Zdenek Stybar’s winning streak cut short
There are no hard feelings after the Memorial Radomir Simunek, even though the race was Zdenek Stybar’s first loss in an otherwise undefeated season. The Czech’s seven victories in eight races included the first two rounds of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup,
the second of which was held on home soil in the Czech Republic, as was Friday’s race. The World Cup leader admitted that Radomir Simunek, Jr. deserved his emotional victory in the race named after his late father.
“Radomir deserved this victory for his father,” said Stybar to Sporza, “That was much more important than for me to take my eighth victory. I’m very happy for him, it was an emotional race.”
Radomir Simunek Senior, three-time Cyclo-cross world champion, died less than three months ago at the early age of 48. The race named in his honour, held in Tabor in the Czech Republic, was won by the local rider ahead of German Christoph
Pfingsten and Frenchman Steve Chainel.
“I have a fantastic feeling,” said Simunek. “Right from the opening ceremony I was really moved. I thank you all for your support, and I thank the organisers of the event.”
Rounding out the top-five were Stybar and former world champion Niels Albert. The pair took the lead in the first of ten laps but Simunek soon joined them in the breakaway. Pfingsten bridged the gap and kept up with the leader as
the pair dropped the other two riders and built a 30-second lead by the seventh lap. Simunek out-sprinted the German in the breakaway while podium-finisher Chainel won the bunch sprint ahead of Stybar and Albert, 11 seconds behind the leading pair.
“At the beginning of the race I was somehow tied up, but then I was released and everything felt easy for me,” said Simunek. “My dad would probably not be happy that I went so early, but I was hugely motivated.”
Simunek and his BKCP-Power Plus team mate Albert, who finished 18 seconds behind in fifth place, have both announced that they would remain with the team in 2011. Simunek signed a contract until the end of that year, while Albert
will ride with the Belgian team for at least another three years.
“This was an opportunity I could not turn down,” said Albert to Het Laatste Nieuws. “Especially since the financial offer from manager Christoph Roodhooft was attractive. Yes, I'm getting a raise, but don't we all do it for the money?”
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