Inge van der Heijden claimed victory at the Exact Cross in Kortrijk on Saturday afternoon. After just under fifty minutes of racing, the Dutch rider finished ahead of Marion Norbert Riberolle. This marks the first win for the European champion in her stars-and-stripes jersey.
A day before the World Cup in Namur, there were several notable absences in Kortrijk. Big names like Lucinda Brand, Aniek van Alphen, Shirin van Anrooij, and Sara Casasola were missing at the start. For European champion Van der Heijden, the Exact Cross was therefore a prime opportunity to secure a win in her champion's jersey. Since her victory in Middelkerke, Van der Heijden had competed in six cyclocross races, finishing on the podium in five of them. However, a win had still eluded the Dutch rider.
Facing cyclocross riders such as Norbert Riberolle, Julie Brouwers, and Helene Clauzel, Van der Heijden was the clear favorite to win in Kortrijk. Right after the start, she showed she meant business. Already in the first lap, she managed to create a gap on her rivals. Brouwers stayed within about five seconds for a while but eventually conceded in the second lap.
Van der Heijden holds off Norbert Riberolle
Van der Heijden stoically extended her lead in the following laps. By halfway through the race, she had a fifteen-second advantage over Norbert Riberolle, which she maintained well. For a brief moment, the Belgian champion seemed to be closing the gap on Van der Heijden, but with two laps remaining, the Belgian made a small mistake and had to let the European champion go definitively.
The podium was settled in the final laps. After just under fifty minutes, the European champion raised her arms in victory; just over half a minute later, Norbert Riberolle crossed the line in second place. Brouwers finished third, the last rider inside the minute.
