BOGENSE, DENMARK—The central Danish town is a popular summer tourist destination, but World Cup racers had no time to look around during today’s World Cup stop.
The course featured tough, steep climbs and descents, many of which became tests of running balance. While there were plenty of long on-the-bike straights, howling winds coming off the ocean made sure there was no easy Sunday ride.
Controlled Cant in Command
While there was no time to play tourist, World Champion Sanne Cant (IKO Beobank) wasted no time in ensuring she had a clear view of her own lines around the 2.9km-long course. She sprinted out to the holeshot, and left the rest to wonder if the World Champion’s lines were the right ones to follow.
Soon, Eva Lechner (Clif Bar) showed she had her own plan and route in mind, and stayed on the bike up a climb to catch a running Cant. The Italian mountain biker was determined to show her handling skills could be used to her advantage, and remained on the bike on a steep descent. Cant kept running, while Lechner had trouble making the bottom turn and saw Cant remount and ride away. Lechner would not see the front again.
Behind, it was a steady Helen Wyman (Kona) who was applying the pressure in her chase of Cant. Coming through after lap one in third, just one second behind Lechner and nine seconds behind Cant, Wyman was putting on a display of consistency. Taking few risks, Wyman ran the climbs and descents, and with giant strides down the hills, was inching closer to Cant.
Americans in the Mix
Chasing the front three were the U.S.-based duo of Kaitie Keough (Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld), Katerina Nash (Clif Bar), with fast starter Ellen van Loy (Telenet Fidea Lions) in the mix.
Nash, like her teammate Lechner, would attempt to use her mountain bike skills to stay on the bike gain time on the descents, but it would prove slower than the galloping Cant and Wyman.
Elle Anderson (Cycling.be / Alpha Motorhomes) was sitting close to the top ten, while Courtenay McFadden (Pivot DNA) and Rebecca Fahringer (NoTubes) were inside the top 20.
Seven Americans took the start. Top contender Ellen Noble (Aspire) struggled early on and Katie Compton did not start.
Anderson finished in 12th, Fahringer finished strong to land in 17th, McFadden finished 26th, Crystal Anthony (Maxxis Shimano) ended in 35th, while Noble and Arley Kemmerer (Fearless Femme) finished in 46th and 49th, respectively.
Push or Carry?
The leading duo of Cant and Wyman featured a contrast in styles. Wyman carried her bike on the steep descents, and bounded down to gain time on Cant, while Cant often carried her steed up the climbs, with a chasing Wyman pushing her bike. With countless transitions per laps, racers had plenty of chances to change up their techniques, but Wyman looked to be the stronger runner.
Midway through lap three, Wyman made contact. Might the Brit repeat her patient win we saw at the Koppenberg?
Thankfully for Cant, the windblown straights offered her plenty of chances to power away, and just one lap later, her gap expanded past ten seconds. It looked like she would ride away with just over a lap left.
Then, disaster struck. Running with her bike alongside her, Cant remounted only to find all the bouncing down the hill had derailed her chain.
As she attempted to get it back on track, Wyman squeezed by. Cant got back on track and hopped on the Brit’s wheel, and fans refilled their popcorn in anticipation of a final lap battle.
It wasn’t to be. With her chain re-engaged, Cant once again powered away on the straights and left Wyman hoping her rival would have one more mechanical.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbrfDrJB5rm/?tagged=bogense
A Sprint for Third
Lechner and Keough were locked into an exciting battle for third, with Lechner leading the final time through the barriers. However, hitting the final pavement, Keough unleashed a powerful sprint and Lechner sat up to leave Keough to continue her impressive season and add to this season’s World Cup podiums.
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Sanne Cant enjoys a victory at the Bogense World Cup, a test event for the World Championships. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
Stay tuned for full results and photos.
