Updated: It’s Vos and Pauwels Again in Hoogerheide

“Nys was leaving too many gaps open, so right away I was pretty sure I could take the overall,” Pauwels told reporters in the post-race press conference. “So I was able to relax and look for the race win. And that I was clearly strong enough—and I ultimately pulled it off—makes it even better. But this is with thanks to (my teammate) Klaas Vantornout, because he helped set me up with the gap [that made it possible to win].”

Nys, whose combination of finesse and power make him a vicious rival on a typical day, never managed to break out of the group to animate today’s race, a fact that he acknowledged in his post-race comments.

“I just couldn’t make it happen today,” Nys told a gaggle of reporters just after crossing the finish line. I was not fresh and the race just went badly. I did what I could, but it wasn’t much.”

The top American on the day, Jeremy Powers (Rapha-Focus) was at one point riding for a top-twenty finish. But the newly minted national champion found himself held up by a crash in the middle of the race and eventually had to settle for 29th place.

Behind him it was disappointment all over for the American contingent. Tim Johnson, Ryan Trebon, Jamey Driscoll, and Chris Jones all rode well early in the race and all faded badly. Johnson was the best placed of the group in 42nd place.

And then there was Page. After the early crash, the Planet Bike rider found himself 40 seconds off the back of the race. Alone, bleeding, and in pain not only from sustaining what turned out to be a broken hand in the crash but also from re-injuring a rib that he fractured in a fall during the penultimate round of the World Cup last weekend, Page slowly started catching other riders. By the end of the second lap he was back in the race, and by the end of the day he had moved up some twenty spots to 36th, a result that he later called both a disappointment and positive sign.

“When I fell I was just trying to protect myself, protect my (broken) rib, but someone hit me from behind,” said Page, whose finish put him second among the disappointed American contingent, though nearly 45 seconds behind Powers. “I broke my hand and it broke my shift lever off. I’m not happy, just because I know I have the legs, but don’t seem to have the luck.”

Page, Compton and the other Americans will have a chance for redemption next weekend at the World Championship race in the sand dunes of Koksijde on the Belgian coast.

Look for a rundown of American chances and favorites for Worlds this on VeloNews.com. Complete coverage of the World Championships kicks off on Friday.

FILED UNDER: Cyclocross / News TAGS: Cyclocross / Kevin Pauwels / Marieanne Vos