# 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.

## 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