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
See also
Niels Albert CX
References
UCI World Cyclo-cross Championships Archive
External links
1986 births
Living people
Belgian male cyclists
Cyclo-cross cyclists
People from Bonheiden
UCI Cyclo-cross World Champions (men)
Cyclists from Antwerp Province
Belgian cyclo-cross champions
21st-century Belgian people