National Championship

Four medals and a national title for Charles Liégeois Roastery CX

“My focus on the Christmas period culminated in a strong fifth place at the Dendermonde World Cup, giving me confidence for the Swiss championships. But I knew the national title wouldn't come easy, especially with some competitors specifically targeting this race. The conditions were challenging. The frozen ground thawing on the surface made it extremely slippery, causing several mistakes, including a crash that put me 15 seconds behind Loris Rouiller. But after a bike change I managed to catch him and from there, I focused on riding my own race and was able to secure the victory. I’m really happy to win this title. My goal is to maintain this form through the final World Cups and the World Championships and continue to represent the Swiss champion’s jersey at the front."

"Since my transfer to Charles Liégeois Roastery CX, I've continued to make progress, and I really wanted to confirm that at the Belgian Championships. Together with sports director Bart Wellens, we worked towards this race for weeks. We left nothing to chance: we did the recon on Wednesday and tested different bikes, tires, and gears. Of course, we knew that the predicted snow could still change the course, and that turned out to be the case. The icy conditions made it extra treacherous. We had to be extremely careful in every corner and descent. I didn't immediately realize that Marion Norbert-Riberolle had problems at the start, but when she rejoined the lead in the second lap, it was clear that she was the favorite. I tried to follow her, but that pace proved to be a bit too much for me. From that moment on, I focused on second place, and I'm incredibly happy that I immediately won a medal in my first participation in the elite category. A podium place was my goal, and I succeeded!"

"Behind top favorite Tibor del Grosso, Guus van den Eijnden and I were fighting for the silver medal. My tactic was to go all out in the last lap, but due to a misjudgment, I lost contact and had to settle for bronze. Nevertheless, I'm satisfied with this podium finish. I'm now focusing on the next appointments in this most important month of the season. With the team, we are preparing for this during a training camp near Benidorm. I feel that I'm reaping the rewards of our weekly team training sessions and my training rides behind Bart Wellens' scooter. I can also benefit from professional support at the races, which allows me to fully focus on my race. Since joining Charles Liegeois Roastery CX, I've made two steps forward."

"After a few difficult weeks and months with physical setbacks, I started my cyclocross season on December 23rd in the Zilvermeercross in Mol. My fast start in Loenhout gave me a huge boost; it was fantastic to have a good feeling in cyclocross again. That gave me confidence, even though I knew that due to my training deficit, I couldn't expect miracles at the Dutch Championships. After Keije's race, we immediately left for the airport, heading to the Charles Liégeois Roastery CX training camp near Benidorm. Those ten days of quality training in good conditions will be valuable for progressively raising my level. I'm extremely motivated to show what I'm capable of until the last race of the season in Oostmalle, both for myself and for my team."

RESULTS

General Classification

SHARE ARTICLE

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Email
GDPR Cookie Consent with Real Cookie Banner