I was in good form.   German National Coach, Patrick Moster: Silvio Herklotz and Julian Lehman battled hard. Both rode very well. On the whole though  I’m not satisfied with our performance. We had nine punctures and defects and couldn’t show what we’re capable of.

 

 

 

 

Medallist
NED: 2 Gold, 1 Silber
FRA: 1 Gold, 1 Silber, 1 Bronze
TCH: 1 Gold, 2 Bronze
BEL: 1 Gold, 1 Silber
USA: 1 Silber

World Champions
Elite Men: Zdenek Stybar, TCH
Wlite women: Marianne Vos, NED
U 23: Lars van der Haar, NED
Junior men: Clément Venturini, FRA           

„Das war ein großes Fest für St. Wendel, für die gesamte Region und für den Crosssport“, zog Bürgermeister Klaus Bouillon ein positives Fazit der Querfeldein-Titelkämpfe im Saarland. Bereits am Samstag strömten bei strahlendem Sonnenschein 18.000 Zuschauer ins St. Wendeler Stadion, um die Entscheidungen der Junioren und der U23 live mit zu erleben. Die Stimmung war großartig, die Fans so begeistert, dass sogar Absperrgitter ins Wanken gerieten. Für den engagierten Bürgermeister und OK-Chef auch das kein Problem. Über Nacht wurden weitere 100 Helfer motiviert, die am Sonntag für zusätzliche Absperrmaßnahmen sorgten und so die Sicherheit des Publikums gewährleisten.  Über 30.000 Besucher säumten die Hänge rund um das St. Wendeler Stadion.

Wer nicht live nach St. Wendel kommen konnte, der erlebte die Titelkämpfe zu Hause am Fernsehen: ARD und ZDF zeigten die wichtigsten Momente dieser Weltmeisterschaft, die dritten Programme der ARD brachten das Frauenrennen sogar live in die Wohnzimmer. Der Saarländische Rundfunk als Host Broadcaster lieferte seine Signale sogar bis nach Übersee und war am Wochenende mit 120 Leuten im Einsatz. Insgesamt berichteten mehr als 400 Meidenvertreter weltweit von den Titelkämpfen.

Nicht nur der Sport war der große Gewinner der Titelkämpfe: Auch St. Wendel und die gesamte Region profitierten vom Ansturm auf das Stadion: 3800 Übernachtungen wurden gebucht, die Gaststätten und Kneipen waren am Wochenende  brechend voll. „Es wurden insgesamt drei Millionen umgesetzt“, schätzt Bouillon und freut sich über den Wirtschaftsfaktor Weltmeisterschaft.

Und sportlich lässt sich St. Wendel ebenfalls nicht toppen:  Zdenek Stybar, der schon 2005 das Rennen der U23 gewann, verteidigte seinen WM-Titel in der Eliteklasse ebenso erfolgreich wie Marianne Vos bei den Frauen. In der Kategorie U23 siegte Lars van der Haar aus den Niederlanden, bei den Junioren setzte sich der Franzose Clément Venturini durch.  Die hoch favorisierten Belgier mussten sich in St. Wendel mit Silber und Bronze im Eliterennen begnügen. Gastgeber Deutschland ging leider leer aus: Hanka Kupfernagel verpasste als Vierte nur knapp eine Medaille. Auch Philipp Walsleben kämpfte ihn der Eliteklasse der Männer um Edelmetall, musste sich erst auf den letzten Metern den zahlenmäßig überlegenen Belgiern geschlagen geben und durfte sich über einen hervorragenden fünften Platz freuen.

For the third time in succession and the fourth in total, Marianne Vos today won the cyclo-cross World Championships. The 23-year-old exceptionally talented rider from the Netherlands escaped from her two rivals Kathie Compton (USA) and Katerina Nash (Czech Republic) around the final lap to ride to a comfortable win. Her first big win came in 2004 when she took gold at the junior road World Championships. Two years later she repeated by winning the elite women’s race and has added numerous titles at World Champs and Olympic Games on the road, track and cross country to her palamares.  Quote: “It was my best ever win,” said the smiling winner from the Netherlands country-region. “In the last two laps I knew I had a good chance of winning today,” said Vos and upped the pace in the final circuit. “When I noticed I had opened up a gap, I just put my head down and continued to go hard,” she added. Katherine Compton, who had set the pace for long periods, dropped back to leave the way free for the Dutchwoman to win her fourth cyclo-cross World Championships title. 

