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 .

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. However, in the end it was Richard Groenendaal who won the race and took the World Cup lead. 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 followed by injury. However his form returned toward the end of the season where he won the Grand Prix Rouwmoer in Essen, a Gazet van Antwerpen race.

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. Several days later after a meeting of the three race commissionaires and the UCI, Wellens was disqualified and Boom was awarded the win. 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

Road

2008

1st Stage 1 Volta a Lleida

2010

4th Overall Czech Cycling Tour

Cyclo-cross

1995–1996

1st National Junior Championships

1996–1997

1st National Under-23 Championships

2nd UCI World Under-23 Championships

1997–1998

1st National Under-23 Championships

2nd UCI World Under-23 Championships

Superprestige

:3rd Gieten

1998–1999

1st UCI World Under-23 Championships

1st National Under-23 Championships

2nd Overall Superprestige

:1st Hoogstraten

:2nd Diegem

:3rd Gavere

:3rd Gieten

:3rd Overijse

:3rd Surhuisterveen

UCI World Cup

:2nd Koksijde

1999–2000

1st UCI World Under-23 Championships

1st National Under-23 Championships

UCI World Cup

:1st Kalmthout

Gazet van Antwerpen

:1st Essen

:2nd Rijkevorsel

:2nd Lille

:2nd Oostmalle

Superprestige

:2nd Hoogstraten

:2nd Surhuisterveen

:3rd Silvelle

2000–2001

2nd Overall UCI World Cup

:1st Tábor

:2nd Bergamo

:3rd Heusden-Zolder

2nd Overall Superprestige

:1st Harnes

:2nd Ruddervorde

:2nd Gieten

:3rd Sint-Michielsgestel

2nd Loenhout

3rd Overall Gazet van Antwerpen

:1st Oostmalle

:2nd Lille

3rd National Championships

2001–2002

1st Ardooie

1st Contern

1st Vossem

1st Woerden

2nd Eeklo

2nd Veldegem

3rd Overall Superprestige

:1st Ruddervorde

:2nd Gieten

:3rd Sint-Michielsgestel

:3rd Vorselaar

3rd Overall Gazet van Antwerpen

:1st Kalmthout

:1st Lille

:3rd Niel

3rd Overall UCI World Cup

:2nd Monopoli

:2nd Igorre

:3rd Heerlen

2002–2003

1st UCI World Championships

1st Overall UCI World Cup

:1st Frankfurt

:1st Wetzikon

:2nd Hoogerheide

:3rd Liévin

1st Eeklo

1st Overijse

1st Tábor

2nd Overall Superprestige

:1st Gavere

:1st Vorselaar

:2nd Gieten

:3rd Sint-Michielsgestel

:3rd Hoogstraten

:3rd Harnes

2nd Overall Gazet van Antwerpen

:1st Niel

:2nd Essen

:2nd Lille

:2nd Oostmalle

:3rd Koppenbergcross

2nd Hamme

2nd Woerden

2nd Zonnebeke

3rd National Championships

3rd Eernegem

2003–2004

1st UCI World Championships

1st National Championships

1st Overall Superprestige

:1st Ruddervorde

:1st Gavere

:1st Gieten

:1st Diegem

:2nd Sint-Michielsgestel

:2nd Harnes

:3rd Hoogstraten

1st Overall Gazet van Antwerpen

:1st Koppenbergcross

:1st Niel

:1st Kalmthout

:1st Essen

:1st Loenhout

1st Dottenijs

1st Harderwijk

1st Hooglede

1st Milan

1st Overijse

1st Surhuisterveen

1st Vossem

1st Woerden

2nd Middelkerke

3rd Overall UCI World Cup

:1st Nommay

:2nd Torino

:2nd Wetzikon

3rd Eernegem

2004–2005

Gazet van Antwerpen

:1st Essen

:2nd Baal

Superprestige

:2nd Gieten

:2nd Vorselaar

2nd Heerlen

2005–2006

UCI World Cup

:1st Igorre

:2nd Kalmthout

:3rd Wetzikon

1st Ardooie

1st Dottenijs

1st Erpe-Mere

1st Neerpelt

2nd Overall Gazet van Antwerpen

:1st Essen

:2nd Koppenbergcross

:3rd Niel

2nd UCI World Championships

3rd Overall Superprestige

:1st Ruddervorde

:1st Sint-Michielsgestel

:2nd Hamme

:3rd Vorselaar

3rd National Championships

3rd Eeklo

2006–2007

1st National Championships

1st Lebbeke

1st Middelkerke

1st Veghel-Eerde

2nd Overall UCI World Cup

:1st Milan

:2nd Aigle

:2nd Tábor

:2nd Koksijde

:2nd Igorre

:2nd Nommay

2nd Neerpelt

Gazet van Antwerpen

:1st Niel

:2nd Hasselt

:2nd Essen

3rd Overall Superprestige

:2nd Hamme

:2nd Diegem

:3rd Ruddervorde

2007–2008

1st Zonhoven

1st Zonnebeke

2nd Overall Gazet van Antwerpen

:1st Niel

:2nd Oostmalle

:2nd Lille

:2nd Hasselt

:2nd Koppenbergcross

UCI World Cup

:2nd Pijnacker

:2nd Igorre

:2nd Hofstade

:2nd Liévin

:2nd Hoogerheide

2nd Overall Superprestige

:3rd Ruddervorde

:3rd Hamme

:3rd Gavere

:3rd Veghel-Eerde

2nd National Championships

2nd Eeklo

2nd Overijse

3rd Antwerpen

3rd Ardooie

3rd Dottenijs

3rd Harderwijk

3rd Neerpelt

2008–2009

1st Asteasu

1st Sint-Niklaas

2nd Overall Gazet van Antwerpen

:1st Hasselt

:3rd Lille

2nd Overall UCI World Cup

:3rd Nommay

2nd Lebbeke

2nd Neerpelt

2nd Sint-Michielsgestel

3rd Overall Superprestige

:2nd Gieten

:2nd Gavere

:3rd Hamme

:3rd Hoogstraten

3rd Maldegem

3rd Mechelen

2009–2010

Gazet van Antwerpen

:1st Oostmalle

1st Eeklo

3rd Maldegem

3rd Zonnebeke

2010–2011

1st Cauberg

2nd National Championships

UCI World Cup

:3rd Heusden-Zolder

Superprestige

:3rd Middelkerke

Fidea Classics

:3rd Niel

2011–2012

Gazet van Antwerpen

:1st Essen

:3rd Baal

1st Issaquah

1st Redmond

1st Sun Prairie II

2nd Kalmthout

2nd Sun Prairie I

2012–2013

1st Maldegem

2nd Otegem

2nd Woerden

Superprestige

:3rd Gavere

2013–2014

3rd National Championships

References

External links