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Van Empel gets victory on silver platter after clumsy crashes by Brand and Alvarado in Herentals
CyclingSaturday, 14 December 2024 at 15:31
Fem van Empel claimed the X2O Trophy in Herentals after dominating a muddy elimination race in Belgium. The Visma | Lease a Bike rider maintained a steady pace and didn’t have to dig too deep, as her main competitors, Lucinda Brand and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, both took themselves out of contention with a crash.
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.
Dutch riders dominate in Herentals, Alvarado shadows Van Empel
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.
Crashes drain the excitement from the race in Herentals
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.
Results X2O trophy Herentals, ladies elite
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Latest Comments
- I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024 - hahahaha love this shit! I didnt even watched the race, but reading all the gossip articles of how stupid this is!Zatoichi19-11-2024
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024
- This is not a gravel race. UCI fail, from the surface they are on to team tactics. In what country was the first "gravel race" in what country is the most popular gravel race? Go with the race model that created the discipline.
Barnes127411-10-2024 - And don't forget he has now won 4 of the big 10 races (Grand tours, Monuments and WC/OG) in one year with a chance to make that 5. (5 has only been done once before)Joostmehrtens05-10-2024