Manon Bakker looks back at this cyclocross winter: "I had never won a World Cup race before and now I have, so that is very nice"

The 2023/24 season can hardly be considered unsuccessful by Manon Bakker. The Dutch cyclo-cross rider from Crelan-Corendon won her first World Cup race in Val di Sole in December and placed herself in seventh overall in the regularity ranking.

"I'm feeling good," the 24-year-old Bakker tells In de Leiderstrui. "I fell quite hard in Benidorm, but it could have been worse. They're just wounds, so that's not too bad. When racing, you often don't feel such things because of the adrenaline. It is often only when you get home that you notice it."

The circuit in Tábor doesn't have any special importance for Bakker, but she'd still like to end the 'main block' of cyclocross season with a bang. "Sure: I do have the ambition to achieve a good result in the world championship. I have already finished sixth there once. Whether you add an extra sixth or seventh place is of less importance. I just go there with the idea of doing the best race possible, just like in any other race."

"I cannot say that my season was not successful. That World Cup victory in Val di Sole certainly contributes to this. I had never won a World Cup race before and now I have, so that is very nice. Even after the world championship I really want to show myself at the remaining races of the X2O Trophy."