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Canadians Jackson and West 10th and 15th respectively at DVV Trofee GP Sven Nys

Gunnar Holmgren nearly cracks top-10 in Under-23 men's race

Canadian Cyclocross nationals 2018 Peterborough Jenn Jackson
January 1, 2019
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The year 2019 kicked off with Tuesday’s fifth round of the DVV Trofee, the GP Sven Nys, the last race of the Canadians’ Christmas Cross program and the Canucks’ second of the series after Azencross on Friday. Canada’s Jenn Jackson, who has had some good results on the tour, took her first top-10 spot in the elite women’s race, while Ruby West was 15th. Swiss rider Jolanda Neff earned the biggest win of her season, but series leader Sanne Cant’s runner-up spot increased her overall lead. Predictably, Mathieu van der Poel won the elite men’s race.

Earlier in the day, Gunnar Holmgren was 11th in the Under-23 men’s race, with Tyler Orschel 32nd and Nicolas Diniz 45th. In the Junior men‘s race Ryan Maclean took 16th and Paul Mysko placed 22nd.

Elite Women

Cant had Neff as her main competition, the duo leading Nikki Brammeier, Ellen Van Loy and Eva Lechner after two laps. Jackson was 14th after two laps of the slick, rolling course.

The chase group grew in Lap 3 of five, but soon it was down to American Kaitlin Keough, Belgians Loes Sels and Laura Vandonschot and Brit Brammeier. Brammeier was 46-seconds in arrears when Cant and Neff heard the bell.

After Neff pushed ahead, Cant endoed in pursuit. There was no catching the Swiss mountain biker. Brammeier filled out the podium.

Elite Men

Toon Aerts was hanging on to the series lead by the skin of his teeth going into Tuesday’s race, 11-seconds ahead of Mathieu van der Poel, who had won the last four contests.

Van der Poel crashed about a minute into Lap 1, stopping to straighten his handlebars and seat before carrying the bike. He had a long chase back. Jens Adams was one of several riders who led early on, but he crashed too, allowing Toon Aerts and Aerts’ teammate Corne van Kessel to catch him up. Van der Poel was 16th after one lap.

Aerts grabbed the reins to take bonus seconds on the course with van der Poel 13-seconds back, but a bike change switched the leader once more. By the end of Lap 2, van der Poel led once more. Aerts, van Kessel and Eli Iserbyt were MvdP’s closest chasers.

With van der Poel’s lead stretching to 20-seconds with two laps of seven remaining, Aerts had to press on, but he couldn’t keep his series lead. Laurens Sweeck earned his third DVV Trofee podium of the season.

Cameron Jette was Canada’s sole entrant and he finished 27th.

Canadians will return to Europe in numbers for the World Championships in Bogense, Denmark, February 2 and 3.


DVV Trofee, Round 5, GP Sven Nys, Elite Women
1) Jolanda Neff (Switzerland/Trek) 46:45
2) Sanne Cant (Belgium/Corendon-Circus)+0:27
3) Nikki Brammeier (Great Britain) +1:06
10) Jenn Jackson (Canada) +2:40
15) Ruby West (Canada) +4:00
23) Magdeleine Vallieres-Mill (Canada) +6:24
30) Dana Gilligan (Canada) +8:51
37) Sydney McGill (Canada)

DVV Trofee, Round 5, GP Sven Nys, Elite Men
1) Mathieu van der Poel (The Netherlands/Corendon-Circus) 55:30
2) Toon Aerts (Belgium/Telenet-Fidea Lions) +0:34
3) Laurens Sweeck (Belgium) +0:49
27) Cameron Jette (Canada)