Comedy in Herentals: Alvarado can already laugh, Brand frustrated by crash: "Could have fought for the win"

Cyclists were dropping like flies on Saturday afternoon. First, Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado crashed at the pit zone, followed by Lucinda Brand on a treacherous uphill muddy section. Ultimately, both finished 19 seconds behind winner Fem van Empel, a missed opportunity to keep the race exciting. Afterward, both riders reflected on their misfortunes during the flash interview.

First up was Brand, who was riding on Van Empel’s wheel when she crashed on the uphill. “I briefly lost my rhythm and tried to unclip, but all the mud in the pedals made me get stuck. It was a classic slow-motion topple. I couldn’t shift to a smaller gear in time,” explained the Dutch national champion. “I honestly think that without the crash, I would have fought for the win until the final stretch, but that’s a different story and doesn’t matter anymore. At least I managed to extend my lead in the standings,” Brand said, visibly frustrated.

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Lucinda Brand here in archive photo 

Alvarado laughs it off: "Other than that, today was fine"

Alvarado appeared even stronger than Brand but went down in a bizarre incident at the pit zone. After the race, she was understandably disappointed but could already laugh about it. “The crash, yeah... It definitely cost me a few places,” admitted Alvarado, who had felt confident about her chances for victory. “In the end, I’m still fast, and I finished third. I’m actually okay with that now.”

She explained the mishap in the pit zone. “The bike handoff didn’t go as smoothly as it should have. The bike bounced, I tried to jump on, but it went completely wrong. It was unexpected that the bike would bounce like that. I ended up half-missing it, and I didn’t hold on properly,” said Alvarado, taking responsibility for the mistake. “I actually felt better than I expected today. I’ve had some intense training weeks and wasn’t expecting much this weekend. I felt good, and that’s something I can take away from this race.”