This week I have chosen the Cyclocross World Championship Elite Sankt Wendel 2011 - Final 2 laps video to highlight...
World Championship races always make for good viewing!
When Zdenk Stybar is on form, he is extremely hard to beat. The past two World Championship Cyclocross races Stybar was on his game top shelf.
The Saint Wendel course was slick and technical at speeds, but Stybar made quick work of each lap on his way to a smoothly crafted gold medal ride.
Zdenk Stybar
Sven Nys was 2nd place at last years worlds behind Stybar. He was down about 17 seconds the entire last two laps at Saint Wendel, and could not close down any time on Stybar as you see in the video. In 2005 Nys won the World Championship on a similar course at Saint Wendel. So he has claimed Silver & Gold on this challenging circuit during two World Championship events in Germany. Nys has won over 300 Cyclocross races and is considered one of the greatest Cross racers of all time.
Sven Nys
Kevin Pauwles was the bronze medalist in this version of the World Championships Cross race. He was involved in the best race on course during the video, the battle for the bronze medal. Four riders ended up coming together on the last lap with Pauwels, fellow Belgium star Klaas Vantornout, German racer Philipp Walsleben, and French star Francis Mourey, all in with a shot on the podium. Too bad the camera work did not follow this four-some, as it would have been very interesting to see where the crafty Pauwels gapped the other three riders in the tail end of the last lap.
Kevin Pauwels
Klaas Vantornout
Philipp Walsleben
Francis Mourey
Be sure and watch the final riders come through the finish line and you will see in 12th place American Jonathan Page. This was a fine performance for Page who almost won the World Championships in 2007, and had to settle for the Silver medal.
Jonathan Page
