Cant survives late scare to extend World Cup lead

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World champion Sanne Cant (IKO Enertherm-Beobank) won the fourth round of the Telenet UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Bogense, Denmark despite a late chain problem forcing her to make a final lap fight back.

The Belgian rider distanced Helen Wyman (Kona Factory Team) late in the final lap to capture her second World Cup victory of the season. Cant also strengthened her lead in the World Cup over the USA’s Kaitlin Keough (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com), who completed the podium. USA champion Katie Compton was hit by illness and didn’t take the start in Denmark.

“I felt quite good. I had a lot of power in the legs. I was glad that I was able to show it here,” Cant said in the post-race flash interview.

Cant carved out an early lead over the field after a crash by last year’s World Cup winner Sophie de Boer (Breepark.nl).

Eva Lechner (CLIF Pro Team) briefly bridged back up but then halfway through the five-laps long race Wyman joined Cant in the lead thanks to her better speed and technique on the steep uphill running sections.

They swapped the lead for two laps and then Cant gapped Wyman. She seemed on her way to victory but then dropped her chain with just half a lap to go. Wyman passed her bought Cant dug deep and retook the lead to win.

“After a downhill running section I unintentionally shifted to the small ring. I heard it and shifted back but it was too late. I thought that I managed to get it back and hopped back on the bike but it must’ve been stuck,” Cant explained.

“I had a few anxious moments there. Helen managed to bridge back up. I wondered where I would be able to ride away again. It was possible on the bridge but that would only result in a gap of 4-5 seconds. I went flat out into the headwind and that proved to be enough.”

Wyman came close to her first-ever World Cup victory but had to accept defeat shortly before the finish in the old harbour of Bogense.

“It was a beautiful race. The running sections suited me well but the rolling sections suited Sanne more. In the final lap Sanne had a chain problem and I hoped that I would be able to get a gap in the running part but it didn’t happen. I wasn’t the strongest rider today,” she said.

Kaitlin Keough and Italian champion Eva Lechner battled for the final podium spot behind Cant and Wyman.

Lechner had been riding most of the race alone in third place but Keough bridged up to her early on in the penultimate lap. On an off-camber climb Lechner created a small gap but Keough closed it back down before the finishing straight.

Keough opened up the sprint and discovered that Lechner didn’t have anything left to challenge her.

“It was really hard and I really had to fight. It was a big battle,” Keough said briefly.

Half a minute later, Ellen Van Loy (Telenet Fidea Lions) held off Katerina Nash (CLIF Pro Team) for fifth place.

Maud Kaptheijns (Crelan-Charles) - winner of the previous World Cup round in Koksijde - skipped the Danish World Cup round due to illness and a knee injury. She drops back in the World Cup standings from place 4 to 8.

The next round of the World Cup is next Saturday in Zeven, Germany.

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