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Cyclo-Cross World Cup #4 - CDM
Koksijde, Belgium, November 24, 2007
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Stage 4 - November 24: Elite Women
Van Den Brand best in the sand
By Brecht Decaluwé in Koksijde
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Daphny Van Den Brand confirmed her great early season form by claiming a second World Cup win of the season in Koksijde today. American Katie Compton, winner of the previous World Cup in Pijnacker, had a good start but lost time after crashing in the sand and was joined by world champion Maryline Salvetat and Van Den Brand on the second lap. This trio turned out to be the strongest in the race.
"I'm surprising myself today," said Van Den Brand at the post-race press grill. "I was suffering with my back during the last couple of weeks and doubted my form as well, so I didn't expect to do so well today. After receiving treatment it turned out that only my back was causing problems."
Cyclingnews asked the Dutchwoman where she made the difference on the demanding sandy course and Van Den Brand explained her technique proved to be better. "There was a spot where you had to jump off the bike for the barriers, jump back on the bike and climb the dune, get back off the bike to run further up the dune, and then back on the bike. That's where I could distance the others," Van Den Brand explained.
After the finish Compton wasn't disappointed with second although she might have hoped for more beforehand "I'm happy with second place because I was all over the place in the sand. Damage control was the keyword today and that worked out pretty well," she said.
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Despite those difficulties, Compton kept the leaders in sight and with Salvetat collapsing a little in the last lap, the American realised second place was possible. "I saw her riding in the last lap and kept her in sight. I wanted to take her back and that worked out well. I don't think she knew I was coming and I sort of surprised her on the final straight."
World champion Salvetat didn't have a good start to the season but knows she'll be hitting top form within a couple of weeks. With her third place today the French rider has boosted her confidence significantly. "After the European championships I was out of competition for more than a week. Not that I didn't do anything because I have a job in the hospital," Salvetat explained.
Salvetat lost touch with Van Den Brand on the penultimate lap after a mistake, but didn't make any excuses. "I got stuck in the fence, but I had nothing left by then so I would get dropped anyway."
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Behind the leading trio, Helen Wyman, Reza Hormes-Ravenstein, young Sanne Cant and Stephanie Pohl were battling for the places of honour. Compton was having trouble in the dunes and made a series of mistakes which allowed the duo of Salvetat and Van Den Brand to get away. Van Den Brand gradually wore down Salvetat, eventually dropping the Frenchwoman to develop a small gap going into the final laps. Salvetat was clearly having major trouble maintaining her tempo and Compton was closing in on the world champion.
While Van Den Brand captured a well deserved victory, Compton managed to bridge up to Salvetat on the long finishing straight. The American didn't hesitate and attacked the despairing Salvetat who was unable to react.
Hormes-Ravenstein won the sprint for fourth place while Wyman barely managed to throw her front wheel ahead of Pohl for fifth. Cant finished seventh - an amazing feat given that she was the youngest competitor at the start in Koksijde, being only 17 year old.
Wyman was exhausted after the race, but eventually recovered to give her reaction. "I deserved it!" she exclaimed. "I worked for it all race. I started my season slow because I wasn't as good as I wanted to be at the worlds last year. My results weren't too good up until now but I knew sometimes a mechanical hadn't helped me. Luckily the people around me have confidence in me," said Wyman, who intends to build on her form for the all important months of December and January.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Ben Atkins/Cyclingnews.com
- US champion Katie Compton (Spike Shooter) is pursued by British champion Helen Wyman (Global Racing).
- World champion Maryline Salvetat (VSLL Castres) shoulders her bike on the sandy climb.
- 'Regular girl' Christelle Ferrier-Bruneau (Pruneaux d'Agen) leads a small group in pursuit of the leaders.
- Gabby Day (Global Racing) pursues the leaders up the climb.
- Italian Champion Vania Rossi found the sand a bit tough today.
- Katie Compton (Spike Shooter) battles with Maryline Salvetat (VSLL Castres).
- Daphny van den Brand (ZZPR.nl) chases Compton and Salvetat.
- Veronica Alessio (Italian National Team) on one of the flatter sections.
- Daphny Van den Brand (ZZPR.nl) leads World champion Maryline Salvetat (VSLL Castres).
- Arenda Grimberg (Netherlands) Sanne Cant (ASD Selle Italia Guerciotti) through some trees.
- Abke Francissen (Team Brabant 2000) takes a corner.
- Linda Van Rijen (Team DSB Bank) would eventually finish 21st.
- Joyce Vanderbeken (Belgium) digs in on one of the last corners.
- Maureen Bruno Roy (Independent Fabrication) toughs it out to the end.
- Like most Italians Daniela Bresciani had a tough time in the cold Belgian weather.
- Daphny van den Brand (ZZPR.nl) rides solo on her way to victory.
