Compton solos to Koksijde World Cup victory
American beats Cant and Harris to extend series lead
US champion Katie Compton (Trek Cyclocross Collective) did what she had to do at the third World Cup round of the season amid the dunes of Koksijde, Belgium. In sunny weather conditions, Compton rode away from her rivals halfway through the first lap and never looked back. It’s the second World Cup win of the season for Compton and she extends her lead in the overall standings to thirty points over Nikki Harris (Young Telenet-Fidea), who placed third on Saturday afternoon.
Compton didn’t arrive at the North Sea coast with a perfect mindset and she admitted that she’d expected the opposition to be stronger. “I did. I got a gap and tried to maintain my rhythm. The gap kept growing, In the US, Katerina Nash is giving me a hard time. She’s making me work for it. Too bad she and Marianne Vos are not here. I like to chase,” Compton smiled. It was a strange sensation to take such an easy win considering that she didn’t feel comfortable on the bike. “It was running more than riding; it was heavy sand. I was lacking power. I felt clumsy out there. I was tired,” a jet-lagged Compton said.
Things looked different at the very beginning. As the race got underway there was no sign of Compton at the front. Dutch rider Sabine Stultiens (Rabo Women) took a great start and gapped European champion Helen Wyman (Kona). “I always have a good start but she went really hard. I wanted to go fast but not that fast,” Wyman said.
In the background Compton was in eighth place. She started moving up and most of the time, that worked out fine. When trying to pass Harris on a technical drop, however, things went a little awkwardly. “I rode into her but didn’t intend to do that,” Compton admitted. A little later, Compton overtook Wyman too, while Stultiens faded back.
Suddenly Compton, Wyman and Harris were leading the race. After the Herygers-dune Wyman was no longer able to hold the wheel. “Helen didn’t go as fast as she should’ve gone. Katie was gone,” Harris said. Both British women failed to come back while Compton increased her gap on the section in between the sand sections.
From there, Compton kept increasing her lead up to a massive one-minute advantage. Behind her, Sanne Cant (Enertherm-BKCP), Stultiens and Sophie de Boer (Young Telenet-Fidea) joined the chase group. Halfway through the second lap, Cant accelerated. Wyman lost her wheel and Harris wasn’t able to make up for that lost ground. Wyman went from leading the chase to trying to chase back on. “I went too hard in the first two laps. I hoped to get a gap and then recover but that didn’t work out. You’ve got to try,” Wyman said.
The small gap between Cant and Harris remained relatively stable for the remainder of the race. “I was hoping she made a mistake but that didn’t happen. It’s not bad because now I’ve been on the podium in every World Cup round,” Harris said.
For her part, Cant wasn’t too worried about a comeback from Harris. “I had things under control. In the sand I tried to gain some seconds. Too bad I didn’t win but someone was clearly stronger today. I should be pleased because it’s my best-ever World Cup result,” Cant said.
The next World Cup round is held in Namur, Belgium on December 22 with Compton defending her comfortable lead. “I’ll try to hold it. I don’t want to deal with jet-lag again so we’re staying here. I’ll do the Scheldecross, Overijse, Mallorca, then the World Cup rounds and the Christmas races,” Compton said.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Katie Compton (USA) Trek Cyclocross Collective | 0:43:32 |
2 | Sanne Cant (Bel) Enertherm-BKCP | 0:01:08 |
3 | Nikki Harris (GBr) Young Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 0:01:22 |
4 | Sabrina Stultiens (Ned) Rabobank Liv/Giant | 0:01:55 |
5 | Sophie de Boer (Ned) Young Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 0:01:56 |
6 | Helen Wyman (GBr) Kona Factory Racing | 0:02:31 |
7 | Pavla Havlikova (Cze) Young Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team | 0:02:42 |
8 | Martina Mikulaskova (Cze) TJ Stadion Louny | 0:03:17 |
9 | Loes Sels (Bel) DNCS-Pro 2012 Cycling Team | 0:03:25 |
10 | Ellen Van Loy (Bel) DNCS-Pro 2012 Cycling Team | 0:03:40 |
11 | Reza Hormes-Ravenstijn (Ned) Orange Babies Cycling Team | 0:03:42 |
12 | Lucie Chainel (Fra) BH-SR Suntour-KMC | 0:03:54 |
