A Hoogerheide holeshot mattered little to two Canadian sisters in the Junior Women’s race at the 2023 UCI Cyclocross World Championships Saturday.
🟢🟢🟢
It's go time for the Women Junior at #Hoogerheide2023! pic.twitter.com/IOyWR9j98l
— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) February 4, 2023
The first individual race of the weekend brought slicker and wetter conditions than the riders faced in Friday’s fast team relay event.
World Cup overall winner Lauren Molengraaf of the Netherlands, who won every World Cup she entered, had a fast start and looked to continue her dominance, while Canadian contenders, Ava and Isabella Holmgren, were well back through the technical sections on Lap One.
Molegraaf 🇳🇱 surrends her first place position to Gery 🇫🇷.#Hoogerheide2023 pic.twitter.com/9A9yZZME9v
— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) February 4, 2023
Ava Holmgren moved through the field, while American first-year Junior Vida Lopez de San Ramon and Isabella Holmgren worked their way into the top ten.
On Lap Two, Molengraaf crashed while in the lead just before a flyover, as Ava and then Isabella Holmgren surged past, but she remounted and chased back to slot between the two Canadian sisters.
Isabella took the lead on Lap Three ahead of sister Ava, forcing Molengraaf to chase.
Holmgren 🇨🇦 keeps pushing at the front but Molengraaf 🇳🇱 is chasing.
Will the Women Junior title be decided between these two riders? #Hoogerheide2023 pic.twitter.com/oDlDmGGN74
— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) February 4, 2023
Suddenly, Molengraaf’s misfortune wasn’t over. Disaster struck the young Dutch star in the form of a flat rear tire far from the pits. She would lose 40 seconds through her compromised ride and run to a bike change, and fall back to tenth.
+ 6 second lead for Isabella Holmgren.
A flat back tire for Molengraaf sees her fall back to 10th as she tries to get to the pits as quickly as possible.#Hoogerheide2023 pic.twitter.com/lH7l2vXCVz
— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) February 4, 2023
Up ahead, it only a question as to whether Isabella could hold off her sister Ava, who took the World Cup win last weekend in France.
Isabella was on her day, and took five to ten seconds per lap in the remaining laps of the five-lap race.
Isabella Holmgren wins the Junior Women’s title. 2023 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, Hoogerheide. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
Canada took gold and silver, making a historic day of racing for the country, and perhaps offering some inspiration for Maghalie Rochette later in the day in the Elite Women’s race.
Isabella Holmgren wins the Junior Women’s title. 2023 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, Hoogerheide. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
“I don’t think I fully processed it yet, I’m just really excited but Ava being second makes it even better,” Isabella Holmgren said after her finish. “It’s really exciting, I’m happy I get to hear the anthem again and I hope it sets a good start for the rest of the categories.”
Ava Holmgren, ranked higher than Isabella, was thrilled at the finish with silver. “I came here to get Canada’s first-ever medal,” she said. “What happened was something even better. My sister won!”
Ava Holmgren celebrates her sister Isabella’s win. Junior Women, 2023 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, Hoogerheide. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
Celia Gery of France took third.
American Lopez de San Ramon finished 11th, but was the fourth first-year Junior, which bodes well for next year. Team USA’s Kaya Musgrave was 15th, and Samantha Scott finished 20th. Madeleine Pollock of Canada finished 38th.
“I came here to get Canada’s first-ever medal. What happened was something even better. My sister won!”
-Ava Holmgren
Ava Holmgren, Isabella Holmgren and Celia Gery. Junior Women, 2023 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, Hoogerheide. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
See the full results below. Stay tuned for more coverage and photos.
