Compton secures World Cup with one race to spare

The penultimate and 6th round of the Cyclo-Cross UCI World Cup came to a wet and cold course in Rome this afternoon.

Compton and Vos in Action Picture captured from UCIChannel livestream

In the women's competition Katie Compton USA was on 290 points well clear of Nikki Harris GBR 225, Sanne Cant BEL 186 and Marianne Vos NED (who had missed two rounds due to surgery) on 160. But it would surely need some sort of disaster fro Compton to loss the championship this year, she has four wins, only failing to win the first round where she was second to Vos. But if she finished with more than a 60 point lead at the end of today Compton could not be overtaken.

Today's course was a mixture of mud, bricks, sand, gravel and water (lots of water) with the hurdles. However, by the end of the first lap of the women's race it was clear than Ellen Van Loy, Harris, Vos and Compton were the strongest riders of the day and they were pulling clear. But by the end of the lap it was Vos and Compton out by themselves looking set to go woman to woman to the finish. On the second lap Vikki Harris started to struggle making it look like as long as Compton could keep up with Vos the World Cup would have been hers.

Italian Champion Lechner Picture captured from UCIChannel livestream

Soon as well as the two fighting for top spot there was local heroine Eve Lechner taking on Pauline Ferrand Prevot FRA by themselves for the last podium place catching and dropping Van Loy. On the final lap finally Compton managed to snap the elastic tying her to Vos and opened up a gap.

Compton came home alone to secure the 2013-14 UCI World Cup title but behind her the cheers rang out as Eve Lechner started to pull away herself in third. But the sprint finish really came in behind Cant for sixth place and it went to European Champion Wyman over taking Van Loy who had started so well in the final metres.

Result

1. Katie Compton USA 36:46
2. Marianne Vos NED +24
3. Eve Lecher ITA +1:10
4. Pauline Ferrand Prevot FRA +1:24
5. Sanne Cant BEL +1:33
6. Helen Wyman GBR +1:35
7. Ellen Van Loy BEL +1:37
8. Sophie de Boer NED +1:41
9. Nikki Harris +1:56

World Cup Standings (after round 6)

1. Compton USA 350
2. Harris GBR 249
3.Cant BEL 221
4. Vos NED 210
5. Wyman GBR 164
6. Van Loy BEL 160

If you want to see the action you can catch up on the UCI YouTube channel