After a difficult second half of the holiday season, Shirin van Anrooij found herself again at the Zonhoven World Cup with a fifth-place finish. The 23-year-old rider from Baloise Insurance–Het Poetsbureau Lions feels ready for the Dutch Cyclocross Championships in Huijbergen this coming Sunday, where she is one of the big challengers to Lucinda Brand and Puck Pieterse.
Van Anrooij had not competed since the World Cup in Dendermonde (December 28) due to back problems sustained in a fall at the World Cup in Gavere (December 26). She needed that extra rest. "Afterward, I did lose a bit of confidence," the Dutch rider admits to our camera. "Zonhoven was a tough race, but I’m actually quite satisfied. My feelings are heading back in the right direction, and I’m happy about that."
The cyclocross rider’s back had clearly recovered. "After the race in Dendermonde we made sure it was properly treated," Van Anrooij explains to us. "I had to skip Diegem and the other races, but luckily I had a good feeling again in Zonhoven. In the first three laps I still made a few mistakes and was too cautious. Fortunately, after that I found my rhythm."
This means Van Anrooij can head into the Dutch Championships in Huijbergen with confidence. "But actually, I’m approaching that championship with the same mindset as I do any other cyclocross race. Of course, I'll have my back treated again and do a good training session during the week. Then I can start preparing calmly for the nationals."
Return to cyclocross
Previously, it was uncertain what level the 23-year-old Van Anrooij would reach in cyclocross after a tough period. Due to a narrowed pelvic artery, she underwent surgery in the autumn of 2024 and did not compete at all during the entire previous winter. The winter before that, she was also only able to complete a limited program due to circumstances, meaning the best of Van Anrooij in cyclocross dates back to early 2023. At that time, she won the U23 World Championships and several World Cups in the elite category.
"It’s definitely great for me to be back," she says after her first nine races. "I think I’ve shown a few times that I’m really close to winning again, like in Koksijde. It’s just that you notice it’s very hard to come back after missing two full years of cyclocross. Ultimately, there are still four important weeks coming up and anything can happen during them. We’ll naturally find out if there’s still progress."
Shirin van Anrooij| Race | Date |
|---|---|
| Dutch National Championships CX | 11 Jan |
| UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships Hulst | 31 Jan |
