Cant Rolls With It, Goes Solo to Win IJsboerke Trofee Azencross – Report, Results

During her impressive run since early November, Sanne Cant (Beobank-Corendon) has shown she knows how to pick her spots to get the win. Her latest late move was on Tuesday at Zolder, when she attacked in the ups and downs to escape from Katie Compton (KFC Racing p/b Trek/Knight Composites) and Eva Lechner (Clif Pro Team).

On Thursday at the IJsboerke Ladies Trofee Azencross in Loenhout, she again planned her winning attack. This time, however, it came much earlier in the race than usual.

During the second of five laps, Lucinda Brand (Team Sunweb) shook things up by attacking into the mud pit that formed at the start of the circuit. Cant followed and the two got a gap on the rest of the chasers. The chase came back, but Cant took note of the space she could gain in the section.

The next lap, Brand again attacked out of a group of six. Cant followed and while Brand’s attack faded, Cant’s stayed strong. Her aggressiveness gave her ten seconds on Brand and Compton.

Cant took a page out of teammate Mathieu van der Poel’s book and went solo for the rest of the race. With one to go, Brand remained within striking distance, but after she dismounted thanks to a mud hole at the base of the flyover, Cant was gone to her latest victory. Tuesday’s win was the 100th of her career, so after Thursday it is 101 and counting.

Brand Animates Early

Thursday’s race in Loenhout started with an old (young) face on the front of the race. After a hot start to the season, including a win at the Koksijde World Cup, young Maud Kaptheijns (Crelan-Charles) has faded as the season has progressed. During her early run, Kaptheijns consistently started races fast. At Azencross, she reprised her fast-starting role by taking the holeshot and leading the way early on.

The rest of the first lap had several leaders, including Helen Wyman (Kona Factory CX Team) and Lechner. When it was complete, a lead selection of Cant, Wyman, Kaptheijns, Brand, Lechner and Loes Sels (Crelan-Charles) was at the front, with several other riders including Nikki Brammeier (Boels-Dolmans) and Compton chasing.

The first half of the Azencross course was more or less a giant mud pit on Thursday. Brand decided to get dirty early by attacking in the second lap. Cant followed and the two got a five-second gap midway through the circuit. Their lead lasted for the better part of the second lap before the chasers brought them back. The lead group was now Cant, Brand, Sels, Kaptheijns, Compton and Wyman.

Cant Goes Solo for the Win

Not content with one attack, Brand attacked again in the third of five laps. Cant followed the Dutch rider’s move, but this time Cant had the legs to keep the effort going. She stayed aggressive and committed to the attack. Her reward was ten seconds on the chase of Brand and Compton with two to go.

With Cant solo off the front, it was up to Compton and Brand to sort out the chase. Brand moved into a solo second with her running through the mud pit early in the penultimate lap. After the race, Compton said she was struggling to breathe, so at that point, she was just trying to maintain a gap back to fourth. Nothing would come easy at Azencross.

Although Cant was solo off the front, her victory was by no means guaranteed, and her lead at the bell was just six seconds. It was certainly not insurmountable for Brand, although Cant had an advantage with her running in the thick mud.

Brand’s challenge to Cant ended when she had to dismount at the base of the flyover after losing traction in a small mud hole at its base.

Cant was gone to victory, the 101st of her career, while Brand was left in a tussle for second.

Compton caught up with Brand after the Dutch rider’s ay-yay-yay and the two engaged in a duel for second. Compton led the way into the finishing straight, but the road standout Brand outsprinted the Compton to take second.

Compton’s reward for her third-place finish was an extension of her lead in the time-based IJsboerke Ladies Trofee Series. She now sits 4:44 ahead of Brammeier and 4;46 ahead of Wyman. Two races remain in the eight-race series. The next one is Monday’s GP Sven Nys in Baal.

Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (SAS Macogep Aquisio) finished 17th, Rebecca Fahringer (Stan’s NoTubes p/b Maxxis/gofahr) 18th, Sunny Gilbert (Van Dessel Factory Racing) 20th, Canadian Magdeleine Vallieries Mill (Club Cycliste de Sherbrooke) 29th, Australian Natalie Redmond (Port Adelaide CC) 31st, Natalie Tapias (JAM / NCC) 47th, Corey Coogan Cisek (The Fix Studio) 52nd, Helena Coney 54th and Siobhan Kelly (To Wheels Epic Sports Performance) 64th.

