Alvarado narrowly holds off tough Brand and returning Pieterse in Namur, Van Empel has bad luck
Cyclocross
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Follow us on GoogleCeylin del Carmen Alvarado managed to win another tough edition of the Citadelcross in Namur. The Dutch rider was able to break away with great panache after major favorites Fem van Empel and Lucinda Brand ran into trouble in the opening stages. Puck Pieterse took a nice spot on the podium on her comeback.
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Before the race, the main focus, of course, was Pieterse's comeback. The Fenix-Deceuninck lady entered the race two months
later than her competitors, which she did immediately on the challenging Namen circuit. "It is difficult to estimate my level of form. I start a little further at the back, so I have to give it my all from the beginning," said Pieterse beforehand. She was on row two, alongside Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado - number sixteen in the World Cup.
Marie Schreiber took the lead on behalf of SD Worx-Protime, with teammate Blanka Vas close behind. Pieterse dove into the field in fourth, still well ahead of Van Empel and certainly Brand. Van Empel wanted to make up that position over Pieterse but crashed in the process. Moments later, the world champion crashed again on the sloping side with her bike getting stuck in the nets.
Read more below the video.
After one lap, Van Empel and Brand were at a twenty-second disadvantage. Schreiber and Vas saw this. as did the Fenix-Deceuninck duo of Alvarado and Pieterse. Of the two SD Worx-Protime ladies, Vas proved the strongest, while Alvarado and Pieterse overpowered her Luxembourg teammate.
Meanwhile, on the sloping side, things went wrong again for Van Empel, who visibly damaged her leg in another crash. The bike also no longer cooperated with the world champion, who thus disappeared from the picture. However, she kept fighting like Brand, who had a disappointing day. She needed three laps to get into her rhythm.
At the front, Alvarado knew the game was on. The Dutch rider from Fenix-Deceuninck overtook Vas, who in turn felt Pieterse's pressure on her neck. Brand was also getting more and more feeling on the tough course, consolidating her leadership position in the World Cup. On the sloping side, she passed Pieterse and Vas in one go.
Meanwhile, Alvarado kept pushing, although she also had to deal with a crash in the heavy mud in Namur. Brand even caught sight of the Fenix-Deceuninck rider, again using the sloping side to her advantage. An epic duel unfolded that way, with Alvarado holding on just enough to win the race.
Results cyclocross world cup Namur - women 2024
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- I’m still learning the calendar: is cyclocross mainly preparation for the spring classics, or does he race it as a separate goal as well? I’d love to see him back in the mud.jeremya04-11-2026
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- Milan-Sanremo and Roubaix is a pretty special pair of Monuments. Any clues yet on which cyclocross races he’ll target?andrewf04-11-2026
- He’s right to be realistic about Flanders with Pogačar and Evenepoel around, but you can’t count Van Aert out on those roads. If he gets the right opportunity, he has the engine and experience to take it.davidm04-11-2026
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- Why would a mountain time trial be different from a normal one? Is it just that the riders have to climb the whole course?samanthak03-11-2026
- I don’t quite buy the “fear of failure” argument. Riders can race the Giro and still have confidence in July; it comes down to recovery and planning, doesn’t it?patriciaw03-11-2026
- The Giro-Tour double is a massive ask, even for the very best. Pogačar made it look almost routine in 2024, but that’s hardly a sensible benchmark for everyone else!pedalpowe2903-11-2026
- Bakelants makes a fair point: if the 2027 Tour really suits Remco, he can’t afford to dilute the build-up. That 37km flat TT will be tempting, mind.julien03-11-2026
- Mont Blanc sounds like a spectacular finish, though four climbs on the final day might be a bit much after eight hard stages. Hope the route details are clear soon.raceready703-11-2026
