Image 1 of 42 Zdenek Stybar (Czech Republic) (Image credit: ispaphoto.com) Image 2 of 42 Zdenek Stybar (Czech Republic) celebrates after his win. (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com) Image 3 of 42 Bart Aernouts (Belgium) recovers after the finish. (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com) Image 4 of 42 Niels Albert (Belgium) runs with his bike. (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com) Image 5 of 42 Klaas Vantornout (Belgium) (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com) Image 6 of 42 Tom Meeusen leads a Belgian teammate (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com) Image 7 of 42 Sven Nys (Belgium) was left with his tongue hanging out after a strong second place ride. (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com) Image 8 of 42 The racers viewed from above. (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com) Image 9 of 42 Niels Albert (Belgium) runs through the pits. (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com) Image 10 of 42 Zdenek Stybar (Czech Republic) races in front of a huge crowd. (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com) Image 11 of 42 Sven Nys races in the colours of Belgium. (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com) Image 12 of 42 Tom Meeusen (Belgium) concentrates. (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com) Image 13 of 42 Zdenek Stybar (Czech Republic) celebrates winning the men's cyclo-cross world championship (Image credit: Riccardo Scanferla) Image 14 of 42 (Image credit: ispaphoto.com) Image 15 of 42 (Image credit: ispaphoto.com) Image 16 of 42 Power and a quick foot down gets Stybar over the tricky muddy ramp (Image credit: ispaphoto.com) Image 17 of 42 Stybar gets a gap (Image credit: ispaphoto.com) Image 18 of 42 Stybar shows his bunny hopping technique (Image credit: ispaphoto.com) Image 19 of 42 Niels Albert (Belgium) (Image credit: ispaphoto.com) Image 20 of 42 Sven Nys (Belgium) leads Zdenek Stybar (Czech Republic) but not for long (Image credit: ispaphoto.com) Image 21 of 42 Niels Albert (Belgium) suffered with an early puncture (Image credit: ispaphoto.com) Image 22 of 42 Zdenek Stybar (Czech Republic) (Image credit: ispaphoto.com) Image 23 of 42 Zdenek Stybar sprays the winner's champagne (Image credit: ispaphoto.com) Image 24 of 42 Zdenek Stybar savours his world title success (Image credit: ispaphoto.com) Image 25 of 42 Tom Meeusen (Belgium) races in the top 10 (Image credit: Riccardo Scanferla) Image 26 of 42 There were plenty of Belgian banner wavers in Sankt Wendel (Image credit: ispaphoto.com) Image 27 of 42 There was some great racing and huge crowds in Sankt Wendel (Image credit: ispaphoto.com) Image 28 of 42 Stybar leads a select front group (Image credit: ispaphoto.com) Image 29 of 42 Niels Albert (Belgium) gets a bike change (Image credit: ispaphoto.com) Image 30 of 42 Stybar had plenty of time to celebrate (Image credit: ispaphoto.com) Image 31 of 42 Zdenek Stybar crosses the line alone (Image credit: ispaphoto.com) Image 32 of 42 Zdenek Stybar (Czech Republic) on his way to victory (Image credit: Riccardo Scanferla) Image 33 of 42 Sven Nys (Belgium) races toward second place. (Image credit: Riccardo Scanferla) Image 34 of 42 Zdenek Stybar (Czech Republic) rides through a colorful array of flags. (Image credit: Riccardo Scanferla) Image 35 of 42 Sven Nys (Belgium) chats with Zdenek Stybar (Czech Republic) on the podium (Image credit: Riccardo Scanferla) Image 36 of 42 World Champion Zdenek Stybar (Czech Republic) on the podium (Image credit: Riccardo Scanferla) Image 37 of 42 Marco Aurelio Fontana (Italy) raced to seventh place (Image credit: Riccardo Scanferla) Image 38 of 42 Zdenek Stybar (Czech Republic) opens the champagne (Image credit: Riccardo Scanferla) Image 39 of 42 The elite men's podium. Zdenek Stybar (Czech Republic) sandwiched between Belgians Sven Nys and Kevin Pauwels (Image credit: Riccardo Scanferla) Image 40 of 42 Huge crowds watched the elite men's race (Image credit: Riccardo Scanferla) Image 41 of 42 Zdenek Stybar (Czech Republic) wins the 'cross Worlds (Image credit: Riccardo Scanferla) Image 42 of 42 Zdenek Stybar (Czech Republic) lifts his arms in celebration (Image credit: Riccardo Scanferla)

Six years after capturing the under 23 men's world championship in Sankt-Wendel, Zdenek Stybar (Czech Republic) grabbed a second consecutive elite men's world title on the same course in Germany with a dominant ride.

