Defending champion Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado gets ready to begin her World Cup defence in Antwerp: "It will be even more exciting"

This weekend it’s finally time for the first World Cup race of the cyclocross season. On Sunday, the World Cup will begin in Antwerp, and last season’s winner Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado told Wielerflits that she is more than ready to defend her title.

“These are important races of course, but they are also races like any other,” Alvarado said after she won her third race in a row at Flandriencross Hamme. “It’s just a different ranking. And Fem is back too, so it will probably be even more exciting than it has been in recent weeks.”

Alvarado, of Fenix-Deceuninck, plans to race in just about every World Cup event this season, even though that includes 12 races in just over two months. Despite this, Alvarado says she’s up for the challenge.

“They’re pretty much all there. I think I’ll ride all but one or so. It’s a lot in a short time. Maybe it’s too much for most of us. You’ll eventually have to cut back here and there.”