While Dutch cyclocross star Lars van der Haar is still planning his comeback, this Saturday, for the first time in almost two years (687 days to be exact), seven-time World Champion Marianne Vos will start hers.
She’s back! This Saturday Vos returns to Cross. photo: 2015 World Championships in Tabor, which she took on “with one leg.” © Matthew Lasala / Cyclocross Magazine
After suffering two years plagued by injury, overtraining and illness, Vos returned to road racing this year, winning a stage at the Tour of California and playing a critical role in the road race at the Olympics. Now the Dutch cycling star is anxious to get back to cyclocross as well.
“I’ll need some time, but I am ambitious,” Vos said (translated) prior to her season debut this Saturday, sport.be reports. She has her eye on the National Championships and Worlds, but will face current World Champ Thalita de Jong at both. “In January I want to [contest the] Dutch Championships and I want to be good at Worlds. A medal? We will feel that it’s possible.”
It will be an odd sight to see the most dominant cyclist of a generation start at the back of the field at Scheldecross in Antwerp, but Vos isn’t fazed by the situation or task at hand. “Those rules apply to everyone, including me,” Vos said, according to a Sporza report. “I will have to gather points the next few weeks points to be able to start further up.”
The best news for cyclocross fans is that despite leading a new road team project next season, Vos hasn’t given up her love for cyclocross. “I continued to monitor the sport from the sidelines and I really missed it,” said Fox (translated). “It’s just fun to do, for me it’s actually playing outside. And the level among women has certainly risen during my absence.”
Stay tuned for coverage of the Scheldecross race in Antwerp, part of the DVV Verzekeringen Trofee and IJsboerke Ladies Trophy series.
