Marianne Vos remains focussed on World Championships despite difficult World Cup Maasmechelen: “Falling twice wasn’t really helpful”

Marianne Vos finished 13th at the World Cup Maasmechelen, but the Dutch rider remains optimistic as she looks ahead to the World Championships in Lievin next weekend.

“I didn’t have the best start,” Vos told Wielerflits about her race in Maasmechelen. “In the first two rounds I was able to move up quite a bit, but in the penultimate round I went upside down twice. Then it wasn’t really in it anymore. But in the rounds before that I had a reasonable feeling, so I’ll take that with me.”

Reflecting on her performance, Vos acknowledged the challenges of the day. "It is what it is," she said. "Today I didn't move up straight away either. Then it's really difficult. It really becomes a fight. I actually got into my rhythm, so I was very happy about that."

However, two crashes disrupted her progress. “But falling twice wasn’t really helpful. Although I don’t think I was the only one today. It was really difficult. The lines changed every lap. Every lap you arrived somewhere and you didn’t know exactly what to expect,” said the 37-year-old rider. Despite the setbacks, Vos still found some enjoyment in the muddy course. “I thought it was nice. Falling isn’t very nice, but fortunately the damage wasn’t that bad.”

Looking ahead to the World Championships, Vos remains focused but realistic about her chances. “This weekend is still important for that. I might be able to move up a bit. But that is what it is. You just hope for a good start there. But if I were to start on the first row, that would not change my ambitions much. Although you do have to be realistic: if you cannot immediately compete with the top ten from the first round, it is quite an effort to still get there.”