DIEGEM, Belgium — Ellen van Loy, one of the professional racers in the women’s field with another career, has reduced her hours working with children and adults with Down’s syndrome this cyclocross season, and the extra rest seems to have paid off.
Telenet-Fidea’s Van Loy won the Niels Albert Cyclo-cross race on November 1, and finished third at the 2015 World Cup in Zolder yesterday.
Also the women are ready for the start #Diegem #CX pic.twitter.com/pHCk77RsRw
— KristofVanCampenhout (@kristofmasseur) December 27, 2015
Today she capped off Saturday’s podium with an impressive wire-to-wire ride to win the 2015 Superprestige Diegem night race.
Ellen van Loy (Telenet – Fidea) was in control from start to finish at the 2015 Superprestige Diegem, just as she was seen here at the 2014 Qiansen Trophy Cyclocross Race in China. © Cyclocross Magazine
Van Loy wasted no time in seizing control of the race, and with Sanne Cant (Enertherm-BKCP) and Eva Lechner (Colnago Südtirol), quickly gapped the rest of the field.
Superprestige #8 #Diegem: @bikereva negotiating the muddy cut-up surface. Exciting race for 3rd. pic.twitter.com/E1Y9jBfkhX
— 伟业 wei yuet (@wyuet) December 27, 2015
Van Loy’s teammate Nikki Harris and fellow Brit Helen Wyman (Kona) gave chase.
One lap with companions was more than enough for van Loy, and on lap two, she took attacked the mud, sand, stairs and flyover-filled laden course leaving Cant and Lechner.
Behind her, Cant and Wyman continued to chase with Lechner struggling to make contact.
Cant dropped Wyman on the last lap, while Lechner jumped over Wyman to take the final spot on the podium.
Seven Americans finished, with USA Cycling’s Elle Anderson in 11th, Meredith Miller in 17th, Emma White in 19th, Crystal Anthony in 20th, Arley Kemmerer in 26th, and sisters Allison and Hanna Arensman in 34th and 35th.
The crowds were thick and spirited at Diegem, and Wyman, despite racing, took note:
Pretty sure if they took the amount of beer drunk at this race & lined it out around the world it would do at least 2 laps! So many people!
— Helen Wyman (@CXHelen) December 27, 2015
See the reports from the Men’s, U23 and Junior 2015 Superprestige Diegem races here.
2015 Superprestige Diegem Race Results - Women
| Pl | Name | Ctry | Age | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VAN LOY Ellen | BEL | 35 | 42:50:00 | |
| 2 | CANT Sanne | BEL | 25 | 43:06:00 | 0:16 |
| 3 | LECHNER Eva | ITA | 30 | 43:07:00 | 0:17 |
| 4 | WYMAN Helen | GBR | 34 | 43:07:00 | 0:17 |
| 5 | STULTIENS Sabrina | NED | 22 | 43:17:00 | 0:27 |
| 6 | DE JONG Thalita | NED | 22 | 43:29:00 | 0:39 |
| 7 | VERSCHUEREN Jolien | BEL | 25 | 43:43:00 | 0:53 |
| 8 | HARRIS Nikki | GBR | 29 | 44:41:00 | 1:51 |
| 9 | SELS Loes | BEL | 30 | 44:45:00 | 1:55 |
| 10 | ARZUFFI Alice Maria | ITA | 21 | 44:55:00 | 2:05 |
| 11 | ANDERSON Elle | USA | 27 | 45:01:00 | 2:11 |
| 12 | BRANDAU Elisabeth | GER | 30 | 45:13:00 | 2:23 |
| 13 | VANDERBEKEN Joyce | BEL | 32 | 45:24:00 | 2:34 |
| 14 | DYCK Mical | CAN | 32 | 45:33:00 | 2:43 |
| 15 | BRAND Lucinda | NED | 26 | 45:52:00 | 3:02 |
| 16 | PAYTON Hannah | GBR | 21 | 45:52:00 | 3:02 |
| 17 | MILLER Meredith | USA | 42 | 45:58:00 | 3:08 |
| 18 | VERHESTRAETEN Karen | BEL | 24 | 46:11:00 | 3:21 |
| 19 | WHITE Emma | USA | 18 | 46:19:00 | 3:29 |
| 20 | ANTHONY Crystal | USA | 35 | 46:30:00 | 3:40 |
| 21 | ERLANDSSON Asa | SWE | 41 | 46:39:00 | 3:49 |
| 22 | GONZALEZ BLANCO Alicia | ESP | 20 | 46:49:00 | 3:59 |
| 23 | GONZALEZ BLANCO Lucia | ESP | 25 | 46:50:00 | 4:00 |
| 24 | BOUTELOUP Laure | FRA | 35 | 46:59:00 | 4:09 |
| 25 | VAN DEN HOEK Bianca | NED | 39 | 47:06:00 | 4:16 |
| 26 | KEMMERER Arley | USA | 31 | 47:15:00 | 4:25 |
| 27 | WEERINK Floor | NED | 17 | 47:18:00 | 4:28 |
| 28 | BAKKER Manon | NED | 16 | 47:21:00 | 4:31 |
| 29 | DELHAYE Pauline | FRA | 26 | 47:36:00 | 4:46 |
| 30 | VAN DER BURG Esther | NED | 17 | 47:43:00 | 4:53 |
| 31 | MICHIELS Githa | BEL | 32 | 47:49:00 | 4:59 |
| 32 | BAUWENS Cindy | BEL | 41 | 48:08:00 | 5:18 |
| 33 | JACOBS Lisa | AUS | 34 | 48:25:00 | 5:35 |
| 34 | ARENSMAN Allison | USA | 21 | 48:26:00 | 5:36 |
| 35 | ARENSMAN Hannah | USA | 17 | 48:33:00 | 5:43 |
| 36 | SCHAPPERT Anna | CAN | 24 | 49:02:00 | 6:12 |
| 37 | WADSWORTH Emily | GBR | 16 | 49:16:00 | 6:26 |
| 38 | THIJS Katrien | BEL | 30 | 49:26:00 | 6:36 |
| 39 | CALVEZ Maeva | FRA | 19 | 49:28:00 | 6:38 |
| 40 | LUKESOVA Denisa | CZE | 17 | 49:38:00 | 6:48 |
| 41 | KUIJPERS Evy | NED | 20 | 50:28:00 | 7:38 |
| 42 | VALENTINI Elena | ITA | 23 | 50:39:00 | 7:49 |
