Lore Crowned Belgian Cyclocross Champion in the Women's U23 Category

Lore De Schepper, a member of the U23 team of AG Insurance – Soudal, was crowned the new Belgian champion in the women's U23 cyclocross category on Saturday. At the championship in Meulebeke, where the U23 women competed alongside the elite women, De Schepper distinguished herself by finishing first among the U23 riders, ahead of Julie Brouwers and Xaydee Van Sinaey.

The course in Meulebeke, which spanned 2900 meters, presented a challenging obstacle course filled with barriers, sand sections, and slopes. Lore's performance placed her well ahead of Julie Brouwers and Xaydée Van Sinaey, who finished second and third in the U23 category, trailing by 36 seconds and 1 minute respectively behind Lore. In the elite category, Lore crossed the finish line with a gap of 3 minutes and 24 seconds after Sanne Cant, who clinched the victory.

After her impressive win in Meulebeke, Lore De Schepper shared: “Riding in the mud was really challenging today. I made some mistakes in the mud, but the tougher, the better for me. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the last round, especially after overcoming the last sandpit and realizing that the victory was within reach. Normally, I would end my cyclocross season now, but I'm considering continuing a bit longer. This course suited me much better than the one last Wednesday; it wasn't too fast, which helped me to get back into the race after a bad start. My focus was on my main competitors like Julie. I constantly watched my position relative to them, which was crucial for my strategy. Riding close to Kyona helped me maintain the pace and engage in the fight. Although road racing is still my priority, I'm toying with the idea of continuing to cross a bit more this season, especially with the support of my team.”