At the 2021 UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Rucphen, the Netherlands, two of the most consistent Elite Women and the top two U23 Women turned a Marianne Vos holeshot into a commanding gap for the first two laps.
Vos, Lucinda Brand, Fem van Empel and Puck Pieterse flew away from all others at the start, with contrasting styles. While Vos and Brand routinely had to run the sand pit, the two U23s sailed through the sand.
Vos stepped through on her dismount, while Pieterse hopped the barriers. Could one of the leading four take the race?
After three laps, the pace stalled and Denise Betsema and Annemarie Worst made contact. Betsema wasted no time in attacking, drawing out Vos and forcing the others to chase.
By Lap Four, the Rucphen ruts were deep enough in the sand that the sandpit no longer was decisive, with the top six riding cleanly through the man-made feature. Heading into Lap Five, Pieterse and Worst were dangling behind the new leading four.
Could Betsema, ever-content to lead, drop her rivals on the fast, relatively flat course?
Heading into the final lap, her strategy was working, and she seemed to secure a podium spot by shedding Worst, Pieterse and Van Empel.
Brand led the final lap, with Vos following and Betsema now sitting in. Vos found herself in a familiar position to just a week ago, within sight of a win, but chasing a leader with a few turns left. Could she get revenge after her last-second tumble at the snowy must-watch Val di Sole World Cup?
The final time through the sand pit forced the top three off their bikes, and had Brand pushing to avoid a sprint. Betsema fell off the pace, but Vos looked determined to make up for her Italian silver.
The final barriers delivered more typical Vos drama. She took a tight turn into the barriers and almost slid out, tried to remount ahead of Brand, couldn’t get into her pedals or to the inside of the turn first, banged her shoes to clear the mud, and looked set for another silver.
Brand took to the finishing straight first, unleashed her sprint, and looked ahead for gold.
Vos had one more Boss mode left. She slipped behind Brand, went right, and roared past a visibly defeated Brand and let out a primal scream.
The GOAT has still got it.
“It was a very very fast race, if you make a small mistake then it can make a difference, luckily I could make up and start the sprint again,” Vos said after the finish. “It’s very nice to win a race, it’s a World Cup, it’s in the Netherlands, of course, it’s without spectators but it’s a great atmosphere and very nice to take the victory.”
Betsema took third, with Van Empel outkicking Pieterse for the top U23 points.
2021 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Rucphen Results: Elite Women
| Pos | Nr | Name / UCI Cyclocross Team | NAT | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | VOS Marianne JUMBO-VISMA WOMEN TEAM | NED | 54:14 | - |
| 2 | 1 | BRAND Lucinda BALOISE TREK LIONS | NED | 54:14 | +0:00 |
| 3 | 3 | BETSEMA Denise PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | NED | 54:22 | +0:08 |
| 4 | 6 | * VAN EMPEL Fem PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | NED | 54:31 | +0:17 |
| 5 | 5 | * PIETERSE Puck ALPECIN - FENIX | NED | 54:33 | +0:19 |
| 6 | 4 | WORST Annemarie 777 | NED | 54:58 | +0:44 |
| 7 | 8 | * VAN ANROOIJ Shirin BALOISE TREK LIONS | NED | 55:30 | +1:16 |
