by Mathias Dewaelsche
Today another DVV-trofee cyclocross race was held in the Flemish town of Lille, the city of three-time world champion Sanne Cant (IKO Beobank), fresh off her win in Bogense. Cant has already won here five times, including winning the Belgian championship in 2016.
Before today’s race Cant was the leader in the DVV-trofee with a 1 minute 22 seconds advantage on her cousin Loes Sels, although she only won one of the past seven races of the DVV-trofee.
Not one woman won more than one race of the DVV crosses of this season: Kim Van De Steene (Tarteletto-Isorex) won on the Koppenberg, Cant won in Niel, Annemarie Worst (Steylaerts 777) in Hamme, Denise Betsema (Marlux Bingoal) in Antwerp, Lucinda Brand (Sunweb) in Loenhout, Jolanda Neff (Trek) in Baal and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Corendon Circus) in Brussels.
Contenders for today were among others Cant, Worst, Betsema, Sels and new 2019 U23 world champion Inge van der Heijden (CCC – Liv). Brand and Vos were not present today. Van der Heijden, racing with the Elite Women (there was not a U23 women’s race), could not show off her new rainbow jersey.
After the long starting sprint, it was British champion Nikki Brammeier (Mudiita) who had the best start today, followed by Van der Heijden, Ellen Van Loy (Telenet Fidea), Betsema, Italian champion Alice Maria Arzuffi (Steylaerts 777) and Cant.
Worst missed her start completely, so did American champion Katie Compton (KFC Racing – Trek – Knight). Both would have their work cut out for them to move up on the sandy track. Many sections had one packed-down rut to ride, making passing opportunities limited.
Soon van der Heijden took over from Brammeier and opened up a small gap. Brammeier and Betsema tried to close the gap again and succeeded towards the end of the first lap. At the end of the first of five laps, Van der Heijden, Brammeier and Betsema had a gap of seven seconds on Van Loy, Sels and Cant. The latter saw the danger and started pushing to close the gap. Right after the stairs on the course, Cant made contact. Van der Heijden soon accelerated again and created a gap once again. Again, it was Cant who closed the gap. At the intermediate point Cant took the 15 bonus seconds.
At the end of the second lap Cant, Van der Heijden and Sels led with a little advantage on Betsema and Brammeier. Both women closed the gap at the beginning of the third lap, which made a leading group of five women. Behind them was Van Loy, in 6th position, and Laura Verdonschot in 7th position. In the group behind Verdonschot were Worst and Compton.
Halfway into the third lap, cousins Cant and Sels opened up a little advantage. Van der Heijden wasn’t done, however, and closed the gap, creating a leading group of three women at the end of the third lap.
That situation stayed the same in the fourth lap. Betsema, however, followed at five seconds in arrears, and put in a huge effort to close the gap in the final lap. Van der Heijden, Cant, Sels or Betsema—one of those women was going to win today’s race.
Sels was the first to pull up the pace. However, the 2019 World Champ wasn’t content to follow wheels. Similar to her final lap at Worlds, Cant surged and secured a gap, putting everyone else on the defensive.
Cant kept on the gas and won her second DVV cross of the season. Betsema took second, Sels third and Van der Heijden fourth. U.S. National Champion Compton came in seventh, European champion Worst ninth.
Cant secured the DVV trofee overall title with a 1 minute 35 seconds advantage on her cousin Sels and a 5 minutes 3 seconds advantage on Brammeier. Compton finished 6th in the final classification, with 14 minutes 58 seconds from Cant.
Six Americans took the start. Behind Compton, Rebecca Fahringer (Kona Maxxis Shimano) finished 26th, Erica Zaveta (Garneau Easton p/b Transitions Lifecare) 27th, Emily Werner (Amy D) in 42nd, Rebecca Gross 47th, and Corey Coogan Cisek (Amy D) in 48th.
Full results below.