13 | Gabriella Durrin (GBr) Rapha-Focus | 0:04:07 |
14 | Annefleur Kalvenhaar (Ned) Giant Dealerteams | 0:04:56 |
15 | Laura Verdonschot (Bel) VZW Lotto-Ladiescycling | 0:05:05 |
16 | Githa Michiels (Bel) Toka Print MTB Team | |
17 | Crystal Anthony (USA) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | 0:05:51 |
18 | Marlene Morel Petitgirard (Fra) VCC Morteau-Montbenoit | 0:05:55 |
19 | Christine Majerus (Lux) Sengers Ladies Cycling Team | 0:06:20 |
20 | Karen Verhestraeten (Bel) Up Cycling Team | 0:06:31 |
21 | Monique Van De Ree (Ned) Cyclelive Plus-Zannata | 0:06:58 |
22 | Lotte Eikelenboom (Ned) DRC De Mol | 0:07:09 |
23 | Nikola Noskova (Cze) KC Kooperativa SG Jablonec | 0:07:16 |
24 | Asa Maria Erlandsson (Swe) Varbergs MTB-Cube | 0:07:24 |
25 | Katrien Thijs (Bel) Up Cycling Team | 0:07:31 |
26 | Jessica Lambracht (Ger) Stevens-1A-Crossteam | 0:07:42 |
27 | Evy Kuijpers (Ned) RTC Buitenlust | |
28 | Stephanie De Croock (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Bioracer | |
29 | Christine Vardaros (USA) Team Stevens | |
30 | Lisa Heckmann (Ger) VC-Racingteam | |
31 | Martina Kukulova (Cze) Stevens Bikes-Emilio Sport | |
32 | Hannah Payton (GBr) Team CTC | |
33 | Agnes Naumann (Ger) Saikls Crossteam | |
34 | Liv-Susanne Bachmann (Ger) Stevens-1A-Crossteam | |
35 | Mercedes Pacios Pujado (Spa) Blue Motors Ponts |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Katherine Compton (USA) Trek Cyclocross Collective | 170 | pts |
2 | Nikki Harris (GBr) Young Telenet - Fidea | 140 | |
3 | Sanne Cant (Bel) Enertherm - BKCP | 111 | |
4 | Pavla Havlikova (Cze) Young Telenet - Fidea | 103 | |
5 | Helen Wyman (GBr) Kona | 90 | |
6 | Ellen Van Loy (Bel) Dncs / Pro 2012 Cycling Team | 78 | |
7 | Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) Faren Kuota | 75 | |
8 | Sophie De Boer (Ned) Young Telenet - Fidea | 66 | |
9 | Lucie Chainel-Lefevre (Fra) BH - SR Suntour - KMC | 64 | |
10 | Marianne Vos (Ned) Rabo Women Cycling Team | 60 | |
11 | Gabriella Durrin (GBr) Rapha - Focus | 57 | |
12 | Martina Mikulaskova (Cze) TJ Stadion Louny | 55 | |
13 | Annefleur Kalvenhaar (Ned) Giant Dealerteams | 52 | |
14 | Marlène Morel Petitgirard (Fra) Vcc Morteau Montbenoit | 45 | |
15 | Meredith Miller (USA) Cal Giant Berry Farms - Specialized | 44 | |
16 | Kaitlin Antonneau (USA) Cannondale P/B Cyclocrossworld.Com | 42 | |
17 | Sabrina Stultiens (Ned) Rabo Women Cycling Team | 40 | |
18 | Caroline Mani (Fra) Raleigh - Clement | 36 | |
19 | Arley Kemmerer (USA) C3 - Twenty20 Cycling | 32 | |
20 | Githa Michiels (Bel) Toka Print MTB Team | 28 | |
21 | Loes Sels (Bel) Dncs / Pro 2012 Cycling Team | 24 | |
22 | Nikola Noskova (Cze) KC Kooperativa Sg Jablonec | 24 | |
23 | Jessica Lambracht (Ger) Stevens - 1A - Crossteam | 23 | |
24 | Reza Hormes (Ned) Orange Babies Cycling Team | 20 | |
25 | Laura Verdonschot (Bel) Vzw Lotto - Ladiescycling | 20 | |
26 | Elena Valentini (Ita) Selle Italia Guerciotti | 17 | |
27 | Nadja Heigl (Aut) Rlm Wien | 15 | |
28 | Lotte Eikelenboom (Ned) Drc De Mol | 15 | |
29 | Crystal Anthony (USA) Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies | 14 | |
30 | Asa Maria Erlandsson (Swe) Varbergs MTB / Cube | 14 | |
31 | Tereza Medvedova (Svk) ZP Sport | 13 | |
32 | Karen Verhestraeten (Bel) Up Cycling Team | 13 | |
33 | Christine Majerus (Lux) Sengers Ladies Cycling Team | 12 | |
34 | Lana Verberne (Ned) Orange Babies Cycling Team | 12 | |
35 | Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ita) Selle Italia Guerciotti | 12 | |
36 | Monique Van De Ree (Ned) Cyclelive Plus - Zannata | 10 | |
37 | Karla Stepanova (Cze) Kona Cycling Point | 10 | |
38 | Ayako Toyooka (Jpn) Panasonic Ladies | 9 | |
39 | Yara Kastelijn (Ned) Rtc Buitenlust | 8 | |
40 | Margriet Helena Kloppenburg (Den) Endura Lady Force | 7 | |
41 | Katrien Thijs (Bel) Up Cycling Team | 6 | |
42 | Lisa Heckmann (Ger) Vc - Racingteam | 6 | |
43 | Evy Kuijpers (Ned) Rtc Buitenlust | 4 | |
44 | Stephanie De Croock (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Bioracer | 3 | |
45 | Janka Keseg Stevkova (Svk) CK Epic Dohnany | 3 | |
46 | Esmee Oosterman (Ned) WRV De Peddelaars | 3 | |
47 | Christine Vardaros (USA) Stevens Cycling Team | 2 | |
48 | Zuzana Vojtasova (Svk) CK Banska Bystrica | 2 | |
49 | Jana Czeczinkarova (Cze) Remerx - Merida Team Kolin | 1 |
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