Blanka Vas came like a jack-in-the-box in Maasmechelen on Saturday because it had been a while since the Hungarian super-talent of SD Worx -Protime managed to win at the highest level in the field. That win made her feel good because the year-old Vas may have super legs, but life with all the pressure and expectations is not always fun. Vas has been a regular in the top ten and even top five in women's cyclo-cross for years. Yet before her win Saturday in Maasmechelen, she had won her first and last cyclo-cross World Cup since October in Overijse.
And that is for someone who already became the Hungarian champion in the elite in and was also on the road a few months later. She was 18 at the time. On the road, her career star continued to skyrocket. In , she was already ninth in the Vuelta and fourth at the elite women's World Championship, and in , she even started winning at WorldTour level in the Tour of Switzerland and the Giro Donne. She also crowned herself world champion in the U23s that year. The next step came in , with one Tour de France Femmes stage win and the Olympics, where she boldly competed for medals.
She thanklessly finished fourth in the road race by a millimeter sprint for silver. Read more below the photo. Things did not go as smoothly when the road bike was traded for the cyclo-cross bike. Vas has always had some standouts in recent years, including wins in races where not all the top riders competed.
However, she could not yet meet the expectations of attacking the Dutch world top. In a very tough mudcross, everything fell into place for Vas, who was well prepared. That's why I only changed bikes once. It's also easier on the technical part if you're otherwise strong. Then, you make fewer mistakes. I feel strong, and that's why I make fewer mistakes. When things are right physically and mentally, Vas can do great things.
SD Worx-Protime plays a significant role in that. For example, on Saturday morning before the race, she received a motivating message from a teammate. Her message was in my head during the race. I tried not to think about the pain and wanted to give my best. Sometimes she sends me messages, like now," Vas says. I'm more in Belgium than at home in Hungary.
