Niels Albert

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 ==