Ceylin Alvarado beats world champion Lucinda Brand in Krawatencross Lille

Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado claimed victory at the Krawatencross in Lille. In the penultimate round of the X2O Trophy, the Dutch champion broke away already in the first lap to ride the rest of the race solo. World champion Lucinda Brand took second place, with Inge van der Heijden finishing third.

The Krawatencross in Lille was the first opportunity to see Lucinda Brand in her rainbow jersey. The freshly crowned world champion was celebrated in her home village, and race organizer Golazo even set up a ‘Brand Corner’ during the event. Brand had already secured the overall win in the X2O Trophy and was the heavy favorite for the day’s victory. However, the competition was strong, featuring riders like Amandine Fouquenet and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado.

Alvarado breaks away
On the long straight start stretch, Fouquenet got off best. The Frenchwoman, who won the Superprestige Middelkerke on Saturday, was the first to dive into the field. However, she soon dropped a few places, as Alvarado and Brand passed her. It was Alvarado who took the lead. The Dutch champion created a gap in the sand section and crossed the line solo after the first lap. Brand followed - just ahead of Leonie Bentveld and Inge van der Heijden - in second place, four seconds behind.

While Brand, Bentveld, and Van der Heijden stayed close to each other in the second of five laps, Alvarado extended her lead. The Alpecin-Premier Tech rider now had a twelve-second advantage over the chasers. This trend continued in the third lap, but Brand - who dropped Bentveld and put pressure on Van der Heijden - wasn’t ready to give up yet. Her fifteen-second deficit was not necessarily insurmountable.

Victory for Alvarado
However, Alvarado didn’t falter in the last two laps. She maintained her advantage convincingly, booking her fourth win of the season. Brand managed to break away from Van der Heijden to secure second place, with Van der Heijden rounding out the podium.