Marianne Vos of the Netherlands won her fourth cyclocross World Championships when she used a timely move in the last lap to escape her two breakaway companions, Katherine Compton of the United States and Katerina Nash of the Czech Republic. The multitalent, still only 23 years old, excels on the road and track as well.
Vos takes a very practical view at the importance of her many World Championships victories. "They are all great. The last one is always the best in memory, so now it is this one." Besides the four Worlds in cyclocross, she also has a road race and a track (points race) Worlds title.
Vos saw one of her main rivals, German Hanka Kupfernagel, take a quick start. Kupfernagel was first off the track and extended her lead to 30-40 meters. Vos rated her like the other competitors. "She had a really strong start, but she played the same role as the other favorites." For Vos that meant to keep the other women in check. "The tactic was very simple: Stay in the front and don't let the others get away."
Kupfernagel, too, was brought back by the lead pack. Katie Compton's pacemaking then ensured that a trio - Vos, Compton and Katerina Nash - stayed away.
She managed that, despite having slid out multiple times early on the treacherous course. "I crashed in the first lap and had to get back up to the front." For that matter she was happy to stay on her bike in the decisive part of the race.
Vos did not want to let it go down to a sprint and accelerated on the long drag up on the backside of the course. She put on a pace that both Compton and Nash had a hard time following. "In the end, on that uphill, I realized that I had created a gap." She knew she had to do two things. "I needed to keep my pace up to the finish." Secondly, she needed to stay upright.
She managed the latter part well and had a good lead when entering the track for the final time. She still sprinted as hard as she could with 300 meters to go. In the end, she defended her 2010 title with a comfortable 17-second margin over silver medalist Katie Compton.