Alvarado wins elite women's Cyclo-cross World Cup in Overijse

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World champion Ceylin Del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin - Fenix) used her technical ability to ride away from her rivals and clinch victory in the final World Cup round at Overijse. 

Alvarado was bronze medallist at the under-23 mountain bike World Championship earlier this year and used her descending skills to force an unassailable gap over series winner Lucinda Branda (Baloise Trek Lions). 

Under-23 rider Manon Bakker (Credishop-Fristadas) worked her way back up to Brand in the last section but had to settle for third after losing out in the sprint. 

It was Alvarado’s first World Cup win of the season and second victory of the weekend after also winning the Flandriencross in Hamme on Saturday. 

“I think we were quick in the uphill sections but the difference was always made in the downhill part and I think I stood out today in that section,” Alvarado told the television cameras. 

Talking about a crash on a technical descent earlier in the race, she added: “I was descending with a quite high speed and couldn’t keep my wheel in the rut anymore so I slipped. 

“I couldn’t handle my bike as it was too fast so I crashed. Luckily it was soft.” 

How the race unfolded

A tough road climb started the race which turned into cobbles and it was all-rounder Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma Women Team) who took charge in the early exchanges. 

Series winner Lucinda Branda (Baloise Trek Lions) got caught in an early tangle of bikes but soon got to the head of proceedings. The technical elements of the course played into the hands of Alvarado who forced the pace early on. 

Brand and Vos both used their road racing power to close the gap on the cobbled climb making a leading group. However, they could not match the technical ability of Alvarado who flew down the muddy descent pulling back away from her rivals. 

After winning the previous round in Hulst, Denise Betsema (Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal) pulled back the gap to Alvarado on the power section of the second lap with Brand chasing alone in third. 

Fellow mountain bike specialist Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing CX) was also thriving on the muddy descents and worked her way through the field in pursuit of the leaders. 

Alvarado came off on the technical descents on the third of five laps allowing Brand and Betsema to claw her back making a leading trio 11 seconds ahead of the chasers. 

Under-23 rider Manon Bakker (Credishop-Fristadas) also worked her way across to the leaders on the third lap to make a leading quartet. 

After losing time on the opening lap Clara Honsinger (Team Tibco- Silicon Valley Bank) also powered across making a front group of five. Despite suffering on the cobbled climb Brand used her running ability to pull away from her rivals along with Alvarado. 

Betsema who had looked strong earlier in the race fell away following a crash leaving Honsinger to chase the leaders along Bakker who sat eight seconds back with a lap remaining. Alvarado used the technical descent section to gap Brand by nine seconds while Bakker put Honsinger under pressure in the battle for third. 

The World champion extended her gap to win by 20 seconds while Bakker had pegged back Brand but lost out in the sprint for second.

Brand won the overall series ahead of Alvarado.