After several near-misses, Sven Nys finally returned to his winning ways when he took a hugely dominant win in the Jaarmarktcross in Niel. The Belgian champion accelerated already in the first lap and after dropping Corne van Kessel in the second lap, he constantly increased his advantage to win the race by more than a minute over Wout van Aert and Kevin Pauwels who completed the podium.

Going into today’s Jaarmarktcross in Niel, Sven Nys had not won a race since October 12. Several near-misses have made it a frustrating season for the Belgian champion, most notably last weekend’s two second places in the Koppenbergcross and the Superprestige race in Zonhoven.

After a fourth place in Sunday’s race in Ruddervoorde, Nys finally broke his drought when he took a dominant sixth win in the Jaarmarktcross in Niel. The Belgian champion was in a class of his own on the hard, hilly, muddy course and left no one in doubt about his superiority.

Already in the opening lap, Nys and Corne van Kessel dropped their rivals and at the start of the second lap, Nys left his companion behind. From there, it was a demonstration of force, with Nys constantly increasing his advantage until he slowed down in the final lap to celebrate his win.

"I love races where anything can happen like on this course," he told Sporza. "I had a good day. I was surprised that I got a gap immediately. This was a difficult course and there was a lot of wind. Moreover, my two chasers could work together. i had to stay very focused. But I am glad that I could win here for the sixth time.

"For a long time, I have felt that I was in good condition but there are more riders at the top level. I was usually there but just couldn't win. I never had any doubts about myself."