2023 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships: the Netherlands start strongly

Riders from the Netherlands took the first rainbow jerseys in Hoogerheide, the Netherlands, as they dominated the team relay on the Friday.

The Dutch crowds saw a local triumph on the first day of the 2023 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, as riders from the Netherlands powered to victory in the team relay. A selection of six riders (three men and three women from the different categories) from ten nations battled it out over the 3.2km course in Hoogerheide.

The Dutch team made up of Tibor del Grosso, Guus van den Eijnden, Lauren Molengraaf, Leonie Bentveld, Fem van Empel and Ryan Kamp had the lead from start to finish. Great Britain (Zoe Bäckstedt, Joseph Blackmore, Cat Ferguson, Alfie Amey, Anna Kay and Thomas Mein) and Belgium (Antoine Jamin, Julie Brouwers, Joran Wyseure, Marion Norbert Riberolle, Xaydee Van Sinaey and Laurens Sweeck) joined them on the first podium at the 2023 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships.

The British and the Belgians apply pressure…

The Dutch riders quickly took the lead. The winner of the last round of the 2022-2023 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup (Men Under 23), Tibor del Grosso, set the tone on the first lap with a time of 6’30’’ before handing over to Guus van den Eijnden with a margin of 6 seconds over Italy.

Van den Eijnden increased the lead to 15 seconds, but the various nations played their strong cards at different moments during the race. Great Britain’s Joseph Blackmore (Men Under 23, lap 2), the USA’s Daniel English (Men Junior, lap 2) and Italy’s Silvia Persico (Women Elite, lap 3) performed well and put pressure on the Dutch team, especially on Lauren Molengraaf who was still in the lead halfway through the race.

Alfie Amey, only 16 years old, sped through the fourth lap to bring Great Britain closer to the lead, just 1 second behind Dutch Leonie Bentveld (Women Under 23). Belgium was also closing in thanks to strong efforts from both Joran Wyseure (defending Men Under 23 UCI World Champion) and Marion Norbert-Riberolle ( Women Under 23 UCI World Champion). But next up was Dutch rider Fem van Empel.

Van Empel and Kamp seal the deal

The 20-year-old Dutch star, overall winner of the 2022-2023 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, came to Hoogerheide with big ambitions. She immediately delivered a stunning performance, increasing the lead to 30 seconds! Then Ryan Kamp (Men Elite) only had to seal the deal for the Netherlands while the battle for the rest of the podium heated up.

The Belgians relied on Laurens Sweeck, the Men Elite winner of the 2022-2023 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, to close the gap. He recorded the fastest lap of the day (6’26’’) but Thomas Mein (Men Elite) held him off to secure the silver for Great Britain (+31’’) with a margin of only 2 seconds.

All these athletes now turn their attention to the individual races being held over the weekend. Six more UCI Cyclo-cross World Champion titles are up for grabs in Hoogerheide!