Lars van der Haar of the Netherlands repeated as U23 world champion today in a dramatic last lap and final sprint ahead of Belgian Wietse Bosmans and Dutch teammate Michael van der Heijden. The trio had been riding together for a few laps, with Bosmans racing smartly to stay with the two Dutch riders. On the last lap, where the slightest factors could make or break a world championship, the trio all nearly came a-cropper on the Herijgers Dune, with Bosmans and van der Haar both stumbling in a corner of deep sand and van der Heijden catching his brake lever on a sign.
That left Bosmans and van der Haar in the lead, and Bosmans seized another advantage on the last dune climb, when van der Haar flinched and gave away five meters with precious little racing left to go. Flemish announcers went berserk there, but van der Haar had the best legs of anyone in the field. He closed the gap quickly with the same burst of speed he'd used to launch several small attacks and tactical maneuvers in the last two laps, and used a second burst to pass Bosmans in a grassy stretch just before the finish. That sewed up the title, with only a left hand turn on pavement and a short distance to the line for van der Haar to hold the lead.
France's Arnaud Jouffroy, by the way, came from way back to nearly make the sprint in a tremendous final lap. Too late for a medal though. Final results:
0 recs | 56 comments
Here’s the soundtrack
broerie - January 28, 2012
(directed towards bot Wietse and Lars)
and I like it when races are a bit dirty, good for the excitement.
broerie - January 28, 2012
Bah
tgsgirl - January 28, 2012
From a neutral perspective
I support that sentiment today. Bosmans really deserved this.
(But if you bah K-Pow when he beats your beloved Sven tomorrow, no prisoners will be taken.)
straw dog - January 28, 2012
I will bah
if K-Pow wheelsucks his way to a win (but I’ll also be at the race so you’ll have to bah for me)
tgsgirl - January 28, 2012
No, Vd Heijden deserved this.
Came back from 35th position after a crash in front of him.
blackswangreen - January 28, 2012
If you look at the entire season, Lars probably deserves it most
I have no problem with him being WC
broerie - January 28, 2012
he won
with less technique but more power.
Chris Fontecchio - January 28, 2012
And with his brain.
Smart kid.
blackswangreen - January 28, 2012
jaa
He and Bosmans rode very crafty races.
Chris Fontecchio - January 28, 2012
Hope footage goes up of it sometime
After reading the tweets from during the race, I really have to see it. Sounds like one of the best races of the year.
Douglas Ansel - January 28, 2012
The last lap is on Sporza Videozone
It was an amazing race. Soooooo exciting!
Albertina - February 1, 2012
Brilliant body language by Wietse
looking away from Lars all the time
broerie - January 28, 2012
Good analysis by Nys:
broerie - January 28, 2012
Nys rode 50 minutes on the course today with an average HR of 170. Sounds like a race simulation to me.
We know his mantra by now: always better on the second day.
broerie - January 28, 2012
Pauwels 1h easy behind the scoooter
broerie - January 28, 2012
Is that serious, or are you kidding?
Pauwels trains by following somebody’s wheel for an hour?
straw dog - January 28, 2012
Hehe
I
broerie - January 28, 2012
I wasn't sure if you were making that joke,
or if he really said that’s what he did today?
straw dog - January 28, 2012
It's the traditional training the day before a race.
Most crossers do it and nearly all the roadracers.
You can let your legs spin and go real fast without wasting energy. I think it’s mainly a mental thing. It gives you the impression you’re going fest withourt doing any effort, that’s good for the confidence.
broerie - January 28, 2012
Plus, there is something different about riding at speed
I can’t put a finger on it. But as a racer, I know it’s there. For example, it’s harder to put down hard efforts with a tailwind than a headwind (for me, at least). Something about riding at 45-50kph is just, well, different
Douglas Ansel - January 28, 2012
Interesting
I thought Bosmans should have dropped the hammer in the last two minutes too, but that’s easy for me to say.
Chris Fontecchio - January 28, 2012
He clearly wanted to start the race in 2nd position
Hard to make a wronger choice
broerie - January 28, 2012
not race, sprint
broerie - January 28, 2012
seems like it
just… why??? But that’s hindsight I guess.
Chris Fontecchio - January 28, 2012
The interviewers didn't ask
but that last straight is so short, it’s nearly impossible to pass someone. Especially if the first guy drifts to his right (remembe?r)
broerie - January 28, 2012
really?
