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
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 |
