Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado is the new Dutch cyclocross champion. At the Dutch Nationals in Huijbergen, the Fenix-Premier Tech rider beat her teammate Puck Pieterse. Lucinda Brand, who was the top favorite beforehand, had to settle for third place.
This past week there was much speculation about the impact of the winter weather on the Nationals and whether adjustments to the course would be needed. Fortunately for the organizers, cyclocross riders, and fans, the situation calmed down and the races could proceed as planned.
In the women's race, we were treated to a kind of unofficial world championship in Huijbergen, which is not surprising since Dutch women continue to dominate cyclocross this season. We are mainly referring to Lucinda Brand, who has won seventeen of her twenty races this season. However, the Dutch tricolor was not handed to her on a silver plate, as the competition was fierce. Puck Pieterse and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado were seen as her biggest challengers.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2026 |  Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado |
| 2025 | Puck Pieterse |
| 2024 | Lucinda Brand |
| 2023 | Puck Pieterse |
| 2022 | Marianne Vos |
Brand had a strong start and quickly took the lead. A alert Alvarado sensed the danger and followed closely, while Pieterse was also on her toes. Just before the tough running section, Pieterse took command. Alvarado smelled the danger and tried to bridge across, but Brand eased off slightly and suddenly had to chase. After the opening lap, the top favorite was already looking at a deficit of around ten seconds.
Alvarado solo
Pieterse and Alvarado, teammates at Fenix-Premier Tech, worked well together and extended their lead. However, in the third lap they lost contact. Pieterse literally dropped back and Alvarado was forced to continue alone. At the next passage, she already held a significant lead over Pieterse, who in turn was riding well ahead of Brand. Was the podium all but decided?
Yes, as it turned out. Pieterse got somewhat closer at one point, but Alvarado’s victory was never seriously threatened. This secured Alvarado her second Dutch national title at the elite level. She also claimed the red-white-blue in 2020.
Dutch National Championships CX| Rank | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 48:54 | |
| 2 | + 16 | |
| 3 | + 01:02 | |
| 4 | + 01:40 | |
| 5 | + 01:58 | |
| 6 | + 02:31 | |
| 7 | + 02:33 | |
| 8 | + 03:41 | |
| 9 | + 03:43 | |
| 10 | " |
