Last week, news dropped that one of the biggest stars in the cyclocross world will be at the 2018 World Cup Waterloo. We are, of course, talking about the cow that beat Sven Nys in the Legends race last September.
Over the weekend, news of the cow’s return moo-ved to the background when Marianne Vos announced she will be racing at World Cup Waterloo in Wisconsin and Jingle Cross the following weekend in Iowa.
Vos’ September start means she will be racing a full cyclocross season for the first time since she was a Junior. In an announcement from Vos’ WaowDeals Pro Cycling Team, the seven-time world champion said she will be targeting the early November European Championships.
“A first important goal is het European Championship in Rosmalen, early November, which means I need to get the necessary rhythm by having weekly crosses. In addition, I also need to qualify.”
Marianne Vos will be starting her season at World Cup Waterloo, where it will likely be a bit warmer than the usual start to her season. 2018 GP Sven Nys Baal. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
In past years, Vos has typically started her cyclocross season later in the year to target the World Championships. Her approach to cyclocross has worked in the past, as she has won a record-tying seven world championships, including six in a row from 2009 to 2014. Vos also finished third at Worlds in 2015 and second in 2017.
After a successful road campaign where she finished second at the European Championships and won the GC in the BeNe Ladies Tour and Ladies Tour of Norway, Vos is jumping right into ’cross this year.
“I already took the decision to start my cyclocross season in September some time ago. I think it is good to do something different than previous years. People who know me also know that I love cyclocross. Ever since I turned pro, I have never completed a full ’cross winter. The last time I have done that was in my Junior years.”
Vos’ schedule for the first half of the season, as provided by her team, is as follows:
- 23 September: Waterloo
- 29 September: Iowa
- 7 October: Hotondcross
- 21 October: Bern
- 23 October: Nacht van Woerden
- 28 October: Ruddervoorde
- 3 November: European Championships
World Cup Waterloo takes place at Trek Bicycle headquarters in Wisconsin on Sunday, September 23 and the Jingle Cross World Cup is on Saturday, September 29. Stay tuned for more on the U.S. start to the 2018/19 UCI World Cup schedule.
