After a Worlds some riders said was their hardest ever, many of the world’s top riders returned to action on Wednesday at Brico Cross Parkcross Maldegem. With the running and mud in Valkenburg perhaps causing some achy legs, the results got a shake-up with respect to to the 2018 World Championships.
Vos Bounces Back for the Win
Marianne Vos (Waowdeals Pro Cycling) had a rough go at Worlds, finishing a disappointing 18th. On Wednesday, she bounced back to win her first race of the 2017/18 season. Annemarie Worst (ERA-Circus) took second and Laura Verdonschot (Marlux-Bingoal) third.
Marianne Vos had a rough go at Worlds, but bounced back to win Wednesday at Parkcross Maldegem. Elite Women, 2018 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, Valkenburg-Limburg, The Netherlands. © Gavin Gould / Cyclocross Magazine
Several American women made the start. Katie Compton (KFC Racing p/b Trek/Knight Composites) finished 4th, Elle Anderson (Milwaukee – Alpha Motorhomes) 11th, Rebecca Fahringer 17th and Christine Vardaros 30th.
World Champion Sanne Cant (IKO-Beobank) took seventh.
Sweeck’s Fortunes Reinflate
In the Men’s race, Laurens Sweeck (ERA-Circus) kept the air in his tires and rode to the win. David van der Poel (Corendon-Circus) took second out of a five-up chase group, and Tim Merlier (Crelan-Charles) finished third. Neither Wout van Aert (Crelan-Charles) nor Mathieu van der Poel (Corendon-Circus) made the start.
Laurens Sweeck bounced back to win at Parkcross Maldegem. 2018 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, Valkenburg-Limburg, The Netherlands. © Bart Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
U23 Worlds champion Eli Iserbyt (Marlux-Bingoal) finished 21st and second-place Elite finisher Michael Vanthourenhout (Marlux-Bingoal) took a DNF.
Kerry Werner (Kona Factory CX Team) finished 17th, Tobin Ortenblad (Santa Cruz / Donkey Label Racing) 24th, Michael van den Ham (Garneau-Easton p/b Transitions LifeCare) 26th, Eric Thompson (MSpeedWax.com) 27th, Mark McConnel (Hot Sauce Cycling) 31st and Tyler Cloutier (Transitions LifeCare p/b Garneau-Easton) 34th.
Full results are below.
Next up on the European calendar are Saturday’s DVV / IJsboerke Trofee Krawatencross in Lille and Sunday’s Telenet Superprestige Hoogstraten.
Elite Women's Results: 2018 Parkcross Maldegem
| Rank | BIB | Last Name | First Name | Country | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 37 | VOS | Marianne | NED | 0:45:24 |
| 2 | 27 | WORST | Annemarie | NED | 0:45:54 |
| 3 | 25 | VERDONSCHOT | Laura | BEL | 0:46:00 |
| 4 | 2 | COMPTON | Katherine | USA | 0:46:12 |
| 5 | 19 | KAPTHEIJNS | Maud | NED | 0:46:22 |
| 6 | 33 | SELS | Loes | BEL | 0:46:44 |
| 7 | 1 | CANT | Sanne | BEL | 0:46:44 |
| 8 | 35 | BAKKER | Manon | NED | 0:47:14 |
| 9 | 34 | ARZUFFI | Alice Maria | ITA | 0:47:14 |
| 10 | 4 | VAN DE STEENE | Kim | BEL | 0:47:40 |
| 11 | 21 | ANDERSON | Elle | USA | 0:47:47 |
