Van Empel gets victory on silver platter after clumsy crashes by Brand and Alvarado in Herentals

The women’s cyclo-cross competition continues to grow stronger, with Puck Pieterse set to join the action on Sunday in Namur. Pieterse was the only big name absent in Herentals, leaving the race as a showdown between Dutch stars Brand, Alvarado, and reigning world champion Van Empel.

From the first lap, Van Empel made her intentions clear, attacking on the steep climbs and descents. She quickly opened a gap, forcing her Dutch rivals to chase. Alvarado managed to follow, while Brand needed some time to get into rhythm. Eventually, the Dutch national champion bridged the gap, but Van Empel set a relentless pace at the front.

The Dutch women quickly pulled away from the rest of the field, though Annemarie Worst joined the leading group as a fourth contender. In the second lap, Van Empel and Brand had to switch bikes, allowing Alvarado to take the lead briefly. Brand and Worst struggled to keep up, but as long as the top two favorites didn’t press harder on the gas, they managed to stay close.

An unexpected turn of events occurred in the third lap. Out of nowhere, Alvarado crashed in the pit zone, struggling to mount her new bike properly. This cost her about ten seconds. Shortly after, Brand also went down, slipping on an uphill muddy section. This left Van Empel with a nearly gift-wrapped victory. Worst couldn’t keep up with her, leaving Van Empel suddenly alone at the front.

The crashes dampened the competition, as Van Empel didn’t have to push herself too hard to create a gap in the fourth lap. Worst, meanwhile, found herself under pressure from the recovering Brand and Alvarado in the final lap. Brand, in particular, made a strong comeback. Once Alvarado found her rhythm again, the battle for the remaining podium spots turned into an exciting duel. Van Empel, however, had already flown out of reach. The most consistent rider of the field secured a dominant victory. Around twenty seconds later, Brand and Alvarado crossed the line in second and third, respectively. Worst just missed the podium, finishing in fourth.