2021 UCI World Cup Iowa City Report, Results, Highlights: Marianne Vos, the Last-Lap “Escape-GOAT”

Beneath the sunny skies of Iowa, the women lined up for the final race of the day, and the final race of the Cyclocross Marathon in the U.S.

Hot off the line, Jolanda Neff took to the front early along with young Puck Pieterse, but it was Vos who wanted to let her presence be known. By the time she hit the face of Mt. Krumpit she and Neff had a small gap on the rest of the field. Would she be the scapegoat for others’ shattered dreams? Or the escape-GOAT on the first lap?

Behind Pieterse, Blanka Kata Vas, Denise Betsema, Annemarie Worst, and Lucinda Brand, who looked to be just off the pace needed to land on the podium, gave chase.

Early on, it seemed that young Pieterse would be the one to give chase to Vos, as she gained time by being the only woman to bunnyhop the barriers.

Puck Pieterse hopped the barriers and gained time. 2021 Jingle Cross World Cup, Iowa City, Elite Women. © Cyclocross Magazine

Behind her, a determined Betsema was closing in. Could Betsema continue her streak of podiums in the U.S.? By the time the two leaders went in for lap three, Betsema made contact with Vos, Puck followed about 10 seconds back, then Brand, Vas, and Worst another 5 seconds later.

Much like the front group of men, the front group of women, except for Brand, were riding the steep front climb up Mt. Krumpit. The question that always loomed was will someone make a mistake when fatigued?

At the midpoint of the race, it was clear the early efforts put in by Pieterse were catching up with her. Pieterse was falling further back from Betsema and was soon met by Worst and Vas, only to lose contact with the duo after making a mistake at the top of the steep Mt. Krumpit front side climb.

U23s rivals Pieterse and Vas chasing Vos. 2021 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Iowa City. Elite Women. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine

Meanwhile, Vas was using her climbing prowess and low gearing to connect with Vos and Betsema at the top, leaving Brand, Worst, and Pieterse to chase.

Each time the women head up the front steep side of Mt. Krumpit, fatigue showed and someone made a mistake, one by one. Next up was Betsema, as she lost contact with Vos, Vas, and Worst. It took Betsema until the end of the lap to finally gain contact with the front trio.

2021 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Iowa City. Elite Women. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine

Next up it was Worst’s turn to show weakness, as she was started to fall off the pace of the charging Vos, Vas, and Betsema. Pieterse once again made a mistake at the top of the steep front side of Mt. Krumpit on lap six, only this time taking Brand down with her. Brand had abandoned her early race pattern of running the climb, but her attempt to ride was foiled by the dab and fall of Pieterse.

Brand, wanting nothing to do with being taken out again, charged to the top of Krumpit, said goodbye and officially dropped Pieterse.

Lucinda Brand finished fourth, and lost her World Cup leader’s jersey. 2021 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Iowa City. Elite Women. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine

Lap six was the lap of weakness, as it was now Vas who fell victim to a mistake by the final climb before the finish. Her rear wheel slid out, forcing her off her bike and running. Vas’ error left front duo of Vos and Betsema to fight out the final two laps for victory.

Denise Betsema and Marianne Vos deep into their final two-lap duel. 2021 Jingle Cross World Cup, Iowa City, Elite Women. © Cyclocross Magazine

For the final two laps, viewers were left on their toes wondering how the suspenseful thriller would end. Will Vos gain a gap? Will Betsema drop the GOAT? Will it be a sprint to the finish between Betsema and the world-class sprinter Vos?

Turns out, Vos had no intentions of a sprint finish, as she attacked Betsema before the base of the front-side climb up Mt. Krumpit. With two hops over the wooden curbs, followed by an acceleration over the top of Mt. Krumpit, Vos gave it her all. Betsema could only watch as Vos was about to pull off the second-fastest lap of the race, after nearly 50 minutes of racing.

Vos explained her tactics. “I felt good but I felt Betsema was very strong as well. I felt in Mt. Krumpet I could take a little advantage but like I said Betsema was very strong and you know if she’s on fire she’ll keep on pushing,” she explained. You have to take a few seconds to make it so I just gave it all on that last lap …. I wanted to try on [Mt. Krumpet] but of course I didn’t know if it would work out. I had a little advantage and afterward, I kept pushing all the way. From then on it was not so much looking back. Of course, you try to find out if there’s a small gap. I heard from the people on the side that there was a little advantage and I wanted to keep it.

Vos timed her last-lap attack to perfection and in the process put in the second-fastest lap of the day at the end of the race. 2021 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Iowa City. Elite Women. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine

Vos continued to push, smashing her pedals to the tippy top of Mt. Krumpit before the final time down, and continuing to stay on the gas to the finish, claiming her second World Cup victory in 2021, and taking the World Cup Overall from Brand.

“[I knew I won] only on the last straight,” Vos said, knowing a last-lap crash eliminated her chance for victory in Fayetteville. “In cyclocross you never know, things can happen all the time.”

2021 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Iowa City. Elite Women. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine

Behind her, Betsema rolled in for second, and 19-year-old Vas held onto the third spot of the podium.

Behind the front group, fan-favorite, U.S. National Champ, Clara Honsinger, looked to be hunting women each lap, making up ground and rolling herself into the top ten. Unfortunately, pros are human too, and a small slide-out on Mt. Krumpit caused her to lose a couple of hard-fought positions to finish 12^th.

Clara Honsinger finished 12th. 2021 Jingle Cross World Cup, Iowa City, Elite Women. © Cyclocross Magazine

Vos will skip the next few World Cups, but U.S. fans should not despair as the GOAT is already planning her return to Fayetteville for Worlds. “Of course, it’s really great to start the campaign off with these results, two wins and a fourth place,” she said. “Of course, I’m very satisfied coming back to Europe. Now a little rest and prepare for the second part of the season.”

The sprint for fifth came down to the wire between Pieterse and Worst.

Pieterse nips Worst at the line. 2021 Jingle Cross World Cup, Iowa City, Elite Women. © Cyclocross Magazine

With the win, Vos returns from her second cyclocross trip to the States with twice the wins from her 2018 campaign.

Denise Betsema, Marianne Vos and Blanka Kata Vas. 2021 Iowa City Cyclocross World Cup, Elite Women. © Cyclocross Magazine

Full results below. See the 2021 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Iowa City Elite Men’s report, photos and results here.

Watch brief highlights of the race:

🇳🇱 @marianne_vos is the strongest in Iowa City! Enjoy her performance of today, her second win in the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup! 🤩 She is also the new leader in the overall ranking. #CXWorldCup pic.twitter.com/936i9j3QdE

— UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup (@UCIcyclocrossWC) October 17, 2021

Hear about the winning move from Vos herself:

Our 2021 UCI Cyclocross World Cup coverage, led by Dave Mable and Courtenay McFadden, is brought to you by Bike Rags Apparel with additional support from BikeIowa.

2021 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Iowa City Results: Elite Women

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