2023 Hoogerheide UCI Cyclocross World Championships Results: Elite Women
| Pos | Nr | Name | Nation | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 7 | HOLMGREN Isabella CANADA | Canada | 42:13 | - |
| 2. | 6 | HOLMGREN Ava CANADA | Canada | 42:33 | +0:20 |
| 3. | 25 | GERY Célia FRANCE | France | 43:00 | +0:47 |
| 4. | 24 | VENTURELLI Federica ITALY | Italy | 43:00 | +0:47 |
| 5. | 33 | VAN SINAEY Xaydee BELGIUM | Belgium | 43:05 | +0:52 |
| 6. | 3 | FERGUSON Cat GREAT BRITAIN | United Kingdom | 43:13 | +1:00 |
| 7. | 19 | MOLENGRAAF Lauren NETHERLANDS | Netherlands | 43:25 | +1:12 |
| 8. | 13 | DLASKOVÁ Vanda CZECH REPUBLIC | Czech Republic | 43:36 | +1:23 |
| 9. | 39 | CHLADONOVÁ Viktória SLOVAKIA | Slovakia | 43:54 | +1:41 |
| 10. | 23 | CORVI Valentina ITALY | Italy | 44:00 | +1:47 |
| 11. | 10 | LOPEZ DE SAN ROMAN Vida UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | United States | 44:22 | +2:09 |
| 12. | 32 | MOORS Fleur BELGIUM | Belgium | 44:41 | +2:28 |
| 13. | 15 | HANÁKOVÁ Eliška CZECH REPUBLIC | Czech Republic | 44:54 | +2:41 |
| 14. | 18 | LANGENBARG Puck NETHERLANDS | Netherlands | 45:02 | +2:49 |
| 15. | 11 | MUSGRAVE Kaya UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | United States | 45:02 | +2:49 |
| 16. | 37 | BRÄUTIGAM Messane GERMANY | Germany | 45:12 | +2:59 |
| 17. | 30 | DE SCHEPPER Lore BELGIUM | Belgium | 45:22 | +3:09 |
| 18. | 47 | MATULA Alicja POLAND | Poland | 45:22 | +3:09 |
| 19. | 26 | KLAES Lise FRANCE | France | 45:22 | +3:09 |
| 20. | 12 | SCOTT Samantha UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | United States | 45:24 | +3:11 |
| 21. | 38 | BRUCHNER Regina HUNGARY | Hungary | 45:36 | +3:23 |
| 22. | 45 | KABETAJ Nelia ALBANIA | Albania | 45:42 | +3:29 |
| 23. | 5 | WOLFF Imogen GREAT BRITAIN | United Kingdom | 45:50 | +3:37 |
| 24. | 14 | DOUDEROVÁ Katerina CZECH REPUBLIC | Czech Republic | 45:50 | +3:37 |
| 25. | 28 | MULLER Amandine FRANCE | France | 45:50 | +3:37 |
| 26. | 31 | DE SCHOESITTER Shanyl BELGIUM | Belgium | 46:04 | +3:51 |
| 27. | 16 | NOVÁKOVÁ Karla CZECH REPUBLIC | Czech Republic | 46:12 | +3:59 |
| 28. | 43 | FILGUEIRAS BARCENILLA Maria SPAIN | Spain | 46:14 | +4:01 |
| 29. | 20 | SONNEMANS Sara NETHERLANDS | Netherlands | 46:19 | +4:06 |
| 30. | 48 | LILLELUND Julie DENMARK | Denmark | 46:21 | +4:08 |
| 31. | 21 | TAKKEN Roxanne NETHERLANDS | Netherlands | 46:21 | +4:08 |
| 32. | 49 | NORRID-MORTENSEN Olympia DENMARK | Denmark | 46:38 | +4:25 |
| 33. | 36 | BUNEA Wendy ROMANIA | Romania | 46:53 | +4:40 |
| 34. | 2 | CARRICK-ANDERSON Emily GREAT BRITAIN | United Kingdom | 46:57 | +4:44 |
| 35. | 42 | DOHERTY Aine IRELAND | Ireland, Republic of | 47:02 | +4:49 |
| 36. | 22 | BIANCHI Arianna ITALY | Italy | 47:13 | +5:00 |
| 37. | 29 | KAGEVI Stina SWEDEN | Sweden | 47:18 | +5:05 |
| 38. | 8 | POLLOCK Madeleine CANADA | Canada | 47:43 | +5:30 |
| 39. | 41 | UNGEROVÁ Sofia SLOVAKIA | Slovakia | 48:51 | +6:38 |
| 40. | 4 | MCKINNON Elizabeth GREAT BRITAIN | United Kingdom | 49:12 | +6:59 |
| 41. | 9 | RODGERS Geza CANADA | Canada | 49:18 | +7:05 |
| 42. | 50 | SCHMITZ Anouk LUXEMBOURG | Luxembourg | 49:25 | +7:12 |
| 43. | 35 | BAKOVIC Ella Rosa Aoife SERBIA | 49:30 | +7:17 | |
| 44. | 40 | SMATANOVÁ Ema SLOVAKIA | Slovakia | 49:36 | +7:23 |
| 45. | 44 | SOTO ALVAREZ Uxia SPAIN | Spain | 50:25 | +8:12 |
| 46. | 46 | KRYSTKOWIAK Zofia POLAND | Poland | -1 LAP | |
| 17 | KALIS Bloeme NETHERLANDS | Netherlands | DNF |
Featured photo: UCI
