Sara Casasola has already celebrated twice in recent weeks, but on Sunday in Overijse, the Italian claimed her first major victory of the still young cyclocross season. For the Crelan-Corendon rider, it was a special moment, as she got to celebrate for the first time in a Superprestige race.
Casasola was overjoyed after her win. "It's amazing, I'm incredibly happy. I had a bit of luck too, but I'm very pleased with this victory," she told the camera of WielerFlits. Casasola is the first Italian winner of the 'Mother of all cross races.' "That is very special. It’s nice that today, as an Italian, I'm standing on the top step."
The 25-year-old cyclocross rider certainly didn’t get it handed to her along the way. She fought a fierce duel with Lucinda Brand, but a crash from the latter threw a wrench in the works. Did the Italian rider notice anything about the fall of her biggest rival? "Actually yes, because I heard a huge crash and then the announcer said something."
"I looked back and suddenly saw that I had a gap. Lucinda just wasn’t very lucky today, but as a rider, sometimes you also need a bit of luck."
photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
Working on Weaknesses
How important is this victory in Overijse for the coming cyclocross months? "I hope to maintain this level. Last year I already gained a lot of confidence. In recent months, I’ve worked on my weaknesses and I’m looking forward with confidence to the rest of the season."
But what is her secret then? "I’ve worked on my pure power and capacity. I’m also getting more and more accustomed to the high level of races here. At first, I mainly raced in smaller events, but now I’ve made the step up. I've become a better cyclocrosser because of that," concludes the winner in Overijse.
Telenet Superprestige Overijse| Rank | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 45:53 | |
| 2 | + 28 | |
| 3 | + 37 | |
| 4 | + 01:39 | |
| 5 | + 01:53 | |
| 6 | + 02:14 | |
| 7 | + 02:21 | |
| 8 | + 02:43 | |
| 9 | " | |
| 10 | + 02:51 |
