Lars Boom supports protégé Blanka Vas after major World Championship setback: "Making sure she doesn't fall into despair"

The Cyclo-cross World Championships hadn't even started on Friday when the first big name had to bow out. Blanka Kata Vas, who finished second behind Fem van Empel just last week in Hoogerheide, was forced to withdraw due to illness. IDLProCycling.com checked in with coach and former racer Lars Boom in Tábor for an update on the mood within the SD Worx team.

"She fell ill around Tuesday or Wednesday, that's what happened," Boom explained, his smile more forced than genuine. "She started feeling symptoms of a cold, with a sore throat and runny nose, and it only got worse over the last few days. We kept a close watch with the team doctor to see if it would worsen. The thing is, when your body doesn't feel right, you know things are heading in the wrong direction. You hope for improvement, but if that doesn't come, at some point, you have to make a decision."

As for the cause? Could it be that athletes are most vulnerable when they're peaking in form? "Just bad luck, I think," the affable former rider believes. "Around a race like Hoogerheide, you're also in contact with so many people, and that's when it can happen. Pinpointing exactly where things went wrong is very hard to do."

All in all, it's a tough pill to swallow, especially for the Hungarian herself. She seemed to have just hit her peak form again and was set to start as the outsider in the Czech Republic. "It's incredibly tough for Blanka that things have to go this way," says Boom. "After her earlier collarbone injury, she worked hard all season towards this World Championship, and things were really moving in the right direction. We know she's capable of this," Boom laments, who is now focusing on supporting his protégé. "We need to make sure she doesn't fall into a mental slump; that's the most important thing. There's also a road program coming up soon," the Dutchman looks ahead.

Boom on the course in Tábor: "It looks different every time"

Boom didn't travel to the Czech Republic for nothing, as one of the women's under-23 favorites, Luxembourg's Marie Schreiber, is also part of his team. "She definitely has a shot. Marie is in good shape, eager, and is well-prepared for this moment. The competition includes Zoe Backstedt, Krystina Zemanova, Leonie Bentveld, and the Holmgren sisters, but that just sets the stage for a potentially great race."

We caught up with the former cyclo-cross world champion during the Mixed Relay race, the first event on the Tábor circuit. What's his take on the course? "The thing is, it's different every time. Thursday it was in great condition, but then it froze overnight again. On the other hand, it's been snowing a lot here in the past months, and now it's thawing again. That water is still in the ground, and with temperatures staying above freezing in the coming days, it's going to be mud, mud, and more mud. I actually like it a lot because it's already a challenging circuit with plenty of elevation changes."