Marianne Vos wins last round in Hoogerheide

In Hoogerheide in the Netherlands, at 1.40 pm the elite women were competing for the last time in the 2021-2022 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup season. After an exciting race with a nice elite group that thinned out as the race progressed, it was Marianne Vos who decided in the final lap to do full justice to her new national champion's jersey and ride solo to the finish.

The pace was high from lap 1 onwards. Hungarian champion Kata Blanka Vas (Team SD Worx) led a strong group of ladies, including Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions), Fem Van Empel (Pauwels Sauzen Bingoal), Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Fenix) and Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma), to the second lap.

Puck Pieterse, leader of the U23 classification, was in good shape, which the other ladies immediately felt. When she accelerated, she tore the elite group to shreds. Vas also had to pay for that attack with a few places. Only Vos, Brand and Van Empel were able to follow Pieterse's tyre track.

In lap 4 young Vas was able to rejoin the group. The group of 5 was followed by Shirin van Anrooij (Baloise Trek Lions) and the Italian champion Persico (Valcar - Travel & Service). But when Brand decided to attack one more time, a final group of 3 ladies entered the last lap: Puck Pieterse, Lucinda Brand and Marianne Vos.

In the end it was Marianne Vos who made the decisive attack. The brand new Dutch champion left Pieterse and Brand behind and sprinted to victory in Hoogerheide 10 seconds ahead of the latter. Brand was already sure of the final victory in the rankings, but now concludes the World Cup season with a nice place of honour. Puck Pieterse, winner of the U23 classification, also finished on the podium alongside Vos and Brand.

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