Superprestige Hamme-Zogge
preview: Zdenek Stybar looking for glory
World cyclo-cross champion Zdenek Stybar is going to face some serious challenges at the third round of the Superprestige series. The Superprestige Hamme-Zogge on Sunday will by Stybar’s 11th race of the
season and if all goes according to plan it will be his ninth victory in that span, but Sven Nys and Niels Albert don’t plan on letting him take it without a fight.
"I am close to my absolute best. Everything is great. Even running is easy. I can push a notch higher. Let Zdenek come. He inspires no fear in me," said Nys, quoted in
Sporza.
Stybar’s second loss was at the Koppenbergcross on Monday when Nys took his seventh consecutive of eight total victories at the Belgian race. Nys went on to win the Jaarmarktcross on Thursday, but Stybar
wasn’t there. The Czech rider, who began his season with seven consecutive wins, injured his back during training and opted to sit out of the Jaarmarktcross.
"The blockage in my back has been treated with a series of special exercises done to relieve my back,” said Stybar.
“The problems are not completely gone of course, that's impossible, but I will start Sunday. Not starting in Niel was the right decision, because I certainly would have aggravated the injury. Now, I do the necessary exercises and resWe will do our best to
come to Sunday as strong as possible, but it remains to be seen to what extent that will happen."
The Czech still holds an overwhelming lead in the cyclo-cross overall rankings due to his victories at the first two rounds of both the Superprestige and the UCI cyclo-cross World Cup. Nys started out
his season in a slump but his defeat of Stybar at the Koppenbergcross brought him back to form and he has been dominating all week.
"My off day was a combination of three factors," said Stybar in an interview with
Het Laatste Nieuws. "I had a lot of obligations and not enough recovery in time for the Koppenbergcross, and I made it even worse with a lot of errors. The third, and probably biggest factor: Sven Nys was above all, very impressive. He raced with wings."
Nys is not the Czech’s only challenger, however. Niels Albert, currently sixth overall in the Superprestige standings, has been steadily improving through recent races. He was runner-up to Nys at both
the Jaarmarktcross and the Koppenbergcross, where Stybar failed to make the podium while Nys and Albert were joined by Kevin Pauwels, who finished in third.
"I'm happy that I've been able to duel with Sven. In the past cross races, the difference was more than a minute. This second place shows a great improvement for me. The progression is there - so I do
not see why I should complain," said Albert to Sporza.
Stybar leads the Superprestige with 30 points, ahead of Nys and Bart Aernouts, both with 26 points. Pauwels stands in fourth with 22, followed by Bart Wellens with 21 and Albert with 20.
Cyclo-cross is a hybrid sport where cyclists frequently have to dismount and drag their bikes up steep muddy hills and over obstacles on the way to victory.
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