Marion Norbert Riberolle and Aniek van Alphen on brutal muddy Essen course: "It wasn't as tough in the reconnaissance as in the race"
Cyclocross
Essen provided the dose of racing in the Benelux this weekend in cyclocross and the women's race saw a fierce battle between Marion Norbert Riberolle and Aniek van Alphen. The Belgian managed to take a nowadays rare win for the nation in the women's field.
"It was very difficult today and Aniek [van Alphen] was not easy to beat. For a long time I thought: who is going to win here? At some point I saw my moment and tried it," Riberolle said in a post-race interview. “It wasn't as tough in the reconnaissance as in the race. It was very difficult today. I didn't want to sprint here and thought it was better to get a lead first."
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The brutal conditions made it a race of attrition, but Riberolle in the end was the strongest and managed to win with a small gap over her rival on the day. The two were far above the rest of the competition on the day, but that ultimately led to a disappointment from van Alphen who came here, instead of taking the week off to rest or train as many of her rivals.
Van Alphen, disappointed with the second place, shared her thoughts following the difficult hour of racing: “I don't think so, otherwise I would have won. I'm not very happy, because I wanted to win. But Marion was super strong, she deserved it. She has already shown a lot of good things this season. This is also due to the weather, because these courses suit her more.”
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
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🏆 Exact Cross Essen (C2) 🇧🇪 1 🇧🇪 Marion Norbert Riberolle 2 🇳🇱 Aniek van Alphen 3 🇧🇪 Laura Verdonschot 4 🇨🇿 Julia Kopecky 5 🇧🇪 Kiona Crabbé ➡️ Results: bit.ly/3GHmdgV
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