Home > Cyclocross

Denise Betsema wins first cyclocross World Cup race at sandy Koksijde

Tough going for Rochette, 28th on the day

November 25, 2018
Share on SMS

Dutch rider Denise Betsema’s first cyclocross World Cup victory was an impressive one on the taxing, sandy course of Koksijde, Belgium on Sunday. It was a great weekend for Betsema in general as she won Saturday in Wachtebeke before taking the fifth round of the World Cup. Last week in Tabor, Czech Republic, Lucinda Brand took her first World Cup triumph. Sole Canadian entrant Maghalie Rochette had a tough afternoon, 28th her lowest finish in a completed World Cup race this season.

World champion and World Cup title holder Sanne Cant of Belgium was the rider to beat, as she had twice taken the victory at Koksijde and was third place last season. She trailed series leader Marianne Vos by only a few points.

Vos started fast but fell back a bit after Lap 1, and Sanne Cant, Annemarie Worst and Brit Nikki Brammeier crossed the line together at 9:11 after just over 3-km of racing.

On Lap 3 of 5, Brammeier continued to lead the race with Cant and three Dutch riders: Ceyline del Carmen Alvarado, Worst and Betsema. Rochette was in 26th place. Cant kept trying to pry open a gap in the sand and had a four-second lead heading over the line.

Betsema brought Cant back before the sandy run up at the start of Lap 4. Midway through the lap Cant began to suffer and couldn’t hold Betsema and company. Betsema and Brammeier led Alvarado by a couple of seconds when they heard the bell. Rochette had dropped back to 27th.

Betsema, Brammeier, Alvarado and Worst trudged through the sand together with Cant chasing. Betsema then dropped the hammer to pry open a gap on the last lap. The young Dutch rider won by eight-seconds over Brammeier.

Cant finished in seventh place. Vos was 12th and still leads Cant by 9-points in the series. Rochette is 19th in the World Cup after five rounds.

2018-2019 UCI cyclocross World Cup, Round 5, Koksijde, Belgium, Elite Women
1) Denise Betsema (The Netherlands/Marlux-Bingoal) 45:33
2) Nikki Brammeier (Great Britain) +0:08
3) Annemarie Worst (The Netherlands/Era-Circus) +0:11
28) Maghalie Rochette (Canada) +3:00