Results Dutch National Championships Cyclocross | Alvarado reclaims Dutch crown as Pieterse and Brand complete Huijbergen podium

Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado is the new Dutch national cyclocross champion after a decisive ride at the championships in Huijbergen. The Fenix-Premier Tech rider beat team mate Puck Pieterse into second place, with Lucinda Brand, widely tipped as pre-race favourite, finishing third.

The buildup had been dominated by speculation about winter weather and whether the course would need changes. In the end, conditions caused no disruption and the championships went ahead as planned, setting the scene for what felt closer to a world-level showdown than a domestic race.

Brand made the fastest start and quickly moved to the front. Alvarado reacted immediately, staying close, while Pieterse also remained in touch. Just before the heavy running section, Pieterse took control of the race.

Alvarado tried to respond straight away, but Brand hesitated briefly and suddenly found herself chasing. By the end of the opening lap, the top favourite was already around ten seconds down.

From there, the race began to take shape. Pieterse and Alvarado, teammates at Fenix Premier Tech, worked smoothly together at the front and gradually increased their advantage. In the third lap, however, that partnership ended. Pieterse lost contact and dropped away, leaving Alvarado alone at the head of the race.

At the next passage, Alvarado already had a clear lead over Pieterse, who herself was well ahead of Brand. From that point, the podium places looked increasingly settled.

Pieterse did manage to reduce the gap slightly later in the race, but Alvarado was never seriously under threat. Riding calmly and efficiently, she maintained control to the finish to secure her second Dutch elite cyclocross title, adding to the one she won in 2020.

Behind her, Pieterse confirmed her status as one of the strongest riders of the new generation with second place. Brand, despite her dominant season overall, had to settle for third after being unable to recover from her early time loss.