The 2021 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships concluded in Ostend, Belgium on Sunday. 2020 Junior World Championship Bronze-Medalist, Madigan Munro (Boulder, Colo.; Trek Factory Racing), took the line of the 37-starter U23 Women’s race. Curtis White (Delanson, N.Y.; Cannondale Cyclocrossworld) also competed in the Elite Men’s race.
The sun came out in the morning and it was a beautiful day in Belgium. The U23 Women’s race consisted of 4 laps of the 2.9-kilometer course with a relatively dry course compared to yesterday’s competition. Munro fluttered in-and-out of the Top 10 all race. After almost 40-minutes battling in the sand, she would finish in 11th
place.
“I’d say top five was kind of my stretch goal and then a top 10 I would have been really happy with. I can’t be too bummed about 11th”, said Madigan Munro about her performance. “I think I still have a lot to learn and a lot to work on. Just to go up from here! I think I gave it my all out there and that’s all I can really ask for.”
In the final race of the World Championships, the Elite Men raced 8 laps around the same 2.9-kilometer course. Curtis White had a solid start and sat comfortably in the top-20 throughout the race. M. Van Der Poel (NED) and W. Van Aert (BEL) were race favorites and fought for the top spot on the podium. With 3 laps to go, Van Der Poel broke away and held the lead for the remainder of the race bringing home gold for the Netherlands. White would finish in 20th.
“It was a solid weekend for Team USA at the World Championships this year. I think everyone did the absolute best with what they had, and we saw some really bright spots and some room for improvement”, said USA Cycling Cyclocross Manager, Jesse Anthony. “We are so grateful that these six US riders were able to compete. It wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work from the UCI and the Belgian Cycling Federation. It’s been really inspiring to see the dedication of our cyclocross athletes, and I am so excited for Fayetteville 2022 and the return to competition of all of the US athletes that weren’t able to compete this year.”
Final Results:
U23 Women
1. Fem Van Empel NED 36:59
2. Aniek Van Alphen NED +:03
3. Kata Blanka Vas HUN +:09
11. Madigan Munro USA +2:23
Elite Men
1. Mathieu Van Der Poel NED 58:57
2. Wout Van Aert BEL +:37
3. Toon Aerts BEL +1:24
20. Curtis White USA +6:33
The U.S. National team walks away from this World Championship with one top-ten finish. Clara Honsinger earned the top spot for Americans finishing fourth in the Elite Women’s race.
For complete results from the 2021 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, visit: https://www.uci.org/cyclo-cross/results
The additional support for the 2021 UCI Cyclocross World Championships team was made possible by the generous donations of our community to the MudFund. To donate, please click here: www.usacycling.org/foundation/mudfund
Visit USACycling.org for more information on the athletes, events, and membership programs, and follow @USACycling across all channels for the latest on Team USA.
