Van Paassen outsprints Compton in Tabor

Sanne van Paassen (Rabobank Women Cycling) won the opening round of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Tábor, Czech Republic with a sprint victory over U.S. champion Katie Compton (Trek Cyclocross Collective). British champion Helen Wyman (Kona) concluded a long ride in no man's land with a great third place result to round out the podium 36 seconds later.

"This is incredible for me. I hoped to win, but I thought a podium would be ok," van Paassen told Sporza. "It was a hard suffer-fest today. Katie is really good and it was a tough course. Especially the last half lap was really hard."

It wasn't just on the last lap that Compton put pressure on van Paassen, she tried to do so for most of the race but never managed to drop the 23-year-old Dutch rider.

"I constantly told myself: ‘Hold that wheel, hold that wheel. Boom, back to that wheel'. It was the only thing I thought about, getting back to that wheel and then over it. It succeeded," said van Paassen.

Early on Compton wasn't spotted near the front. She didn't have a great start and needed some time to get back up to van Paassen, who was leading together with Wyman and Belgian champion Sanne Cant (Veldritacademie Enertherm-BKCP). Halfway through the second lap van Paassen hit the gas and Cant quickly dropped back. Compton went up and over Wyman and joined van Paassen in the lead late on the second lap. For the remainder of the race Wyman kept the two leaders in sight but she never managed to close the gap again. Heading into the fifth and final lap Wyman trailed Compton and van Paassen by 18 seconds, but the deficit would balloon on the final circuit.

Compton used her technical skills to gain a slight gap on a downhill into a tricky off-camber section late on the final lap, but van Paassen made contact with Compton just as they turned left onto the paved finishing straight. Compton led-out the sprint, but van Paassen came around the U.S. champion for the sprint victory.

Thirteen seconds after Wyman's third place finish, Cant won a hard-fought sprint for fourth place from Nikki Harris (Telenet-Fidea), Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Hitec Products – Mistral Home Cycling Team) and Jasmin Achermann (Rapha-Focus).

Pavla Havlikova (Telenet-Fidea), who set the early tempo in Tábor, was unable to keep up the high pace in front of the home crowds and ultimately finished eighth, one minute down on van Paassen.

American U23 champion Kaitlin Antonneau (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld) rode a steady race and finished ninth, well ahead of Gabriella Day (Rapha-Focus) who rounded out the top-10.

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Full Results
1Sanne van Paassen (Ned) Rabobank Women Team0:40:57
2Katie Compton (USA) Trek Cyclocross CollectiveRow 1 - Cell 2
3Helen Wyman (GBr) Kona Factory Team0:00:36
4Sanne Cant (Bel) Veldritacademie Enertherm-BKCP0:00:49
5Nikki Harris (GBr) Young Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team0:00:50
6Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) Hitec Products - Mistral Home Cycling TeamRow 5 - Cell 2
7Jasmin Achermann (Swi) Rapha-Focus0:00:52
8Pavla Havlikova (Cze) Young Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team0:01:00
9Kaitlin Antonneau (USA) Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld0:01:09
10Gabriella Day (GBr) Rapha-Focus0:01:25
11Julie Krasniak (Fra) Rapha-Focus0:01:31
12Ellen Van Loy (Bel) Melbotech Prorace CT0:01:38
13Vania Rossi (Ita)0:01:39
14Arenda Grimberg (Ned) WV Het Stadion0:01:41
15Lucie Chainel-Lefevre (Fra) BH - SR Suntour - Peisey VallandryRow 14 - Cell 2
16Martina Mikulaskova (Cze)0:01:42
17Sophie de Boer (Ned) Young Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team0:01:48
18Alice Arzuffi (Ita) Selle Italia-Guerciotti-Elite0:02:41
19Amy Dombroski (USA) Young Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team0:02:51
20Marlène Morel Petitgirard (Fra) VCCMM0:02:53
21Sabrina Schweizer (Ger) Rapha-Focus0:03:00
22Maureen Bruno Roy (USA) Bob's Red Mill p/b Seven Cycles0:03:27
23Francesca Cauz (Ita) Fassa Bortolo - Servetto0:03:47
24Annefleur Kalvenhaar (Ned) Giant Dealerteams0:03:50
25Margriet Kloppenburg (Den) BMC Concept Store0:03:52
26Joyce Vanderbeken (Bel) Wielerteam Decock Sportivo Moorsele0:04:54
27Karla Stepanova (Cze)0:04:56
28Tereza Medvedova (Svk)0:05:10
29Nadja Heigl (Aut)0:05:54
30Christine Vardaros (USA) Baboco0:06:20
31Lise-Marie Henzelin (Swi) Team Pro Region Renfersa0:06:36
32Nancy Bober (Bel) Style & Concept0:07:17
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Overall standings after round 1
1Sanne van Paassen (Ned) Rabobank Women Team60pts
2Katie Compton (USA) Trek Cyclocross Collective50Row 1 - Cell 3
3Helen Wyman (GBr) Kona Factory Team45Row 2 - Cell 3
4Sanne Cant (Bel) Veldritacademie Enertherm-BKCP40Row 3 - Cell 3
5Nikki Harris (GBr) Young Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team35Row 4 - Cell 3
6Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) Hitec Products - Mistral Home Cycling Team30Row 5 - Cell 3
7Jasmin Achermann (Swi) Rapha-Focus28Row 6 - Cell 3
8Pavla Havlikova (Cze) Young Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team26Row 7 - Cell 3
9Kaitlin Antonneau (USA) Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld24Row 8 - Cell 3
10Gabriella Day (GBr) Rapha-Focus22Row 9 - Cell 3
11Julie Krasniak (Fra) Rapha-Focus20Row 10 - Cell 3
12Ellen Van Loy (Bel) Melbotech Prorace CT19Row 11 - Cell 3
13Vania Rossi (Ita)18Row 12 - Cell 3
14Arenda Grimberg (Ned) WV Het Stadion17Row 13 - Cell 3
15Lucie Chainel-Lefevre (Fra) BH - SR Suntour - Peisey Vallandry16Row 14 - Cell 3
16Martina Mikulaskova (Cze)15Row 15 - Cell 3
17Sophie de Boer (Ned) Young Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team14Row 16 - Cell 3
18Alice Arzuffi (Ita) Selle Italia-Guerciotti-Elite13Row 17 - Cell 3
19Amy Dombroski (USA) Young Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team12Row 18 - Cell 3
20Marlène Morel Petitgirard (Fra) VCCMM11Row 19 - Cell 3
21Sabrina Schweizer (Ger) Rapha-Focus10Row 20 - Cell 3
22Maureen Bruno Roy (USA) Bob's Red Mill p/b Seven Cycles9Row 21 - Cell 3
23Francesca Cauz (Ita) Fassa Bortolo - Servetto8Row 22 - Cell 3
24Annefleur Kalvenhaar (Ned) Giant Dealerteams7Row 23 - Cell 3
25Margriet Kloppenburg (Den) BMC Concept Store6Row 24 - Cell 3
26Joyce Vanderbeken (Bel) Wielerteam Decock Sportivo Moorsele5Row 25 - Cell 3
27Karla Stepanova (Cze)4Row 26 - Cell 3
28Tereza Medvedova (Svk)3Row 27 - Cell 3
29Nadja Heigl (Aut)2Row 28 - Cell 3
30Christine Vardaros (USA) Baboco1Row 29 - Cell 3

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