Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado outsprints Lucinda Brand for dramatic Flandriencross Hamme victory

Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado has taken the win at the latest round of the X2O Badkamers Trofee at Flandriencross Hamme, outsprinting rival Lucinda Brand for a dramatic victory.

For the first time really since her cyclocross return, Zoe Backstedt was right at the front over the first couple of laps, getting off to a brilliant start. On lap 3 though, the Welshwoman was pulled back and then passed, firstly by the national champions of Italy and the Netherlands, Sara Casasola and Lucinda Brand, plus Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado.

Heading into the final couple of laps, the trio of Casasola, Brand and Alvarado looked to be determining victory between them, but Backstedt still wasn't completely out of the picture in fourth. On the penultimate lap, Casasola attempted to string things out, but the bell rang, all three leaders here still locked together. Alvarado led the entire final lap, with Casasola on the wheel and Brand hanging on behind. In the finale though, Brand buried herself, dropping the Italian and getting into the slipstream on the final straight. Alvarado held on though to take the victory in a thriller.