Marianne Vos was the crowd favorite on Sunday afternoon during the Cyclo-Cross National Championships. The 37-year-old from Brabant temporarily left her training camp in Spain especially for the title fight. She was not satisfied with a fourth place in Oisterwijk, but she is looking at the rest of the season with great confidence. “There are competitions that I am really looking forward to.”
Vos had somewhat missed cycling through the mud, jumping over beams and the steep climbs. Last year she had to end her cross season due to injuries.
Vos would have liked to take a National Championship medal with her on Sunday evening during her flight to Spain, but she fell just outside the podium. “I knew beforehand that the conditions were difficult with a lot of mud. I immediately realized that I could not keep up with the pace of winner Puck Pieterse. Number two Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado also cycled too fast. The candle slowly went out and Denise eventually also caught up. Betsema me in. Fourth place was the maximum possible.”
“I miss the rhythm, although that is my own choice.”
The fact that she did not get on stage was not very surprising to Vos. The National Championships, which were attended by thousands of cycling enthusiasts, were only her second cross of this season. “I miss the rhythm a bit, although that is my own choice. I have chosen to train more at my base for later in the season.” After the National Championships, the World Cup competition in Benidorm and the GP Adrie van der Poel in Hoogerheide will follow this month.
Vos takes cyclo-cross seriously, but her focus is mainly on the road. 2024 was a great year for the experienced cyclist. For example, she won the World Cup on gravel, was the best in the Amstel Gold Race, won the points classification in the Tour de France Femmes and took silver in the road race during the Olympic Games. “From the first match I have been at the front and sometimes I have come out on top in big matches. I am very happy that I was able to participate so well.”
“Everything can fall into place during a match.”
The rider of Team Visma | Lease a Bike knows that surpassing last year is quite a challenge. She does not want to express specific goals that are printed in bold in her agenda. “Sometimes you choose one where you want to have a blast and then things go wrong. While after a match everything can fall into place. But there are certainly a few nice spring classics that I am looking forward to, with Milan-San Remo as the new race. But of course there is also the Tour and perhaps the other Grand Tours.”
“I don’t feel like another Marianne.”
She is 37 years old, but her expiration date is far from over. “I feel good and try to be as fit as possible. Actually, I don’t do that much differently than I used to. Knowledge in, for example, cycling, training and nutrition is growing and you have to innovate. But other than that I don’t feel like another Marianne.”