| 12 | 11 | VAN DER BURG | Esther | NED | 0:48:20 |
| 13 | 30 | BETSEMA | Denise | NED | 0:48:33 |
| 14 | 22 | VAN DEN HOEK | Bianca | NED | 0:48:41 |
| 15 | 26 | VERSCHUEREN | Jolien | BEL | 0:48:59 |
| 16 | 14 | PEETERS | Jinse | BEL | 0:49:04 |
| 17 | 18 | FAHRINGER | Rebecca | USA | 0:49:24 |
| 18 | 5 | GOOSSENS | Veerle | NED | 0:49:26 |
| 19 | 28 | WYMAN | Helen | GBR | 0:49:42 |
| 20 | 31 | NUÑO PALACIO | Aida | ESP | 0:49:56 |
| 21 | 3 | GERRITSEN | Irene | NED | 0:50:14 |
| 22 | 9 | KLOPPENBURG | Margriet | DEN | 0:50:31 |
| 23 | 6 | ZWAENEPOEL | Tessa | BEL | 0:50:42 |
| 24 | 23 | MICHELS | Laure | BEL | 0:50:46 |
| 25 | 15 | DE BRUYNE | Meg | BEL | 0:50:54 |
| 26 | 20 | DOBBELAERE | Jana | BEL | 0:51:59 |
| 27 | 12 | DE VRIES | Didi | NED | - 2 LAPS |
| 28 | 10 | VERMEIR | Aurelie | BEL | - 2 LAPS |
| 29 | 7 | DE VOS | Nele | BEL | - 3 LAPS |
| 30 | 36 | VARDAROS | Christine | USA | - 4 LAPS |
| 31 | 17 | FRAEYE | Katleen | BEL | - 4 LAPS |
| 32 | 13 | DE WULF | Yasmine | BEL | - 4 LAPS |
| 33 | 8 | BLANCHAERT | Jo | BEL | - 4 LAPS |
| DNF | 29 | FRANCK | Alicia | BEL |
Elite Men's Results: 2018 Parkcross Maldegem
| Rank | BIB | Rider | Nation | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | SWEECK Laurens | BEL | 0:57:40 |
| 2 | 27 | VAN DER POEL David | NED | 0:57:55 |
| 3 | 22 | MERLIER Tim | BEL | 0:57:55 |
| 4 | 36 | MEEUSEN Tom | BEL | 0:57:55 |
| 5 | 20 | AERTS Toon | BEL | 0:57:55 |
| 6 | 29 | VANTHOURENHOUT Dieter | BEL | 0:57:55 |
| 7 | 26 | VAN DER HAAR Lars | NED | 0:58:02 |
| 8 | 38 | HERMANS Quinten | BEL | 0:58:12 |
| 9 | 23 | SOETE Daan | BEL | 0:58:49 |
| 10 | 5 | ORTS LLORET Felipe | ESP | 0:59:00 |
| 11 | 35 | ADAMS Jens | BEL | 0:59:18 |
| 12 | 31 | VERMEERSCH Gianni | BEL | 0:59:18 |
| 13 | 37 | PEETERS Rob | BEL | 0:59:30 |
| 14 | 21 | MERLIER Braam | BEL | 0:59:30 |
| 15 | 10 | TIELEN Dario | BEL | 0:59:49 |
| 16 | 34 | AERTS Thijs | BEL | 1:00:00 |
| 17 | 9 | WERNER Kerry | USA | 1:00:00 |
| 18 | 33 | PEETERS Yannick | BEL | 1:00:30 |
| 19 | 30 | HOEYBERGHS Daan | BEL | 1:00:30 |
| 20 | 6 | SWEECK Hendrik | BEL | 1:00:30 |
| 21 | 7 | ISERBYT Eli | BEL | 1:00:40 |
| 22 | 4 | ESTEBAN AGUERO Ismael | ESP | 1:00:50 |
| 23 | 28 | BONNE Jenko | BEL | 1:01:30 |
| 24 | 19 | ORTENBLAD Tobin | USA | 1:01:30 |
| 25 | 41 | DE WIT Edwin | BEL | 1:01:30 |
| 26 | 39 | VAN DEN HAM Michael | CAN | 1:01:38 |
| 27 | 32 | THOMPSON Eric | USA | 1:01:38 |
| 28 | 12 | RUIZ DE LARRINAGA IBAÑEZ Javier | ESP | 1:01:38 |
| 29 | 13 | DE SMET Thibaut | BEL | 1:02:10 |
| 30 | 8 | ALDERWEIRELD Robin | BEL | 1:02:45 |
| 31 | 40 | MCCONNELL Mark | CAN | 1:02:51 |
| 32 | 18 | DECLERCK Mathias | BEL | -2 LAPS |
| 33 | 16 | VANDENBROUCKE Niels | BEL | -2 LAPS |
| 34 | 17 | CLOUTIER Tyler | USA | -3 LAPS |
| 35 | 11 | VAN DE KERCKHOVE Nick | BEL | -3 LAPS |
| 36 | 14 | MEELBERGHS Pieter | BEL | -4 LAPS |
| DNF | 3 | VANTHOURENHOUT Michael | BEL | |
| DNF | 25 | SWEECK Diether | BEL |
