The UCI World Cup season opener in Waterloo, Wisconsin on Sunday saw the return of American cyclocross racing, with many costumed, horn-blowing fans and Marianne Voss (Jumbo-Visma) back on top of the podium.

It was the first race of this year's cyclocross season for Vos, who had made women's road racing history just a week earlier with a second-place finish in the inaugural Paris-Roubaix Fam.

"Coming out of the road season, you usually come out with a certain kind of shape that is good to bring to cyclocross, but of course the style of racing is different," Vos told Cyclingnews after her return to 'cross ended with a win.

"I can't believe that last Sunday was Paris-Roubaix and now here I am. Yeah, there's nothing I can do about it either. Paris-Roubaix was a little bit cyclo-cross-y, so it was a good warm-up for this race.

The cheers were loudest when Vos and Brand went head-to-head just before the finish line, but on the final lap, a maze of snaking turns, two flyovers, and Trek Factory Hill's signature climb, 52 riders The battle was formed from.

"The last lap was a full sprint. All the racing was intense. Of course it was hard to maintain speed and sometimes you needed time to recover. Yes, it was a fast race," said Vos, who won his second Waterloo after winning in 2018.

The Dutch duo was joined at the start of the final lap by Dennis Betsema (Pauwels Sauzen Bingor), who charged back after his chain came off with four laps to go, and Yolanda Neff (Tech Factory Racing), who had started 25th and was up front

Switzerland.

The Swiss Olympic mountain bike gold medalist was quickly eliminated in a massive run-up, and Betsema lost space after taking the final lead on the winding technical section before the final pit pass. The race then became reigning world champion versus seven-time world champion.

"Lucinda is of course a great racer and I know not to give her any space. When there was a little gap on the last hill, I gave it everything I had," said the 34-year-old Vos.

"I really wanted to go down the hill first to get up Factory Hill first, but Lucinda made a great move and passed me again. On the next hill I passed her in the corner, and then I just moved up a gear and gave it everything I had."

Vos made a pass on the inside in the tight chicane after the final climb to keep the lead and Brand took the checkered flag in second place. Betsema followed in third, five seconds behind Vos.

Vos last raced a full cyclocross race in the 2018-2019 season, winning the Elite World Cup crown. She is coming off a long road season in which she won seven races and was runner-up in her last two races, the World Championships road race and Paris-Roubaix.

She will continue her U.S. tour with back-to-back World Cup races in Fayetteville on October 13 and Iowa City on October 17, but will not compete in all 16 races on the World Cup calendar.

"I will not compete in the full series. After this I will rest and prepare for the second half of the season," Vos said, indicating that the second half of the cross season will resume in December.

"Obviously, it's nice to get some points, but it's also nice to get into this cyclo-cross rhythm early in the season. It takes some of the pressure off for the second half of the season. And of course, I like racing in the US and seeing the course in Fayetteville."

Fayetteville will host the 2022 World Championships in early February, and Vos is eager to make another trip to the US.

"It's a different atmosphere and feel. We race in Europe all the time, so racing in the US has a different atmosphere. If you ask European riders, they all like to go here and enjoy the racing. People watch the races and enjoy the sport.