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CX World Cup Roundup

Rochette impresses in second place

November 29, 2021
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On Sunday, Maghalie Rochette, who was supposed to defending her national cyclocross title on Vancouver Island, instead had her best-ever European round of the World Cup, coming second to series leader Lucinda Brand in muddy Besançon, France, the midway point of the 2021-2022 series. It was her best World Cup result since winning Jingle Cross in September of 2019.

Going into Sunday’s race, Marianne Vos and Lucinda Brand had won two rounds each and Kata Blanka Vas, Denise Betsema and Annemarie Worst had all taken a round, Worst last week in Koksijde. Having stood on all but one podium in seven rounds, Brand led the overall standings by 14 points over Betsema and 51 points ahead of Puck Pieterse.

Women’s race

With no Canadian nationals this weekend Maghalie Rochette and Sidney McGill were back in World Cup action. They were the only Canucks racing in France on Sunday.

On Lap 1 Brand quickly took the lead in the mud, with Betsema in position two. Rochette was in sixth and seventh place.
Brand and Rochette took new bikes on Lap 2 and soon after Brand tripped up a little on the stairs. Betsema continued as Brand’s closest pursuer 14-seconds back, as Rochette toiled in fifth place behind Pieterse. McGill was 30th.

On the bell lap it was clear that barring disaster, Brand was going to win the round. Rochette had a comfortable gap in second with the other Dutch women 10 seconds behind. The Canadian celebrated as if she had won after a fantastic performance.

After the race Rochette said, “I’ve always had trouble in Europe and I finally proved to myself I can do it. I kept telling myself, ‘Just stay focused, change gears’. I’m staying (in Europe) until January.” She thanked the Besançon fans for cheering her in French.

The next round is next Sunday in Antwerp, Belgium.

2021-2022 UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Round 8, Besançon, France

1) Lucinda Brand (The Netherlands/Baloise Trek Lions) 51:09
2) Maghalie Rochette (Canada) +0:26
3) Denise Betsema (The Netherlands/Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) +0:34
33) Sidney McGill (Canada)

Men’s race

Eli Iserbyt and Toon Aerts slugged it out in the muck of Besançon, France, on Sunday, with Iserbyt winning his fifth round of the 2021-2022 UCI ‘cross World Cup as the series reached its the midway point. Iserbyt leads Aerts by 79 points.

Going into Sunday’s race, Iserbyt had a large lead atop the overall standings, sitting 69 points clear of Toon Aerts. Lars van der Haar and Quinten Hermans were another point back. All four riders had won rounds, but Iserbyt had taken four of the seven races.

Ryan Kamp seized the hole shot on Lap 1 with Corne van Kessel, third in Saturday’s second round of the X2O Badkamers Trofee, in Position Two. Saturday’s X2O winner Aerts took over the lead, with Iserbyt nipping at his heels. Aerts and Iserbyt completed the lap in 8:19, another Toon, one Vandebosch, in third place.

The two main scraps continued into Lap 5: Iserbyt vs Aerts and, a minute later, Ronhaar vs Vanthourenhout. Toon put some muck between himself and the World Cup leader, and Iserbyt struggled to sew it up. A fall from Aerts saw Iserbyt catch up and pass Aerts.

Aerts was four seconds down going into the bell lap. Iserbyt pressed his advantage and Aerts’ efforts to catch up caused him to slip around on corners. Incredibly, after falling on a greasy hill and struggling to get to its top with about 250 metres to ride, Iserbyt kept the lead and earned the victory.

The next round is next Sunday in Antwerp, Belgium, where Wout Van Aert and Tom Pidcock will race their first 2021-2022 World Cup.

2021-2022 UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Round 8, Besançon, France

1) Eli Iserbyt (Belgium/Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) 1:03:47
2) Toon Aerts (Belgium/Baloise Trek Lions) +0:10
3) Pim Ronhaar (The Netherlands/Baloise Trek Lions) +1:44