| 8 | 19 | CANT Sanne IKO - CRELAN | BEL | 55:33 | +1:19 |
| 9 | 15 | LECHNER Eva TRINX FACTORY TEAM | ITA | 55:52 | +1:38 |
| 10 | 10 | VAN DER HEIJDEN Inge 777 | NED | 55:54 | +1:40 |
| 11 | 41 | CLAUZEL Perrine A.S BIKE CROSSTEAM | FRA | 55:58 | +1:44 |
| 12 | 12 | BAKKER Manon IKO - CRELAN | NED | 56:13 | +1:59 |
| 13 | 50 | KAY Anna STARCASINO CX TEAM | GBR | 56:21 | +2:07 |
| 14 | 2 | ALVARADO Ceylin del Carmen ALPECIN - FENIX | NED | 56:26 | +2:12 |
| 15 | 11 | VAN ALPHEN Aniek 777 | NED | 56:30 | +2:16 |
| 16 | 20 | FRANCK Alicia PROXIMUS - ALPHAMOTORHOMES - DOLTCINI CT | BEL | 56:31 | +2:17 |
| 17 | 16 | PERSICO Silvia VALCAR - TRAVEL & SERVICE | ITA | 56:32 | +2:18 |
| 18 | 14 | ARZUFFI Alice Maria VALCAR - TRAVEL & SERVICE | ITA | 56:42 | +2:28 |
| 19 | 7 | KASTELIJN Yara IKO - CRELAN | NED | 57:01 | +2:47 |
| 20 | 26 | VERDONSCHOT Laura PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | BEL | 57:12 | +2:58 |
| 21 | 24 | TRUYEN Marthe IKO - CRELAN | BEL | 57:17 | +3:03 |
| 22 | 40 | CLAUZEL Helene A.S BIKE CROSSTEAM | FRA | 57:25 | +3:11 |
| 23 | 56 | ROCHETTE Maghalie | CAN | 57:51 | +3:37 |
| 24 | 45 | GONZALEZ BLANCO Lucia NESTA - MMR CX TEAM | ESP | 57:58 | +3:44 |
| 25 | 23 | VAN LOY Ellen | BEL | 58:15 | +4:01 |
| 26 | 32 | * CLOUSE Katie CANNONDALE/CYCLOCROSSWORLD | USA | 58:37 | +4:23 |
| 27 | 31 | HONSINGER Clara CANNONDALE/CYCLOCROSSWORLD | USA | 59:03 | +4:49 |
| 28 | 21 | NORBERT RIBEROLLE Marion STARCASINO CX TEAM | BEL | 59:15 | +5:01 |
| 29 | 13 | * NOMDEN Isa | NED | 59:16 | +5:02 |
| 30 | 17 | * BRAMATI Lucia TRINX FACTORY TEAM | ITA | 59:17 | +5:03 |
| 31 | 18 | TEOCCHI Chiara TRINITY RACING | ITA | 59:19 | +5:05 |
| 32 | 49 | MELLOR Amira TEAM SPECTRA WIGGLE P/B VITUS | GBR | 59:20 | +5:06 |
| 33 | 22 | VERHOEVEN Suzanne | BEL | 59:20 | +5:06 |
| 34 | 34 | BERNSTEIN Caitlin | USA | 59:29 | +5:15 |
| 35 | 53 | BRANDAU Elisabeth | GER | 59:34 | +5:20 |
| 36 | 29 | * DE WILDE Julie IKO - CRELAN | BEL | 59:36 | +5:22 |
| 37 | 51 | * CREES Xan TEAM SPECTRA WIGGLE P/B VITUS | GBR | 59:46 | +5:32 |
| 38 | 27 | * CRABBE Kiona PLANTUR-PURA | BEL | 59:55 | +5:41 |
| 39 | 48 | * WLODARCZYK Dominika | POL | 1:00:00 | +5:46 |
| 40 | 28 | DOBBELAERE Jana STARCASINO CX TEAM | BEL | 1:00:00 | +5:46 |
| 41 | 59 | STEPANOVA Karla MALOJA PUSHBIKERS MTB | CZE | 1:00:08 | +5:54 |
| 42 | 30 | NUSS Raylyn | USA | 1:00:38 | +6:24 |
| 43 | 44 | * VIDON Amandine VCA ANJOS ASTERION | FRA | 1:00:48 | +6:34 |
| 44 | 36 | * MUNRO Madigan TREK FACTORY RACING CX | USA | 1:00:50 | +6:36 |
| 45 | 57 | MCGILL Sidney | CAN | 1:01:04 | +6:50 |
| 46 | 35 | MEGALE Anna | USA | 1:01:18 | +7:04 |
| 47 | 33 | ZAVETA Erica | USA | 1:01:28 | +7:14 |
| 48 | 25 | PEETERS Jinse PROXIMUS - ALPHAMOTORHOMES - DOLTCINI CT | BEL | 1:01:31 | +7:17 |
| 49 | 43 | * DEVIGNE Camille | FRA | 1:02:01 | +7:47 |
| 50 | 46 | CUETO VEGA Sara UNICAJA BANCO - GIJON | ESP | 1:02:05 | +7:51 |
| 51 | 42 | * WEINGARTEN Audrey SORIUS | FRA | 1:02:20 | +8:06 |
| 52 | 38 | KILLIPS Austin | USA | 1:02:31 | +8:17 |
| 53 | 37 | WERNER Emily | USA | 1:02:44 | +8:30 |
| 54 | 55 | * BARTHELS Maite ANDY SCHLECK - CP NVST - IMMO LOSCH | LUX | -2 LAP | |
| 55 | 58 | KELLY Siobhan | CAN | -2 LAP | |
| 56 | 39 | GROSS Rebecca | USA | -2 LAP | |
| 57 | 47 | * PINTO LARENJO Lydia NESTA - MMR CX TEAM | ESP | -2 LAP | |
| 62 | MANI Caroline | FRA | DNF |
