Barbora Bukovská claimed the European title in the junior women's category. The Czech rider crossed the finish line with a comfortable lead. Dutch cyclist Nynke Jochems took silver, while the bronze went to Italian Nicole Azzetti.
The junior women kicked off the European Cyclo-cross Championships at 11:00 a.m. Along the Belgian coast in Middelkerke, the course clearly favored the sand specialists. Before the race, attention was mainly on last year's second and third place finishers, Bukovská and Italian Giorgia Pellizzotti.
UEC Cyclo-cross European Championships U19MiddelkerkeMiddelkerkeIn the first lap, British rider Zoe Roche formed a leading group of five alongside Dutch riders Jochems and Iris Versluis, Italian Elisa Bianchi, and Czech Eva Drhova. Bukovská was already trailing behind at this point. However, the Czech made a strong comeback, creating a large lead group of nine by the end of the first lap.
Nynke Jochems took silver - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
In the second lap, Bukovská and Jochems broke away. The Dutch rider soon had to let the Czech go. The rest were already half a minute behind. In the third lap, Bukovská extended her lead further. At the start of the third lap, she was more than 30 seconds ahead of Jochems. Italian Nicole Azzetti was on course for the bronze at that time.
Bukovská was no longer challenged in the final lap and crowned herself European champion with a comfortable lead. Jochems secured silver while the bronze went to Azzetti. Zita Peeters was the best Belgian, finishing fifteenth.
UEC Cyclo-cross European Championships U19| Rank | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 37:30 | |
| 2 | + 49 | |
| 3 | + 52 | |
| 4 | + 01:12 | |
| 5 | + 01:18 | |
| 6 | + 01:22 | |
| 7 | + 01:29 | |
| 8 | + 01:37 | |
| 9 | + 01:38 | |
| 10 | + 01:46 |
