“I can’t believe I rode almost an entire cross on my own…” - Aniek van Alpen in disbelief at her own dominance during World Cup Flamanville
Cyclocross
Aniek van Alphen claimed the most significant victory of her cyclocross career in Flamanville, powering to her first ever World Cup win after riding clear almost from the opening lap.
The Dutch rider delivered a complete performance on the heavy Normandy course, then admitted afterwards that even she struggled to comprehend the scale of her dominance.
“I can’t believe I rode almost an entire cross on my own…” Van Alphen said, describing the solo effort that shaped the afternoon.
“I just rode my own pace," added the 26-year-old. "It was wonderful with all the spectators along the course. I really enjoyed it this way.”
Van Alphen’s early move proved decisive
French champion Amandine Fouquenet animated the start with the holeshot, but Van Alphen quickly tightened her grip on the race. A clean hop over the planks on lap one created the first meaningful split, she forced the gap that became the backbone of her victory.
Once alone, she built her advantage steadily while chaos unfolded behind her. Belgian champion Norbert Riberolle recovered from an early crash, Annemarie Worst abandoned after a strong opening, and the chasing order reshuffled repeatedly as the pace increased.
The most convincing pursuit came from Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, making her season debut. She surged through the field from the second row and looked the biggest threat to Van Alphen before being locked into a tense fight with Fouquenet for the remaining podium places. The French rider eventually broke clear in the final half lap, securing second place ahead of Alvarado.
Throughout, Van Alphen remained in control despite briefly questioning the wisdom of committing to an early solo. “In the first lap I did think that,” she said. “I still felt strong and knew that if the riders behind me made mistakes and I didn’t, I could keep extending my lead.”
A long-awaited breakthrough
The win marked Van Alphen’s first televised triumph in three years, following her 2022 successes in Boom and Essen. It also capped an already consistent season in which she had collected eight podium finishes before finally converting form into a World Cup victory.
“I’m super happy that I now have that win, and that it’s also in a World Cup… That’s really beautiful and a reward for all the hard work,” she said. “For everyone around me and everyone who helps me, it’s also a victory.”
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- I think Jonas would have lost the TDF by 4+ minutes (at the least) and might not have even been in the top 3. Too much talent in the younger riders to say anyone not named Pogačar would have been top 3md197503-11-2026
- this is just stupid. you already have 23%, gravel is over the topabstractengineer03-11-2026
- There was once a time when Lance was supremely popular and he used his artificial "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life" persona to lead his mob in going after Greg. There was no one Lance did not abuse in protecting his phony hero image. Lance promoted himself as a divine megastar and he let down millions of cancer victims and gullible devotees who clung far too long to the charade. Lance is the epitome of a corrupt person and because of his power, many around him, including business enterprises, succumbed to the evil. All who got in Armstrong's way were mercilessly attacked by him and his minions. This remarkably continues today with a new generation. LeMond was a number one enemy and paid a huge price. Who do you think slandered who?Yepperoni03-11-2026
- You despise him because he calls out the truth....OK clown !frieders303-11-2026
- JV is really slighting himself with not doing the 1 dayers.. 🤷
leedorney02-11-2026 - Watch the interview on youtube. I don't speak French. I do speak English and Spanish and you can hear it in his voice. Years ago LeMond had real personal problems I imagine in no small part because of Armstrong. then Armstrong goes round "full blast" re: LeMond having drinking and drug problems. The same way Andreu was expelled from mainstream cycling so was LeMond. On the positive side the clips of the ride and chatting with old teammates and was good. To seemed like a fun day and experience and good reason brush up his French.atom02-11-2026
- and another no-news article around the ‚2 tokyo jogging rounds‘ headline, this time spiced with some days old ‚news‘ that the LA and japan vacation trips come during or after the tdf route release. i am getting more and more annoyed by this time-stealing no-news crap. but who am i to complain? nobody forces me to come back for more ‚news‘ day after day …Ketterechts02-11-2026
- It would likely be a very steep section of 4.1 km, not changing the average gradient considerably, with the climb remaining 10.1 km at 11.8%. It would reach 20% on the gravel. It would start 1.6 km in, and finish with 4.2 km left to climb (before the short final descent)
Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin in this list is quite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment