No 9th cyclocross World Championship for Marianne Vos - Visma legend ruled out of Rainbow Jersey fight in Lievin through injury

Marianne Vos made a much anticipated return to the cyclocross world this winter and had hoped to be in the mix for what would have been her 9th Cyclocross World Championship win. Sadly though, due to injury the legendary figure will be absent from the Rainbow Jersey fight in Lievin.

“Marianne has a sore calf after her fall in Maasmechelen. That was already the case a bit during the warm-up. In the end we taped the calf and agreed that if she really didn't feel well, she would stop as a precaution with the World Championship next week in mind,” Team Visma | Lease a Bike manager Jan Boven told WielerFlits after Vos was an early abandon at last Sunday's cross in Hoogerheide, and the news has been confirmed by the Dutch team, that Vos is indeed out of the upcoming World Championships, replaced by Aniek van Alphen.

"Of course we find this incredibly unfortunate," Dutch national coach Gerben de Knegt says of the situation in a press release on the KNWU official website. "As eight-time world champions, we would have liked to see Marianne try for a new title, although we knew it would be difficult after her fall. We wish Marianne a speedy recovery."

Despite Vos' absence, the Dutch will still start as the overwhelming favourites to take the Rainbow Jersey. In the form of defending champion Fem van Empel, World Cup winner Lucinda Brand, plus the likes of Puck Pieterse and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, the Dutch have the majority of the outstanding competitors for the victory in Lievin. Perhaps even the possibility to lock out the entire podium.

Puck Pieterse
Fem van Empel
Aniek van Alphen
Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado
Lucinda Brand
Inge van der Heijden
Manon Bakker
Denise Betsema
Annemarie Worst