Featured photo: 2017 Lille, M. Hilger
2019 DVV Krawatencross Lille Results: Elite Women
| Rank | BIB | Last Name | First Name | Country | Age | Result | UCI Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | CANT | Sanne | BEL | 29 | 0:45:37 | CORENDON - CIRCUS |
| 2 | 5 | BETSEMA | Denise | NED | 26 | 0:45:39 | MARLUX - BINGOAL |
| 3 | 11 | SELS | Loes | BEL | 34 | 0:45:40 | PAUWELS SAUZEN - VASTGOEDSERVICE |
| 4 | 2 | VAN DER HEIJDEN | Inge | NED | 20 | 0:45:44 | |
| 5 | 7 | BRAMMEIER | Nikki | GBR | 33 | 0:46:22 | |
| 6 | 8 | VAN LOY | Ellen | BEL | 39 | 0:46:31 | TELENET FIDEA LIONS |
| 7 | 18 | COMPTON | Katherine | USA | 41 | 0:46:32 | |
| 8 | 15 | VERDONSCHOT | Laura | BEL | 23 | 0:47:02 | MARLUX - BINGOAL |
| 9 | 3 | WORST | Annemarie | NED | 24 | 0:47:15 | STEYLAERTS - 777 |
| 10 | 10 | ARZUFFI | Alice Maria | ITA | 25 | 0:47:17 | STEYLAERTS - 777 |
| 11 | 12 | LECHNER | Eva | ITA | 34 | 0:47:22 | CREAFIN TÜV SUD |
| 12 | 22 | BAKKER | Manon | NED | 20 | 0:47:29 | |
| 13 | 48 | KASTELIJN | Yara | NED | 22 | 0:48:00 | STEYLAERTS - 777 |
| 14 | 6 | WYMAN | Helen | GBR | 38 | 0:48:08 | |
| 15 | 33 | VAN ALPHEN | Aniek | NED | 20 | 0:48:12 | |
| 16 | 34 | RIBEROLLE | Marion Norbert | FRA | 20 | 0:48:13 | |
| 17 | 27 | VAN ANROOIJ | Shirin | NED | 17 | 0:48:51 | |
| 18 | 63 | TRUYEN | Marthe | BEL | 20 | 0:48:59 | TELENET FIDEA LIONS |
| 19 | 20 | VERHESTRAETEN | Karen | BEL | 28 | 0:49:05 | |
| 20 | 17 | GONZALEZ BLANCO | Lucia | ESP | 29 | 0:49:12 | NESTA CX TEAM |
| 21 | 37 | GARIBOLDI | Rebecca | ITA | 23 | 0:49:22 | |
| 22 | 28 | WITLOX | Lizzy | NED | 24 | 0:49:49 | |
| 23 | 47 | KAY | Anna | GBR | 20 | 0:49:51 | |
| 24 | 32 | HOEKE | Geerte | NED | 29 | 0:49:56 | CREAFIN TÜV SUD |
| 25 | 53 | HANNES | Kaat | BEL | 28 | 0:50:10 | |
| 26 | 66 | PEETERS | Jinse | BEL | 20 | 0:50:12 | PAUWELS SAUZEN - VASTGOEDSERVICE |
| 27 | 29 | DELHAYE | Pauline | FRA | 30 | 0:50:46 | |
| 28 | 51 | FAHRINGER | Rebecca | USA | 30 | 0:51:15 | |
| 29 | 65 | ZAVETA | Erica | USA | 30 | 0:51:16 | GARNEAU-EASTON p/b TRANSITIONS LIFECARE |
| 30 | 31 | PAUL | Stefanie | GER | 33 | 0:51:24 | |
| 31 | 44 | VAN DER BURG | Esther | NED | 21 | 0:51:28 | |
| 32 | 58 | GOOSSENS | Veerle | NED | 26 | 0:51:29 | |
| 33 | 30 | ZWAENEPOEL | Tessa | BEL | 18 | 0:51:43 | |
| 34 | 23 | MULDER | Mascha | NED | 25 | 0:51:50 | |
| 35 | 4 | BELLAERT | Axelle | BEL | 22 | 0:51:55 | |
| 36 | 19 | MAES | Shana | BEL | 24 | 0:52:12 | |
| 37 | 55 | VAN DEN STEEN | Kelly | BEL | 24 | 0:52:19 | |
| 38 | 40 | VAN DER ZWAAN | Laura | NED | 18 | 0:52:50 | |
| 39 | 57 | JACOBS | Lotte | NED | 31 | 0:53:02 | |
| 40 | 35 | DE BRUYNE | Meg | BEL | 23 | 0:53:30 | |
| 41 | 24 | BROUWERS | Julie | BEL | 17 | 0:53:39 | |
| 42 | 25 | WERNER | Emily | USA | 26 | 0:53:40 | |
| 43 | 42 | VERMEIREN | Tinne | BEL | 24 | 0:53:50 | |
| 44 | 41 | DE VRIES | Didi | NED | 22 | 0:54:04 | |
| 45 | 54 | DOBBELAERE | Jana | BEL | 23 | 0:54:12 | |
| 46 | 16 | VAN LOY | Tess | BEL | 18 | 0:54:18 | |
| 47 | 59 | GROSS | Rebecca | USA | 39 | 0:54:23 | |
| 48 | 38 | COOGAN CISEK | Corey | USA | 42 | 0:54:35 | |
| 49 | 61 | NELEN | Kristien | BEL | 41 | 0:54:45 | |
| 50 | 26 | VAN WUNSEL | Lise | BEL | 19 | -2 LAPS | |
| 51 | 62 | PARAJON FUENTES | Maria | ESP | 17 | -2 LAPS | |
| 52 | 45 | SCHOON | Lisette | NED | 19 | -2 LAPS | |
| 53 | 39 | STEFFENHAGEN | Diana | GER | 34 | -2 LAPS | |
| 54 | 43 | BEIRINCKX | Lina | BEL | 17 | -3 LAPS | |
| 9 | DE BOER | Sophie | NED | 29 | DNF | ||
| 60 | MAUS | Laetitia | LUX | 18 | DNF |
