Be one of the first to try our new activity feed Dutchwoman unexpectedly gaps rivals through late error Ceylin Alvarado scooped her second World Cup win of the season on Sunday putting in an impressive fightback after a relatively slow start then moved ahead in somewhat fortuitous circumstances Alvarado led the other two into a tight bend at the foot of a climb and stalled her bike She was able to get going again and slogged up the hill but the other two were forced to dismount because of the mishap and lost several seconds Alvarado had been riding more and more strongly in the second half of the race and hammered it on to the finish while Bäckstedt put in huge surges to drop Brand and finish five seconds back “Today was a totally different race to yesterday when I wasn’t good,” Alvarado said I didn’t have my stomach issues today so I knew it would be better In the beginning I didn’t believe that we would come back to Bäckstedt but then I was with Lucinda and I could see that was she wasn’t that far ahead We went really deep and then we were there.” She said that the unexpected nature of the outcome made the moment all the sweeter matching Marie Schreiber (Team SD Worx-Protime) early on and then forging ahead Bäckstedt looked vulnerable but found herself back at the front again for a while after Brand had a bike issue She looked set for third when Brand and Alvarado caught her on the penultimate lap but would go on to take the runner-up slot It improved on her third place of last year and is the best World Cup result to date of her career The world under 23 champion said she had been motivated by what Schreiber did Saturday The Luxembourg rider led from start to finish securing the first World Cup win of her career “For the first two laps that is what I was thinking,” she said ‘okay maybe I can hold this for a bit longer.’ In the end Ceylin and Lucinda were just super strong and I was able to battle with Lucinda for that second spot I was thankfully able to get to the line.” She finished five seconds behind Alvarado and ten seconds in front of Brand Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuncink) and Blanka Vas (Team SD Worx-Protime) completed the top six with Schreiber showing the strain of her efforts in Hulst and netting seventh The race is known for its large use of sand steep descents made more challenging by the resulting furrows and the uphills rendered more difficult to ride Schreiber put in her usual fast start but was immediately challenged by Bäckstedt who pressed clear on the first sandy descent and climb She ended lap one five seconds ahead of Annemarie Worst (Cyclocross Reds) Leonie Bentveld (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) and Van der Heijden 13 seconds back Worst crashed on the long sandy descent on lap two losing her second place and then retiring from the race Bäckstedt was flying and finished that lap 22 seconds ahead of Brand and Van der Heijden Encouraged by her showing but also perhaps aware that Brand was making gains Bäckstedt pushed harder on the descents on lap three and had a couple of near misses Her lead over Brand was cut by six seconds by the end of that lap with the latter dropping Van der Heijden and beginning a very impressive recovery Brand soon caught Bäckstedt and dropped her almost immediately However she had a bike problem and was forced to run an uphill section while Bäckstedt was able to ride and returned to the lead “During the race I felt like I was getting stronger until just over halfway,” Brand would say at the finish “Then my legs started to blow away again.” Brand received reinforcements when Alvarado got back up to her and together they cut Bäckstedt’s lead to five seconds with two laps to go Alvarado continued to force the pace after they reeled her in coming to a momentary halt but being able to get moving again Brand and Bäckstedt were far more affected being forced to dismount while Alvarado rode the hill She took the bell 11 seconds ahead and raced on towards another big World Cup win while behind a psyched Bäckstedt put in a big dig to secure second place Brand was disappointed with third but continues to lead the World Cup overall Bäckstedt is on 110 and Van der Heijden 101 Alvarado won the competition last year but despite her win Sunday sounds uncertain as to her chances this time around “I skipped two races and yesterday was not a good day so I think the victory will be a hard one,” she said I will keep riding hopefully well during the World Cups and then we will see in the end.” Results powered by FirstCycling.com A post shared by Eurosport Cycling (@eurosportcycling) What’s it like to be an American cyclist living in France Watch to get professional road cyclist Joe Dombrowski’s view Zoe Backstedt holds off Lucinda Brand to take second place A morning storm brought heavy rain and wind delaying earlier races and transforming the course with packed sand maintaining a lead of around 15 seconds as the chase group behind continually shifted Brand and Inge van der Heijden (Fenix-Deceuninck) bridged across to join her Alvarado caught the leaders one lap later and capitalized on a mistake by Brand Brand and Backstedt dueled it out for the remaining podium spots with Backstedt winning the battle for silver crossing the line five seconds behind Alvarado Alvarado was happy but surprised to get the win after a tough day of racing in yesterday’s Hulst Word Cup where she finished eighth “I think [the win means] a lot after yesterday’s day of feeling so that’s an even better victory,” Alvarado said Alvarado remains uncertain about her chances of claiming the overall title She also opted out of traveling to Sardinia for the Cabras World Cup which was ultimately canceled due to hazardous weather conditions “I skipped two races and yesterday was not a good day so I think for the [overall] victory will be a hard one hopefully good during the World Cups and then we'll see at the end.” Annemarie Worst (Cyclocross Reds) crashed out of the front group on the big sand drop on the second lap Backstedt took the race lead on the steep drop putting a gap to the rest of the 85-rider field led by Brand.  though other riders briefly took over the pursuit Worst and Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime) took turns trying to close the gap who crashed hard on the second lap and was forced to withdraw from the race Inge van der Heijden (Fenix-Deceuninck) while Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) Alvarado and Vas were a further seven seconds in arrears eventually passing Backstedt as the hail and the rain came down with a vengeance on the fourth lap but a mistake by the Dutch rider led to Backstedt taking over the front again dropped Van der Heijden and caught up with Brand.  