Nathalie De Vos wins in Roeselare | 27.11.2006
Belgium's Nathalie De Vos returned to form after two months of injury-inflicted frustration to win the Lotto Crosscup West-Vlaanderen on home soil in Roeselare on Sunday.
The race was one of three EAA Cross Country Permit Races contested over the weekend and the convincing manner of her victory has got people talking about De Vos as a potential medal contender at the 2006 SPAR European Cross Country Championships in San Giorgio su Legnano, Italy, on December 10.
"This was a wonderful result after my recent injury problems but I'm realistically only looking at a top ten finish in Italy," said De Vos, modestly downplaying her potential at the Championships in two weeks time.
No Belgian woman has achieved such a feat since Anja Smolders finished seventh at the 2000 SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
De Vos, who was 10th over 10,000m at the European Athletics Championships in August, took off halfway through the 6,440m grassy parkland race and was never seriously challenged from that point, crossing the line in 22:08.
The 24 year-old runner finished 14 seconds and nearly 70m clear of her local rival Veerle Dejaeghere with The Netherland's Adrienne Herzog, 15th at the 2005 SPAR European Cross Country Championships, finishing third in 22.42.
The men's 9,640m race in Roeselare was won by Kenya's Bernard Kipyego in 28:54 with Belgium's rapidly improving steeplechaser Pieter Desmet, who was fourth as a junior at the 2002 SPAR European Cross Country Championships, coming home third in 29:50 to take the accolade as the leading European
The race was one of three EAA Cross Country Permit Races contested over the weekend and the convincing manner of her victory has got people talking about De Vos as a potential medal contender at the 2006 SPAR European Cross Country Championships in San Giorgio su Legnano, Italy, on December 10.
"This was a wonderful result after my recent injury problems but I'm realistically only looking at a top ten finish in Italy," said De Vos, modestly downplaying her potential at the Championships in two weeks time.
No Belgian woman has achieved such a feat since Anja Smolders finished seventh at the 2000 SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
De Vos, who was 10th over 10,000m at the European Athletics Championships in August, took off halfway through the 6,440m grassy parkland race and was never seriously challenged from that point, crossing the line in 22:08.
The 24 year-old runner finished 14 seconds and nearly 70m clear of her local rival Veerle Dejaeghere with The Netherland's Adrienne Herzog, 15th at the 2005 SPAR European Cross Country Championships, finishing third in 22.42.
The men's 9,640m race in Roeselare was won by Kenya's Bernard Kipyego in 28:54 with Belgium's rapidly improving steeplechaser Pieter Desmet, who was fourth as a junior at the 2002 SPAR European Cross Country Championships, coming home third in 29:50 to take the accolade as the leading European