Puck Pieterse ran wild in the mud to win Sunday’s sixth round of the UCI ‘Cross World Cup on a wet course in Overijse, Belgium. Wildly skilled, Pieterse’s domination of the mucky conditions brought her first World Cup win and saw her jump up to third in the overall standings despite missing the first two rounds in the U.S.A.. The lone Canadian Sidney McGill was 25th.
You can watch the 2022-2023 UCI ‘Cross World Cup at FloBikes.
After winning the first four rounds, Fem van Empel held a commanding 81-point lead over Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, who took Saturday’s second round of the Superprestige series. Last Sunday’s victor Shirin van Anrooij sat sixth in the standings.
Sidney McGill was once again the sole Canadian.
The pack immediately faced the red steps on Lap 1. Van Empel led onto the mud, with Pieterse looming. French rider Helene Clauzel was near the front, as was Alvarado. Pieterse stole away from others, hitting the long climb on her own. Van Empel was eight seconds back and van Anrooij trialed by 12 seconds. Everyone took new bikes. Pieterse crossed the line of the first 3.2-km circuit at 10:07. McGill was 23rd.
Pieterse extended her gap on Lap 2 of 5. Denise Betsema wasn’t enjoying the conditions, and she crashed, taking down Aniek van Alphen. The U23 world champion was 45 seconds clear of van Empel and a minute ahead of van Anrooij going into the middle circuit. McGill had climbed up to 21st.
Lap 3 saw van Anrooij, Betsema, van Alphen and Alvarado in a podium scrap. Van Anrooij took a gap on her podium rivals. McGill kept her spot.
It was “as you were” on the penultimate lap, Alvarado distinguishing herself as van Anrooij’s closest pursuer, but a couple of crashes meant that van Alphen passed her. Betsema dropped, Lucinda Brand rose and they met near the bottom of the top 10. McGill was now 25th.
Puck took over a minute’s gap over the World Cup leader van Empel into the bell lap. It would be Anrooij who would claim the final podium spot, despite Brand’s fantastic work in the second half of the contest.
Round 7 is next Sunday in Hulst, the Netherlands.
2022-2023 UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Round 6, Overijse
1) Puck Pieterse (The Netherlands/Alpecin-Deceuninck) 52:44
2) Fem van Empel (The Netherlands/Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) +1:03
3) Shirin van Anrooij (The Netherlands/Baloise Trek Lions) +1:36
25) Sidney McGill (Canada) +7:27
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