PHOTO BY BALINT HAMVAS | CYCLEPHOTOS.CO.UK
1. Sven Nys (2) – A two-win weekend, albeit in smaller races, and Nys goes back on top of the Power Rankings. He’s having the kind of season that anybody else would kill for.Â
2. Bart Aernouts (4) – After bridging up to the lead group on Sunday, Aernouts was the only rider who could stay with Sven Nys. He remains winless this season but adds second place in Overijse to his list of fine results.Â
3. Tom Meeusen (3) – Meeusen occasionally looks so excited to be at the front that he rides enthusiastically and foolishly, making rookie mistakes. It happened on Sunday – perhaps he saw the possibility of a win after a fine second place the day before.Â
4. Kevin Pauwels (1) – Something happened this past weekend. Pauwels fell victim to a couple crashes and a flat tire, but his head never seemed in the game and the two courses seemed to challenge his technical abilities. Pauwels can take solace that such a down weekend came on a somewhat minor one – though Scheldecross and Overijse are C1 races, they’re not part of any series and had decidedly slimmer fields than bigger races.Â
5. Klaas Vantornout (9) – Klaas scores a podium result on the weekend. He’s an up-and-down rider still looking to match his World Cup podium earlier this year.Â
6. Rob Peeters (7) – Perhaps the most consistent rider of the weekend who wasn’t Nys was Peeters, who managed 4th and 6th on the weekend. A really nice result is never too far outside of Peeters’ grasp, as he showed with his third place several weeks ago.Â
7. Zdenek Stybar (6) – The World Champion has struggled in recent weeks, and took the weekend off from racing to rest and train. With a couple World Cups, a Superprestige, a GVA race, and Holy Week all on tap, it sounds like a good idea. Will it revive his middling season?
8. Dieter Vanthorenhout (9)Â – Snagging 3rd at Scheldecross on Saturday is Dieter’s standout performance of the year. He was unable to double up on Sunday after a tricky corner sent him crashing through the tape.Â
9. Francis Mourey (5) – Francis Mourey won a race in France.Â
10. Radomir Simunek (10) – the same corner that claimed Dieter V also stole Simunek’s race. He remains hovering around the 10th spot once again.