World Championship 2022: Elite Women’s Preview
This weekend the eyes of the world turn to Fayetteville, Arkansas for the 2022 UCI Cyclocross World Championships. If you’re Down Under and looking to tune into the action, be sure to check out our watch guide, which you can read here.
As for who’s likely to be crowned the new Elite Women’s world champion? Read on…
The defending champ
Image: Getty Images
Lucinda Brand (Netherlands) has consistently been the best rider in the women’s field this year, winning a total of 17 races, as well as the overall series title for the UCI World Cup. She’s also on track to win the two other major series - the X2O Badkamers Trofeé and the Telenet Superprestige.
She’s done the rainbow bands proud in her time as world champion - including winning the World Cup round held in Fayetteville back in October - and has won 15 of her last 19 starts. Although she’s got a very powerful diesel engine and loves to lead from the front, if her rivals are able to stick with her until the bell lap they’ll fancy their chances of beating Brand. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
Image: UCI
On hot form
Marianne Vos (Netherlands) is the best there’s ever been. She’s just won her seventh Dutch national championship and the most recent round of the World Cup in Hoogerheide - which was also her 100th win in a UCI-sanctioned cyclocross race. The course profile seems to suit her, she’s a tactical mastermind and she’s the fastest sprinter of the race favourites.
In short, she’s the greatest we’ve ever seen. Don’t be surprised to see her take home her 8th world title this weekend.
The outside chances
Image: Getty Images
Clara Honsinger (USA) is the best chance for the host nation to snag a podium in the Elite races. The diminutive racer from the Pacific Northwest has had a breakthrough season in Europe, winning a monument of the sport at Koppenbergcross and finishing on the podiums of World Cups in Dendermonde and - crucially - Fayetteville.
Honsinger‘s a rider renowned for her sluggish starts, powerful climbing and fast final laps, so if she can put herself in the top 10 on the opening lap or two she’ll be a real chance to snag a podium (or even a win). The one thing likely to count against her is the course conditions - Honsinger is a rider who thrives in the mud and slop, so the forecast for a fine and fast course on race day is unlikely to suit her skill set.
Image: Cor Vos
At just 20 years of age, Kata Blanka Vas (Hungary) is eligible to ride in the Under 23 race at these world championships, but as unlikely as it sounds that race is so stacked with talent it might be even harder to win than this one! The Hungarian national champion won the first World Cup of her career at Overijse earlier this season, and at one point or another has beaten all her main rivals in this race. On her best day she can absolutely win the world title, but she’ll need a few things to fall her way once the race begins to maximise her chances.
Image: @cxhairs
Maghalie Rochette (Canada) is renowned as a rider with a rapid start who tends to do quite well on power courses, and could be an outside shot at a podium, especially if conditions stay dry and fast. She’s placed on World Cup podiums in the mud of Besançon and the ice and snow of Val di Sole, but placed just seventh when the women’s field last raced in Fayetteville.
Expect to see her in the thick of the action as the race gets underway and - if she’s on a great day - when the whips are cracking too.
Who’s not there
Two of the podium finishers from last year’s world championships won’t be on the start line in 2022 - Annemarie Worst (Netherlands, left) has recently contracted COVID-19, while Denise Betsema (Netherlands, centre) is out due a non-COVID-related illness.
Anna Kay (Great Britain, right) suffered a concussion at last weekend’s round of the World Cup in Hoogerheide and has also opted not to take part.
Image: Sporza
Image: @wielerkrant
Image: Facebook
Our prediction
A fast opening to the race will see Maghalie Rochette lead proceedings early on, before Lucinda Brand takes over and leads solo for the middle part of the race. Marianne Vos will keep Brand in touching distance until the final lap, before putting in one devastating attack to gain a gap and solo to her eighth world title. Clara Honsinger will put in a late surge to pass Rochette for the final spot on the podium.
Marianne Vos (Netherlands)
Lucinda Brand (Netherlands)
Clara Honsinger (USA)