Another rider who came of age during the World Cup, 26-year-old German Philipp Walsleben was still in contention for the overall prize right up until the final race of the season. His second place behind van der Haar made him the first German to finish on the overall podium, with the five-time national champion showcasing great power throughout the series.

Although tipped to be a dark horse, Walsleben still surprised many with his aggressive riding, which saw him happy to lead from the front. However – if he is to compete in Hoogerheide – Walsleben will likely need to win solo – he was comprehensively outsprinted by Tom Meeusen and Francis Mourey in Nommay, outsprinted by van der Haar in Tabor and missed out at the death to Sven Nys in the early-season Superprestige race at Gavere.