Vos to start 'cross season at Koksijde World Cup

Reigning women's cyclo-cross world champion Marianne Vos will make her first start of the 'cross season at the third round of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup at Koksijde, Belgium on November 26, according to wielerland.nl.

As she has done in previous years, Vos has skipped the early season's 'cross competition while she recovers from a full season on the road, highlighted by overall victory at the Giro d'Italia Internazionale Femminile, three World Cup wins and her fifth straight silver medal in the world championships. Proving her all-around versatility, Vos also claimed a world title on the track in the scratch race at the Apeldoorn, Netherlands-hosted world championships.

With the new rolling points system enacted this 'cross season, however, Vos will still find herself with a front-row start as she's ranked fifth overall on the latest UCI 'cross rankings.

The Koksijde venue will be of particular interest to Vos as it will also serve as the upcoming world championship course in late January. Vos skipped the Koksijde World Cup in 2010, won resoundingly by Katie Compton, but won the 2009 edition with a sprint victory over compatriot Daphny van den Brand.

Vos outlined other races in this season's 'cross campaign including the Superprestige Gieten in her native Netherlands the day after the Koksijde World Cup, the Frankfurter Rad-Cross on December 4, followed by the GVA Trofee-GP Rouwmoer on December 17 and the Namur, Belgium round of the cyclo-cross World Cup the following day.

Between the Frankfurter Rad-Cross and GVA Trofee-GP Rouwmoer Vos will travel to Brabant, South Africa for a one-week training camp.

"I will not be good after the interlude in South Africa, but I'll use the training towards the busy Christmas season and the championships in January," said Vos.

Come January, Vos will lead the Rabobank women's professional team, formed after the Dutch bank took over sponsorship of her current Nederland Bloeit squad.