Bart Wellens

Bart Wellens (born 10 August 1978) is a Belgian former professional cyclo-cross and road cyclist. He now works as the team manager of UCI Cyclo-cross Team 777.[1]

Bart Wellens
Wellens at the 2007 Middelkerke race.
Personal information
Full nameBart Wellens
Born (1978-08-10) 10 August 1978
Vorselaar, Belgium
Team information
Current team777
Disciplines
Role
  • Rider (retired)
  • Team manager
Professional team
2000–2015Spaarselect
Managerial teams
2017–2019Beobank–Corendon
2018–Steylaerts–Betfirst

Career

Wellens was born in Vorselaar. In the Under 23 category, Wellens battled Sven Nys. Wellens won the Under 23 Belgian championships in 1997 beating Nys while Nys got revenge at the UCI Under 23 World Cyclo-Cross championships a month later. Wellens had to settle for second place. The following year Wellens again finished second to Nys at the World Championships. Nys then left the category and Wellens became the Under 23 World Champion for two years in a row. Wellens turned professional in 2000 with the Spaar Select team. In 2002/03 season, Wellens won the World Cup and then won the Elite World Championships.

In the following season 2003/04 he dominated the sport and beat rival Sven Nys in both the Gazet van Antwerpen and the Superprestige series. Wellens also beat Nys to become Belgian champion and as defending champion Wellens retained his World title after narrowly winning a sprint against Mario De Clercq. With these wins together with a third place overall in the World Cup, Wellens was very close to being the first cyclist to win the Grand Slam of cyclo-cross. Entering the final World Cup event where there were double points on offer, Wellens needed to win or that place in the top five ahead of Nys.[2] However, in the end it was Richard Groenendaal who won the race and took the World Cup lead.[3] Wellens could not compete in the final events of the Superprestige and the Gazet van Antwerpen due to injury, despite having already won both classifications.

Wellens started the 2004/05 season as World Champion but the season started poorly with a lack of form[4] followed by injury.[5] However his form returned toward the end of the season where he won the Grand Prix Rouwmoer in Essen, a Gazet van Antwerpen race.[6]

In the 2005 edition of the Vlaamse Druivenveldrit Overijse, Wellens kicked a spectator who was allegedly throwing beer at him. Wellens went on to win the event after Boom slipped in the final lap and initially was awarded the win despite the threat of disqualification.[7] Several days later after a meeting of the three race commissionaires and the UCI, Wellens was disqualified and Boom was awarded the win.[8] Later Wellens was served with a ban from racing during the first month (September) of the following season (2006/07).

Personal life

His younger brother Geert also competed professionally as a cyclist, including a year with his brother. He starred in the reality television series Wellens en Wee on Flemish TV-channel VT4. In this series, Wellens together with his parents, Lucien and Wiske, and his other teammates were shown in their daily lives and preparations for the weekend races.

Major results

Cyclo-cross
1995–1996
1st Junior race, National Championships
1996–1997
1st Under-23 race, National Championships
1997–1998
1st Under-23 race, National Championships
1998–1999
1st Under-23 race, UCI World Championships
1st Under-23 race, National Championships
1999–2000
1st Under-23 race, UCI World Championships
1st Under-23 race, National Championships
2002–2003
1st UCI World Championships
1st Overall UCI World Cup
2003–2004
1st UCI World Championships
1st National Championships
1st Overall Superprestige
1st Overall Gazet van Antwerpen Trophy
2006–2007
1st National Championships

Road
2008
1st Stage 1 Volta a Lleida
2010
4th Overall Czech Cycling Tour

References
  1. "777". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 25 April 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  2. "Cyclo-cross World Cup: Wellens going for "Grand Slam"". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 7 January 2008.
  3. "Groenendaal scores double surprise!". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 7 January 2008.
  4. "Problems for the Wellenses". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 7 January 2008.
  5. "Bart Wellens injured". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 7 January 2008.
  6. "First win for Bart Wellens". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 7 January 2008.
  7. "Wellens hits spectator". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 7 January 2008.
  8. "Wellens disqualified after hitting spectator". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 7 January 2008.
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