Marie Schreiber (SD Worx-Protime) dominated from begin to end on the muddy course in Hulst, claiming the primary elite UCI World Cup victory of her profession. The 21-year-old seized the holeshot and by no means appeared again her lead, navigating the slippery terrain with the least errors to complete 20 seconds forward of her nearest rival.
Behind her, the battle for podium positions unfolded between Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions), Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck), Annemarie Worst (Cyclocross Reds), and Inge van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon). Brand surged forward on the penultimate lap to assert second, whereas Pieterse crossed the road in third, 28 seconds behind Schreiber.
“I do not actually have the phrases. I imply, I do not actually imagine it but. I took a great begin and I used to be main and abruptly I used to be main by rather a lot and I used to be anticipating to each methods the race to come back again, however then with two laps to go I used to be like, shit, I can actually win this. I obtained actually nervous. I attempt to not make errors, however yeah, I felt actually good, like my legs had been tremendous good, however I’ve to say within the final lap, I made some mistake as a result of I realised I used to be gonna win this.” Schreiber stated.
“Remaining calm” is one factor that Schreiber is probably the most pleased with from in the present day’s race.
“I all the time have the nice begin after which I drop again a bit. But I imply truly to be main from begin to end s fairly sick feeling, and yeah, it is one thing I may be pleased with.”
After securing third within the season’s opening World Cup in Antwerp, Schreiber stepped as much as declare her first victory.
“I used to be pondering in the beginning of the season to get higher with every race, and the final couple of races I knew it is shut, however there’s one thing lacking and yeah, in the present day it labored out. I do not know if, yeah, I imply if I used to be that a lot better, however I do not actually know what to say.”
The subsequent spherical of the World Cup heads to Zonhoven on Sunday, closing out the weekend doubleheader.
“Tomorrow is the subsequent race once more possibly I’ll have all eyes on you tomorrow now however no stress, I’ve my win now. Tomorrow will probably be a brand new day new race.”
How it unfolded
Rain turned the course constructed round an previous fort, going up and down ramparts with off-camber banks right into a muddy mess and examined the technical expertise of lots of the riders.
Schreiber was the quickest on the primary tight right-hand nook to take the holeshot, and stake her declare to the entrance of the 91-rider subject. A place she would maintain till the end. Slotting behind her had been Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime), Zoe Backstedt (Canyon-Sram), Leonie Bentveld (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal), Inge van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon), Pieterse, and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Fenix-Deceuninck).
By the tip of the primary lap, Schreiber had an 11-second lead on Backstedt and although she bobbled on a banked muddy part. she not solely held her hole however elevated it by the tip of the lap.
Mid-way by the race, Schreiber has a stable 28 seconds on the chase group led by Brand who put down the ability, dropping Backstedt, and Alvarado.
By the beginning of the fifth lap, Schreiber had 19 seconds on the chase and was centered on driving cleanly to assert the win. Brand was setting the tempo within the chase group with Pieterse closing the hole however a mistake value Pieterse a while whereas behind her Annemarie Worst (Cyclocross Reds), Van der Heijden had been chasing whereas a surging Ana Holmgren (Lidl-Trek) has moved up briefly to the eleventh spot after beginning on the fourth row.
At the beginning of the bell lap, Brand had a seven-second lead on Pieterse however a mistake on the downhill – the identical spot the place she had an issue within the pre-ride – value her 4 seconds however she was in a position to maintain on for second place, forward of Pieterse.
Worst completed fourth and Van der Heijden was fifth.
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