Intro:

Kevin Pauwels tightens his grip on the cyclo-cross World Cup title after winning in Namur, Belgium.

Script:

With two rounds of the cyclo-cross World Cup season to go, Kevin Pauwels remains in pole position to take his second title.

Racing on home soil in Belgium, the World Cup leader edged out Lars van der Haar to win the fourth round, with Philipp Walsleben completing the podium.

The challenging course in Namur had turned to thick mud in some sections when the elite men started the final race of the day.

As his rivals struggled through the mud, van der Haar mastered the tricky conditions to power to the front.

Only Pauwels could keep pace with the young Dutchman and a fierce duel developed between the two men over the last two laps.

A tiring van der Haar eventually succumbed, with Pauwels gaining the few seconds that he needed to seal victory ahead of van der Haar and Walsleben in third.

Pauwels now has a 77-point lead over van der Haar in the World Cup standings.