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Compton was taking nearly 30 seconds per lap from her rivals. © Bart Hazen

Compton wins another World Cup in Kalmthout. (Out front in Koksijde © Bart Hazen )

Compton takes third World Cup win of the season in Kalmthout

by Bart Hazen

KALMTHOUT, BELGIUM – Newly re-crowned US National Champion Katie Compton has won the World Cup cyclocross in Kalmthout, Belgium. The Planet Bike rider soloed to an impressive win on the snowy and icy course to win by half a minute over world champion Marianne Vos and Czech national champ Katerina Nash (Luna). Sanne van Paassen, Sanne Cant, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, Hanka Kupfernagel, Pavla Havlikova, Sophie de Boer and Arenda Grimberg rounded out the top ten. World Cup leader Daphny van den Brand wasn’t able to start due to illness and lost her leader’s jersey to compatriot van Paassen.

British national champion Helen Wyman had the fastest start, but the Kona rider wasn’t able to fight for the top positions as she couldn’t hold the perfect line and slipped away. In the opening lap van Paassen, Nash, Cant and yesterday’s Scheldecross winner Kupfernagel broke clear from the field. Seven- time US National Champion Katie Compton had a slow start, but once her engine was rolling, she quickly bridged up to the break, forming a five-rider group in the second of five laps.

World champion Marianne Vos had a bad start position due to her lack of UCI points (this is only her second cyclocross race of the season, including yesterday’s Scheldecross),  but she was on fire and quickly sliced through the field. By the end of lap two she was already in the top 10. But by then Compton had already flown the coop, and Vos could never close the gap to contend for the win.

The women's podium: Marianne Vos, Katie Compton, Katerina Nash ©Bart Hazen

The women's podium: Marianne Vos, Katie Compton, Katerina Nash ©Bart Hazen

Just over halfway through the race, Compton attacked and van Paassen and Nash couldn’t follow. Cant and Kupfernagel dropped off the back and were later joined by the impressive Marianne Vos and young French talent Pauline Ferrand-Prevot. Vos was clearly the strongest and left her competitors behind in the fourth lap in search of van Paassen and Nash. In no time Vos moved up to Nash and van Paassen in the battle for second.

Turning into the final lap, Compton had a lead of over 20 seconds, and the Colorado-based rider didn’t make any mistakes to take her third World Cup win of the season after Aigle and Koksijde. Vos finished in second after outsprinting Czech champion Katerina Nash.

In addition to Compton, a few other Americans started in the Kalmthout World Cup. Portland’s Sue Butler (Hudz-Subaru) finished in 24th at 3:26, CXM contributor Christine Vardaros (Baboco) finished in 36th at 5:12, and Meredith Miller (Cal Giant) finished in 38th at 5:32.

Stay tuned for rider comments.

Photo Gallery:

Rank Name Nat. Age* Result Points PcR
1 Katherine COMPTON USA 33 38:18 200 200
2 Marianne VOS NED 24 38:49 160 160
3 Katerina NASH CZE 34 38:53 140 140
4 Sanne VAN PAASSEN NED 23 39:05 120 120
5 Sanne CANT BEL 21 39:37 110 110
6 Pauline FERRAND PREVOT FRA 19 39:47 100 100
7 Hanka KUPFERNAGEL GER 37 39:56 90 90
8 Pavla HAVLIKOVA CZE 28 40:17 80 80
9 Sophie DE BOER NED 21 40:27 70 70
10 Arenda GRIMBERG NED 33 40:28 60 60
11 Sabrina SCHWEIZER GER 21 40:28 58 58
12 Nikki HARRIS GBR 25 40:29 56 56
13 Helen WYMAN GBR 30 40:39 54 54
14 Jasmin ACHERMANN SUI 22 40:40 52 52
15 Ellen VAN LOY BEL 31 40:53 50 50
16 Linda VAN RIJEN NED 23 40:57 48 48
17 Sabrina STULTIENS NED 18 40:57 46 46
18 Sabine SPITZ GER 40 40:57 44 44
19 Christel FERRIER-BRUNEAU FRA 32 41:05 42 42
20 Nadia TRIQUET-CLAUDE FRA 33 41:28 40 40
21 Caroline MANI FRA 24 41:32 39 39
22 Gabriella DAY GBR 27 41:36 38 38
23 Susan BUTLER USA 40 41:44 37 37
24 Elisabeth BRANDAU GER 26 41:53 36 36
25 Martina ZWICK GER 22 41:57 35 35
26 Reza HORMES NED 44 42:19 34 34
27 Tessa VAN NIEUWPOORT NED 20 42:40 33 33
28 Nancy BOBER BEL 36 42:50 32 32
29 Martina MIKULASKOVA CZE 18 42:52 31 31
30 Margriet Helena KLOPPENBURG DEN 23 42:52 30 30
31 Anne ARNOUTS BEL 22 43:11 29 29
32 Daniela BRESCIANI ITA 29 43:19 28 28
33 Elke RIEDL AUT 40 43:25 27 27
34 Eva COLIN FRA 18 43:25 26 26
35 Ayako TOYOOKA JPN 31 43:26 25 25
36 Christine VARDAROS USA 42 43:30 24 24
37 Gertie WILLEMS BEL 34 43:38 23 23
38 Meredith MILLER USA 38 43:38 22 22
39 Genevieve WHITSON NZL 31 43:50 21 21
40 Nikoline HANSEN DEN 24 43:58 20 20
41 Nathalie NIJNS BEL 18 44:00 19 19
42 Nicoletta BRESCIANI ITA 25 44:12 18 18
43 Katrien THIJS BEL 26 44:15 17 17
44 Suzie GODART LUX 49 44:21 16 16
45 Christine MAJERUS LUX 24 15 15
46 Lana VERBERNE NED 19 14 14
47 Amélie MOREL PETITGIRARD FRA 22 13 13