The ten-time German champion Hanka Kupfernagel had set a fast pace at the start and led going into the country. But then at the end of the first lap, the trio of Vos, Compton and Nash passed her and proceeded to dominate the race. Kupfernagel had no chance of catching the leading three and had to be satisfied with fourth spot at the finish. “I was a little shocked with the way I went off. It was my best start of the season I had doubts whether I should carry on in the same vein,” said Kupfernagel who was over motivated by the support she received around the course. “I ruined my own chances,” said the self-critical 36-year-old, who was competing in her 11th Worlds, after the race.

In 2005, when St. Wendel hosted the cyclo-cross World Championships for the first time, Kupfernagel took the title ahead of compatriot, Sabine Spitz. The mountain-bike Olympic Champion only managed a tenth place finish this time around on the fast parcours. “I’d have preferred a more difficult surface,” said Spitz, who was chanceless against the cyclo-cross specialists especially as she started in the fourth row and was therefore immediately quite a way off the lead.

 

In the cycling world, all eyes will be on St Wendel over the last weekend in January when the world’s top cyclo-crossers do battle for the World Championships titles. New champions will be crowned in four categories. Competition starts with the juniors at 11.00 am on Saturday (29 January). They will be followed by the U23s at 2.00 pm. The races for the women (11.00 am) and the men (2.00 pm) will be held on Sunday. As in 2005, all the action will take place on the 2.8 km course around the St Wendel sports centre. Natural terrain makes up for 85 per cent of the World Championships course. The continuous ascents (40 per cent) and descents (25 per cent) promise exciting races.

It was only in 2009 that the winning streak run of the Belgium riders was stopped by the Czech Zdenek Stybar. In spite of an injury break in December, the 25-year-old is aiming to retain his title in St. Wendel. The “sports mad” town in Saarland has good memories of Stybar as he secured his first World Championships title here in 2005 when winning the U23 category. “The course is perfect, technically demanding and quick. Sure I want to win there again and retain my title in the elites,” said the Czech unmistakeably. His season began in perfect fashion. Wins in the World Cup races in Aigle and Pilsen plus a second placing in Koksijde have made him the top favourite. But competition is tough. The Belgians especially will be doing their utmost to regain their leading position. Belgium’s Kevin Pauwels, who tends to be quiet and shy, already has two Rainbow Jerseys hanging in his wardrobe at home. In 2002, the 26-year-old won the juniors race and then two years later in Pont Château he triumphed in the espoirs. Over the past couple of years he has been slowly but surely inching his way up the rankings to becoming one of the world’s top elite riders. Pauwels compatriot Niels Albert is also one of the top favourites. After winning the U23 Rainbow Jersey in Treviso in 2008, he promptly won the 2009 elite race in Hoogerheide.

In the espoirs category – the under 23s - Jim Aernouts is generally regarded as being one of the most professional youngsters in Belgium. Highly determined and with a lot of hard work behind him, the 22-year-old has gradually moved up the ranks. For him, Sankt Wendel is the last chance to win the Rainbow Jersey in the U23s. His countryman Vincent Baestaens, the U23 World Cup victor, is not one of the most consistent up-and coming riders but he is nevertheless in with a good chance of winning a medal in St Wendel. Another rider in the hunt for a place on the winner’s rostrum is the Dutchman Lars van der Haar. Frenchman Arnaud Jouffroy is rated by his German team-mate Philipp Walsleben as being the most talented rider in the battle for the title. However, the title-holder has been plagued by a persistent knee injury since the beginning of the season. It even forced him to drop out of the World Cup opener in Aigle (SUI). Whether he will be fit in time for World Championships is doubtful.

In the women’s race, the top favourite is the American Katherine Compton. Four of the five World Cup races have gone her way. Two riders looking to foil her attempt to win the World Championship are the Dutchwomen Daphny van der Brand, Marianne Vos and Sanne van Paassen, the World Cup winner in Pilsen. German fans will however be rooting for Hanka Kupfernagel. The most successful German crosser – she’s won four titles – would love to repeat her 2005 success when she left all her rivals trailing in St Wendel. she celebrated her first win in Luxemburg. Her form is improving all the time and she’s naturally highly motivated. Just like Sabrina Schweizer and Sabine Spitz.

Interview with Hanka Kupfernagel (GER), fourtimes World Champion.

You’ve achieved everything, you’ve won ten World Championships medals. How do you keep on motivating yourself?

Kupfernagel: Well three years ago I’d never have imagined that I’d still be competing today. To be honest, motivating oneself isn’t always easy. But with good friends and sponsors behind you then one can get through the difficult times.

You became the World Champion six years ago in St. Wendel. Is that your goal for 2011?

Kupfernagel: Yes, of course, even though it gets harder from year to year to go for a medal. The competition is getting stronger and stronger. There’s new, young riders breaking through. It’s what makes it exciting and challenging. Whatever happens, there’ll be a huge World Championships party with cyclo-cross centre stage!

