There is currently no rival to Lucinda Brand this cyclo-cross season. While she was pushed to the limit by Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado in Antwerp, she had no trouble at all against the competition at the Koksijde World Cup race. Shirin van Anrooij finished second at a respectful distance, and Alvarado had to settle for third this time.
A day after the World Cup race in Antwerp, the sand specialists could once again indulge their passion, as the "mother of all sand races" was back on the schedule. The Duinencross of Koksijde is an absolute classic on the cyclo-cross calendar, held since 1969, and has produced many memorable editions, winners, and even World Championships.
In the elite women's race, just like in Antwerp, attention was on a duel between queen of victories Lucinda Brand and the revived Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, but there were more contenders on the shore with Dutch champion Puck Pieterse (last year’s dominant sand specialist in Koksijde), European champion and pure sand rider Inge van der Heijden, in-form Aniek van Alphen, and Shirin van Anrooij.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2025 |  Lucinda Brand |
| 2025 | Puck Pieterse |
| 2024 | Fem van Empel |
| 2023 | Shirin van Anrooij |
| 2021 | Annemarie Worst |
| 2019 | Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado |
| 2018 | Denise Betsema |
| 2017 | Maud Kaptheijns |
| 2015 |  Sanne Cant |
| 2014 | Sanne Cant |
Brand takes the initiative early
But the best start was, not for the first time this season, by Amandine Fouquenet. The French champion was first into the initial sand section, but the usual suspects of recent weeks—Brand, Alvarado, and Van Alphen—also got off to strong starts. However, not everyone was happy in the opening minutes of the race. Italian Sara Casasola, for example, was forced into a chase after a disastrous start and already gave up after eight minutes.
Pieterse also had to push hard after a somewhat weaker opening phase. The Dutch champion was warned, as Brand saw her moment to make a first break. The World Cup leader powered through several impressive sand sections, causing a new selection. Only one rider, season revelation Van Alphen, managed to hang on to her pace.
Van Anrooij had only Brand ahead of her – photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
Van Anrooij impresses in the sand
And the other competitors? They already faced a serious gap after just one lap. Van Anrooij was still doing her utmost at the back to turn the tide, but Alvarado and Pieterse were already half a minute behind and had to shelve their winning ambitions early. Van Anrooij, on the other hand, found her rhythm completely and, thanks to several fabulous sand sections, quickly closed the gap to her two countrywomen.
Brand saw this unfold, but for the Baloise Glowi Lions leader, it was no reason to ease off. On the contrary, she pushed the pace again, delivering the decisive blow to Van Alphen and newly returned Van Anrooij, although the latter didn’t give up easily. Van Anrooij could only watch as her more experienced teammate steadily pulled away in the sand of Koksijde.
Brand keeps on winning
There was no real suspense in the final laps. A dominant Brand remained almost flawless in Koksijde, extended her lead over Van Anrooij, and notched her twelfth victory of the season. Remarkably, this is the first time in Brand’s long career that she has won the Duinencross.
In Brand’s shadow, Van Anrooij ran another strong race to secure second place, while the battle for the final podium spot was only decided in the closing meters. Pieterse seemed on course for third for a long time but was joined again by Alvarado and Van Alphen in the final lap. In the end, Alvarado was able to beat her two compatriots for the last podium place.
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup - Koksijde| Rank | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 48:08 | |
| 2 | + 36 | |
| 3 | + 01:03 | |
| 4 | + 01:07 | |
| 5 | + 01:11 | |
| 6 | + 02:13 | |
| 7 | + 02:16 | |
| 8 | + 02:25 | |
| 9 | + 02:26 | |
| 10 | + 02:37 |
| Rank | Rider | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lucinda Brand | 310 | |
| 2 | Aniek van Alphen | 228 | |
| 3 |  Amandine Fouquenet | 180 | |
| 4 | (3) | Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado | 174 |
| 5 | (1) | Leonie Bentveld | 167 |
| 6 | (1) | Shirin van Anrooij | 160 |
| 7 | (1) | Puck Pieterse | 145 |
| 8 | (2) | Inge van der Heijden | 135 |
| 9 | Manon Bakker | 132 | |
| 10 | Denise Betsema | 125 |
