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 Day 2
2nd Kalmthout
2nd Sun Prairie Day 1
2012–2013
1st Maldegem
2nd Otegem
2nd Woerden
Superprestige
3rd Gavere
2013–2014
3rd National Championships
References
External links
1978 births
Living people
Belgian male cyclists
Cyclo-cross cyclists
UCI Cyclo-cross World Champions (men)
Cyclists from Antwerp Province
People from Vorselaar
Belgian cyclo-cross champions