Exact Cross Essen: Marion Norbert Riberolle battles through mud and rain for solo win

Marion Norbert Riberolle powered through atrocious weather conditions to claim a clear solo win against Aniek Van Alphen in the Exact Cross at Essen.

The Belgian racer fended off a serious challenge by defending champion Aniek Van Alphen to claim her first win of the season by ten seconds. Laura Verdonschot finished a distant third, 1:18 back.

A former U-23 World cyclocross champion, Norbert Riberolle and Van Alphen emerged as the two leaders by the halfway point as the rain lashed down on the muddy, windswept course.

In a thrilling finale, Van Alphen tested her rival with two sharp moves, only for Norbert Riberolle to regain contact and then launch her own attack in the final lap. Although Van Alphen tried her utmost to reel the Belgian, the task proved just too hard.

“I’m really happy I was thinking about how I could win the race,” the Crelan Correndon racer said afterwards. “I was not sure about my feelings today, I had very hard legs after the training camp and Aniek was really strong today, it was a good battle.”

“But I’m heading back to Spain [for more training] tonight and I can be happy with this win.” 

While the race shattered unusually early given the appalling weather,  Norbert Riberolle and Van Alphen quickly emerged as front runners. Only Verdonschot (De Ceuster-Bonach), and more distantly, Julia Kopecky were in any position to perhaps threaten the two leaders, but as riders battled the conditions as much as each other, Essen quickly became a battle for racing survival. 

Seemingly oblivious to the wind and rain across the mud–drenched course and rain, on lap three of four Van Alphen (Team 777) made her first concerted bid to challenge Norbert RIberolle, only to see to the Belgian claw her way back up again.

Another, shorter move by Van Alphen followed, with an equal lack of success, and lending a sense of inevitability to the prolonged drive by Norbert Riberolle that followed, distancing the Netherlands rider.

Picking their way across the deep puddle and seas of mud as best they could, Norbert Riberolle’s success was far from guaranteed as Van Alphen forced to keep as close as possible. But even as Norbert Riberolle finally found her way onto the finishing straight and victory after an exhausting race, the gap between the two was still continuing to widen. As the Dutchwoman said later, “Marion was just too strong”.

Results

Results powered by FirstCycling