SD Worx-Protime helps gem Blanka Vas through dark cyclo-cross winters: "She knows how difficult it is for me"

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 23-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 2021 in Overijse. And that is for someone who already became the Hungarian champion in the elite in 2019 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 2021, she was already ninth in the Vuelta and fourth at the elite women's World Championship, and in 2023, 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 2024, 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.

It was close or Vas would have taken Olympic silver or bronze.....

Vas set off well-prepared in Maasmechelen

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. This season, for example, she only finished on the podium in Besançon, France, until Saturday in Maasmechelen...

In a very tough mudcross, everything fell into place for Vas, who was well prepared. "What I think helped the whole race: I knew I would lose seconds if I changed bikes. 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."

Read more below the photo.

Vas can cheer in Maasmechelen!

SD Worx-Protime helped Vas through the cyclo-cross winter

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. "She wrote: don't think about the pain, just go for it. Her message was in my head during the race. I tried not to think about the pain and wanted to give my best."

"We had a training camp with the SD Worx team last week, and Cecchini was my roommate for the whole week. Sometimes she sends me messages, like now," Vas says. "Every winter, I stay in Belgium. I'm more in Belgium than at home in Hungary. I try to go home whenever possible, but I've only managed to do that for three days this year. Before that, it was November that I was home. Elena knows how difficult it is for me to stay in Belgium and always tries to keep me motivated."

Read more below the photo.

Vas aims for World Championships and Strade Bianche in 2025

Because Vas will not ride in Hoogerheide on Sunday, one more appointment is circled in red in her calendar: the cyclo-cross World Cup in Liévin. Can she give the Dutch a run for their money in France? "I think it would be perfect for cyclo-cross if, for once, it was not a Dutch rider who won. And when I get to the starting line, I always want to win. But a podium would also be very nice because, in the last three years, I never really got to the start of the World Championships in good shape."

That promises, even for the road campaign Vas faces after the cyclo-cross winter. That includes one special race. "I start the season with my debut in the Strade Bianche, which I think is a race that suits me well. And when Lotte Kopecky is your teammate, you know you're in for some fun races. I hope I can support her well."

Read also

Van der Poel’s victory gesture a coincidence? Definitely not, it was a birthday gift for Evenepoel: "Call received, bro!"

Van der Poel feels his body changing after turning 30: "I couldn't handle these workouts at 23"

📸 Van der Poel vs. Van Aert = expensive cars, huge crowds, and concerning news: "Broke my rib"

Van der Poel dominates despite broken rib, while Van Aert's mistakes ruin final duel

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Get every week the latest news about CYCLING in your inbox!

Subscribe