Results Exact Cross Mol | Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado returns to winning ways! Turns sand aggression into first win of the season amid winter storm
Cyclocross
Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado claimed her first victory of the season in dramatic fashion at the Exact Cross Mol, mastering the heavy Zilvermeer sand and deteriorating winter conditions to ride clear in the closing laps.
The race began at a high tempo, with Julie Brouwers and Fleur Moors quick to assert themselves in the opening sections. Their initiative briefly disrupted the expected order, but by the end of the first lap the front of the race had stabilised, with Alvarado joined by Manon Bakker, Kristyna Zemanova and Brouwers as the key contenders.
Early on, the balance between the short climbs and the deep sand kept the group together. Alvarado repeatedly fought to enter the sand first, while Zemanova held firm and Bakker resisted without conceding ground. Brouwers, however, was already being forced into small efforts to close gaps whenever she entered the Zilvermeer slightly out of position.
The race turned decisively in the fourth lap. After a period of probing and regrouping, Alvarado abandoned patience and launched a sharp acceleration towards the finish. The move immediately caught her rivals off guard. Bakker was the only rider able to respond initially, while Brouwers once again conceded several metres that she could not afford.
Late surge decides a tactical battle
Rather than easing off, Alvarado doubled down. She attacked again at an unexpected moment and finally made the sand count, riding the Zilvermeer with more authority than her rivals. That second surge proved decisive. With Bakker and Brouwers unable to match the repeated accelerations, Alvarado opened a clear gap and began to ride with increasing confidence.
As light snowfall intensified into a full winter squall, conditions became brutal. The wind picked up, the sand grew heavier, and the circuit demanded constant power. Alvarado thrived. By the end of the fifth lap, she had established a margin of around ten seconds and showed no signs of fading.
The final lap was ridden in near white out conditions, with snow now settling around the Zilvermeer. Alvarado remained composed, managing the terrain without risk and safely bringing her solo move to its conclusion.
She crossed the line alone to secure a hard earned and symbolic first victory of the season, a win defined by timing, persistence and complete commitment once the moment to attack finally arrived.
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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.
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