Niels Albert (born 5 February 1986 in Bonheiden, near Antwerp, Belgium) is a former professional cyclo-cross racing cyclist who currently resides in Tremelo. He became World Champion twice, in 2009 and 2012.
Career
Similarly to Sven Nys, Albert began BMX racing, in which he was two times Belgian National Champion, before switching to cyclo-cross. On 8 October 2006 Albert took his first major senior victory at Grote Prijs Pro Cycling Neerpelt, Belgium. Albert won the first International cyclo-cross of the 2007/08 season with a victory in Erpe-Mere, Belgium. Albert scored another big victory with the Superprestige in Gieten, the Netherlands where riding for the first time in the Elite category of the annual Gieten race, he beat Sven Nys and Lars Boom.
He finished second at the 2008/09 Belgian Cyclo-cross Championships (behind Sven Nys).
In 2009, he became the Cyclo-cross world champion in Hoogerheide, The Netherlands. He took a second World Champion title in 2012, after a solo victory in Koksijde.
His career ended abruptly on 19 May 2014, when Albert, aged 28, announced his retirement as a professional cyclist, due to heart problems.
Major results
Road
2007
3rd Overall Boucles de la Mayenne
2009
1st Stage 1 Mi-Août Bretonne
1st Prologue Boucles de la Mayenne
4th Overall Tour Alsace
:1st Stages 2 & 5
2010
5th Overall Circuito Montañes
:1st Stage 6
2011
1st Stage 2 Tour Alsace
7th Overall Boucles de la Mayenne
2013
8th Ronde van Limburg
Cyclo-cross
2003âÂÂ2004
1st UCI World Junior Championships
1st UEC European Junior Championships
1st National Junior Championships
1st Overall Junior Superprestige
:1st Ruddervorde
:1st Gieten
:1st Diegem
:1st Hoogstraten
:1st Harnes
:1st Vorselaar
:2nd Gavere
2004âÂÂ2005
1st Overall Under-23 Superprestige
:1st Gavere
:1st Gieten
:1st Hoogstraten
:1st Vorselaar
:2nd Sint-Michielsgestel
:3rd Ruddervorde
:3rd Diegem
UCI Under-23 World Cup
:1st Hofstade
1st Under-23 Kalmthout
1st Under-23 Beuvry
1st Under-23 Leudelange
2nd UEC European Under-23 Championships
2nd National Under-23 Championships
3rd Zonnebeke
2005âÂÂ2006
1st UEC European Under-23 Championships
1st National Under-23 Championships
1st Overall Under-23 Superprestige
:1st Ruddervorde
:1st Sint-Michielsgestel
:1st Gavere
:1st Gieten
:1st Diegem
:1st Hoogstraten
:1st Vorselaar
1st Overall Under-23 Gazet van Antwerpen
:1st Koppenberg
:1st Loenhout
:1st Lille
UCI Under-23 World Cup
:1st Kalmthout
Gazet van Antwerpen
:2nd Niel
:3rd Baal
1st Under-23 Pijnacker
2nd Aalter
2nd Antwerpen
2nd Dottenijs
2nd Eeklo
3rd UCI World Under-23 Championships
2006âÂÂ2007
1st UEC European Under-23 Championships
1st National Under-23 Championships
1st Overall UCI Under-23 World Cup
:1st Kalmthout
:1st Hofstade
:1st Nommay
:2nd Hoogerheide
1st Overall Under-23 Superprestige
:1st Sint-Michielsgestel
:1st Gavere
:1st Gieten
:1st Hamme
:1st Diegem
:1st Hoogstraten
:1st Vorselaar
:2nd Ruddervorde
2nd Overall Gazet van Antwerpen
:1st Oostmalle
:1st Loenhout
:3rd Baal
1st Antwerpen
1st Neerpelt
2nd UCI World Under-23 Championships
2nd Eeklo
2nd Vossem
