Alvarado unhappy with Bäckstedt after nasty shoving: "She was pushing her bike against me"
Cyclocross
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Follow us on GoogleCeylin del Carmen Alvarado lost her lead in the Superprestige standings on Saturday after finishing third in Gullegem. The Dutch rider from Alpecin-Deceuninck had to concede the top spot to new leader Lucinda Brand and was narrowly beaten in a photo finish by young Zoe Bäckstedt. The British rider stood her ground in the final corners.
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Alvarado seemed poised for victory for much of the race, but an impressive final lap from Brand relegated her to a battle for second place. Even that position slipped away as Bäckstedt surged on the final muddy running section. The 20-year-old Canyon//SRAM rider showed no hesitation, overtaking Alvarado and aggressively cutting towards the barriers, leading to a shoulder-to-shoulder tussle.
"She passed me and immediately cut me off, right towards my line," Alvarado explained after the race about the incident. "She was pushing her bike against me, and I didn’t like that very much, to be honest. She could’ve done it, sure, but maybe a little farther down the course. I tried to nudge her back onto her line—that’s all it was."
"I’m not sure if it affected the final result. We sprinted all the way to the finish, so I have no idea," she continued. Alvarado also saw Brand’s surge coming in the final lap. "She never really trailed by more than ten seconds. I tried to push the pace myself, but it didn’t work, so you know what that means. I just didn’t have more to give today, so it was always going to be tough when she came back."
Read more below the photo.
Zoe Bäckstedt came out excellent in Gullegem
Bäckstedt responds to Alvarado’s push
"I'm very satisfied, that’s for sure," Bäckstedt said during her flash interview. The British rider held her own among the top contenders, although Brand proved to be on another level in the final lap. "I expected her to catch up at some point, because on a course like this, her power makes her incredibly strong. It was tailor-made for her, so when she joined, it was just a matter of hanging on. That didn’t last too long, and then it became a fight for second place."
That fight turned almost literal, but Bäckstedt brushed off the push from Alvarado. "I passed her as we entered the run-up section, and after that, it was a battle to the finish. She came over me in the final chicane, but luckily I had enough power to secure second place. Let’s hope for more running sections on Sunday!"
Bäckstedt’s form is clearly building. Her second place in Gullegem was already hinted at by Brand. In her last four races, she hasn’t finished outside the top five, with podiums in Zonhoven (second) and Dublin (third). The World Championships remain the ultimate goal for this multi-talented rider, although she’ll once again compete in the U23 category, just like last year.
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 how cyclocross works: when he says he messed up the start at the Europeans, can a bad start really make that much difference?patriciaw14-11-2026
- - Love that he’s honest about the pressure. Hopefully he can carry this form through the winter.lindae14-11-2026
- - Beating different competition is the key now. Nys is already in the mix, and Van der Poel could make the next step a much tougher one.jennifer1914-11-2026
- - About time—Mason’s been knocking on the door for years. That Niel win could really open things up for him.cadencekingm14-11-2026
- I’m still learning how cyclocross works—does leading the Superprestige mean Mason is top of that race series, rather than the World Cup? Either way, winning in Belgium sounds like a massive result.cadencekingm13-11-2026
- Calling Onley a contender for an overall Tour win already feels a bit premature, especially after the injury setbacks. Still, the depth of talent is exciting.robert6513-11-2026
- Great to see Dickson’s route from triathlon to the WorldTour getting recognition. Scottish cycling has plenty to be proud of, and the 2027 Grand Départ could give the next generation a real lift.patriciaw13-11-2026
- The article makes a good case for clubs and small teams doing the groundwork, rather than one big development pipeline. Thornley’s Vuelta time trials were seriously impressive too; missing a stage win by two seconds is brutal.davidm13-11-2026
- Mason winning in Niel is huge—beating that kind of Belgian field in the mud takes serious class. The Kelvingrove World Cup could be an unforgettable homecoming.breakawaybikerd13-11-2026
- I’m not sure how WorldTour licences work—could these reports affect whether the team gets one next year, or is that decision based on other criteria?velodromevirtuoso113-11-2026
