National championships decided all over Europe with most going to the biggest names
Marianne Vos cruises to Netherlands title number two
It was all too easy for Marianne Vos (Rabobank) once again, as the World champion cruised to what is surprisingly only hr second straight Netherlands title. Once again the best of the rest was eleven-time champion Daphny van den Brand (AA Drink-Leontien.nl), who has been the only rider to beat Vos in cyclocross all season; that was back in November though, and the 24-year-old has been at least two classes above the rest ever since.
Sophie de Boer (Telenet-Fidea) took the bronze medal, ahead of 2010/11 World Cup winner Sanne van Paassen (Brainwash), but the story of the day was all about the unstoppable Vos and her twelfth straight win of the season.
Netherlands national championships
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Rabobank
2. Daphny Van Den Brand (Ned) AA Drink-Leontien.nl
3. Sophie de Boer (Ned) Telenet-Fidea
4. Sanne van Paassen (Ned) Brainwash Wielerploeg
5. Sabrina Stultiens (Ned) Brainwash Wielerploeg
A seventh British title for a fit-again Helen Wyman
Despite doubts over her participation due to a niggling illness, Helen Wyman (Kona) soloed to her seventh consecutive victory in the British championships. The Belgian-based rider rode away in the early stages of the race, along with fellow expats Nikki Harris (Telenet-Fidea) and Gabby Day (The Chainstay); she soon distanced the others though, and rode away to finish more than a minute clear.
Annie Last (Milka Brentjens) managed to fight her way up to Harris and Day, after suffering a poor start, and Day was briefly dropped from the medal fight. A crash in the woods from the Chainstay rider, while fighting to get back on terms, left the sprint for second to Harris and Last; Harris duly won the battle to take yet another silver medal behind Wyman’s gold.
Great Britain national championships
1. Helen Wyman (GBr) Kona Factory Racing
2. Nikki Harris (GBr) Telenet-Fidea
3. Annie Last (GBr) Milka Brentjens MTB RT
4. Gabriella Day (GBr) The Chainstay
5. Louise Robinson (GBr) Stourbridge CC
A simple Belgian defence for Sanne Cant
Victory for Sanne Cant (Boxx) came as easily as Vos and Wyman’s, with the 21-year-old soloing to her third straight Belgian title. Former champion Joyce Vanderbeken (Vermeeren) was second behind the Boxx rider, but she was more than a minute and a half back at the finish; 47-year-old Hilde Quintens was third, just a few seconds later.
Belgian national championships
1. Sanne Cant (Bel) Boxx Veldritacademie
2. Joyce Vanderbeken (Bel) Cycling Team Vermeeren
3. Hilde Quintens (Bel) Van Goethem-Prorace
4. Kim Van De Steene (Bel) Afdeling Oost-Vlaanderen WBV-VZW
5. Ellen Van Loy (Bel) Kriekel Cycling Team
Lucie Chainel-Lefevere confirms with French title
Lucie Chainel-Lefevre confirmed her status as the number one French cyclocross rider this season with victory in her national championships. The 28-year-old did not have it easy though, finishing just 14 seconds clear of Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Rabobank) after a hard battle with the 19-year-old.
Ferrand Prevot held on to take a second straight silver medal, 17 seconds ahead of outgoing two-time champion Caroline Mani.
French national championships
1. Lucie Chainel-Lefevre (Fra)
2. Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra) Rabobank
3. Caroline Mani (Fra)
4. Julie Bresset (Fra)
5. Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra)
Eva Lechner snatches back Italian title
Tyrolean rider Eva Lechner (Colnago Cap Arreghini) seized back her Italian title, which she won in 2009 and 2010, from defending champion Vania Rossi. Last year’s podium was repeated – only with the riders in different positions – with 2011 silver medallist Francesca Cucciniello taking bronze.
Italian national championships
1. Eva Lechner (Ita) Colnago Cap Arreghini
2. Vania Rossi (Ita)
3. Francesca Cucciniello (Ita)
4. Nicoletta Bresciani (Ita)
5. Veronica Alessio (Ita)
Hanka Kupfernagel takes eleventh straight German title
There was no surprise as Hanka Kupfernagel (Stevens) took her eleventh successive German cyclocross championships. The former World champion finished 42 seconds ahead of road specialist Trixi Worrack (Specialized-lululemon), with Sabrina Schweizer taking third place.
German National championships
1. Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Stevens
2. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Specialized-lululemon
3. Sabrina Schweizer (Ger)
4. Gesa Bruchmann (Ger)
5. Martina Zwick (Ger)