Ice-cold Joris Nieuwenhuis takes ruthless victory in Val di Sole snow

In the picturesque snow of Val di Sole, there was no cooler character than the ice-cold Joris Niewenhuis. The Baloise - Trek Lions rider led from the start and took a comfortable win, his first in the UCI World Cup.

With the thick snow ensuring a vast difference in tyre choices amongst the riders, the early front runners were Joris Nieuwenhuis and Niels Vandeputte. By the end of lap 1 though, Nieuwenhuis was clear in front and a comfortable leader.

Stretching his lead over the next couple of laps, the Baloise - Trek Lions rider was 30 seconds clear of Vandeputte after three laps. In turn, Vandeputte had a similar gap to third-placed Joran Wyseure, with Eli Iserbyt and Michael Vanthourenhout following closely behind him.

Despite the treacherous conditions, Nieuwenhuis was looking extremely comfortable and in no difficulty with the gap to him and the rest of the pack only extending in the mid-laps.

With a drama-free conclusion for the leading riders, the podium was completed. Joris Nieuwenhuis ahead of Niels Vandeputte with Joran Wysere completing the podium.