After an almost two-year absence from cyclocross, Marianne Vos made her return on the UCI World Cup in Besançon on Sunday, the place she completed in fifth place on the troublesome icy course with a mediocre beginning place.
The eight-time world champion’s final cyclocross race was on the Benidorm World Cup in January 2023 earlier than her restoration from iliac artery surgical procedure in August, compelled her to overlook the next ‘cross season.
Before the beginning in France, the Visma-Lease A Bike rider admitted that she had some apprehension about her first race again.
“Well, thrilling and a few nerves as nicely after all, at all times the primary race of the season,” Vos mentioned.
“I feel on this race all people will combat for, for their very own place. I imply, it is arduous, it is technical, I should try to, and transfer up a bit of within the area, however I’ll see how far I can get.”
Relegated to a fifth-row begin, she knew that she would have a battle in entrance of her to get a consequence, after which she confronted the additional difficult ice-over-mud course circumstances and brutally chilly climate, hovering across the freezing level.
For Vos, your complete lap was troublesome, and couldn’t pinpoint a selected part as probably the most troublesome.
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“There’s not a lot of a recuperation within the race, so should you’re uphill and also you’re pushing or operating, and should you’re downhill, it is advisable be very sharp after which focus as a result of each nook is basically slippery.”
Vos made her means via the pack, shifting as much as eleventh place after the primary lap whereas on the entrance, world champion Fem van Empel (Visma-Lease A Bike) soloed away to victory. Midway via the five-lap race, Vos related with Zoe Backstedt (Canyon-Sram) in a battle for fourth place.
The 37-year outdated Dutchwoman and the 20-year outdated Brit had been then locked in a duel, every utilizing their particular expertise to take the entrance, and even skipping some bike adjustments to get the benefit whereas maintaining monitor of riders arising behind them. But then, on the ultimate lap, Backstedt was capable of get a small hole, and maintain it to the end line for fourth place.
“I had nothing,” Vos mentioned of her last lap. “I used to be simply actually, actually drained and naturally, the coordination will get a bit messy should you’re drained, so the final lap was possibly not the very best one, however it was an excellent race additionally with Zoe Backstedt so it was good.”
“I’m fairly completely satisfied. It was undoubtedly a tough race however I used to be completely satisfied to search out myself shifting up within the bunch, after which after all once I was round 4 or 5, it obtained actually, actually arduous, after which I fought till the road. So I’m pleased with the race right now.”
Vos mentioned that she would use this race to check her efficiency to see if she would race the World Championship in in Liévin, France later within the season.
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