The cyclocross traveling circus continued the show Friday evening under the lights in Iowa City at the Johnson County Fairgrounds for the women’s UCI C1 showdown. The feels around the venue for the day showed a lot of fatigue and low energy as racers and staff (and your CXM team of journalists) have tried to recover as the travel to, perform, and travel from Fayetteville was very taxing.
With the fatigue from travel and racing, a lot of the top riders opted to sit out the Friday night race, which left the race wide open for anyone to claim the top step of the podium. When the sun went down and the temps dipped into the 50s, the women lined up for their 51-minute, 9-lap race.
2021 Jingle Cross Day 1 Elite Women. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine
With a long drag race of a start, Helene Clauzel took the holeshot and led the way up to the Mt. Krumpit run-up. Having experienced the run-up during first-lap chaos, this author welcomed a hop to the other side of the fencing this evening to watch the women power up the climb.
Clauzel and Van Anrooij at the front. 2021 Jingle Cross Day 1 Elite Women. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine
By the time the women reached the top, it was clear who would take control of the race as Shirin Van Anrooij, Clauzel and former U23 World Champion Marion Norbert Riberolle formed a group of three by the time they hit the sandpit.
Clauzel and Van Anrooij. 2021 Jingle Cross Day 1 Elite Women. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine
Dangling behind in typical fashion was Caroline Mani, followed Helene Clauzel’s sister Perrine, Rebecca Fahringer, and Lizzy Gunsalus.
By lap two Van Anrooij showed her dominance on Mt. Krumpit as she started to gap Clauzel, while Norbert Riberolle was showing her struggle on Mt. Krumpit and lost contact with the two leaders.
When Van Anrooij went into lap three she had more than enough of a gap and continued to ride flawlessly throughout the rest of the race to dominate for the win.
Shirin Van Anrooij ran away on Mt. Krumpit. 2021 Jingle Cross Day 1 Elite Women. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine
Behind her, Clauzel held second place to the end, but the fight for third was getting exciting. The chase group that formed at the start of the race had splintered off, with Mani riding in fourth, Perrine Clauzel in fifth and Fahringer in sixth. With three to go Mani hit the run-up to Mt. Krumpit with Norbert Riberolle.
Becca Fahringer finished 6th. 2021 Jingle Cross Day 1 Elite Women. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine
Molly Clark-Oien scales a muddy Mt. Krumpit. 2021 Jingle Cross Day 1 Elite Women. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine
If you don’t know this already, Mani can run-up with speed. By the time the duo emerged, Mani had a solid eight seconds on Norbert Riberolle and held onto third to the finish.
Caroline Mani raced back to the podium on her Fuji Jari. 2021 Jingle Cross Day 1 Elite Women. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine
“I tried to be consistent and I think finally my body warmed up better in the last few laps,” Mani said after her podium finish. “[I was] just attacking the run-up, because I know I can drop people when I run. I just made a gap and kept going”
Shirin Van Anrooji was in control at the 2021 Jingle Cross Day 1 Elite Women’s race. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine
Next up is the Saturday afternoon C2, which should be fun to see who decides to line up to race the day before the final US World Cup.
Full results below.
Our 2021 UCI Cyclocross World Cup coverage is brought to you by Bike Rags Apparel with additional support from BikeIowa.
