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Cant and van der Poel prevail in Bogense, Denmark cyclocross World Cup

American Kaitlin Keough earns third podium in four rounds

November 19, 2017
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In the fourth round of the UCI cyclocross World Cup in picturesque Bogense, Denmark, Belgian Sanne Cant took her second cup win of the season after September’s victory in Waterloo, Wisconsin. Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel continued his domination of the series with four out of four triumphs.

Mud, steep run-ups and off-camber descents were on the day’s menu. The course ran close to the ocean and howling winds blew spray up over the riders.


The Elite Women’s Race
Cant immediately established a lead with The Netherlands’ Sophie de Boer second. The world champion’s lead over a chasing pack was nine-seconds after Lap 1.

Brit Helen Wyman, who won November 1’s second round of DVV Trofee in Oudenaarde, established herself as the main chaser on Lap 2.

On the third of five laps Cant made a mistake on a run-up that allowed Wyman to close the gap and then move to the front before the barriers. On a carry section before a short off-camber, Cant again took the lead but the two were on the same time at the end of the lap. Eva Lechner was 32-seconds behind.

As Cant pried open a gap on Lap 4, Lechner found American revelation Kaitin Keough on her heels.


Cant entered the bell lap with a 14-second gap, but a third of the way through the lap her chain came off and she struggled to put it on. Wyman grabbed the front. Peeved, Cant returned to the Brit and then rushed the obstacles to reestablish a gap. Lechner pushed ahead of the American on the course but Keough won the sprint for the final podium position, her third podium in four rounds.

Two wins and two thirds sees Cant lead the World Cup standings 290-points to Keough’s 251. De Boer is third with 230.

The Elite Men’s Race
After Wout van Aert’s win over van der Poel in the November 12 Superprestige, the Belgian felt like he could snap the Dutchman’s World Cup win streak. Van der Poel took a lead on Lap 1 of nine but made a mistake that allowed Van Aert and two others to form a leading quartet.

Toon Aerts and van der Poel pulled away on Lap 2 and van Aert became the main chaser. Even with van der Poel going into the barriers, the duo had 12-seconds on van Aert after Lap 3.


Van der Poel surged ahead on Lap 5 and soon had a 13-second lead.


Aerts soon had to worry about van Aert. Fourth place Lars van der Haar, who took the first DVV Trofee race in early October, suffered on the barriers. After six laps the gap was 21-seconds to Aerts and 27-seconds to van Aert. Van Aert passed Aerts on Lap 7.

Van der Poel undoubtedly had last weekend’s Superprestige race in mind as he entered the final two laps. He crashed on the last lap in Gavere and suffered a mechanical, allowing Van Aert and Aerts to finish ahead of him. The Dutchman had 37-seconds to play with on the bell lap.

Aerts attacked van Aert in the only real hot contest of the race. Van der Poel cruised to the win, with plenty of time to salute the crowd. Van Aert outsprinted his compatriot for second, but Aerts became the eighth different rider on the 2017-2018 World Cup elite men’s podium.

Van der Poel is far ahead at the top of the World Cup standings.

The next round of the World Cup is Saturday, November 25 in Zeven, Germany.

UCI Cyclocross Round 4 Bogense, Denmark Elite Women
1) Sanne Cant (Belgium) 41:19
2) Helen Wyman (Great Britain) +0:09
3) Kaitlin Keough (USA) +0:48

UCI Cyclocross Round 4 Bogense, Denmark Elite Men
1) Mathieu van der Poel (The Netherlands) 1:02:58
2) Wout van Aert (Belgium) +0:08
3) Toon Aerts (Belgium) +0:09