THE cyclocross action stays in the Netherlands this evening for the 14th Nacht Van Woerden (C2-ranked races) and, as last year, a rainy evening is in store for the crowd gathering for the ‘cross and lively town centre fair. Dutch champion Lars van der Haar fresh from his World Cup victory on Sunday will start as race favourite but faces tough competition from amongst others Thijs van Amerongen.
In the women’s race Katie Compton, Helen Wyman, Sophie de Boer, Nikki Harris and Ellen van Loy lock horns again.
Twelve months ago...
The fledgling Kwadro-Stannah team took the men’s race twelve months ago with German Marcel Meisen winning after breaking away with 2012 winner Bart Aernouts, Twan van den Brand and Mike Teunissen. In a highly competitive women’s race Helen Wyman was the early leader before suffering a slow puncture and being replaced at the front by Katie Compton. World champion Marianne Vos was not going to lose on home soil though and put in a fast last lap to take what was her third ‘cross victory of the season.
Anniversary
Tonight is actually the 40th anniversary of the race that started as an evening road criterium (with winners including the great Eddy Merckx), but which became a night cyclocross race in 2001.
The Elite women start at 19.40 CEST and the men at 20.40 CEST, but there is not expected to be any TV or livestream coverage.
2013 RESULTS: Elite men: 1 Meisen; 2 Mike Teunissen; 3 Bart Aernouts. Elite women: 1 Vos; 2 Compton; 3 Wyman.
2014 Race TV Highlights and brief results...
Elite women: 1 Ellen van Loy (BEL); 2 Katie Compton (USA); 3 Helen Wyman (GBR); 4 Nikki Harris (GBR); 5 Sophie de Boer (NED).
Elite men: 1 Thijs van Amerongen (NED); 2 Lars van der Haar (NED); 3 Corne van Kessel (NED); 4 Niels Wubben (NED); 5 Bart Wellens (BEL); 6 Martijn Budding (NED); 7 Quinten Hermans (BEL); 8 Joeri Adams (BEL); 9 Eddy van IJzendoorn (NED); 10 Twan van den Brand (NED).