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Rachel Lloyd second at Tervuren cyclocross
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American Rachel Lloyd (California Giant) was second at the Tervuren, Belgium, cyclocross on Sunday, finishing just behind former world champion Daphny Van den Brand. American Sue Butler was eight, Followed by Canadians Natasha Elliot and Wendy Simms in ninth and tenth.
Lloyd and Van de Brand were battling for most of the race after gapping the rest of the group on the first lap when Van den Brand attacked into a sandpit and Lloyd jumped on her wheel. The two worked together for a few laps. Van den Brand crashed in the sand at one point and Lloyd rode solo for about a lap.
"It seemed like I got a pretty good gap, but I didn't really want to ride the whole race solo," Lloyd told VeloNews Sunday via an Internet chat session.
Lloyd lost her momentum with a crash of her own and Van den Brand caught back on and then attacked.
"I stayed with her for a bit, but she put a small gap on me on these steep hills directly after the deep sand, and she just kept extending her gap," Lloyd said.
Lloyd said she is second guessing herself, wondering if she could have won, but generally is pumped with her first European podium appearance. Lloyd went to Europe a few days after coming second at the Kansas City nationals, and will stay there through the world championships Feb. 1.
Lloyd plans to retire from cyclocross racing after this season to enter nursing school. But she two more chances to achieve her goal for the season of appearing on a World Cup podium. She will race at the World Cups in Roubaix, France, on Jan. 18 and Milan, Italy, on the 25th.
The men's race was won by Niels Albert ahead of Enrico Franzoi and Zdenek Stybar. The top American man was Jeremy Powers (Cyclocrossworld.com-Cannondale) in 19th.
Powers said he didn't have his best race — not as good as his seventh place at Middelkerke, Belgium, on Dec. 29th or his 13th at Loenhout, Belgium, on the 30th.
"I can't complain," Powers told VeloNews on Sunday.
Sunday's race concluded the cyclocross-filled holiday season in Belgium. With most European countries holding their national championships next weekend, Powers plans to head to Spain for some warmer training with fellow American Ryan Trebon, before returning for the final two World Cup and the World Championships.
Powers and Trebon are expected to be on the U.S. team for the Worlds, but the other team members are uncertain. Jonathan Page may learn this week whether he will be suspended for accidentally missing a post-race doping test in November, and the other spots are still open.
