"Given the preparation, it couldn't be much better" - Denise Betsema happy about 6th place in Overijse

Denise Betsema rode her second cross of the season yesterday in Overijse. A victory in itself for the 30-year-old Dutch woman. In preparation she was hit by a car during training.

"At the end of last summer I was hit head-on by a car on the island. The driver was not paying attention," Denise Betsema tells her story in an interview.

Her bicycle broke into pieces. "It was a very hard blow and I couldn't cycle for a few weeks. I was very lucky," realizes the number 5 in the world. "Mentally it was a big blow, luckily I'm strong enough to get through it."

Yesterday Betsema was there again in Overijse, where she fought her way to 6th place. "Given the preparation, it couldn't be much better," she says. "I hope to grow this season. Maybe the top form will come a little later, which is not a problem."