![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/26WorldsMcGill.jpg\")
<\/a>McGill comes off of the planks.<\/p>\nPreliminaries<\/p>\n
After achieving a natural hat trick of world titles in Li\u00e9vin<\/a>, Fem van Empel put her career on hiatus following an indifferent start to the 2025-2026 season. However, the home Netherlands squad was still stacked with four-time World Cup titlist Lucinda Brand, last weekend\u2019s World Cup double winner Puck Pieterse and Dutch champ Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado. Revelation of the season Amandine Fouquenet represented the French resistance. <\/p>\n Sidney McGill was top Canadian last February in France at 16th. She was back alongside national champion Maghalie Rochette.<\/p>\n The front row was a sea of Dutch orange. Pieterse grabbed the hole shot, Alvarado in her back pocket. Kate Blanka Vas put herself up with the Dutch mob. Czech Krist\u00fdna Zemanov\u00e1 pressured the Dutch from behind. Pieterse bunnyhopped the planks, while Alvarado and Brand carried. Pieterse, Alvarado, Brand, Vas, Zemanov\u00e1 and Jolanda Neff formed the leading sextet, Amandine Fouquenet chasing hard. McGill was 18th, Rochette 24th.<\/p>\n Alvarado seized the reins at the start of Lap 2, trimming Zemanov\u00e1 from the group. The string lengthened again before the long carry-up. Pieterse went over the top of her teammate, picking up the pace to seperate the Dutch again. Pieterse had a couple of seconds over her compatriots as she pounded a gel going over the line. McGill was 18th, Rochette 24th. <\/p>\n Brand found Pieterse on Lap 3 and they distanced Alvarado. After Brand accelerated, Pieterse crashed on a steep descent. Puck\u2019s hopes were dashed, Vas and Neff scooping her up. Brand finished the lap six seconds ahead of Alvarado, seemingly the only rider who could catch this year\u2019s World Cup titlist. McGill raced in 17th, Rochette 28th. <\/p>\n<\/a>Rochette before the start.<\/p>\n<\/a>Puck blazed the trail on Lap 1.<\/p>\n