Marianne Vos reacts as medal slips away on the last lap of Dutch cyclocross championships: "Despite the suffering, I still enjoyed myself today"

Puck Pieterse delivered an impressive performance to claim victory at the Dutch Cyclocross Championship. The young star showed her dominance early on, pulling away from the field and never looking back. Behind her, Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado secured the silver medal, while Denise Betsema completed the podium with a solid third-place finish.

Marianne Vos, a seven-time world cyclocross champion, had appeared to be on course for a bronze medal. However, she faded during the final lap and ultimately finished fourth, unable to match the pace of the top three riders. Reflecting on her performance, Vos shared her thoughts with Wielerflits.

"Puck was gone quickly. Then I was on Ceylin's wheel (Del Carmen Alvarado) for a while, but after a while my candle went out. I could still keep going a bit, but the pace was down. Then Denise quickly came closer."

Despite her struggles, Vos pushed to maintain her rhythm. "I tried to keep my rhythm, but in the end I still ended up in fourth place," she continued. "I had to bow my head at the finish, but that was mainly because of the suffering. It was a beautiful cross, but a very tough one. Despite the suffering, I still enjoyed myself today."