Who do you have to fear the most?

Kupfernagel: A half a dozen names spring to mind. Marianne Vos of course, the USA’s Kathie Compton, but then there’s also the young Sanne van Passen and Daphny van den Brand, who, like me has been an ever present and will be riding in her eleventh cyclo-cross World Champs. We are having a little contest to see who can keep going the longest.

St. Wendel will host the World Championships again this season. You like riding in St. Wendel. What makes this town so special?

Kupfernagel: The enthusiasm in St. Wendel is huge. One needs a large budget for such a world championships and bidding to become the organisers is not something one does lightly. Who knows when the world championships will take place in Germany again. But in St. Wendel there’s a whole town, a whole region backing the event which is why it’ll be a fantastic event again!

For a decade now, the Belgian Sven Nys has been one of the world’s best cyclocrossers. He wins scores of races every year and his excellent early season form is the thing that catches the eye most of all. But it’s also probably the reason why many a World Championship dream has gone unfulfilled. Though he is an eighttime overall winner of the Superprestige Cyclo-cross Series, a ten-time Belgian Champion and has World Cup triumphs to his name, others were often ahead of him at the World Championships, which are always held at the end of January, because his strength waned in the latter part of the season.

As an amateur, he was able to celebrate twice at the start of his career: 1997 in Munich (Germany) and 1998 in Middelfart (Denmark), but as a professional he has only once managed to don the Rainbow Jersey: in 2005 when he became World Champion in St. Wendel. And now the 34-year-old Sven Nys is returning to the scene of his greatest triumph and hopes he’ll be up front battling for the win. “St. Wendel is a fantastic course, a technically demanding ride with great climbs and drops. If it gets really cold then it’ll be a fast race. And that’s right up my street,” said the Belgian confidently.

He enjoys looking back on his win in 2005. “The atmosphere for the pros race was indescribable, almost like a home race,” he remembers. Hordes of his countrymen will again make the short journey across the border to St. Wendel and cheer on their idol and find out just why the sport is so fascinating. “I love the sport because it has so much to offer, much more than just riding on the road,” said Nys. Riding, running, shouldering the bike and at the same time always riding at the limit. There’s no let up in the action as the relatively short distances in cyclo-cross offer little chance for tactics to play a part. “It’s a sport that’s exciting from start to finish,” said the experienced Belgian who would like to once again crown his successful career in St. Wendel.

The “flagship” of German cyclo-cross goes by the name of Philipp Walsleben. The 2009 U23 World Champion lives for his sport like no other: he has moved from Potsdam, near Berlin, to Herentals in Belgium and has kicked-off the season with some impressive performances in World Cup races. He has been riding for the Belgian professional team BKCP Powerplus since 2009 and is a teammate of the junior and U23 World Champion Arnaud Jouffroy (France) and Belgium’s new cyclo cross star, Niels Albert, who won the espoirs’ Rainbow Jersey in 2008 and then one year later placed took the title in the elite race. And Walsleben is hoping to copy them and attempt to win a medal in St. Wendel. “I’ve got to make up for my last performance in St. Wendel. I only finished 13th in the juniors at the last World Championships there,” promised the young German rider.

It will also be a case of keeping one’s fingers crossed for the local hero Sascha Weber, who will have a tough job on his hands in his first year in the seniors. But the cyclocrosser, who comes from the host town, is highly motivated, “I want to place inside the first 25,” said a modest Weber. In the espoirs race, for U23s, the Bund Deutscher Radfahrer (German Cycling Union) is pinning its hopes in Marcel Meisen (Team Kuota Indeland), who has found his form in, above all, the tough Belgian races. He has cyclo-crossing in the blood as his father Josef was a top class crosser in his heyday and is still successful today in vets competitions. German national coach Patrick Moster also sees Ole Quast, the winner in Lohne, and Michael Schweizer as two more big hopes. Both are members of the Hamburg-based Stevens Racing Team that has been doing excellent work for years to develop cyclo-cross. And as the bike manufacturer Stevens is one of the main sponsors of the World Championships, it means the riders will be especially motivated. As for the youngest riders, Silvio Herklotz from Berlin counts as one of the biggest talents. He has already won the German Junior Cyclo-cross Championships and will give it his all at his first World Championship.

In the women’s race, the main medal contender is obviously the four-time World Champion Hanka Kupfernagel. But watch out: Sabrina Schweizer, Gesa Brüchmann and Martina Zwick are all highly motivated for the championships on home soil. And the MTB Olympic Champion Sabine Spitz will be doing her utmost to repeat her 2005 performance when she placed second behind Kupfernagel to win a World Championship silver medal.

