Helen Wyman took seventh place at round six of the 2015/16 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Lignieres-en-Berry in France on Sunday as Sanne Cant of Belgium took her third win of the series and increased her world cup lead.
Ellen Van Loy (Belgium) led in the early stages of the first lap but Cant soon took over and began to build an unassailable lead on a non-technical sandy course that favoured the powerful.
The race for podium places settled into a pattern with Cant up front and Eva Lechner of Italy chasing Van Loy for second.
Behind a battle raged for fourth place between Wyman, Caroline Mani (France), Kaitlin Antonneau (USA) and Sophie de Boer (NED), with the home rider eventually breaking free.
Wyman carried on pushing and crossed the line one minute and seven seconds down on Cant.
Battled for 4th all race today on a super fast World Cup but could only end up 7th. It's always… https://t.co/3Uu3l04kJr
— Helen Wyman (@CXHelen) January 17, 2016
Nikki Harris, wearing her British champion’s jersey, had a tough race, finishing 10th, one minute and 23 seconds down on the winner.
The result left Harris as the best placed British rider in the overall standings, in fourth place on 184 points, with Wyman in seventh on 146.
Definitely a race to forget, to many mistakes to mention sorry folks, on to the next ....
— Nikki Harris (@Nikkiharris86) January 17, 2016
Hannah Payton, riding for Drops Cycling Team, finished in 26th place, three minutes and 58 seconds down.
Britain's Ian Field, riding for Hargroves Cycles - Ridley RT finished 39th, over five minutes down on race winner Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands. Britain's James Spragg did not start.
The UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup concludes in Hoogerheide, Netherlands on 24 January.
