GP Ostfenster/GP Comat - November 2, 2003 - Contern

Summary of the race:

There was no suspense in the interantional cyclo-cross in Contern, unlike last year. After Danish rider Kim Petersen led the race for the first meters, "Super-Mario" De Clercq came to the point and flew away from his opponents at the end of the first lap, after three weeks without racing. Very impressive and easy on a course that fitted perfectly to his abilities, the World Champion of Middlefart, Poprad and Zolder quickly got a gap of about a minute, and kept it until the end. The poursuit was at first led by the spanish and danisch champions Seco and Nielsen as well as the tchech riders Lukes and Mudroch, before Björn Rondelez escaped from this group in the 4th lap, to install himself in second position as comfortably as his landmate was in first place. Third place was for Ales Mudroch, who god rid of his teammate Lukes in the last lap. Of the luxemburgish riders, Gusty Bausch had the same bad start than last year, before getting into the race and pass Pascal Triebel in the fourth lap. He finishes in 9th position.

Mario De Clerq after the race: Everything was much more easier than expected. It is not a simple thing to restart racing at 37 years, after a month's pause, especially not in Belgium with young riders as Wellens or Nijs. Therefore, I will mostly compete in second category races at first, and do the big events only in December. Afterwards, for the World Championships, we will see ....