Cant claims 100th career victory in Heusden-Zolder

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Sanne Cant (Beobank-Corendon) claimed her 100th career victory at the UCI Telenet Cyclo-cross World Cup on Tuesday in Heusden-Zolder, a place she considers her hometown. She took the win ahead of American Katie Compton (Trek) and Italian Eva Lechner (Clif Pro Team).

"I deserve a piece of cake," said Cant, who was surprised with a large cake with the number 100 written across the top in frosting as she stood on the top step of the podium.

"I am very happy with my 100th victory."

Cant competed on December 23 at the Waaslandcross in Sint-Niklaas. She had a slow start and could not make up the lost ground on eventual winner Lucinda Brand (Sunweb). She expressed her disappointment that she did not take her 100th career win on that day, but it made her win in Heusden-Zolder three days later all the more important.

"Last week I could smell that victory, but then I just could not win," Cant said in a report on Nieuwsblad.be and in the post-race flash interview. "I am therefore very happy to win here, a World Cup in my hometown. It does not get any better. The spectators were amazing. It was a beautiful place to take the win."

Cant started the final lap patiently waiting on the wheels of Compton and Lechner, who swapped taking the lead in a strategic battle for the win. Thirteen seconds back, a group of five that included Brand, Marianna Vos, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, Ellen Van Loy and Laura Verdonschot tried to claw their way back to the three leaders.

"I felt good today and I knew that this was a course where you could not always ride at the front. I wanted to get a lead in the penultimate lap, but then I could not hold my gap," Cant said.

In the end, Cant attacked through the technical up-and-down section of the course to take the lead, but she could not get a gap and slipped on the run up the stairs. She had a second bobble on the ride through the mud section but used her power to gain the winning gap on the way to the finish line.

"I did deserve a piece [of cake] after this victory, yes,” Cant laughed. "And with this cold weather you can use a little whipped cream."

Ferrand Prevot, who had the fastest lap of the day at 8:08.9 minutes worked her way through the group to take fourth place. Vos attacked Brand for fifth place. Verdonschot finished seventh and Van Loy eighth.

Cant continues to lead the World Cup series with 489 points. She does not wear the series leader's jersey because her world champion's jersey takes precedence. Kaitlin Keough is in second with 376 points and Lechner third with 358 points.

Cant posted a celebratory video for her 100 career victories on Twitter following the Heusden-Zolder World Cup. A career that stared in 2002, Cant joined the elite ranks in 2009. Among her victories are eight national titles, three European championship titles, ten World Cup race wins, and the world title along with numerous victories in both Superprestige and DVV verzekeringen trofee series.

10 years of hard work, 100 satisfactions pic.twitter.com/CxgDbU7DC6

UCI Telenet Cyclo-cross World Cup standings - brief results