Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado victorious at Troyes World Cup; Puck Pieterse finishes second after explosive battle

Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado showed off her very best level today in Troyes as she took a strong win in the fourth round of the World Cup, hence growing her lead in the standings and beating Puck Pieterse directly.

The race began with Annemarie Worst hitting the front as the technical features created gaps through. There was an early battle for placing, with Lucinda Brand losing quite a lot of places and then not being able to match the best when the attacks surged. Puck Pieterse attacked early in the first lap but Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado was quick to react.

The Dutch champion made a few moves over the following laps, trying to dislodge Alvarado. She did so successfully, using her technique to create these gaps, however the legs were on the World Cup leader's side. After a few attempts, Pieterse was caught by Alvarado on lap 4 and was immediately attacked. It was a crack on Pieterse's side, who just returned to cyclocross after a month off.

Alvarado had tremendous legs and soared to her second consecutive World Cup victory - and second of the weekend. She extends her lead in the World Cup convincingly as well. Puck Pieterse held on to second place whilst Lucinda Brand was third.