With European cyclocross nationals wrapped up, international ’cross wasted little time getting back at it on Monday at Cyclocross Otegem. 2019 marked the 51st edition of the event that typically takes place the Monday after Europe’s national championships.
A lot of defending champions won their respective races over the weekend, so there were not too many jersey changes on Monday. There were, however, a few.
After putting together her own program for 2018, Helen Wyman debuted with the Experza – Footlogix team on Monday. The team raced at the WorldTour level in 2018, but it has decided to reboot as a women’s cyclocross program for 2019. British Nationals runner-up Anna Kay is also one of the team’s members along with Wyman.
The big reveal! Welcome to the team @CXHelen Super proud to have a star of cyclocross to lead our team on and off the bike #teamexfo #newriderday pic.twitter.com/we2vhsfDCo
— Experza-Footlogix (@teamEXFO) January 14, 2019
The other big jersey change was the sight of the Belgian champion’s kit on Toon Aerts (Telenet Fidea Lions) after his win at Belgian Nationals on Sunday. The race was the first Elite appearance of the black, yellow and red jersey since Sanne Cant (IKO – Beobank) wore it at World Cup Hoogerheide in 2017.
At work prior to his race. @ToAerts #otegem #cyclocross pic.twitter.com/ulTCPi8gtK
— Philippe Maertens (@philmaertens) January 14, 2019
Denise Betsema (Marlux – Bingoal) finished off the podium at the star-studded Dutch Nationals, but she bounced back by winning on Monday at Otegem. Loes Sels (Pauwels Sauzen – Vastgoedservice) finished second and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Corendon – Circus)—fresh off a U23 Nationals win—took third.
Katie Compton (KFC Racing p/b Trek Knight) finished 4th, Wyman took 5th in her new team debut, Maghalie Rochette (CX Fever p/b Specialized) finished 14th, Corey Coogan Cisek (Amy D. Foundation) 20th and Rebecca Gross (Zero D Racing) 23rd.
In the Elite Men’s race, Mathieu van der Poel (Corendon – Circus) won his 24th international race of the 2018/19 season. Wout van Aert (Cibel – Cebon Offroad Team) bounced back from his second at Belgian Nationals to finish second, and Toon Aerts (Telenet Fidea Lions) finished third.
Many of the U.S. riders currently in Europe were in Spain for some warmer-weather training before the last two World Cups and the World Championships.
Next up on the international cyclocross calendar is World Cup Pont-Château in France on Sunday.
Full results from Otegem are below.
Featured image: Bart Hazen
Elite Women Results: 2019 Cyclocross Otegem
| Rank | BIB | Last Name | First Name | Country | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | BETSEMA | Denise | NED | 0:44:46 |
| 2 | 28 | SELS | Loes | BEL | 0:44:58 |
| 3 | 5 | ALVARADO | Ceylin del Carmen | NED | 0:45:01 |
| 4 | 3 | COMPTON | Katherine | USA | 0:45:07 |
| 5 | 7 | WYMAN | Helen | GBR | 0:45:36 |
| 6 | 2 | ARZUFFI | Alice Maria | ITA | 0:45:36 |
| 7 | 31 | VAN LOY | Ellen | BEL | 0:45:42 |
| 8 | 15 | KAY | Anna | GBR | 0:46:08 |
| 9 | 1 | CANT | Sanne | BEL | 0:46:31 |
| 10 | 8 | MAJERUS | Christine | LUX | 0:46:31 |
| 11 | 16 | VERHESTRAETEN | Karen | BEL | 0:46:38 |
| 12 | 12 | BAKKER | Manon | NED | 0:46:49 |
| 13 | 14 | CRUMPTON | Bethany | GBR | 0:46:53 |
| 14 | 32 | ROCHETTE | Maghalie | CAN | 0:47:11 |
| 15 | 29 | HOEKE | Geerte | NED | 0:47:24 |
| 16 | 18 | DELHAYE | Pauline | FRA | 0:47:33 |
| 17 | 30 | MATSUMOTO | Rina | JPN | 0:49:09 |
| 18 | 17 | BELLAERT | Axelle | BEL | 0:49:26 |
| 19 | 25 | NOBUS | Anja | BEL | 0:50:23 |
| 20 | 19 | COOGAN CISEK | Corey | USA | -1 LAP |
| 21 | 23 | VAN DE PUTTE | Kim | BEL | -1 LAP |
| 22 | 24 | DOBBELAERE | Jana | BEL | -1 LAP |
| 23 | 20 | GROSS | Rebecca | USA | -2 LAPS |
| 24 | 21 | BROUWERS | Julie | BEL | -3 LAPS |
| DNF | 11 | VANDERBEKEN | Joyce | BEL |
Elite Men Results: 2019 Cyclocross Otegem
| Rank | BIB | Last Name | First Name | Country | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | VAN DER POEL | Mathieu | NED | 1:01:38 |
| 2 | 1 | VAN AERT | Wout | BEL | 1:02:26 |
| 3 | 3 | AERTS | Toon | BEL | 1:03:28 |
| 4 | 7 | MERLIER | Tim | BEL | 1:03:40 |
| 5 | 15 | VANTHOURENHOUT | Dieter | BEL | 1:03:43 |
| 6 | 11 | VERMEERSCH | Gianni | BEL | 1:03:58 |
| 7 | 8 | SOETE | Daan | BEL | 1:04:02 |
| 8 | 12 | CLEPPE | Nicolas | BEL | 1:04:10 |
| 9 | 43 | PAUWELS | Kevin | BEL | 1:05:01 |
| 10 | 5 | SWEECK | Laurens | BEL | 1:05:20 |
| 11 | 14 | MERLIER | Braam | BEL | 1:05:29 |
| 12 | 10 | AERTS | Thijs | BEL | 1:05:46 |
| 13 | 21 | DERVEAUX | Niels | BEL | 1:05:53 |
| 14 | 22 | BONNE | Jenko | BEL | 1:06:16 |
| 15 | 27 | TIELEN | Dario | BEL | 1:07:15 |
| 16 | 31 | VANKEIRSBILCK | Berne | BEL | -2 LAPS |
| 17 | 20 | BEKAERT | Yentl | BEL | -2 LAPS |
| 18 | 26 | VAN COMPERNOLLE | Kenneth | BEL | -3 LAPS |
| 19 | 42 | BOOM | Lars | NED | -3 LAPS |
| 20 | 38 | GROENEN | Klaas | NED | -3 LAPS |
| 21 | 41 | TAKENOUCHI | Yu | JPN | -3 LAPS |
| 22 | 30 | WILLEMYNS | Mathieu | BEL | -3 LAPS |
| 23 | 40 | VANDENHEEDE | Brecht | BEL | -3 LAPS |
| 24 | 24 | SMITH | Nicholas | AUS | -4 LAPS |
| 25 | 37 | VANDEVELDE | Ruben | BEL | -4 LAPS |
| 26 | 33 | DE WIT | Edwin | BEL | -5 LAPS |
| 27 | 39 | DEWITTE | Casper | BEL | -5 LAPS |
| 28 | 36 | DE BOCK | Jelle | BEL | -5 LAPS |
| DNF | 9 | ISERBYT | Eli | BEL | |
| DNF | 29 | DE SMET | Thibaut | BEL |
