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Rochette 10th in sixth round of ‘cross World Cup as Brand wins to increase series lead

Another runner-up spot for 19-year-old Puck Pieterse

November 14, 2021
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World champion Lucinda Brand claimed the sixth of sixteen rounds of the 2021-2022 ‘cross World Cup in Tabor, Czech Republic on Sunday, extending her series lead over Denise Betsema in an exciting race. Maghalie Rochette and Sidney McGill were back in World Cup action after skipping the Zonhoven and Overijse rounds. They were the only Canucks racing in the Czech Republic on Saturday. Rochette had her third top-10 result of the 2021-2022 World Cup with 10th.

Rochette leads four other riders over the line in Tabor.

You can watch the 2021-2022 UCI Cyclocross World Cup at FloBikes.

The season leading up to Tabor

October 10: Waterloo, Wis.: 1) Vos 2) Brand 3) Betsema 10) Rochette,
October 13: Fayetteville, Ark: 1) Brand 2) Betsema 3) Honsinger 7) Rochette
October 17: Iowa City, Iowa: 1) Vos 2) Betsema 3) Vas 22) Rochette
October 24: Zonhoven, Belgium: 1) Betsema 2) Brand 3) Alvarado
October 31: Overijse, Belgium 1) Vas 2) Pieterse 3) Brand
1) Brand 147 pts
2) Betsema 147 pts
3) Pieterse 112 pts
19) Rochette 39 pts

World champion Lucinda Brand seized the hole shot after the starting gun, with Puck Pieterse grabbing her wheel. Kata Blanka Vas sewed up a gap and created a seven-woman string. Pieterse attacked at the midway point of Lap 1. A mob of 10 finished the first 3.4-km lap in 9:01. Rochette was 16th and McGill 32nd.

Brand and Pieterse lead the string on Lap 1.

Pieterse continued to lead the ten at the start of Lap 2 before Brand took over. Pieterse bunny hopped the planks while Brand carried, which put the U23 Dutch woman back in front. Brand and Puck continued to swap the lead. Vas was along for the ride. The trio pried out a gap on the others, with Annemarie Worst and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado just behind. Rochette was up to 12th, while McGill was 30th.

Vas took her turn at the pointy end of the column, which had grown to seven riders, on Lap 3. The group stayed together through the third of six laps. Conditions were dry and no one had to change bikes in the first half of the race.

Brand, Vas and Puck were the main players in the first half of Sunday’s race.

Denise Betsema, the winner of the Zonhoven round, became more active on Lap 4, but Vas and Pieterse didn’t want her setting the pace. By jumping the hurdles, Pieterse pushed out a six-second gap. Rochette crossed the line in 14th, and McGill was 31st.

Pieterse gets loose on Lap 4.

On the penultimate lap, Puck fought to keep her lead. Betsema and Vas toiled to bring her back. Brand was lagging in seventh. Betsema brought the chasers back to Pieterse at the midway point of the fifth circuit. Once more Pieterse bunny hopped some space between herself and the others. Again Betsema yanked her back before riding at the business end of the string.

Who was going to win in Tabor? We were in for a heck of a bell lap. Brand grabbed the reins. Betsema and Pieterse kept her close. Brand stamped on the pedals after the planks and pushed out a gap, with Puck her closest pursuer. Suddenly it was Worst doing the chasing. But Brand hung tough to triumph. Pieterse was psyched to be runner-up for the second round in a row.

The next round is next Sunday in Koksijde, Belgium.

2021-2022 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Round 6, Tabor
1) Lucinda Brand (The Netherlands/Baloise Trek Lions) 52:00
2) Puck Pieterse (The Netherlands/Alpecin-Fenix) +0:03
3) Annemarie Worst (The Netherlands/777) s.t.
10) Maghalie Rochette (Canada) +1:16
32) Sidney McGill (Canada) +5:04