 

You don’t become the cyclo-cross World Champion by chance and Zdenek Stybar knows what he is talking about. The Czech is the reigning champion. “Outsiders can win in road racing but in cyclo-cross it’s seldom the case. Only the toughest are successful,” said the 25-year-old who became the BMX World Champion at the tender age of eight. After later changing to a crosser bike, he was awarded his first cyclo-cross Rainbow Jersey in 2005 when winning the U23s in St. Wendel. His second came one year later when he successfully defended his title. In January 2010, Stybar again won the title but this time on home soil and in the highest men’s category. “I didn’t feel any pressure as I had won the World Cup the week before. It meant I was relaxed but also aggressive going into the race. In the end I was a comfortable winner thanks to the support my home supporters gave me,” said the Czech who is today still very proud of his triumph. He likes to look back on the days after the title win which was celebrated in fitting style everywhere he went. First stop, after being flown there in his sponsor’s private jet, was Belgium where a party with 180 guests was laid on for him. Later, his home town of Stribo held a reception in his honour. When arriving in the town, salamis were hanging from the trees and Czech beer was flowing out of a fountain. “Salami and beer are symbols for happiness, success and joy in my country,” explained Stybar, who quickly returned to training. “I went on a longer holiday with my girlfriend Ine but have been firmly back in the saddle since spring.” Wins in the World Cup races in Aigle and Pilsen showed that his pre-season build up had been spot on. Recently,he came second behind his Belgian rival Niels Albert in Koksijde. “I’m not yet in top form. That hasto come around Christmas time and then four weeks later in St. Wendel,” said Stybar when proclaiming hisgoals in no uncertain terms: “I want to retain my World Championship title in Germany.”

St. Wendel will host the Cyclo-Cross World Championships for the second time since 2005 and a whole region is again eagerly anticipating the event. About 300 athletes will do battle for the medals over the last January weekend. The 2.8 km course around the St. Wendel sports centre has gone almost unchanged. Forty per cent of it is uphill, descents make up for 25 per cent and 15 per cent is flat and there are two obstacles and some steps. It is considered to be technically demanding, and not only in cold conditions. The design of the course meets both the requirements of the world’s top cyclo-crossers and the needs of spectators, media and sponsors. Virtually the whole race can be viewed by spectators who can therefore watch all the absorbing action from close up.

Competition begins on Saturday at 11.00 am with the juniors race. Three hours later (2.00 pm) it will be the turn of the espoirs to battle for the title. The women’s elite race will start on Sunday at 11.00 am and the elite men will begin their World Championship quest at 2.00 pm. Whilst the rostrum for the elite race was occupied by three Belgians back in 2005, this time around at least one rider will break their dominance: Zdenek Stybar (CZE). He will not only go into the race as the title-holder but as this season’s top rider after his numerous wins which included this winter’s first two World Cup races in Aigle and Pilzen. Stybar knows the course in St. Wendel only too well – the Czech won the U23 category at the last World Championships there. “This time I’d like to dominate the elite race,” said the confident 2010 winner.

The two Belgians, Niels Albert and Kevin Pauwels obviously want to prevent Stybar from taking the title again. But they finished behind the Czech in both of the season’s previous World Cup races. “But my form will be better by January,” said Albert, who donned the Rainbow Jersey in 2009. Germany’s hopes in the elite race rest on the shoulders of Philipp Walsleben, who has had some good results in recent World Cup races and who will be particularly motivated when he goes to the starting line in St. Wendel.

Most see the German Hanka Kupfernagel as being one of the top favourites for the women’s elite race. Having won a total of ten World Cup medals, four of which were gold, she is the most successful cyclo-crosser ever. She will be looking in St. Wendel to successfully defend her 2005 World Championship title but she will be up against some tough opposition. The two Dutchwomen, Sanne van Paassen and Daphny van den Brand, the Czech Katerina Nash and Katherine Compton (USA) are the rivals Kupfernagel fears the most. “There are more riders at the top these days. It won’t be an easy race,” said the 36-year-old. Mountainbike Olympic Champion Sabine Spitz, who won silver behind Kupfernagel in January 2005, will also be in the line-up and is dreaming of a similar coup to the one six years ago. 

The Cyclo-cross World Championships in St. Wendel should not only promise sporting success, they are also good for the image of the town and the region as a whole and it is additionally economically highly beneficial. Thirty thousand fans from the neighbouring countries are expected and they will generate a lot of income for the local hotels and eateries. Many hotels in the area are already fully booked. Live coverage of the championships all around the world will further increase St. Wendel’s renown.