MALVERN cycling star Evie Richards won an exciting battle for second place against former Olympic champion Marianne Vos in the cyclo-cross World Cup at Jinglecross, Iowa City.

Overnight rain turned the 3,000 metre-long course around Mount Krumpit into a slippery challenge for a large field of women elite riders from across the world.

Vos, of Waowdeals Pro Cycling Team, rode the fastest lap of the race with 9.57.

But she was unable to hold off chaser 26-year-old American rider Kaitlin Keough who captured her first-ever World Cup victory.

Vos, Sophie De Boer and Richards fought over the remaining podium spots, with the latter going clear on the last lap after chasing the Dutch pair down.

Richards was 31 seconds behind Keough, of Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld, as she improved on her fourth place finish in Wisconsin.

Vos remains leader in the World Cup with a bonus of 15 points over Richards.

But the 21-year-old, racing for Trek Factory Team, retained her leaders shirt in the women under 23 category.

Round three of the 2018-2019 Telenet UCI cyclo-cross World Cup takes place in Bern in Switzerland on October 21.