"My back was really bad last week so I started with doubts" - Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado rides to a modest second place at Nationals despite limited preparation
CyclocrossMonday, 13 January 2025 at 01:00
National Cyclocross Championships in Oisterwijk were a big party for Fenix-Deceuninck ladies who, in absence of Fem van Empel and Lucinda Brand - didn't find their equal among the rest of the field. Puck Pieterse will thus get to ride in red-white-blue in the coming period. For her teammate Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, it's only a second place. However that is a result that makes the 26-year-old somewhat happy too after a complicated period.
The race started off well for Alvarado, as she quickly created a gap with Pieterse. "But before the first hill, my handlebars turned, causing me to fall halfway and lose time. That was basically over immediately, which was a shame. After that, Puck kept pulling away, so she was definitely the strongest. I kept riding, but I did it at a slower pace," she told WielerFlits aterwards.
In the end, Alvarado finished more than a minute after Pieterse, but she is not unhappy about that. "I have had a tough week physically, I was not that fit. So I started with doubts. My back was really bad last week, which is why I have not been able to do much this week. In itself, my back held up reasonably well today, but it was not easy."
Christoph Roodhooft, the man behind Fenix-Deceuninck, also gave a word of explanation about Alvarado's physical problems. "It was a pretty extreme course today. Ceylin also came out of the Christmas period tired. She hasn't recovered enough since the last races, unlike Puck. Everything fell into place for her."
Results of the Women Elite National Cyclocross Championships of the Netherlands 2024/25:
| Position | Rider | Time |
| 01 | Pieterse Puck | 48:25 |
| 02 | Alvarado Ceylin del Carmen | + 11 |
| 03 | Betsema Denise | + 01:35 |
| 04 | Vos Marianne | + 01:50 |
| 05 | van Alphen Aniek | + 02:07 |
| 06 | Bentveld Leonie | + 02:09 |
| 07 | van der Heijden Inge | + 02:36 |
| 08 | Kastelijn Yara | + 02:36 |
| 09 | Hartog Larissa | + 05:01 |
| 10 | Molengraaf Lauren | + 05:51 |
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