Lentel Huys Makes History at Cyclocross European Championships in Zeddam

Sixteen-year-old Belgian rider Lentel Huys won the junior women’s gold medal at the European Cyclo-cross Championships in Zeddam on a weekend that delivered early season drama, as reported by Wielerkrant.be.

Huys crossed the finish line alone to secure the first-ever European youth championship gold for a Belgian female cyclist. She built her decisive margin on the venue’s steep stairs, pulling away from her rivals during her first major international appearance.

“It’s great to immediately grab the jersey as a first-year junior,” Huys told Sporza. “I might have hoped for a medal, but a jersey is always difficult.”

Shana Huber finished nine seconds behind to claim the silver medal, while Nynke Jochems completed the podium a few seconds later. Huys executed a clean start and moved forward methodically before attacking on the circuit’s notable stair section.

“In the second or third lap I ran up at my own pace and saw I had a gap,” Huys told Sporza. “If you take two steps at a time each time, it is not simple to keep going.”

While the junior events brought celebration for the Belgian delegation, elite competition in Zeddam produced sharp friction among athletes and staff. Marie Schreiber crossed the line first in the women’s elite sprint against Lucinda Brand, but the race jury subsequently relegated the Luxembourg rider for an irregular sprint maneuver, Eurosport reported.

Brand did not file a formal complaint with the race officials regarding the sprint. According to Sporza, the intervention came directly from the officiating body rather than the Dutch competitor, leaving SD Worx team coach Sanne Cant to voice vehement disapproval.

“It is the most ridiculous reaction I have ever heard,” Cant told Sporza. “I have sat on a bike for a very long time and I have never experienced this.”

Schreiber declined to attend the official podium ceremony to collect her silver medal, acting on instructions from her coaching staff. The Luxembourg cycling federation subsequently lodged an appeal against the relegation decision.

“Marie was the winner of the race,” Cant told Sporza. “That is not because there is no respect for Lucinda, but because you should not accept a medal that does not belong to you.”

International broadcasters Eurosport and HBO Max will be the place for cyclo-cross from November to February.

More on this story: Thibau Nys Wins Second European Cyclo-Cross Title in Zeddam · Marie Schreiber Lost a European Cyclo-Cross Title in Zeddam

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