Lucinda Brand wins the GP Sven Nys
Alvarado and Betsema round out podium in Baal
![DENDERMONDE BELGIUM DECEMBER 26 Lucinda Brand Nedand Team Baloise Trek Lions celebrates at finish line as race winner during the 2nd Dendermonde UCI CycloCross Worldcup 2021 Womens Elite CXWorldCup UCIcyclocrossWC on December 26 2021 in Dendermonde Belgium Photo by Luc ClaessenGetty Images](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/w9YGywedWm2MFakGbVDuom-320-80.jpg)
World champion Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions) won the GP Sven Nys, her third win in the X2O Trofee series, getting the better of Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin-Fenix) after a close battle at the front of the race.
The top two were separated by four seconds after 44 minutes of racing, while series leader Denise Betsema (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) finished in third place, 37 seconds down.
Brand's victory is her fifth in a row and her 14th of the current cyclo-cross season, including five rounds of the UCI World Cup as well as the European Championships.
After finishing, having raced with 'Amy' painted on her helmet, she dedicated her win to compatriot Amy Pieters, who remains in hsopital with a head injury following a training crash last week.
"I had to keep pressure on Ceylin but she kept coming back," she said. "It's a very difficult time. It's nice to win but other things are more important. I had to keep going to win – it was so hard.
"I am constantly thinking of [Amy] and her family. I hope they can take some strength from this."
The 32-year-old had gotten the better of Alvarado in a close battle on the last lap of the race, only managing to eke out a gap at the very end to claim victory. The pair had been away from the rest of the field from the early laps after leaving Betsema behind when the trio had pulled out a gap on lap one.
Alvarado lost ground to Brand on a descent during lap four, but made her way back to the front on the final lap. However, Brand was able to pull away once again as the lead duo reached a group of lapped riders, and Alvarado couldn't make it across despite a dogged fightback.
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Lucinda Brand (Ned) Baloise Trek Lions | 0:44:28 |
2 | Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix | 0:00:04 |
3 | Denise Betsema (Ned) Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal | 0:00:37 |
4 | Annemarie Worst (Ned) 777 | 0:01:15 |
5 | Fem van Empel (Ned) Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal | 0:01:32 |
6 | Sanne Cant (Bel) Iko-Crelan | 0:02:08 |
7 | Blanka Kata Vas (Hun) SD Worx | 0:02:20 |
8 | Maghalie Rochette (Can) Specialized-Feedback Sports | 0:02:25 |
9 | Clara Honsinger (USA) Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld | 0:03:01 |
10 | Katie Clouse (USA) Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld |
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/j0riqebpsw1715769462.png)
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Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, joining in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Before joining the team, they had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly and Rouleur.
Dani has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France, Road World Championships, and the spring Classics. They have interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Mathieu van der Poel, Demi Vollering, and Remco Evenepoel. Their favourite races are the Giro d'Italia, Strade Bianche and Paris-Roubaix.
Season highlights from the 2024 season include reporting from Paris-Roubaix – 'Unless I'm in an ambulance, I'm finishing this race' – Cyrus Monk, the last man home at Paris-Roubaix – and the Tour de France – 'Disbelief', gratitude, and family – Mark Cavendish celebrates a record-breaking Tour de France sprint win.
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