Reigning world champion Niels Albert took out his second straight World Cup win, with victory in the Chech Republic city of Plzen over the weekend.

But it wasn’t easy pickings for the Belgium rider, having to overcome an awful start, which saw him kilometers of the main group.

The Powerplus rider said he was happy with the events conditions, which suited him to a tee.

“Today’s course, with the rain and the mud, is what I like,” he said.

“The ground was very slippery, but still fast, the best condition for me. I hope to come back in January for Worlds, but hopefully it’s still without snow and ice then,” Albert said.”

Albert finished 19 seconds ahead of compatriot Sven Nys, who finished in seconds place overall.

Despite being pipped for the title, the Landbouwkrediet-Colnago cyclist said he can take many positives out of the loss.

“Now I’m improving my start position for the future races and I can head to the Koppenbergcross with ease of mind. We’ll see some more interesting races in the near future,” he said.

Hometown hero Zdenek Štybar was out sprinted over the finish line and had to settle for third spot.

Kevin Pauwels finished fourth overall, with French champion Francis Mourey rounding out the top five.

Albert now holds a strong lead of 25 point over his nearest rival after two rounds, with Štybar his nearest rival.

The next round of the World Cup round will be in Nommay, France, on November 8.