Women's Results: 2017 Azencross Loenhout

Rank	BIB	Last Name	First Name	Country	Result
1	1	CANT	Sanne	BEL	0:46:17
2	9	BRAND	Lucinda	NED	0:46:30
3	6	COMPTON	Katherine	USA	0:46:31
4	3	LECHNER	Eva	ITA	0:46:45
5	11	SELS	Loes	BEL	0:46:51
6	8	KAPTHEIJNS	Maud	NED	0:46:57
7	12	VERDONSCHOT	Laura	BEL	0:47:07
8	7	WYMAN	Helen	GBR	0:47:11
9	4	BRAMMEIER	Nikki	GBR	0:47:38
10	20	VAN DE STEENE	Kim	BEL	0:47:55
11	2	VAN LOY	Ellen	BEL	0:48:05
12	18	VERHESTRAETEN	Karen	BEL	0:49:06
13	10	HAVLÍKOVÁ	Pavla	CZE	0:49:06
14	14	DEL CARMEN ALVARADO	Ceylin	NED	0:49:06
15	16	VERSCHUEREN	Jolien	BEL	0:49:33
16	15	GONZALEZ BLANCO	Lucia	ESP	0:49:41
17	71	FERRIER BRUNEAU	Christel	CAN	0:49:46
18	74	FAHRINGER	Rebecca	USA	0:50:02
19	21	HOEKE	Geerte	NED	0:50:13
20	17	GILBERT	Sunny	USA	0:50:29
21	29	HARNDEN	Harriet	GBR	0:50:40
22	27	KAY	Anna	GBR	0:50:49
23	73	BRANDAU	Elisabeth	GER	0:50:57
24	19	CRUMPTON	Bethany	GBR	0:51:00
25		BULLERI	Alessia	ITA	0:51:11
26	40	MENUT	Audrey	FRA	0:51:17
27	38	GOOSSENS	Veerle	NED	0:51:31
28	69	PEETERS	Jinse	BEL	0:51:42
29	47	VALLIERES MILL	Magdeleine	CAN	0:51:47
30	33	VAN DER BURG	Esther	NED	0:52:05
31	25	REDMOND	Natalie	AUS	0:52:06
32	43	VAN DE REE	Monique	NED	0:52:18
33	36	WADSWORTH	Emily	GBR	0:52:18
34	22	MELLOR	Amira	GBR	0:52:21
35	37	DE HEIJ	Maaike	NED	0:52:46
36	34	JANSSON	Ida	SWE	0:52:55
37	28	ERNGREN	Ida	SWE	0:53:26
38	49	DE BRUYNE	Meg	BEL	0:53:43
39	24	UNGERMANOVÁ	Elizabeth	CZE	0:53:50
40	51	ZONTONE	Asia	ITA	0:54:16
41	31	TRABAZO BRAGADO	Irene	ESP	0:54:23
42	55	ZWAENEPOEL	Tessa	BEL	0:54:47
43	64	REALINI	Gaia	ITA	0:54:54
44	65	ENDRES	Kristin	GER	0:55:08
45	30	THACKRAY	Sophie	GBR	0:55:11
46	67	VAN LOY	Tess	BEL	0:55:43
47	42	TAPIAS	Natalie	USA	-1 LAP
48	62	FRAIEGARI	Giorgia	ITA	-1 LAP
49	44	WEINGARTEN	Audrey	FRA	-1 LAP
50	23	KARAMI	Miyoko	JPN	-1 LAP
51	45	VERMEIREN	Tinne	BEL	-1 LAP
52	41	COOGAN CISEK	Corey	USA	-1 LAP
53	56	VAN BOVEN	Hannah	NED	-1 LAP
54	60	CONEY	Helena	CAN	-1 LAP
55	46	CREES	Xan	GBR	-1 LAP
56	48	DUBAU PREVOT	Axelle	FRA	-1 LAP
57	66	NELEN	Kristien	BEL	-1 LAP
58	58	NIKOLOPOULOS	Julia	GER	-1 LAP
59	39	HEYWOOD-MAHE	Louise	GBR	-2 LAPS
60	57	BAKER	Alderney	GBR	-2 LAPS
61	61	JACKSON	Marie	GBR	-2 LAPS
62	63	HEY	Sabine	NED	-2 LAPS
63	68	ROMBOUTS	Tine	BEL	-2 LAPS
64	72	KELLY	Siobhan	CAN	-2 LAPS
65	53	HEYWOOD-MAHE	Charlotte	GBR	-2 LAPS
DNF	32	VAN ANROOIJ	Lindy	NED
DNF	35	VAS	Kata Blanka	HUN
DNF	50	ERIKSSON	Frida	SWE
DNF	54	VAN WUNSEL	Lise	BEL