[20-year-old Kata Blanca Vas (SD Works) and 19-year-old Puck Peterse (Alpecin Phoenix) pushed world champion and series leader Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions) to the back of the podium.

The U23 rider's good showing in the women's category, racing alongside elite riders, was enough for Brand to joke that "I think it's time for an elite category."

"It can be a bit of a joke, but of course it is really good to have such a follow-up - fortunately not only from the Netherlands," Brand said in comments on the Dutch website Wielerflits.

Pieterse of the Netherlands and Vas of Hungary are in third and fourth place in the elite series standings after round five. Shirin van Ambrooy (Baloise Trek Lions) and Femme van Empel (Pauwels Sausen-Bingor) are also in the top 10 in the series standings.

The skills displayed by race winner Vass and second-place finisher Pieterse in Sunday's slippery conditions drew praise from Zohoven winner Denise Bessema (Pauwels Sausen-Bingor).

"They are super technical," Bessema told Wielerfritz. 'I need to learn from them. I tried to keep up with the track a little bit. But if you make a mistake and fall behind, you have to catch up."

"I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to keep up with them.

The next cyclocross World Cup round will be held in Tabor on November 14, but many riders will go straight to the Koppenberg Cross in Oudenaarde on November 1 after the World Cup round.