I don’t remember it being short — in the Nys/Pauwels drama, it’s seemed to drag on for a long way – I had no doubt Pauwels would have got around him in a straight line. My sense today was just that Bosmans gave up halfway down the straight because it clearly wasn’t happening.
straw dog - January 28, 2012
Maybe they moved it?
Chris Fontecchio - January 28, 2012
Just hadn't got the legs anymore in the last 2 minuts
Otherwise he could have bring home the gap created by the bad sand (strook?) of van der Haar
Frinking - January 28, 2012
yeah
There may have been some tactical thinking, but whatever, LvdH clearly had the best legs.
Chris Fontecchio - January 28, 2012
I guess the Nys analysis is spot on, given what Wietse knew about van der Haar's sprinting.
So in truth, perhaps Bosmans didn’t deserve the win so much as I felt. More an emotional reaction.
straw dog - January 28, 2012
After that last mistake by Van der Haar, Bosmans seemed to hold back.
That’s the one thing I really don’t understand. Herygers had already pronounced him the world champ, but he thought otherwise??
blackswangreen - January 28, 2012
Is it wrong that without understanding a word he's saying
I find SVT very annoying?
straw dog - January 28, 2012
He always speaks like that
(and no, he didn’t say anything interesting)
broerie - January 28, 2012
Haha!
I understand why but he was fairly well-spoken. Much better than the average dumb bike racer.
tedvdw - January 28, 2012
Albert:
broerie - January 28, 2012
Is Albert always like he has been this season?
Seems like it’s a crapshoot – when he’s on, he can be untouchable and win by 30s; when he’s off, he’s nowhere. And there doesn’t seem to be any obvious pattern to it, so far as I can tell.
straw dog - January 28, 2012
(aside from the injured period, of course)
straw dog - January 28, 2012
He was a bit too relax for me this season
he hasn’t had his best year
broerie - January 28, 2012
For those who missed it:
entire last lap is up at sporza
broerie - January 28, 2012
If this is another cat video...
CelticPride - January 28, 2012
The complete link
sporza-last-lap
CelticPride - January 28, 2012
It feels like Christmans Eve now... I want to go to bed.
Remember how as a kid you would try to go to bed and sleep early so that Christmas Day would come sooner?
straw dog - January 28, 2012
"Van der Heijden catching his brake lever on a sign."
Well, yeah. Because he got full on body-checked by Bosmans.
tedvdw - January 28, 2012
Dutch/belgian polemica!
broerie - January 28, 2012
Hey Albertina!
How were the reactions around the course after the dirty moves by Wietse and Lars? And what were the Chainstay-pro’s thinking?
broerie - January 28, 2012
There was some booing at one point for the Dutch guys but everything Wietse did was met with a cheer!
There aren’t any pros at the Chainstay at the no as they’re with their national teams. Everyone seems to be just applauding it as a really enthralling race. The Belgians round me took a pretty dim view of me yelling Laaaaaaaaaaaasaars!!!!! Gooooooooo!!!!! ;)
Albertina - January 28, 2012 via mobile
...where Angels fear to tread, and so forth.
Ed K - January 28, 2012
José De Cauwer today:
broerie - January 29, 2012
Just watched that final lap
Best racing of the year? This and the Nys-Pauwels duel in the Koksijde WC perhaps?
Jens - January 28, 2012
Yeah, that was tremendous.
As for the shenanigans. By the time all was said and done, I’m not sure anyone gained a decisive advantage from any of it. I’m willing to say great race and leave it there.
Ed K - January 28, 2012
Ja, I saw it before read the polemica
Sure there was some argy bargy and the fence thing looked a bit hairy but I agree on that.
Jens - January 28, 2012
Rubbin's racin.
’bout all I gotta say after watching that last lap. Smart racing by both Lars and Bosmans.
Douglas Ansel - January 28, 2012
*Blatant shoulders into the barriers while running is racing
Vlaanderen90 - January 29, 2012
Zach McDonald 12th! After horrible start!*
Not quite the top 10 I predicted, but without a crap start he’d be there. Boy is going somewhere.
*excuse the moment of anglo-centrism, please. When we get close to the top 10 in things like this, we’re dancing in the streets. We cry when we watch Page lose the 2007 worlds.
Douglas Ansel - January 28, 2012
McDonald has always had horrible starts...that is what is holding him back
He could do something akin to what Summerhill did but dropping back to 30th on the first lap (like the last few races) destroys any chance.
Vlaanderen90 - January 29, 2012
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