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.

Road

 * 2008
 * 1st Stage 1 Volta a Lleida


 * 2010
 * 4th Overall Czech Cycling Tour

Cyclo-cross

 * 1995–1996
 * 1st MaillotBélgica.PNG National Junior Championships


 * 1996–1997
 * 1st MaillotBélgica.PNG National Under-23 Championships
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg UCI World Under-23 Championships


 * 1997–1998
 * 1st MaillotBélgica.PNG National Under-23 Championships
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg UCI World Under-23 Championships
 * Superprestige
 * 3rd Gieten


 * 1998–1999
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg UCI World Under-23 Championships
 * 1st MaillotBélgica.PNG 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 Jersey rainbow.svg UCI World Under-23 Championships
 * 1st MaillotBélgica.PNG 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 Jersey rainbow.svg UCI World Championships
 * 1st Jersey white.svg 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 Jersey rainbow.svg UCI World Championships
 * 1st MaillotBélgica.PNG 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 Silver medal blank.svg UCI World Championships
 * 3rd Overall Superprestige
 * 1st Ruddervorde
 * 1st Sint-Michielsgestel
 * 2nd Hamme
 * 3rd Vorselaar
 * 3rd National Championships
 * 3rd Eeklo


 * 2006–2007
 * 1st MaillotBélgica.PNG 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