Brand overtakes Bäckstedt, who aimed for Schreiber-stunt, too early, Alvarado's timing is spot on and wins in Zonhoven

Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado won the Women's World Cup race in Zonhoven. The classic race with the pit in the middle was entertaining but tough due to the harsh conditions and mud. Zoe Bäckstedt and Lucinda Brand, in turn, were also in the winning position for a while but peaked too early and eventually joined the podium.

It was Zoe Bäckstedt who started fiery. She seemed to be on the lookout for a similar stunt as Marie Schreiber pulled off on Saturday. It provided her with a nice gap. Annemarie Worst, the other Dutch toppers, and Kata Blanka Vas followed slightly behind. Schreiber, on the other hand, did not start too well. The women from Alpecin-Deceuninck also got off to a slightly slower start. The first round resulted in only minor differences.  

Entering the second lap immediately produced several twists and turns. Worst, who had rushed in behind Bäckstedt, crashed and had to continue running with blood on her knee and equipment trouble. The front-runner added an extra dash of power, jumping twenty seconds away from the rest of the field. Worst had to continue in tears, suffering from wrist pain and had to drop out. It was a shame because the lady from 777 made an excellent impression.

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Zonhoven sand is something else 🏖 Backstedt is taking it on though! Lap 3️⃣/6️⃣ and she still leads, with +18s to Inge van der Heijden and Lucinda Brand. Plenty of bike changes for the pit crew today too! #CXWorldCup #FLCS

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Brand, Pieterse and Alvarado unable to dominate for some time in Zonhoven

Inge van der Heijden and Brand stuck together behind the British rider at about twenty seconds, while the Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado-Puck Pieterse tandem was ten seconds further behind. Especially on the climb at the beginning of the lap, Bäckstedt could maintain her position while the rest had to get off their bikes. It didn't look like the Dutch ladies had much panache today, but the momentum shifted on lap three.

Magnus Bäckstedt's daughter kept going and was lucky twice in the sandy, tricky downhill sections. Second by second, Brand came closer. The veteran led the chase, Van der Heijden struggled, while Alvarado kept advancing slightly. However, it was Brand who made the greatest impression. She got into the youngster's wheel at the end of lap four.

Meanwhile, the conditions became more brutal. Hail fell almost horizontally; that is how strong the wind was in Zonhoven. Brand passed Bäckstedt and took control of the race. However, on the climb, she was passed again by the small British rider. The race was not decided yet, but the proportions kept changing in the final stage. A clever move by Bäckstedt seemed to have begun, who showed resilience. In turn, Brand was again passed by Alvarado. What was on the horizon here?

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Here comes Lucinda Brand 🚂 🚂🚂 Lead change as she catches Backstedt, passes and keeps on the pressure. Zoe trying to respond, with Alvarado and van der Heijden also closing down! Heavy rain adding to the fun ☔️ #CXWorldCup #FLCS

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Thrilling finale, everyone in front struggles, Alvarado most cunning

It became a nervous finale. Alvarado also had a momentary lapse and was hanging on at ten meters. However, because everyone at the front had a weak moment in different places, the three cyclists in front got back together again. So, in the second-to-last lap, we saw the Alpecin-Fenix lady accelerate again. Bäckstedt seemed to have run out of energy and had to slow down on the descent, but she caught up again uphill.

That the U23 world champion's energy was running out became clear when she had to walk where she first made up the difference: the climb. Alvarado made a decisive difference here, it seemed. Brand could not follow and, in turn, could not count on Bäckstedt anymore. The difference with the new leader was ten seconds when entering the final lap.

Alvarado had flown, although we could almost take that literally on the last turn toward the pit. She nearly crashed but escaped with a scare and stayed well in front. At the end of the final lap, she could give the thumbs up; the tricky sections were over. For the first time, she won in Zonhoven. Bäckstedt rushed away from Brand for second place with yet another revival. The leader in the World Cup ranking finished third. Pieterse, Schreiber, and Vas dropped further away and finished behind Van der Heijden.

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Momentum building from Alvarado 🙌 Great save as the sand kicks her right to left, but she accelerates out of the sand and applies the pressure at the front. Brand has an issue, holds up Backstedt who has nowhere to go and Alvarado pulls away! #CXWorldCup #FLCS

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Results World Cup Zonhoven, elite women

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