Hungary may not be a hotbed of professional cyclist development, but that won't convince Blanca Kata Vas. She has excelled on the world stage of cycling in three disciplines and is only 21 years old.

Vass placed fourth in the mountain bike cross-country at the Tokyo Olympics and fourth in the road race at the 2021 UCI Road World Championships. In cyclocross, she has twice been on the podium at world championships, both in the U23 division, winning a silver medal in 2020 and a bronze medal in 2021.

She is currently with SD Worx, the No. 1 team on the Women's World Tour, with a contract extension through 2023. While her teammates prepare for the start of the new UAE Tour women's road season in early February, Vass remained focused on her current discipline and her start at the Cyclocross World Cup in Benidorm, Spain.

"I want to keep doing 'cross because I think I can do really well in it and be one of the best," the multi-talented rider said of her 2023 start.

"I started with mountain biking, continued with cyclocross, and road was the last discipline I tried.

"It was my first real road season and it was a big change for me. I improved tactically. I think I got a bit stronger as a rider and learned to be more professional. I want to keep doing cyclocross and I really enjoy winter."

She is "really good" at cyclocross. Vas won six of 18 cyclocross races this season, the last of which was the fifth consecutive win for the women's elite Hungarian national champion.

Before focusing on her second full season with Team SD Walks, four-time national champion, twice in time trial and twice in road racing, she is focused on finishing high in the elite women's race at the world cross championships in Hogelheid in three weeks. She is focused.

"Yes, I will be competing in the World Championships with the elite athletes. Last year I chose to race in the elite (instead of the under 23 category).

Vass won two world championship medals in the U23 cyclocross division, but last year in Fayetteville she moved to the elite division and finished in the top 20 of the women's elite field. She does not want to change direction now.

"After the Obeise World Cup, which I won [in 2021], my next race was the European Championships. That's why I moved up to the elite. If I want to be World Champion or European Champion, I want to be in the elite category, not under 23."

A season before his 20th birthday, on a rainy and slippery course in Overijse, Belgium, he beat then 19-year-old Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Fenix) and world champion Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions (Alpecin-Fenix) to win his first World Cup race as an elite racer. Two other U23 riders had strong performances in the same race, with Shirin van Ambrooy (Baloise Trek Lions) in 8th and Femme van Empel (Pauwels Sauzen Bingoel) in 12th.

Fast forward to the cyclocross season, and the top three World Cup women in the elite field were van Empel, Pieterse, and van Anrooy. Vas is in 13th place, and also has fewer starts.

"They are really strong and I think the level of 'cross racing this year is higher than before. 'I was hoping to race with them one day, because I didn't get to do that this year. It might have been possible at the beginning of the year, but then I got out of shape. I hope to get back on track for the World Championships."

"I am fighting for a top five finish. Last year I was fighting for the podium, so it's really hard, and even harder to make the top five. "

Last year, he had COVID-19 in early spring and then suffered a bad crash on stage 5 of the Giro d'Italia Donnay, but completed 10 stages of the race. He then competed in the long stage races of the Tour of Scandinavia and the Serratigit Challenge by La Vuelta, admitting to being sick in September, November, and January.

"It was a good year. I learned a lot. Last year was a sort of baptism by fire for me. For the first time in my career, I was on a fairly substantial road program. I learned a lot from that," Vass said.

Her 2023 season will include more mountain biking, which she admits is her favorite discipline.

"I will compete in MTB for the All-Japan Championships and the Under 23 World Championships.

Before switching from cyclocross, Vass said he was healthy and ready to return.

"I think I can ride well at the World Championships. I will go to Spain, train there, go to the World Cup this weekend and the World Championships next weekend. I am sure things will be good."

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