Under the lights in Diegem, Belgium, world champion Sanne Cant won her first cyclocross Superprestige race of the season. Former world champ Pauline Ferrand-Prevot finished second ahead of series leader Maud Kaptheijns on Saturday.
Kaptheijns, winner of the first four Superprestige rounds, made her intentions clear from the outset. The 23-year-old took the holeshot and rode with a slight solo lead.
A chase group of five riders caught the Crelan-Charles rider near the end of the first lap. However, the group soon broke apart on the slippery track.
Marianne Vos (WM3) and Cant (Beobank-Corendon) joined Kaptheijns at the front as they headed out onto lap two, following the long pavement finish stretch through the town of Diegem.
While Vos faded back to the chase group, Ferrand-Prevot (Canyon-SRAM) bridged up to Cant and Kaptheijns.
The lead trio rode together for the next few laps. Occasionally, Kaptheijns would get a gap on some of the wet, grassy straightaways, but the current and former world champion wouldn’t let the Dutchwoman too far out of their sight.
Cant made her winning move in the course’s only sandpit, after about 25 minutes of racing. She’d been consistently powering through the deep sand obstacle while Ferrand-Prevot was riding less consistently. Kaptheijns was also better in the sand than the Frenchwoman and chased in second place.
Yet Kaptheijns could not hold off Ferrand-Prevot in the closing laps. Cant rode to her third straight victory of the Kerstperiode holiday series. Ferrand-Prevot finished alone in second.
Also of note, American Elle Anderson (Cycling.be-Alpha Motorhomes) sprinted to sixth place, a strong follow-up to her fourth-place finish in Bredene the day prior.
Results
- 1. Sanne Cant (BEL), 0:48:22
- 2. Pauline Ferrand Prevot (FRA), 0:48:43
- 3. Maud Kaptheijns (NED), 0:48:57
- 4. Laura Verdonschot (BEL), 0:49:30
- 5. Nikki Brammeier (GBR), 0:49:42
- 6. Elle Anderson (USA), 0:49:54
- 7. Jolien Verschueren (BEL), 0:49:55
- 8. Annemarie Worst (NED), 0:50:13
- 9. Marianne Vos (NED), 0:50:20
- 10. Inge Van Der Heijden (NED), 0:50:39
- 11. Alice Maria Arzuffi (ITA), 0:50:58
- 12. Nikola Noskova (CZE), 0:51:20
- 13. Christel Ferrier Bruneau (CAN), 0:51:36
- 14. Anne Terpstra (NED), 0:52:00
- 15. Ellen Van Loy (BEL), 0:52:17
- 16. Karen Verhestraeten (BEL), 0:52:24
- 17. Sunny Gilbert (USA), 0:52:40
- 18. Anna Kay (GBR), 0:52:50
- 19. Joyce Vanderbeken (BEL), 0:52:55
- 20. Fleur Nagengast (NED), 0:52:59
- 21. Bethany Crumpton (GBR), 0:53:05
- 22. Adéla ŠafÁŘovÁ (CZE), 0:53:09
- 23. Marthe Truyen (BEL), 0:54:18
- 24. Alessia Bulleri (ITA), 0:54:23
- 25. Pauline Delhaye (FRA), 0:54:27
- 26. Axelle Bellaert (BEL), 0:54:32
- 27. Veerle Goossens (NED), 0:54:34
- 28. Susanne Meistrok (NED), 0:54:43
- 29. Ida Jansson (SWE), 0:54:46
- 30. Magdeleine Vallieres Mill (CAN), 0:55:15
- 31. Harriet Harnden (GBR), 0:55:23
- 32. Magdalena MiŠoŇovÁ (CZE), 0:55:52
- 33. Ida Erngren (SWE), 0:56:10
- 34. Laura Van Der Zwaan (NED), 0:56:17
- 35. Shana Maes (BEL), 0:56:30
- 36. Tereza VanÍČkovÁ (CZE), 0:56:59
- 37. Irene Gerritsen (NED), 0:57:33
- 38. Kata Blanka Vas (HUN), 0:57:43
- 39. Asia Zontone (ITA), 0:57:47
- 40. Rozemarijn Ammerlaan (NED), 0:57:59
- 41. Camille Pierre (FRA), 0:58:05
- 42. Kamila JanŮ (CZE), 0:58:48
- 43. Tessa Zwaenepoel (BEL), 0:59:28
- 44. Aurelie Vermeir (BEL), 0:59:58
- 45. Axelle Dubau Prevot (FRA), Lapped
- 46. Corey Coogan Cisek (USA), Lapped
- 47. Stacey Riedel (AUS), Lapped
- 48. Caren Commissaris (BEL), Lapped
- 49. Natalie Tapias (USA), Lapped
- 50. Julia Nikolopoulos (GER), Lapped
- 51. Helena Coney (CAN), Lapped
- 52. Siobhan Kelly (CAN), Lapped
- 53. Sophie Thackray (GBR), Lapped
- 54. Lucie Delecourt (FRA), Lapped
- 55. Jo Blanchaert (BEL), Lapped
- 56. Jennifer Forrester (GBR), Lapped
- 57. Erin Mitchell (AUS), Lapped
- 58. Béatrice Godart (LUX), Lapped
- 59. Sarah Berkane (FRA), Lapped
- DNF Maaike De Heij (NED)
- DNF Denise Betsema (NED)
- DNF Jana Dobbelaere (BEL)
- DNF Yara Kastelijn (NED)
- DNF Joelle Delhaes (BEL)
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