Alvarado wins again in Namur after a strong race.

The Citadel of Namur hosted the fourth round of the World Cup today. After an exciting race, it was Ceylin Alvarado (Fenix-Deceuninck) who claimed victory. Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek) had a poor start but finished second after an impressive comeback. Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck), making her return to cyclocross, completed the podium.

Marie Schreiber (SD Worx) launched out of the start like a rocket, something she has been doing remarkably well in recent weeks. Puck Pieterse, starting from the second row, quickly moved up and entered the field in fourth position.

Early in the first lap, world champion Fem van Empel (Visma-Lease a Bike) had some bad luck. She first slipped while trying to pass Pieterse and shortly after got her bike caught in the banners. This forced her into a chase, ultimately ruling her out of podium contention.

The overall standings leader, Lucinda Brand, also had a slow start and spent some time riding in a chasing group alongside Van Empel.

In the third lap, Alvarado bridged to the front of the race and created the first gap after a brilliant ride on the off-camber section. She took the lead with a 7-second advantage and managed to extend it further as the race progressed.

Behind her, Brand joined Vas (SD Worx) and Pieterse. On the off-camber section in the fifth lap, Brand surged past both riders and set off in pursuit of the race leader. It remained tense until the end, with Brand closing the gap to just 6 seconds at the finish. However, it wasn’t enough, and Alvarado secured the victory.

In the overall standings, Lucinda Brand extends her lead over Van Empel. Marie Schreiber holds an impressive third place.