2021 Jingle Cross Day 1 Results: Elite Women
| Rank | Bib | Name | Affiliation | Time | Split Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Shirin VAN ANROOIJ | BALOISE TREK LIONS | 51:18:00 | 5:48 |
| 2 | 8 | Helene CLAUZEL | AS Bike Cross Team | 51:49:00 | 5:47 |
| 3 | 12 | Caroline MANI | Pactimo fierce team | 52:07:00 | 5:50 |
| 4 | 25 | Marion NORBERT RIBEROLLE | STARCASINO CX TEAM | 52:25:00 | 5:58 |
| 5 | 15 | Perrine CLAUZEL | AS Bike Cross Team | 53:04:00 | 6:20 |
| 6 | 23 | Rebecca FAHRINGER | Kona Maxxis Shimano | 53:45:00 | 6:07 |
| 7 | 48 | Sunny GILBERT | Blue Competition Cycles p/b Bui | 53:55:00 | 5:47 |
| 8 | 37 | Anna MEGALE | Trek Cyclocross Collective | 53:57:00 | 5:49 |
| 9 | 32 | Caitlin BERNSTEIN | Easton Overland / MCGOVERN CYCL | 54:16:00 | 6:01 |
| 10 | 39 | Sidney MCGILL | Pedalhead Race Room | 54:17:00 | 5:55 |
| 11 | 42 | Lizzy GUNSALUS | Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld. | 54:31:00 | 6:04 |
| 12 | 52 | Taylor KUYK-WHITE | RSCX - HOUSE INDUSTRIES | 56:08:00 | 6:38 |
| @2Lap | 45 | Lauren ZOERNER | Alpha Bicycle Company-Groove Si | 6:10 | |
| @2Lap | 77 | Jennifer MALIK | Paradise Garage Racing p/b Sman | 6:11 | |
| @2Lap | 41 | Nicole BRADBURY | Team Hamilton | 6:12 | |
| @2Lap | 28 | Erica ZAVETA | The Pony Shop p/b KPMG | 6:21 | |
| @3Lap | 50 | Austin KILLIPS | Pratt Racing | 6:13 | |
| @3Lap | 69 | Rachel GEITER | Team Walla Walla | 6:45 | |
| @3Lap | 82 | Cassidy HICKEY | Bear National Team | 6:15 | |
| @3Lap | 66 | Anna DOROVSKIKH | Orion Racing | 6:27 | |
| @3Lap | 62 | Anne USHER | Fast Fun Nice p/b Wattie Ink | 6:22 | |
| @3Lap | 68 | Sophie RUSSENBERGER | Team S&M CX | 6:35 | |
| @3Lap | 47 | Siobhan KELLY | Black Dog Racing | 6:30 | |
| @3Lap | 81 | Erin FELDHAUSEN | Trek Cyclocross Collective | 6:16 | |
| @3Lap | 75 | Caitlin NEUMAN | 6:19 | ||
| @4Lap | 65 | Katelyn WALCROFT | Hardwood Next Wave | 6:28 | |
| @4Lap | 61 | Ellie MITCHELL | NWCX Project | 6:32 | |
| @5Lap | 84 | Molly CLARK-OIEN | Parallel 44 Racing p/b Sanford | 6:25 | |
| @5Lap | 70 | Corey COOGAN CISEK | VeloRevolution=WP Cycles | 6:32 | |
| @5Lap | 63 | Stephanie TAPLIN | Cascadia Wheel Co. Factory Team | 6:39 | |
| @5Lap | 74 | Emily LEONARD | Bissell-ABG-Giant | 6:36 | |
| @5Lap | 60 | Kelly LAWSON | Hardwood Next Wave | 6:43 | |
| @5Lap | 71 | Abby STRIGEL | Team Supernice | 6:43 | |
| @5Lap | 78 | Robin WILLIAMS | Geoff???s Bike and Ski | 6:53 | |
| @5Lap | 72 | Natalie SMITH | Ultra Violet | 6:46 | |
| @6Lap | 67 | Sarah LARSON | Bonsai Endurance / Zone 6 | 6:53 | |
| @6Lap | 76 | Molly LOHRY | 7:00 | ||
| DNF | 21 | Raylyn NUSS | Steve Tilford Foundation Racing | 5:59 | |
| DNF | 49 | Maria LARKIN | Donkey Label Racing p/b FK Law | 6:24 | |
| DNF | 73 | Ryley MOSHER | Competitive Edge Racing | 7:52 |
