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After a Worlds some riders said was their hardest ever, many of the world’s top riders returned to action on Wednesday at Brico Cross Parkcross Maldegem. With the running and mud in Valkenburg perhaps causing some achy legs, the results got a shake-up with respect to to the 2018 World Championships.

Vos Bounces Back for the Win

Marianne Vos (Waowdeals Pro Cycling) had a rough go at Worlds, finishing a disappointing 18th. On Wednesday, she bounced back to win her first race of the 2017/18 season. Annemarie Worst (ERA-Circus) took second and Laura Verdonschot (Marlux-Bingoal) third.

Marianne Vos raced her typical abbreviated 'cross season, but never really got it going as she usually does. Elite Women, 2018 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, Valkenburg-Limburg, The Netherlands. © Gavin Gould / Cyclocross Magazine

Marianne Vos had a rough go at Worlds, but bounced back to win Wednesday at Parkcross Maldegem. Elite Women, 2018 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, Valkenburg-Limburg, The Netherlands. © Gavin Gould / Cyclocross Magazine

Several American women made the start. Katie Compton (KFC Racing p/b Trek/Knight Composites) finished 4th, Elle Anderson (Milwaukee – Alpha Motorhomes) 11th, Rebecca Fahringer 17th and Christine Vardaros 30th.

World Champion Sanne Cant (IKO-Beobank) took seventh.

Sweeck’s Fortunes Reinflate

In the Men’s race, Laurens Sweeck (ERA-Circus) kept the air in his tires and rode to the win. David van der Poel (Corendon-Circus) took second out of a five-up chase group, and Tim Merlier (Crelan-Charles) finished third. Neither Wout van Aert (Crelan-Charles) nor Mathieu van der Poel (Corendon-Circus) made the start.

Laurens Sweeck bounced back to win at Parkcross Maldegem. 2018 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, Valkenburg-Limburg, The Netherlands. © Bart Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Laurens Sweeck bounced back to win at Parkcross Maldegem. 2018 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, Valkenburg-Limburg, The Netherlands. © Bart Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

U23 Worlds champion Eli Iserbyt (Marlux-Bingoal) finished 21st and second-place Elite finisher Michael Vanthourenhout (Marlux-Bingoal) took a DNF.

Kerry Werner (Kona Factory CX Team) finished 17th, Tobin Ortenblad (Santa Cruz / Donkey Label Racing) 24th, Michael van den Ham (Garneau-Easton p/b Transitions LifeCare) 26th, Eric Thompson (MSpeedWax.com) 27th, Mark McConnel (Hot Sauce Cycling) 31st and Tyler Cloutier (Transitions LifeCare p/b Garneau-Easton) 34th.

Full results are below.

Next up on the European calendar are Saturday’s DVV / IJsboerke Trofee Krawatencross in Lille and Sunday’s Telenet Superprestige Hoogstraten.

Elite Women's Results: 2018 Parkcross Maldegem

RankBIBLast NameFirst NameCountryResult
137VOSMarianneNED0:45:24
227WORSTAnnemarieNED0:45:54
325VERDONSCHOTLauraBEL0:46:00
42COMPTONKatherineUSA0:46:12
519KAPTHEIJNSMaudNED0:46:22
633SELSLoesBEL0:46:44
71CANTSanneBEL0:46:44
835BAKKERManonNED0:47:14
934ARZUFFIAlice MariaITA0:47:14
104VAN DE STEENEKimBEL0:47:40
1121ANDERSONElleUSA0:47:47
1211VAN DER BURGEstherNED0:48:20
1330BETSEMADeniseNED0:48:33
1422VAN DEN HOEKBiancaNED0:48:41
1526VERSCHUERENJolienBEL0:48:59
1614PEETERSJinseBEL0:49:04
1718FAHRINGERRebeccaUSA0:49:24
185GOOSSENSVeerleNED0:49:26
1928WYMANHelenGBR0:49:42
2031NUÑO PALACIOAidaESP0:49:56
213GERRITSENIreneNED0:50:14
229KLOPPENBURGMargrietDEN0:50:31
236ZWAENEPOELTessaBEL0:50:42
2423MICHELSLaureBEL0:50:46
2515DE BRUYNEMegBEL0:50:54
2620DOBBELAEREJanaBEL0:51:59
2712DE VRIESDidiNED- 2 LAPS
2810VERMEIRAurelieBEL- 2 LAPS
297DE VOSNeleBEL- 3 LAPS
3036VARDAROSChristineUSA- 4 LAPS
3117FRAEYEKatleenBEL- 4 LAPS
3213DE WULFYasmineBEL- 4 LAPS
338BLANCHAERTJoBEL- 4 LAPS
DNF29FRANCKAliciaBEL

Elite Men's Results: 2018 Parkcross Maldegem

RankBIBRiderNationResult
124SWEECK LaurensBEL0:57:40
227VAN DER POEL DavidNED0:57:55
322MERLIER TimBEL0:57:55
436MEEUSEN TomBEL0:57:55
520AERTS ToonBEL0:57:55
629VANTHOURENHOUT DieterBEL0:57:55
726VAN DER HAAR LarsNED0:58:02
838HERMANS QuintenBEL0:58:12
923SOETE DaanBEL0:58:49
105ORTS LLORET FelipeESP0:59:00
1135ADAMS JensBEL0:59:18
1231VERMEERSCH GianniBEL0:59:18
1337PEETERS RobBEL0:59:30
1421MERLIER BraamBEL0:59:30
1510TIELEN DarioBEL0:59:49
1634AERTS ThijsBEL1:00:00
179WERNER KerryUSA1:00:00
1833PEETERS YannickBEL1:00:30
1930HOEYBERGHS DaanBEL1:00:30
206SWEECK HendrikBEL1:00:30
217ISERBYT EliBEL1:00:40
224ESTEBAN AGUERO IsmaelESP1:00:50
2328BONNE JenkoBEL1:01:30
2419ORTENBLAD TobinUSA1:01:30
2541DE WIT EdwinBEL1:01:30
2639VAN DEN HAM MichaelCAN1:01:38
2732THOMPSON EricUSA1:01:38
2812RUIZ DE LARRINAGA IBAÑEZ JavierESP1:01:38
2913DE SMET ThibautBEL1:02:10
308ALDERWEIRELD RobinBEL1:02:45
3140MCCONNELL MarkCAN1:02:51
3218DECLERCK MathiasBEL-2 LAPS
3316VANDENBROUCKE NielsBEL-2 LAPS
3417CLOUTIER TylerUSA-3 LAPS
3511VAN DE KERCKHOVE NickBEL-3 LAPS
3614MEELBERGHS PieterBEL-4 LAPS
DNF3VANTHOURENHOUT MichaelBEL
DNF25SWEECK DietherBEL