Ethias Cross – Parkcross Maldegem 2022 (Women) – Preview
By @EchelonsHub
The Course
Back in Belgium after what was a long anticipation period for the world championships and ultimately, the world championships themselves. Despite having a track that many didn’t find truly representative of cyclocross, last weekend delivered a lot of show, and for those who watch the discipline all winter long tomorrow we are back in action.
Maldegem is the race we’re having, part of the Ethias Cross series this race is actually not in it’s original calendar, but it comes in to fill the spot. There are 3 weekends of racing left kicking off with a classic track that features a lot of things we didn’t see last week like sand, barriers, mud and a whole lot of corners specifically designed to break speed.
It shouldn’t be too muddy but some rain has fallen leading into the race, the temperatures will be cold too so it’ll be more familiar track conditions for the local riders. There isn’t a hill that this track goes through so the decisive sections are really the ones where technique will have a crucial role.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WifWp1kP1Ek
Recon video, but the route differs from 2022. It is useful to see the kind of terrain and some sections of this year’s course which are exactly the same, but it’s not a replica.
The Startlist
| 1.Lucinda Brand | 2.Sanne Cant | 3.Puck Pieterse | 4.Fem van Empel |
| 5.Annemarie Worst | 6.Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado | 7.Yara Kastelijn | 8.Manon Bakker |
| 9.Alicia Franck | 10.Aniek van Alphen | 11.Marion Norbert Riberolle | 12.Zoe Backstedt |
| 13.Suzanne Verhoeven | 14.Marie Schreiber | 15.Ellen van Loy | 16.Anna Kay |
| 17.Laura Verdonschot | 18.Marthe Truyen | 19.Kiona Crabbe | 20.Rebecca Gariboldi |
| 21.Jinse Peeters | 22.Joyce Vanderbeken | 23.Karen Verhestraeten | 24.Tereza Vanickova |
| 25.Maud Kaptheijns | 26.Julie Brouwers | 27.Fauve Bastiaenssen | 28.Isa Nomden |
| 29.Jana Dobbelaere | 30.Corey Coogan | 31.Isabelle Klein | 32.Loes Sels |
| 33.Maité Barthels | 34.Allison Arensman | 35.Veerle Goossens | 36.Femke Gort |
| 37.Michelle Geoghegan | 38.Audrey de Keersmaeker | 39.Famke van Waterschoot | 40.Juline Delcommune |
| 41.Rosita Reijnhout | 42.Chloe Van den Eede | 43.Meg de Bruyne | 44.Tessa Zwaenepoel |
| 45.Amy Perryman | 46.Xenna de Bruyckere | 47.Lara Defour | 48.Kim van de Steene |
| 49.Jolisa Verscheuren | 50.Lotte Baele | 51.Kiona Dhont | 52.Tinne Vermeiren |
| 53.Jo Blanchaert | 54.Cato Cassiers | 55.Jesse Vandenbulcke | 56.Nele de Vos |
| 57.Alana Polfliet | 58.Emily de Cuyper | 59.Laura Greenhalgh | 60.Caren Commissaris |
| 61.Tiger-Lil Harinck | 62.Rosanne Breugelmans | 63.Mascha Mulder | 64.Shana Maes |
The Favourites
Off the back of an helpless runner-up spot in the world championships, Lucinda Brand will not be riding with the rainbow stripes for the finale of this season. Nevertheless, with Marianne Vos not present, the Dutch woman should be the main favourite to take this race as she has been for most of the season. On the Elite ranks she’ll have the likes of Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, Annemarie Worst and Yara Kastelijn who are expected to be up there in the first few places. Sanne Cant can also do so, but it’s a big variable.
The real competition should come from the U23 side, with women that have been incredibly impressive this season and will be in the fight for the win. There are two specific riders who are here and will be in contention, one is new world champion Puck Pieterse and the other is Fem van Empel. They are very much in a similar level, only on the track will we really see which one will stand out.
Prediction Time
1st– Lucinda Brand
2nd– Fem van Empel
3rd– Puck Pieterse
4th– Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado
5th– Annemarie Worst
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