"Thanks for all the beautiful moments" - Three time World Champion Sanne Cant bows out with tributes from Mathieu van der Poel and Marianne Vos
Cyclocross
Sanne Cant brought the curtain down on her incredible
cyclocross career with a fourth-place finish at Krawatencross Lille on Sunday.
The 34-year-old Belgian bids farewell to the sport after a glittering career
that saw her claim three world championship titles, winning the rainbow jersey
in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Dominating the national scene, Cant secured the Belgian
national championship every year from 2010 to 2024, an unprecedented 15-year
reign. Across her career, she also amassed 12 World Cup race victories and an
astonishing 127 wins at the elite level in cyclocross.
To honour her achievements, her Crelan-Corendon team
surprised Cant with a special music video celebrating her career. The tribute
featured messages from some of the biggest names in the sport, including
Mathieu van der Poel, Marianne Vos, Puck Pieterse, and new Belgian champion and
teammate Marion Norbert Riberolle.
Beyond her dominance on the bike, Cant played a key role in
advocating for greater equality in women’s cyclocross. Over the course of her
career, women's races transitioned from early morning slots that took place before
the under-23 men to prime-time events just ahead of the elite men's races.
Her impact was felt beyond cyclocross as well, with Cant
also competing on the road. She displayed remarkable strength throughout her
career, exemplified by her return to racing just two weeks after a horrific
crash at Paris-Roubaix in 2023 that left her needing 60 facial stitches.
Several riders paid tribute to Cant’s legacy. Pieterse
expressed her gratitude, saying, "Thanks for all the beautiful moments on
and off the bike." Riberolle, now carrying on Cant’s legacy in the Belgian
national jersey, added, "I'm going to do my best with this jersey that you
wore for 15 years."
Van der Poel reflected on her career, stating, "Congratulations
on your impressive career. It is something to look back on with a lot of pride
and I hope you're going to enjoy life off the bike to the fullest."
Meanwhile, Vos, speaking while out training, acknowledged Cant’s influence on
the sport: "Congratulations on your fantastic career. It will be strange
without you in the field after so many years leading the sport. Enjoy your
cycling retirement and all the best for what lies ahead."
Cant will be missed as she bows out from the sport and takes
on the next chapter in her life, but Belgian cyclocross will deeply miss her.
She has given cyclocross so much, and has played a crucial role in growing the
women’s peloton.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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