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Vervecken takes World Cup round 4
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American Katie Compton (Spike Shooter) and Belgian Erwin Vervecken (Fidea) won the fourth round of the cyclocross World Cup, the Cross of Koksijde Dunes, in Belgium on Saturday.
Compton outsprinted world champion Hanka Kupfernagel, beating the German by one second to the line on Saturday. Kupfernagel, who won her fourth world cyclocross title in January, finished 17 seconds ahead of Holland's Daphny van den Brand.
Compton’s win moves her to seventh place in the overall World Cup standings, with 110 points, well behind Kupfernagel’s solid first place, with 220.
Saddled with a poor start position, Compton managed to fight her way into a lead group that contained Kupfernagel and Van den Brand by the second lap.
The three emerged from the lead group and Van den Brand eventually faded with a lap to go. Entering the finishing straight Compton and Kupfernagel sprinted to the line with the American emerging the victor.
Compton’s performance on Saturday puts her in prime position to make up for a disappointing world championship performance in January. Compton suffered from fatigue and injuries at worlds in Treviso, Italy, and dropped out of the championship race soon after the start.
In the men’s race, Vervecken, the three-time world champion took the sprint ahead of Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet-Tönissteiner) and Czech Zdenek Stybar (Fidea). Belgian Bart Wellens took fourth.
Nys assumed the World Cup leader's jersey from Niels Albert (Palmans). Albert suffered a heavy crash two weeks ago and has been sidelined for at least two months.
