Helen Wyman (Kona-FSA) took the biggest win of her career to date with victory in the Koppenbergcross in Melden, on the outskirts of Oudenaarde, Belgium. The British champion finished the race alone, 33 seconds ahead of Belgian champion Sanne Cant (BKCP-Powerplus) and 1’55” ahead of Sanne Van Paassen (Brainwash).
“I can hardly believe it,” said an emotional Wyman, who moved her Belgian base to the town of Oudenaarde this year, to Sport.be. “It’s always been my dream to win a race here, and to win this epic Koppenberg, in where I live, it’s just amazing.
“[It was] unbelievably hard,” she explained. “We came here training on Thursday and it was quite easy, the descent was quite easy, but today it was so slippery it was untrue.
“[It’s been] a really good weekend, second yesterday and then on Tuesday I was third in Nacht Van Woerden, so 3-2-1!” she laughed.
Wyman and Cant go away together early on, pursued by Van Paassen, and ZZPR.nl duo Daphny Van Den Brand and Sophie De Boer. The British rider was stronger on the climbs but the Belgian managed to pull he back on the descent each time.
On the penultimate lap though, Cant unshipped her chain and lost time putting it back on. The final lap saw the Belgian champion close the gap on Wyman but it was too late and the British champion took her biggest victory to date.
Result Koppenbergcross
1. Helen Wyman (GBr) Kona-FSA
2. Sanne Cant (Bel) BKCP-Powerplus @ 33s
3. Sanne Van Paassen (Ned) Brainwash @ 1’55”
4. Daphny Van Den Brand (Ned) ZZPR.nl @ 2’37”
5. Sophie De Boer (Ned) ZZPR.nl @ 3’25”
6. Joyce Vanderbeken (Bel) @ 4’48”
7. Reza Hormes-Ravenstijn (Ned) ZZPR.nl @ 5’24”
8. Nikki Harris (GBr) APB Cycling Team @ 6’01”
9. Nancy Bober (Bel) Style & Concept Racing Team @ 6’18”
10. Arenda Grimberg (Ned) @ 6’40”