Ladies Sterre Vervloet crowned Belgian U23 cyclocross champion

The U23 women had to tackle the slippery and icy course in Heusden-Zolder alongside the elite women. Sterre Vervloet crossed the finish line in 7th place overall but impressively crowned herself Belgian champion in the U23 category. In the final stretch, Vervloet rode about 20 seconds ahead of her closest competitor for the title, Xaydee Van Sinaey. She maintained that lead and thus became the first winner to wear the brand-new Lotto Cycling Team jersey.

Sterre Vervloet: "I didn’t expect this title at all. My start was terrible, and I was immediately stressed about whether things would work out. I had to go all out in the first lap to make my way back to the front. After that, I tried to approach it tactically. Despite the snow and ice, the course was still fast, which played to my advantage. I’m very happy with this title. The more unexpected it is, the sweeter it tastes."

Picture: Guido De Meyer