# Niels Albert

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
#### 2003–2004

    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

#### 2004–2005

    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

#### 2005–2006

    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

#### 2006–2007

    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

#### 2007–2008

    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

#### 2008–2009

    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

#### 2009–2010

    2nd Overall UCI World Cup
       1st Treviso
       1st Plzeň
       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

#### 2010–2011

    1st National Championships
    1st Overall UCI World Cup
       1st Koksijde
       1st Igorre
       1st Hoogerheide
       2nd Heusden-Zolder
       2nd Aigle
       2nd Pontchâteau
       3rd Plzeň
    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

#### 2011–2012

    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

#### 2012–2013

    1st Overall UCI World Cup
       1st Plzeň
       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

#### 2013–2014

    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