"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.
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