Marie Schreiber, the 18 year old rider from Luxembourg won her first race in the elite category by leading the race in Contern from start to finish. Schreiber’s success on home soil is a milestone in the development of Tormans Cyclo Cross Team, as it it the very first UCI victory in the women’s category.
From the first start line, Marie Schreiber sprinted to the first corner and led the pack towards the mud. Because of the abundance of rainfall before the race, the grass was transformed into a thick layer of mud, through which Schreiber increased her lead up to 30 seconds. However, the battle became exciting in the final lap when Schreiber was held up by a chain problem. But the rider from Luxembourg kept calm and eventually won with an advantage of 9 seconds on Fauve Bastiaenssen.
A little later,Frenchman Théo Thomas started in the elite category, won by Spanish champion Felipe Orts Lloret, author of a solid second race half. The 20 year old crossed the line in 7th place, his first top 10 of the season.
« We can say that I took my first elite win in pure cyclocross conditions! It was nice to start from the first row, and to my surprise, I already had a gap after the first downhill. I created a nice advantage, so my dropped chain didn't spoil the party. I always love to race in my country and that's why I absolutely wanted to race here, despite the World Cup in Overijse one day later. It will be the first time I participate in two cyclocross races in a row. I'm convinced that these double weekends will make me stronger, provided that I take it step by step, and limit them to once a month for example. I expect another muddy parcours in Overijse tomorrow and I'm already curious to know where I can finish. It's very motivating to race in the elite category, to learn from the experienced riders and to develop myself! »
This Sunday, Marie Schreiber will participate to the World Cup in Overijse, just like Zoe Bäckstedt, Quinten Hermans, Kevin Kuhn, Thomas Mein, Corné Van Kessel and Emiel Verstrynge.
Photos: Grand Ducal Cycling & Skoda Cross Cup