2nd Mechelen
3rd Overijse
3rd Aalter
2007âÂÂ2008
1st UCI World Under-23 Championships
1st UEC European Under-23 Championships
1st Overall UCI Under-23 World Cup
:1st Kalmthout
:1st Hofstade
:1st Liévin
:1st Hoogerheide
3rd Overall Superprestige
:1st Gieten
:1st Hoogstraten
:1st Vorselaar
:2nd Veghel-Eerde
Gazet van Antwerpen
:1st Lille
:1st Oostmalle
:3rd Loenhout
:3rd Hasselt
1st Ardooie
1st Erpe-Mere
2nd Neerpelt
2nd Lebbeke
2nd Mechelen
3rd National Championships
3rd Eeklo
2008âÂÂ2009
1st UCI World Championships
UCI World Cup
:1st Tábor
:2nd Kalmthout
:2nd Pijnacker
Superprestige
:1st Veghel-Eerde
:2nd Vorselaar
:2nd Hoogstraten
:3rd Ruddervorde
Gazet van Antwerpen
:1st Lille
:2nd Oostmalle
:2nd Niel
:3rd Koppenberg
:3rd Baal
1st Erpe-Mere
1st Zonhoven
1st Ardooie
1st Eeklo
1st Mechelen
1st Tervuren
2nd National Championships
3rd Dottenijs
2009âÂÂ2010
2nd Overall UCI World Cup
:1st Treviso
:1st PlzeÃ
Â
:1st Nommay
:1st Hoogerheide
:2nd Igorre
:2nd Heusden-Zolder
:3rd Kalmthout
2nd Overall Superprestige
:1st Diegem
:1st Hoogstraten
:1st Gavere
:2nd Ruddervorde
:2nd Vorselaar
:3rd Gieten
3rd Overall Gazet van Antwerpen
:1st Namur
:1st Essen
:2nd Loenhout
:2nd Koppenberg
:3rd Baal
:3rd Hasselt
1st Ardooie
1st Erpe-Mere
1st Maldegem
1st Neerpelt
1st Overijse
1st Dottenijs
1st Eernegem
2nd Mechelen
3rd Bredene
2010âÂÂ2011
1st National Championships
1st Overall UCI World Cup
:1st Koksijde
:1st Igorre
:1st Hoogerheide
:2nd Heusden-Zolder
:2nd Aigle
:2nd Pontchâteau
:3rd PlzeÃ
Â
Superprestige
:1st Diegem
:2nd Hoogstraten
:3rd Hamme
:3rd Gavere
Gazet van Antwerpen
:1st Loenhout
:1st Oostmalle
:2nd Koppenberg
:3rd Baal
Fidea Classics
:1st Tervuren
:2nd Niel
3rd Asteasu
3rd Bredene
3rd Cauberg
3rd Mechelen
2011âÂÂ2012
1st UCI World Championships
Superprestige
:1st Ruddervorde
:1st Zonhoven
:1st Diegem
Gazet van Antwerpen
:1st Loenhout
:1st Oostmalle
:2nd Essen
:3rd Ronse
1st Kalmthout
1st Dottenijs
1st Mechelen
UCI World Cup
:2nd Namur
Fidea Classics
:2nd Niel
:3rd Neerpelt
2nd National Championships
3rd Cauberg
2012âÂÂ2013
1st Overall UCI World Cup
:1st PlzeÃ
Â
:2nd Rome
:2nd Heusden-Zolder
:2nd Koksijde
:3rd Namur
:3rd Tábor
:3rd Roubaix
1st Overall Bpost Bank Trophy
:1st Oostmalle
:1st Lille
:1st Loenhout
:1st Ronse
:2nd Koppenberg
:2nd Hasselt
:3rd Baal
:3rd Essen
2nd Overall Superprestige
:1st Diegem
:2nd Hamme
:2nd Zonhoven
:2nd Middelkerke
:2nd Ruddervorde
Soudal Classics
:1st Leuven
:1st Niel
:2nd Neerpelt
:3rd Antwerpen
1st Dottenijs
1st Heerlen
1st Cincinnati
2nd National Championships
2nd Bredene
2nd Kalmthout
2nd Overijse
2nd Sint-Niklaas
2nd Mechelen
3rd Ardooie
3rd Maldegem
2013âÂÂ2014
2nd Overall Superprestige
:1st Hamme
:1st Gieten
:2nd Zonhoven
:3rd Diegem
:3rd Hoogstraten
2nd Overall Bpost Bank Trophy
:1st Oostmalle
:2nd Hasselt
:3rd Baal
:3rd Loenhout
:3rd Essen
:3rd Ronse
3rd Overall UCI World Cup
:1st Koksijde
:1st Rome
:3rd Namur
Soudal Classics
:1st Neerpelt
:1st Antwerpen
1st Sint-Niklaas
1st Erpe-Mere
2nd Ardooie
2nd Dottenijs
3rd Maldegem
3rd Mechelen
See also
References
External links