Manon Bakker claims first Telenet Superprestige victory after impressive solo ride

Dutch rider Manon Bakker secured her first-ever Telenet Superprestige victory at the Jaarmarktcross. Rain turned the race into an extremely demanding affair, but Bakker managed to keep her rivals at bay after an impressive solo ride. Sara Casasola and Denise Betsema completed the podium.

Rainfall made the Jaarmarktcross in Niel a particularly gruelling race. The muddy surface and the first sand section, where running was the only option for the riders, made an early difference. The first uphill section also caused a bottleneck during the opening lap. Lucinda Brand (Baloise Verzekeringen - Het Poetsbureau Lions), Amandine Fouquenet (Pauwels Sauzen - Altez Industriebouw) and Leonie Bentveld (Pauwels Sauzen - Altez Industriebouw) were among those who benefited, making the strongest start. After just five minutes of racing, Brand was forced to abandon. The Dutch world champion twisted her foot badly and had to bring her race to an early end.

Aniek van Alphen (777TV CX Team) took full advantage of the situation and moved into the lead. Manon Bakker and Amandine Fouquenet followed closely behind, forming a leading trio. On the particularly demanding course, where the riders regularly had to dismount, Bakker soon proved to be the strongest runner.

Bakker ran up the uphill section faster than her rivals, opening up a gap. By the start of the third lap, her advantage had already grown to almost twenty seconds. Denise Betsema (De Ceuster Bouwkranen) tried to close the gap, with Leonie Bentveld also giving chase. However, Bakker maintained a strong pace and defended her lead. As she started the final lap, she still had an advantage of around seventeen seconds.

The battle for the remaining podium places was still wide open behind the leader. Sara Casasola (Crelan – Corendon) joined Denise Betsema in the fight for a podium finish. As the riders entered the final lap, the gap to Bakker remained around seventeen seconds. Casasola launched a final acceleration, but it came too late. She finished just over ten seconds behind the Dutch winner. Denise Betsema claimed the final spot on the podium.