Belgian veteran Sven Nys finished 18 seconds behind the Czech to claim silver while countryman Kevin Pauwels won the sprint for third place at a distant 1:15.

"Because of my knee injury [picked up back in November] I gambled and put everything on winning the world championships. Being able to win today feels fantastic," said Stybar.

During the first half of the race Stybar tried to split the large front group several times; an initial breakaway attempt on the third lap with Nys and local hero Philipp Walsleben was neutralised as two laps later 'Stybi' tried again and this time only Nys was able to hold his wheel.

"There were too many Belgians up front and I didn't like that situation. Suddenly I was leading with Sven and I felt much more comfortable," Stybar explained.

The duo quickly built up a lead of 30 seconds on the chasers - Walsleben, Belgian riders Pauwels and Klaas Vantornout and Italy's Marco Aurelio Fontana. The race was decided during the seventh of 11 laps when Stybar attacked on a long climb after taking a new bike.

"Shifting was becoming a problem and Sven just allowed me to take the lead again. I wanted to give it a try. Fortunately I didn't see him anymore," Stybar said.

After he was gapped Nys lost even more time due to a flat tyre and trailed Stybar by 20 seconds. The Czech kept riding flawlessly on the technical but fast course and held Nys at the same distance, proving he was the well-deserved winner in Sankt-Wendel.

"The strongest guy won today. He had one explosion too much in his legs. Then I had that flat tyre. I'm happy with second place," Nys said.

Behind the leading duo, Francis Mourey made a remarkable comeback to get back to the chasers. The French champion crashed hard on the third lap and lost almost a minute before he was back in the race. Working his way up from 24th place, Mourey kept going flat out and in the last lap had the first chase group in sight.

Pauwels didn't wait for the Frenchman though and the Belgian surged onto the running track finish to grab the bronze medal before Mourey, Walsleben and Vantornout. Fontana didn't push on during the last lap and the Italian champion crossed the line in seventh place.

Pauwels was aware of Mourey's fightback and said after the finish: "I knew somebody was coming back but I don't know who it was. I've never seen Mourey as I wasn't looking back" he said. "I'm happy with my race. The two riders in front were better."

In the last lap Pauwels received some help from compatriot Vantornout. "He told me something but I didn't understand it," said Pauwels. Vantornout explained what happened: "We wanted another Belgian on the podium. On the last climb I was riding behind Kevin but I held my legs still when he attacked; it worked," Vantornout said.

A large group sprinted for eighth place at more than two minutes behind Stybar. It was another Belgian veteran, Bart Wellens, who held off Christian Heule (Switzerland), countryman Tom Meeusen, Gerben de Knegt (The Netherlands) and Jonathan Page, after the American bounced back from a flat tyre in the third lap.

Page was the best of the US riders, who had an unfortunate afternoon. He finished 12th as Jeremy Powers took 16th and Tim Johnson crashed out of the race at the end of the fourth lap when he seemed to touch wheels on the athletics track.

Pre-race favourite Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) was never in contention for the victory after a bad start and a flat tyre put him at a minute from the leaders after only two laps of racing. For a moment Albert was in the company of Page but unlike the American he didn't push on and the World Cup winner finished on a distant 24th place.

"I flatted on the second lap and knew right away that my race was over. I kept riding for my fans who made the trip over here. Of course I'm disappointed because I came to win," Albert told Sporza.

The cyclo-cross world championships crown the season but of course cyclo-cross racing continues for another month with the conclusion of the Superprestige Series and the Gazet van Antwerpen Trophy in Belgium.

Next year's the cyclo-cross world championships are held in Koksijde, Belgium. Stybar has promised to combine cyclo-cross racing with road cycling so even if he has a quieter winter, we can expect him to defend his title in the Belgian sand dunes.

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