"I knew that today I wasn't going to win" - Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado reacts to mechanical issue at Rapencross
Cyclocross
Fem van Empel absent was not present at the Rapencross Lokeren, and Lucinda Brand won the race relatively comfortably. Her main rival,
Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, was unfortunate when her race was derailed by
mechanical issues in the first lap, leaving her to chase behind and claw her
way back into podium contention.
When asked if the mechanical problem cost her the victory,
Alvarado responded, “That is quite a statement, yes,” she said. “We were riding
over the beams, and I touched my pedal with my foot. My pedal went backwards,
but I was not at my lightest, so normally it should never have come off. It
did, and I couldn't get it back on the bike. It took a while before I got it
back on.”
The mishap over the beams caused the former world champion
to drop from third to tenth place. Although she managed to fight her way back
towards the front, she could not catch Brand who stormed ahead to win. “It was
just a bit too long for me, I think. The course was difficult to pass the
riders. So every time I made up two or three seconds, I lost it again behind
someone who was riding slower than me. It was a difficult race,” Alvarado
admitted.
Alvarado closed the gap to just twelve seconds behind Brand
with less than two laps remaining, but the effort of her comeback had drained
her energy, leaving her unable to push further. “In the last lap I didn't get
any closer and I knew that today it wasn't going to win. I have to
be satisfied with second place and think about tomorrow.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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