Ceylin Ceylin Alvarado quickly leaves Pieterse and Brand behind in Namur and increases her lead in the World Cup standings

Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado clinched victory in the eighth round of the World Cup in Namur on Sunday afternoon. The 25-year-old Dutch rider capitalized on the slow starts of her fellow countrywomen Puck Pieterse and Lucinda Brand, successfully completing a long solo run. Alvarado also extended her lead over Brand and Manon Bakker in the World Cup standings.

The event, featuring notable cyclists like Alvarado, Pieterse, and Brand, drew a significant crowd to Namur's fields and woods. Only world champion Fem van Empel, who beat Brand in a sprint on Saturday at the X2O Trophy in Herentals, was absent due to illness. Alvarado, having faced her own health challenges two weeks prior, had a less than ideal performance at the World Cup in Val di Sole and came to the Walloon region seeking a strong comeback.

At the start on the cobbled ascents of Namur’s Citadel, Italy's Sara Casasola (FAS) and Luxembourg's champion Marie Schreiber led the pack. Pieterse and Alvarado also had a solid start, but Brand was quickly forced to bridge a gap. The Dutch champion, however, soon faced a setback when her chain came off. The 21-year-old rider from Fenix-Deceuninck managed to rectify the problem in about ten seconds but had already expended a good deal of energy in her efforts to catch up.

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Alvarado breaks away early, Pieterse forced to dismount twice

The World Cup leader, Alvarado, was not inclined to wait for her Dutch rivals. She quickly passed Schreiber and Casasola and soon established a lead of more than fifteen seconds. Pieterse, recognizing the threat, smartly overtook the Italian and Inge van der Heijden on the first pass of the notorious off-camber section. Brand, too, picked up the pace and overtook Pieterse during the second pass on the off-camber, as Pieterse was forced to dismount for the second time due to issues with her shoe closure, losing precious seconds again. Shirin van Anrooij, like her teammate Brand, had a slow start but gradually picked up speed, moving into fifth place halfway through.

Pieterse gradually closed the gap with Brand close behind. Alvarado's lead diminished from twenty to fifteen seconds, but Pieterse had to let Brand go after a less technical section. Van Anrooij, in contention for fourth place, saw her top-five hopes dashed when she crashed into the barriers.

Up front, Alvarado had flown away, and Pieterse couldn’t keep up with Brand. The 34-year-old rider from Baloise-Trek Lions eventually gave up in the penultimate round, letting Pieterse take second place. Casasola maintained her good start and finished a considerable distance behind the winner, while Van der Heijden achieved a commendable top-five finish.

For Alvarado, this win marks her sixth of the season. She previously claimed victories at the Superprestiges of Ruddervoorde, Niel, and Merksplas, as well as triumphs in the World Cups of Troyes and Dendermonde.