PLZEN, Czech Republic (VN) — World champion Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) won round two of the 2012-13 World Cup on Sunday.
Albert got away with five and a half laps to go, chased by Belgian champ Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet), and it was looking like a two-man race — until Nys crashed on a slippery descent and found himself mired well back in traffic, running to the pits.
World Cup leader Kevin Pauwels and Sunweb-Revor teammate Klaas Vantornout spent the remainder of the race battling for second place, while Nys wrestled with a parade of Telenet-Fidea riders, among them Rob Peeters, Tom Meeusen and Bart Wellens.
But the flowers would go to Albert, who rode flawlessly and unchallenged for six laps to take the victory. Scrubbing the mud from his rainbow jersey, he saluted the crowd as he crossed the line. Vantornout followed in the runner-up spot at 36 seconds down with Pauwels third at 45 seconds.
A grim Nys had to settle for sixth at 1:31, behind Meeusen and Wellens.
Editor’s note: Stay tuned for more from Plzen.
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