Marianne Vos Champion Again

What was billed as a duel between four time champion Vos and home favorite Compton ended up a one-woman show as the Dutchwoman simply powered away on the first lap while Compton lost some positions early and was trapped by falling riders in an icy off-camber section. A big crash just after the start also ended the chances of the Brits Helen Wyman and Gabby Day, who both got caught up along with a few Americans, and that was the end of their day. The French women had a better start as had Italian Eva Lechner. Together with dutch Sanne van Paassen they formed a chase behind Vos. Meanwhile Compton and Czech Katerina Nash were fighting their way back and before the last lap Compton had powered methodically past everyone but Vos who still held a comfortable lead and that settled the fight for silver.

Frenchwoman Lucie Chainel-Lefevre and Katerina Nash had a final lap fight for the bronze and swapped places in the final hundred meters. A mechanical forced Nash off the bike in the finishing straight though allowing Chainel to sprint past to her great joy. The heartbreak for Nash was visible as she saw a medal slip out of her hands.

In the bottom of the top 10 were some outstanding results for some younger riders Sabrina Stultiens, Vos's new teammate at Rabo, and American Kaitlin Antonneau, who has had some good World Cup results already and now confirmed that she might be the future of US cross on the women's side if she keeps riding the discipline.