The Queen is back! Marianne Vos happy with her performance at World Cup Besancon: "The whole lap was actually tough"

Marianne Vos made her return to cyclocross with a strong performance at the World Cup Besançon, finishing fifth in what was her first race since January 2023. The Dutch legend expressed satisfaction with her effort in the demanding conditions.

"It was a tough race, but I was happy that I could move up in the peloton," said Vos, who quickly got back up to speed on her cross bike. "When I was around fourth or fifth, it became really tough. I didn’t have any energy left at the end. I fought until the finish. I’m happy with today’s race."

Despite her fatigue, Vos enjoyed the competitive spirit of the event:

"I was very, very tired. And when you are tired, your coordination becomes a bit less. So the last lap was perhaps not the best lap. But it was a nice duel with Zoe Bäckstedt. That was fun."

Vos also highlighted the challenging nature of the course, "The whole lap was actually tough. There weren’t many parts to recover. When it goes up, you have to push or run. And when you go down, you have to be very sharp and focused, because every corner is slippery."

Vos’s performance in Besançon showed she very much still has what it takes to compete with the young riders, as she made a promising return to cyclocross competition. Fans will be eager to see how she builds on this result in the upcoming races, and whether she can add yet another rainbow jersey to her incredible collection.