Advertisement

Lars Boom takes his first cross win of the season. © Bart Hazen

Lars Boom takes his first cross win of the season. © Bart Hazen

by Bart Hazen

Dutch National Champion Lars Boom won the international cyclocross at the Grand Prix Julien Cajot in Leudelange, Luxembourg. The Rabobank rider made his season debut and dominated the race from the start to win with a lead of over one minute on his rivals. Ben Berden finished in second while Jonathan Page (Planet Bike) completed the podium. Tom van den Bosch and local hero Jempy Drucker finished just off the podium in fourth and fifth.

Boom attacked from the start and immediately created a gap on Jonathan Page, Tom van den Bosch, Ben Berden and Jempy Drucker. The battle for the third place was exciting between Drucker, Page and Van den Bosch. Drucker was the first to drop with Page followed by Van den Bosch in the penultimate lap.Boom was happy with how his ’cross debut went saying, “It went very well. I could keep a good pace and have amused myself today. The feeling was good”, said a delighted national champion.I have chosen this ’cross above the local race in Moergestel because this is a better course. My intention for this race was to give it all and I succeeded in that. I want to have a good rhythm during weekdays and want to bring in the intensity in the weekends with riding ’cross races.”

On next weekends races in Essen and Overijsse Boom said, “I will give all I have from the start next week. I don’t know if I can battle against Nys and Albert next week, but we will see.”

Jonathan Page was delighted with his third place. “I sucked the first half, for many reasons, some of which were my own fault. Once I finally got going, I felt like my old pre-injury/infection self! I actually rode fast and hard! It was great!”.

Photo Gallery


Full Results:

Rank Name Nat. Age* Result PaR PcR
1 Lars BOOM NED 26 58:30 40 40
2 Ben BERDEN BEL 36 59:28 30 30
3 Jonathan PAGE USA 35 59:33 20 20
4 Tom VAN DEN BOSCH BEL 26 1:00:31 15 15
5 Jean-Pierre DRUCKER LUX 25 1:00:56 10 10
6 Stijn HUYS BEL 25 1:01:59 8 8
7 Tim VAN NUFFEL BEL 30 1:02:00 6 6
8 Wilant VAN GILS NED 32 1:02:11 4 4
9 Gianni DENOLF BEL 24 1:02:24 2 2
10 Pit SCHLECHTER LUX 21 1:02:41 1 1
11 Magnus DARVELL SWE 29 1:02:54
12 Gusty BAUSCH LUX 31 1:03:03
13 Filip EBERL CZE 29 1:03:38
14 Vaclav METLICKA SVK 38 1:03:38
15 Ritchie DENOLF BEL 20 1:03:53
16 Jérôme JUNKER LUX 36 1:04:04
17 Tom FLAMMANG LUX 33 1:04:15
18 Pascal TRIEBEL LUX 45 1:04:23
19 Scott THILTGES LUX 19
20 Claude WOLTER LUX 28
21 Benn WÜRTH LUX 29
22 Olivier LATERZA LUX 30
23 Roland GOLDERER GER 34
24 Pierre OLLIET FRA 31
25 Philipp BÜTZOW LUX 24
26 Cyrille HEYMANS LUX 25
27 Christian JOACHIM LUX 41
28 Alex KIRSCH LUX 19
29 Robert SIMON LUX 35
30 Tom STEICHEN LUX 31
31 Fabien GRESNIK FRA 26
32 Gilles KNEIP LUX 26