{"id":253499,"date":"2025-11-09T18:15:05","date_gmt":"2025-11-09T18:15:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/253499\/"},"modified":"2025-11-09T18:15:05","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T18:15:05","slug":"european-cyclocross-championships-leonie-bentveld-leads-from-start-to-finish-to-dominate-womens-under-23-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/253499\/","title":{"rendered":"European Cyclocross Championships: Leonie Bentveld leads from start to finish to dominate women’s under-23 race"},"content":{"rendered":"

Leonie Bentveld<\/a> attacked on the opening lap and led all the way to the finish to claim a convincing victory in the women’s under-23 race at the 2025 European Cyclocross Championships<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Dutch rider was a heavy favourite alongside reigning champion C\u00e9lia Gery<\/a> (France) coming into the race, but showed superior form and skill in the sand to win by more than a minute.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Gery, who in September won the first standalone women’s under-23 road world title<\/a> in Kigali, trailed 1:13 behind in second place, with her French team-mate Amandine Muller taking third.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

Bentveld struck out early on the opening lap, building up a significant advantage over lone pursuer Gery, with the race blown apart in ones and twos behind. Belgian Shanyl De Schoesitter briefly bridged to Gery on the second lap to form a chasing duo, half a minute down on Bentveld.<\/p>\n

The Dutchwoman continued to set an unrelenting pace with her lead continuing to grow as Gery was solo in the chase once again in the mid-part of the race.<\/p>\n

Bentveld was the only rider on course consistently covering the laps in under nine minutes and came through as a runaway winner in Middelkerke.<\/p>\n

\n

\"MIDDELKERKE,\n<\/p>\n

No one could match Bentveld through the sand of Middelkerke (Image credit: Getty Images)Results<\/p>\n

Results powered by FirstCycling<\/a><\/p>\n

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