Sidney McGill thrives on snowy Val di Sole course for career-best World Cup result
Rochette rises to seventh overall after eighth place in Italy
It was a heavy, snowy course in Val di Sole, Italy on Sunday’s seventh round of the 2023-2024 World Cup, but it brought out the career best World Cup result from Canada’s Sidney McGill, who came fifth. Maghalie Rochette came in eighth to rise to seventh in the Cup standings. Manon Bakker challenged World Cup leader Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado all day, with the Crelan-Corendon rider earning her first career World Cup victory. Alvarado’s runner-up increased her lead at the top of the World Cup table.
The Situation Before Sunday
Alvarado was absent last week in Flamanville, France due to illness, but she still held the World Cup lead by 30 points over the rampant Lucinda Brand, victor of the last two rounds. Maghalie Rochette’s 12th in France didn’t budge her from the ninth spot in the standings. Sidney McGill was 22nd in the table.
Rochette wasn’t too pleased with the conditions, saying before the race, “It’s just not rideable.”
A small field took to the sluggish course, with a lot of running on Lap 1. Alvarado fought her way to the front but Czech Kristýna Zemanová took over. Pieterse struggled to keep up. McGill was ninth and Rochette 12th in the middle of the first circuit. Alvarado reestablished her lead. The World Cup leader finished the lap in 12:10 with Zemanová and Bakker. McGill was sixth and Rochette eighth.
Alvarado pushed clear in the beginning of Lap 2 of 4. McGill was soon pushing Puck Pieterse for fourth spot. Alvarado came to a halt on a run-up hill, allowing Zemanová and Bakker to find her again. Again, Alvarado powered away. Bakker, 14 seconds behind, shed Zemanová. Pieterse dropped McGill, who now had Italian Sara Casasola for company. Rochette was ninth.
On Lap 3, Pieterse took over the final podium position. McGill’s target was now Zemanová, 10 seconds ahead. McGill closed in on the Czech and Pieterse. Pieterse snowmobiled away. Bakker wasn’t letting Alvarado out of her sight. The Czech got away from McGill. Rochette was ninth.
Bakker passed Alvarado early in the bell lap and stayed at the front. The rest of the gaps between Pieterse, Zemanová, McGill and Valentina Corva seemed too large to sew up. Alvarado’s mistakes made it hard for her to catch the ecstatic Bakker. Maghalie Rochette came around Casasola to take eighth.
The next round is next Sunday in Namur, Belgium.
2023-2024 UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Round 7, Val di Sole
1) Manon Bakker (The Netherlands/Crelan-Corendon) 46:14
2) Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (The Netherlands/Alpecin-Deceuninck) +0:23
3) Puck Pieterse (The Netherlands/Fenix-Deceuninck) +1:35
5) Sidney McGill (Canada) +2:14
8) Maghalie Rochette (Canada) +3:34
