Home > Cyclocross

Dutch treat: Brand wins final round of the 2018-2019 World Cup in Hoogerheide

Ruby West top Canadian the week before World Championships

January 27, 2019
Share on SMS

It was a home win on Sunday’s final round of the 2018-2019 UCI cyclocross World Cup in Hoogerheide, the Netherlands, as Lucinda Brand (Sunweb) prevailed in nasty conditions. It was the Dutch woman’s third World Cup of the season after victories in Tabor and Namur. Brand’s compatriot Marianne Vos had wrapped up her first World Cup title last week in Pont-Château, France and placed third on Sunday.

It poured for an hour before the elite women started, and snow had fallen during the week. There was a full compendium of Canadian riders ready to race: Maghalie Rochette, Ruby West, Sidney McGill, Magdeleine Vallieres-Mill, Dana Gilligan and 17-year-old Kelly Lawson.

Vos took the hole shot and led early with Denise Betsema and Sanne Cant close behind. On the second of four laps Betsema fell back but Nikki Brammeier and Lucinda Brand powered over. Americans Katie Compton and Kaitlin Keough and Sophie De Boer weren’t far behind. Ruby West was 46th and Rochette was the race’s first DNF.

Lap 3 saw Dutch champion Brand grind clear, with Cant and Compton chasing. When Brand heard the bell, Cant and Compton were 14-seconds back, with Vos 21-seconds in arrears. Cant faded on the final lap, but she moved up into second in the World Cup standings over Annemarie Worst.

West was the top Canadian at 48th.

Next week is the World Championships in Bogense, Denmark.

2018-2019 UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Round Nine, Hoogerheide, the Netherlands, Elite Women
1) Lucinda Brand (The Netherlands/Sunweb) 43:18
2) Katie Compton (U.S.A./+0:09
3) Marianne Vos (The Netherlands/CCC-Liv)+0:26
48) Ruby West (Canada) +5:24
57) Magdeleine Vallieres-Mill (Canada) +7:24
65) Dana Gilligan (Canada) +9:45
66) Sidney McGill (Canada) +10:06
74) Kelly Lawson (Canada)
DNF) Maghalie Rochette (Canada)