2017 Bogense World Cup Results - Elite Women
| Rank | BIB | Last Name | First Name | Country | UCI Team | Gender | Age | Result | IRM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | CANT | Sanne | BEL | BEOBANK-CORENDON | W | 27 | 0:41:19 | |
| 2 | 26 | WYMAN | Helen | GBR | W | 36 | 0:41:28 | ||
| 3 | 10 | KEOUGH | Kaitlin | USA | W | 25 | 0:42:07 | ||
| 4 | 53 | LECHNER | Eva | ITA | W | 32 | 0:42:10 | ||
| 5 | 2 | VAN LOY | Ellen | BEL | TELENET FIDEA LIONS | W | 37 | 0:42:38 | |
| 6 | 48 | NASH | Katerina | CZE | W | 40 | 0:42:39 | ||
| 7 | 4 | SELS | Loes | BEL | CRELAN - CHARLES | W | 32 | 0:42:50 | |
| 8 | 54 | ARZUFFI | Alice Maria | ITA | STEYLAERTS - BETFIRST | W | 23 | 0:43:01 | |
| 9 | 3 | VERDONSCHOT | Laura | BEL | MARLUX - NAPOLEON GAMES | W | 21 | 0:43:04 | |
| 10 | 25 | BRAMMEIER | Nikki | GBR | W | 31 | 0:43:09 | ||
| 11 | 27 | DE BOER | Sophie | NED | W | 27 | 0:43:20 | ||
| 12 | 13 | ANDERSON | Elle | USA | W | 29 | 0:43:32 | ||
| 13 | 29 | WORST | Annemarie | NED | ERA-CIRCUS | W | 22 | 0:43:39 | |
| 14 | 31 | DEL CARMEN ALVARADO | Ceylin | NED | W | 19 | 0:43:42 | ||
| 15 | 47 | HAVLÍKOVÁ | Pavla | CZE | W | 34 | 0:43:57 | ||
| 16 | 33 | NAGENGAST | Fleur | NED | TELENET FIDEA LIONS | W | 19 | 0:44:08 | |
| 17 | 14 | FAHRINGER | Rebecca | USA | W | 28 | 0:44:09 | ||
| 18 | 5 | VANDERBEKEN | Joyce | BEL | W | 33 | 0:44:09 | ||
| 19 | 17 | CHAINEL | Lucie | FRA | TEAM CHAZAL CANYON | W | 34 | 0:44:16 | |
| 20 | 37 | GONZALEZ BLANCO | Lucia | ESP | W | 27 | 0:44:21 | ||
| 21 | 6 | VERSCHUEREN | Jolien | BEL | PAUWELS SAUZEN - VASTGOEDSERVICE | W | 27 | 0:44:27 | |
| 22 | 49 | NOSKOVÁ | Nikola | CZE | W | 20 | 0:44:28 | ||
| 23 | 34 | KASTELIJN | Yara | NED | W | 20 | 0:44:44 | ||
| 24 | 22 | NORBERT RIBEROLLE | Marion | FRA | W | 18 | 0:44:48 | ||
| 25 | 36 | BETSEMA | Denise | NED | W | 24 | 0:44:49 | ||
| 26 | 12 | MCFADDEN | Courtenay | USA | W | 32 | 0:45:02 | ||
| 27 | 39 | LANGVAD | Annika | DEN | W | 33 | 0:45:08 | ||
| 28 | 18 | WIEL | Jade | FRA | W | 17 | 0:45:08 | ||
| 29 | 38 | DEGN | Malene | DEN | W | 21 | 0:45:23 | ||
| 30 | 32 | VAN DER HEIJDEN | Inge | NED | W | 18 | 0:45:30 | ||
| 31 | 20 | DELHAYE | Pauline | FRA | W | 28 | 0:45:33 | ||
| 32 | 59 | HEIGL | Nadja | AUT | W | 21 | 0:45:34 | ||
| 33 | 51 | ŠAFÁŘOVÁ | Adéla | CZE | W | 19 | 0:45:35 | ||
| 34 | 58 | ERNGREN | Ida | SWE | W | 28 | 0:45:36 | ||
| 35 | 15 | ANTHONY | Crystal | USA | W | 37 | 0:45:38 | ||
| 36 | 40 | BOHÉ | Caroline | DEN | W | 18 | 0:45:41 | ||
| 37 | 23 | CURINIER | Léa | FRA | W | 16 | 0:46:02 | ||
| 38 | 8 | VERHOEVEN | Suzanne | BEL | W | 21 | 0:46:22 | ||
| 39 | 21 | MOREL PETITGIRARD | Marlène | FRA | W | 29 | 0:46:35 | ||
| 40 | 7 | VERHESTRAETEN | Karen | BEL | W | 26 | 0:46:41 | ||
| 41 | 30 | BAKKER | Manon | NED | W | 18 | 0:47:07 | ||
| 42 | 44 | KLOPPENBURG | Margriet | DEN | W | 29 | 0:47:18 | ||
| 43 | 46 | REDMOND | Natalie | AUS | W | 26 | 0:47:18 | ||
| 44 | 52 | ŠVIHÁLKOVÁ | Tereza | CZE | W | 18 | 0:47:22 | ||
| 45 | 56 | ERLANDSSON | Åsa-Maria | SWE | W | 43 | 0:47:41 | ||
| 46 | 11 | NOBLE | Ellen | USA | ASPIRE RACING | W | 22 | 0:47:50 | |
| 47 | 43 | CHRISTENSEN | Lisette Rosenbeck | DEN | W | 36 | 0:47:55 | ||
| 48 | 19 | PETIT | Marlene | FRA | W | 26 | 0:47:55 | ||
| 49 | 16 | KEMMERER | Arley | USA | W | 33 | 0:48:04 | ||
| 50 | 41 | LØNNE | Rikke | DEN | W | 29 | 0:48:25 | ||
| 51 | 50 | UNGERMANOVÁ | Elizabeth | CZE | W | 18 | 0:48:44 | ||
| 52 | 45 | SAABYE | Mie | DEN | W | 16 | 0:49:22 | ||
| 53 | 42 | THRANE | Kristina | DEN | W | 27 | 0:49:26 | ||
| 54 | 24 | VAN DER HOOP | Julie | CAN | W | 29 | LAP | ||
| 55 | 55 | SCHWAGER | Mara | GER | W | 35 | LAP | ||
| 9 | COMPTON | Katherine | USA | W | 39 | DNS | |||
| 57 | JANSSON | Ida | SWE | W | 19 | DNS |
