by Bart Hazen of The Daily Peloton
Multiple World Champion, Dutch Champion and current points race Olympic Champion Marianne Vos is back09 to winning ways in the cyclocross field. The 21-year-old, riding her fourth ‘cross race of the season, won the sixth World Cup of the season in Zolder by beating World Champion Hanka Kupfernagel, Daphny Van den Brand and American Champion Katherine Compton in a sprint.
On the fast and frozen course Katherine Compton and Daphny van den Brand had the best start. World Champion Hanka Kupfernagel had a terrible start but after one lap she was able to make it to the front.
Finally Marianne Vos, Hanka Kupfernagel, Daphny van den Brand, Katherine Compton and France’s Maryline Salvetat broke clear from the others and battled for the victory.
In the final of the race the five attacked each others one by one but nobody was able to get away. Due to the cat and mouse games between the five in front and nobody willing to work the race ended up in a sprint won by the Dutch superwoman.
The Northern Americans did quite well in Zolder with Compton fourth, Lloyd 7th, Simms 9th and Gould in 10th place. Vardaros (30th), Susan Butler (35th) and Vicki Thomas (38th) were the other Northern Americans completing the race.
With her second place Kupfernagel increased her lead in the World Cup. After six rounds the German has 320 points. Van den Brand is second with 260 points and Compton third with 210 points.
The Women’s World Cup will continue in Roubaix on January 18. The 2008/2009 World Cup will come to an end in Milan on January 25.
Photos and full results below.
Photo Gallery:
Full Results:
| Place | Bib | Rider | Country | Time | Points |
| 1 | 13 | VOS Marianne | NED | 0:42:22 | 60 |
| 2 | 1 | KUPFERNAGEL Hanka | GER | +00:00 | 50 |
| 3 | 7 | VAN DEN BRAND Daphny | NED | +00:00 | 45 |
| 4 | 17 | COMPTON Katherine | USA | +00:01 | 40 |
| 5 | 3 | SALVETAT Maryline | FRA | +00:13 | 35 |
| 6 | 4 | FERRIER-BRUNEAU Christel | FRA | +01:08 | 30 |
| 7 | 20 | LLOYD Rachel | USA | +01:20 | 28 |
| 8 | 40 | HAVLIKOVA Pavla | CZE | +01:26 | 26 |
| 9 | 34 | SIMMS Wendy | CAN | +01:35 | 24 |
| 10 | 18 | GOULD Georgia | USA | +01:37 | 22 |
| 11 | 14 | MELCHERS-VAN POPPEL Mirjam | NED | +01:47 | 20 |
| 12 | 5 | TRIQUET-CLAUDE Nadia | FRA | +01:50 | 19 |
| 13 | 23 | LECHNER Eva | ITA | +01:54 | 18 |
| 14 | 8 | ELEMANS Saskia | NED | +01:59 | 17 |
| 15 | 9 | VAN PAASSEN Sanne | NED | +02:34 | 16 |
| 16 | 39 | HARRIS Nikki | GBR | +02:49 | 15 |
| 17 | 25 | CANT Sanne | BEL | +03:09 | 14 |
| 18 | 11 | HORMES Reza | NED | +03:14 | 13 |
| 19 | 26 | VANDERBEKEN Joyce | BEL | +03:21 | 12 |
| 20 | 6 | MANI Caroline | FRA | +03:31 | 11 |
| 21 | 41 | KYPTOVA Jana | CZE | +03:43 | 10 |
| 22 | 10 | GRIMBERG Arenda | NED | +04:20 | 9 |
| 23 | 15 | GUNNEWIJK Loes | NED | +04:31 | 8 |
| 24 | 38 | DAY Gabriella | GBR | +04:34 | 7 |
| 25 | 37 | WYMAN Helen | GBR | +05:04 | 6 |
| 26 | 22 | ALESSIO Veronica | ITA | +05:05 | 5 |
| 27 | 2 | ZWICK Martina | GER | +05:13 | 4 |
| 28 | 29 | DE BIE – LEYTEN Nicole | BEL | +05:41 | 3 |
| 29 | 30 | ARNOUTS Anne | BEL | +06:18 | 2 |
| 30 | 21 | VARDAROS Christine | USA | +06:29 | 1 |
| 31 | 32 | BOBER Nancy | BEL | +06:59 | |
| 32 | 27 | WILLEMS Gertie | BEL | +07:11 | |
| 33 | 47 | OGISHIMA Mika | JPN | +07:14 | |
| 34 | 42 | RIEDL Elke | AUT | +07:48 | |
| 35 | 19 | BUTLER Susan | USA | +08:25 | |
| 36 | 45 | GODART Suzie | LUX | -1LAP | |
| 37 | 46 | HANSEN Nikoline | DEN | -1LAP | |
| 38 | 36 | THOMAS Vicki | CAN | -2LAP | |
| 39 | 44 | VOJTASOVA Zuzana | SVK | -2LAP | |
| 28 | SELS Loes | BEL | DNF6 | ||
| 24 | INGELS Veerle | BEL | DNF5 |
