Shirin van Anrooij gets better start position in Flamanville World Cup

Shirin van Anrooij had to start from the last row in the Tábor World Cup. Thanks to her sixteenth place in the Czech cyclocross, however, she gets a better starting position in the Flamanville World Cup. She is allowed to start from the second row on Sunday.

She hadn’t been seen in the cyclocross scene for nearly two years, but last Sunday Shirin van Anrooij made her long-awaited comeback as a cyclocross rider. Due to a narrowed pelvic artery, the Dutch all-rounder had surgery in autumn 2024 and did not compete throughout the entire previous winter. Also, the winter before that she was only able to follow a limited schedule due to circumstances.

So Van Anrooij had to start from the seventh and final row in Tábor (due to a lack of UCI points), but she steadily worked her way forward during the race. After the first lap, the 23-year-old rider from Baloise Glowi Lions had already moved up to 36th place, but she didn’t stop there. After an impressive charge through the field, Van Anrooij ultimately crossed the finish line in sixteenth place.

This is certainly not an insignificant detail for the Zeeland native: with her top 16 finish, Van Anrooij collects valuable UCI points, which means she no longer has to start from the last row in the next World Cup race in Flamanville, France. On Sunday, she may line up in the second row, which only improves her chances of a good result.

As explained in article 5.1.043 of the UCI cyclocross regulations, the World Cup standings normally dictate the starting order. This means the first sixteen riders allowed to line up are the top sixteen in the World Cup classification. The top eight in the standings start in the first row, while the next eight riders start from the second row.[/wftk_box]