World champion Sanne Cant wins Belgian cyclo-cross tittle (Image credit: Tim de Waele)

World Champion Sanne Cant (Enetherm- BKCP) won her first race of the season, taking the win at the Jaarmarkt Cross in Niel, just ahead of her cousin Lois Sels (De Sprinters Malderen). Third went to Ellen Van Loy (Telenet Fidea).

Kim Van de Steene (Tartelleto-Isorex) finished a close fourth to retain her overall lead in the DVV Trofee.

Cant, Sels and Van Loy got away from the pack early on a rainy day. Katie Compton (ISCorp-Smart Choice MRI) caught them briefly. After Van Loy crashed, Sels turned up the speed and she and Cant got away alone, halfway through the race.

Compton faded back to a group with Nikki Brammeier, before finally catching her foot in the fence and crashing.

Up ahead, Cant and Sels slowly built up their lead lap by lap, taking a 14-second advantage over Van Loy into the finale. They fought it out at high speed in the final lap. Sels put down a blistering pace, forcing Cant to go deep. The World Champion caught and passed her rival, taking the win by four seconds in the sprint.

Van Loy finished 22 seconds down, with Van de Steene at 24 seconds. Laura Verdonschot rounded out the all-Belgian top five, at 55 seconds.

Full Results

#	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
1	Sanne Cant (Bel) Corendon - Circus	0:43:32
2	Loes Sels (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen - Vastgoedservice	0:00:04
3	Ellen Van Loy (Bel) Telenet Fidea Lions	0:00:22
4	Kim Van De Steene (Bel) Tarteletto - Isorex	0:00:24
5	Laura Verdonschot (Bel) Marlux - Bingoal	0:00:53
6	Nikki Brammeier (GBr)	0:00:56
7	Elle Anderson (USA)	0:01:18
8	Helen Wyman (GBr)	0:01:31
9	Marion Norbert Riberolle (Fra)	0:01:36
10	Eva Lechner (Ita) Creafin Tüv Sud	0:01:52
11	Maud Kaptheijns (Ned) Crelan - Charles	0:01:53
12	Sophie De Boer (Ned)	0:02:03
13	Anna Kay (GBr)	0:02:04
14	Bethany Crumpton (GBr)	0:02:08
15	Yara Kastelijn (Ned) Steylaerts - 777	0:02:15
16	Pauline Delhaye (Fra)	0:02:57
17	Aniek Van Alphen (Ned)	0:03:39
18	Karen Verhestraeten (Bel)	0:03:48
19	Suzanne Verhoeven (Bel)	0:03:58
20	Emily Wadsworth (GBr) Tp Racing	0:04:56
21	Katherine Compton (USA)	0:05:32
22	Mascha Mulder (Ned)	0:06:04
23	Meg De Bruyne (Bel)	0:06:35
24	Caren Commissaris (Bel)	0:06:56
25	Elodie Kuijper (Ned)	0:07:06
26	Tess Van Loy (Bel)	0:07:29
27	Julie Brouwers (Bel)
28	Nele De Vos (Bel)
29	Océane Allart (Fra)
30	Tinne Vermeiren (Bel)
31	Didi De Vries (Ned)
32	Tine Rombouts (Bel)
33	Sara Beeckmans (Bel)
34	Hazel Magill (Irl)
35	Naomi De Roeck (Bel)
36	Imke Storms (Bel)
DNF	Jinse Peeters (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen - Vastgoedservice
DNF	Shana Maes (Bel)