- Maryline Salvetat (VSLL Castres) would be caught by Compton soon after this point.
- Katie Compton (Spike Shooter) puts in a final charge to catch Salvetat before the line.
- Helen Wyman (Global Racing) would lose her fourth place, but win the sprint for fifth.
- Saskia Elemans (Netherlands) hangs in there to take 16th.
- Christelle Ferrier-Bruneau (Pruneaux d'Agen) was eventually 17th.
- Austrian Elke Riedl just made it inside the top 20.
- Gabby Day (Global Racing) finished a respectable 25th.
- The women's press conference (l-r) Salvetat (third), Van den Brand (first), Compton (second)
- During the press conference the race podium finishers get to watch Van den Brand's victory
Images by Brecht Decaluwé/ Cyclingnews
- Katie Compton proud to show her Spike.
- Lyne Bessette laughing and warming up.
- Daphny Van Den Brand wins the women's race and gets ready to celebrate.
- Compton surprised Salvetat with a come back and grabs second place in Koksijde.
- Who's most happy on this podium?
Images by Mark Legg/web.mac.com/markuslegg/Site/Welcome.html
- Daphny Vanden Brand (ZZPR.nl) warming up before the start.
- Maryline Salvetat (VSLL Castres) leads Katie Compton (Spike Shooter) early in the race.
- Three crashes in the first lap caused a rubbing rear brake for Katie Compton (Spike Shooter).
- Maryline Salvetat (VSLL Castres) suffering out on course. She finished third.
- Last lap suffering for the winner Daphny Vanden Brand (ZZPR.nl)
- The women's podium for the 2007 Koksijde World Cup in Belgium (L to R) Maryline Salvetat (VSLL Castres),Daphny Vanden Brand (ZZPR.nl),Katie Compton (Spike Shooter)
- Watching the race coverage during the press conference, a moment in the race Katie Compton wanted to forget.
- Katie Compton (Spike Shooter) cooling down on the rollers watching the elite men's race from the sidelines
- Katie Compton (Spike Shooter) will be drinking a nice bottle of Belgium's finest, Duvel, tonite to forget her multiple crashes at this year's World Cup in Koksijde.
Results
1 Daphny van den Brand (Ned) ZZPR.nl 41.32 2 Katie Compton (USA) Spike Shooter 0.07 3 Maryline Salvetat (Fra) VSLL Castres 0.10 4 Reza Hormes-Ravenstijn (Ned) ZZPR.nl 0.40 5 Helen Wyman (GBr) Global Racing Team 0.42 6 Stephanie Pohl (Ger) Team Getränke-Hoffmann 7 Sanne Cant (Bel) ASD Selle Italia Guerciotti 1.04 8 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Team Ton van Bemmelen Sports - OdySis 1.24 9 Pavla Havlikova (Cze) KC Kooperativa SG Jablonec n.N 1.42 10 Mirjam Melchers-Van Poppel (Ned) Team Flexpoint 1.52 11 Nadia Triquet-Claude (Fra) UC Bassin Houiller 2.06 12 Lyne Bessette (Can) Team Cyclecrossworld.Com 2.11 13 Katrien Pauwels (Bel) Empella Czech Team 2.13 14 Veerle Ingels (Bel) AVB/USspa Cycling Team 2.18 15 Birgit Hollmann (Ger) Team Getränke-Hoffmann 2.42 16 Saskia Elemans (Ned) WV de Meteoor 2.48 17 Christelle Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 3.06 18 Abke Francissen (Ned) Team Brabant 2000 3.14 19 Susanne Juranek (Ger) RSC Oldenburg 1965 3.21 20 Elke Riedl (Ned) Restore Cycling 3.24 21 Linda Van Rijen (Ned) Team DSB Bank 4.16 22 Anja Nobus (Bel) Wielerclub Oostende Noordzee 4.35 23 Katrien Aerts (Bel) Benelux Team 4.50 24 Joyce Vanderbeken (Bel) Lingier - Versluys MTB Team 25 Gabriella Day (GBr) Global Racing Team 4.59 26 Maureen Bruno Roy (USA) Team IF Wheelworks 5.01 27 Nicole Kampeter (Ger) RC Endspurt Herford 5.17 28 Daniela Bresciani (Ita) Team Colnago-Arrighini 5.33 29 Christine Vardaros (USA) Team Vanderkitten 5.38 30 Mika Ogishima (Jpn) UWTC de Volharding 5.46 31 Veronica Alessio (Ita) Team Desenzanese Asd 5.57 32 Vania Rossi (Ita) Selle Italia-Guerciotti 6.32 33 Gertie Willems (Bel) Wielerpromotieclub Jeugdteam 6.54 DSQ Sanne Van Paassen (Ned) Team DSB Bank DNF Suzie Godart (Lux) Fenixs - HPB
