Great Britain’s Helen Wyman took ninth position in round four of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Namur, Belgium on Sunday 21 December.
The British champion finished two minutes and 33 seconds back on winner Katerina Nash of the Czech Republic, who overhauled early leader, world champion Marianne Vos, with USA’s Katie Compton taking third.
Wyman was sixth overall in the world cup standings after three rounds and hovered around the edge of the top ten through the race, contested on a challenging course in muddy conditions following days of rain.
The Briton’s result moved her up to fourth in the standings on 124 points, 22 points behind Belgium's Ellen van Loy.
Nikki Harris, third after Milton Keynes, was also running in and around the top ten before a puncture at the far end of the course forced her to retire, the British rider having taken fourth place in Essen the day before after an injury-induced lay-off. The result meant that Harris dropped from third to seventh in the standings, on 110 points.
Gabriella Durrin was 28th, almost seven minutes down on the winner, while junior Amira Mellor was a creditable 29th from a gridding position of 49th, the current women’s National Trophy leader continuing an excellent 2014/15 season.
Hannah Payton suffered from a transmission problem at the start, eventually finish 43rd, one lap down.
British champion Ian Field was Great Britain’s sole entry in the elite men’s event, the Hargroves Cycles – Ridley RT rider, dogged by a cold, finished 32nd, five minutes and 59 seconds down on race winner and world cup leader Kevin Pauwels of Belgium. The result left Field 23rd in the overall standings with two rounds remaining.
Ben Sumner was the best of the Brits in the under-23 men’s race, taking 29th place, a lap down on race winner, Belgium’s Wout van Aert. Britain’s Jack Clarkson was 34th while compatriot Nicholas Barnes was 37th. Hugo Robinson was forced to retire from the race after just one lap.
The junior men’s race saw Britain’s Arthur Green take 44th place, five minutes and 35 seconds back on race winner Johan Jacobs of Switzerland. Current National Trophy leader Alfie Moses was 51st, with Josh Waters and David Barnes 57th and 59th respectively.
After Namur, the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup travels to Heusden-Zolder in Belgium on Boxing Day before the final round in Hoogerheide in the Netherlands on 25 January 2015.
Results
Elite men
Elite women
Under-23 men
Junior men
