Third in Maasmechelen Aniek van Alphen takes the result a "small victory": "We know that Fem is the best at the moment"
Cyclocross
Aniek van Alphen was on the podium of a World Cup cross on Sunday: in Maasmechelen the Cyclocross Reds rider finished third which, according to the rider herself, feels like a small victory.
"We know that Fem is the best at the moment, but I am happy to fight for a podium spot," Van Alphen explained. "It was a very tough race. With yesterday's race in legs it might have become a bit tougher. But I think the lap was better than last year. There were some technical parts, so I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed it."
Van Alphen still had a prospect of second place for a long time, but in the end Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado proved to be the best behind Van Empel. "I know Ceylin is very strong, but she had a broken shoe. I know what that's like, it's not nice. Of course you want second place, but I knew it was going to be difficult. And I am very happy with third place."
The gap between Van Empel and the two pursuers was large, but Alvarado and Van Alphen in turn rode quite far ahead of the riders who were fighting for fourth place. Big difference, in short. "Maybe today. But I think everyone who finished after us is also strong. When everyone is having a good day, everything is close together. I'm happy that I was able to take third place, because it gives me confidence."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses 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.
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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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