"I hoped they would break... Luckily they did" - Patience pays off for Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado at Exact Cross Heerderstrand

It's now three victories in her opening four races of the cyclocross campaign for 2020 world champion Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado after another dominant performance gave her the win at Exact Cross Heerderstrand on Saturday afternoon in the The Netherlands.

Alvarado was the favourite pre-race, but after a slow start had to work her way up through the field over the middle laps. “I didn’t have the best legs today, and when it took a long time at the beginning I thought it was going to be a difficult story. But I didn’t give up,” she assessed afterwards in her post-race interview. “I also changed bikes, because my tires were a bit too smooth. After that, I was confident that I would close the gap, and I’m glad I succeeded.”

Having successfully made the bridge to leading duo Laura Verdonschot and Inge van der Heijden though, Alvarado didn't immediately attack clear, instead opting to take the opportunity to catch her breath and qait for the right opportunity as she explained.

“I could rest a bit in the wheel, because they slowed down the pace a bit. That was not bad for me, because it allowed me to recover from a reasonable effort," concluded the former Rainbow Jersey winner's assessment of the day. "After that, I knew I had to choose my moment specifically. I had been in the wheel for a few laps and that’s how I decided where to go. I didn’t make my effort too long, and I hoped they would break. Luckily they did."

Results: Exact Cross Heerderstrand 2024