Results World Cup Zonhoven | Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado defies crash chaos as Lucinda Brand’s 13-race winning run ends

The women’s race at the UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Zonhoven delivered a relentless test of survival, with Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado emerging victorious from a crash-strewn thriller that caught out every major contender. On a course where mistakes were inevitable, Alvarado was the rider who timed her risks best, defending her title in the sand and snow of Limburg.

From the opening straight, Puck Pieterse set the race alight with a ferocious start, forcing an immediate selection. The Dutch champion reached the Kuil at full speed, but the infamous sand bowl quickly imposed itself. Pieterse, Lucinda Brand and Alvarado all crashed during the opening phase, setting the tone for an afternoon where no advantage proved secure.

Pieterse recovered fastest and rode alone through the early laps, opening a lead of around ten seconds as Brand and Alvarado regrouped behind her. The pressure gradually told, however, and midway through lap three Pieterse slid out again on a slick corner. Brand seized the moment to bridge across, with Alvarado digging deep to rejoin, resetting the race after nearly twenty minutes of solo riding.

The decisive phase unfolded in lap four. Further slips from Pieterse and Alvarado allowed Brand to assert control at the front, but Zonhoven refused to grant any favours. Brand slid out on a hard, icy section and was forced through the pit lane, handing Alvarado the opening she needed. Alvarado committed fully, opening a gap that briefly stretched to ten seconds as she entered the final lap.

Brand refused to surrender and clawed her way back into contention, briefly returning to Alvarado’s wheel. Yet another mistake in the closing lap proved decisive, allowing Alvarado clear passage to the finish. Pieterse, having crashed again in the final lap, settled for third.

For Alvarado, it was a second successive World Cup victory in Zonhoven, achieved by navigating a course that punished every lapse. For Brand, second place marked a significant moment, bringing an end to her remarkable run of 13 consecutive victories and confirming just how unforgiving this edition of Zonhoven proved to be.