Yes she can! Cant tops world champ Vos in Lille

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Sanne Cant (BKCP-Powerplus) captured her first international win during the fourth round of the Gazet van Antwerpen Trophy on home soil in Lille, Belgium. The Belgian champion distanced world champion Marianne Vos (Nederland Bloeit) and German champion Hanka Kupfernagel on the technical course. Cant also becomes the new leader in the GvA Trophy due to the illness of former leader Sanne van Paassen (Brainwash).

"Did you see my excitement when crossing the line? This is the victory that I've been waiting so long for," Cant said.

Early on Kupfernagel was leading the pack around the lake in the nature park. Only Vos and Cant were able to keep up with the experienced German woman. Halfway through the race Kupfernagel lost ground when changing bikes. "I got blocked by a lapped rider which didn't offer me enough time to speed up and ride up the following climb. Then they were gone," Kupernagel told Cyclingnews.

During the penultimate round Vos got distanced too after changing bikes but the world champion wasn't planning on offering Cant the victory just like that. Halfway through the last lap Vos got back on Cant's wheel. A moment later Vos had to set foot on the ground on a technical section in the forest with tight corners. Cant had a gap then Vos disappeared from the picture when her tubular went off the rim. The Dutch woman then switched her focus from winning the race to staying ahead of Kupfernagel.

"We were both riding on the limit and that bike switch offered her a couple of metres. Could I have won without the tyre problems? Sanne had a sizeable gap on me already, so it would've been very hard to come back on her," Vos said.

For Cant it was a big advantage to avoid the sprint with her Dutch rival. "I think that in the sprint I have no chance against Vos. She's probably still faster when she's running," Cant said. It didn't come down to a sprint though and Cant cruised to a much-deserved win.

Vos kept riding on the rim in the forest but eventually was forced to run the last hundred metres towards the finish line while Kupfernagel was coming back quickly. "In the forest it was possible to ride but on the asphalt that didn't work out well. I saw Hanka coming back while the finish was still so far away," Vos said.

Eventually Kupfernagel was kind enough to slow down and offer Vos second place. "That was a nice gesture from her," Vos said. Kupfernagel explained that Vos deserved that second place but that she wouldn't do the same at the world championships. "Neither would I," Vos reacted.

Helen Wyman (Kona) won a tight sprint for fourth place from Dutch rider Sabrina Stultiens. "Did I win it? Then it's good," a coughing Wyman said. The British champion moves into second place overall in the rankings with only one round left.

Nikki Harris captured her best GvA result of the season with a sixth place at two minutes from winner Cant. She is now sixth overall.

A few minutes later Dutch champion Daphny van den Brand (ZZPR.nl) crossed the line in her comeback race after several weeks of illness. She finished tenth at almost four minutes from Cant. "The result didn't matter. I knew that I wouldn't be riding for the victory but figured I could do damage control in the overall rankings by racing here," Van den Brand told Cyclingnews. The Dutch champion succeeded in her goal as she remains in third overall.

On February 20 the last round of the GvA Trophy is held in Oostmalle, Belgium.

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