Marianne Vos sprints to defeat Lucinda Brand as Dutch claim one-two at cyclo-cross world championships

Marianne Vos beat compatriot Lucinda Brand in a sprint finish to win the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas in the United States. Third place went to Italian rider Silvia Persico, preventing Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado — another Dutch team-mate — from completing a hat-trick. Ad/> Vos was fortunate to keep in the race after almost tumbling in the second corner but was able to right her balance and she followed Brand and Alavarado.

CyclingBernal hopeful of recovery after revealing 95% chance of paralysisYESTERDAY AT 17:57 Backstedt wins junior women's world cyclo-cross title, Wyseure wins men's under-23 race Pidcock looking to take advantage of Van der Poel and Van Aert absences The trio moved into a small lead before Brand and Vos battled directly, and Persico attacked Alvarado, with the former emerging victorious. Speaking after the race, Vos said: “It’s incredible. Now I just can’t believe it.

“At first leading up to this race you don’t look back that much, it’s just trying to focus on the race itself, and now I just don’t believe it. «It was such a difficult race. I knew Lucinda was going to be very, very hard to beat and she put on some pressure and I tried some pressure but it’s so difficult to get away and then I knew I had to try and stay calm and try to do the right things in the last lap and then focus on the sprint.

“This year, I had great support from my family, I have great support from my team. I just tried to do the right things. I am very thankful and grateful to be here and it is incredible to be here on the top step.” — — - Stream cyclo-cross live and on demand on discovery+.