Ilse wins Christmas Cross in Norg

In the Dutch province of Drenthe, Ilse Pluimers of AG Insurance – Soudal Quick-Step managed to ride to victory. On Boxing Day, she was able to claim victory in the cyclo-cross race at the Langloërduinen in the charming village of Norg. After a challenging and muddy six-lap course in the Norg forest, Ilse Pluimers succeeded in leaving national competitors Anniek Mos and Wendy Oosterwoud behind.

“Overall, it went well, although it took some getting used to after two weeks in Spain and then immediately doing a cross again. The course was technically challenging, with a lot of twists and turns. This made overtaking quite difficult, and my start was really not good, which made overtaking even harder. I rode for a while with Anniek Mos, who was incredibly strong in the corners, especially in the long stretch before the finish. The course consisted of a total of six laps, and in the last lap, I overtook her. I took the lead in the corners because I knew she would be stronger there. This way, I could make a difference on the straight stretch. It's always a bit of an adjustment in the first cross, but I felt reasonably strong, so that's definitely positive”, said a proud Ilse.