Both the riders would reel in Backstedt by the penultimate lap.  capitalizing on a mistake by Brand when she had trouble clipping in Results powered by FirstCycling Lyne LamoureuxLyne has been involved in professional cycling for more than 15 years in both news reporting and sports marketing quickly becoming a trusted source for news of the North American professional cycling world She was the first to successfully use social media to consistently provide timely and live race updates for all fans She is proud to have covered men's and women's news equally during her tenure at the helm of the site Her writing has appeared on Cyclingnews and other news sites.  Mathieu van der Poel was the big draw at Sunday’s sixth round of the 2024-2025 UCI CX World Cup in Zonhoven It was the fifth time he had triumphed at Zonhoven Michael Vanthourenhout kept his series lead although fourth-place Toon Aerts closed the gap The top Canadian was Gunnar Holmgren is 36th Series leader Vanthourenhout had a crash-marred Hulst round, but still led the classification by 28 points over Aerts. Saturday’s Hulst winner, Niels Vandeputte had missed too many rounds to be in contention Van der Poel had taken last year’s Zonhoven round In Hulst Cody Scott had been the best of a Canadian contingent that included Gunnar Holmgren and Fabian Merino MvdP was up to 12th immediately and soon on Aerts’ wheel He took the lead on the hairy sandy descent and then bolted on the others Pim Ronhaar and Eli Iserbyt were the closest pursuers The world champion’s lead was 21 seconds after the first circuit Vanthourenhout was obviously feeling the effect of Saturday’s crashes European champion Thibau Nys joined the chase and pulled with teammate Ronhaar the podium battle became the main competition Laurens Sweeck and Joran Wyseure threw their helmets in the ring but Ronhaar and Nys wanted those steps for the Baloise Trek Lions By Lap 4 the man in the rainbow jersey was 50 seconds clear and Nys was in between van der Poel and an octet of chasers Nys was a minute behind van der Poel but almost 30 seconds ahead of the Ronhaar Lars van der Haar and Wyseure were engaged in the skirmish for the final podium spot Nys’s gap wasn’t as formidible at the start of the penultimate lap Iserbyt and Aerts caught van der Haar and Wyseure but a crash into the barriers complicated the task for Isberyt Aerts could finally see the European champion Wyseure passed Aerts in the final 500 metres to step on the podium Get the digital edition of Canadian Cycling Magazine Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" World Champion takes record five wins at Zonhoven on his return to cyclocross Field takes on infamous sandy drop at Zonhoven World Cup(Image credit: Getty Images)In his highly anticipated return to cyclocross, Mathieu van der Poel wasted no time asserting his dominance delivering a commanding performance at the Zonhoven World Cup on Sunday The World Champion seized the lead early on the first lap while the rest of the field battled for the remaining podium places Van der Poel moved his way to second place before the sandy drop where he descended like a stone straight down overtaking Toon Aerts (Deschacht-Hens-FSP) who had taken the front at the start.  This was the last time that Aerts or any of the other riders would see Van der Poel all the way to the finishing line and onto the stage The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider had ample time to celebrate his victory securing a record fifth win at Zonhoven and crossing the line 1:30 ahead of his nearest competitor European champion Thibau Nys (Baloise Trek Lions) pulled away from the chase group on the third lap holding a late race chase to take second place ahead of Joran Wyseure (Crelan-Corendon) “One of the best [race] and maybe the one I didn't expect so it's really nice,” Van der Poel said of his victory on his first cyclocross race of the season The Dutch rider repeated that he didn’t expect the race to unfold as it did given that he had changed his preparation for his shortened cyclocross racing schedule “I did a different approach to my first race interval and more like endurance rides to try and get through this busy period I felt really good from the beginning actually.” After a morning storm had delayed the earlier races the 66-rider field lined up for the much-anticipated return of Van der Poel taking the holeshot and placing himself at the front with Van der Poel picking his way up before the first time down the steep sandy drop.  Van der Poel showed his mastery on the descent where the sand was slightly packed down due to rain Van der Poel had established a 21-second lead a lead that would continue to grow each and every lap The fight through for podium spots and top 10 continued through the race as the Dutch star showed a masterclass of riding Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Corendan) and Mees Hendrikx (Heizomat Radteam) formed by the second lap Paying the price for his crashes yesterday at the Hulst World Cup World Cup leader Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) fell behind and had to chase for the remainder of the eight-lap race with the assistance of his teammate Ronhaar was able to separate himself from the group before the halfway mark and would continue on solo til the end Vanthourenhout briefly joined the chase group which splintered under pressure Van der Haar and Wyseure were together with Iserbyt and Aerts chasing not far behind.  Aerts and Syweure took advantage of mistakes on the penultimate lap first by Iserbyt who chose a different line and then by Van der Haar who had to unclip to pull slightly away and get closer to Nys Wyseure came around Aerts to take third place World champion finishes streets ahead of Nys and Wyseure in sandy The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider started on the third row but rocketed past his rivals to move into the race lead after just over one minute of racing using power and skill to push further and further ahead of the rest He eventually reached the finish 1:30 ahead of Thibau Nys (Baloise Trek Lions), with Joran Wyseure (Crelan-Corendon) third at 1:33 and Toon Aerts (Deschacht-Hens-FSP) at 1:41 It was the 163rd cyclocross win of his career and one of the best season-opening races he has had “It’s maybe one I didn’t expect,” he said of the performance “Like I said before the start I did a different approach to my first race A bit less intervals and more endurance rides to try to get through this busy period a bit fresher than I did last year Van der Poel was in a different class to his rivals but Nys was also considerably better than the others during the race The close gap at the end blurs the distinction between them but he backed off on his efforts on the final lap to savor the atmosphere but I could do my thing with second place,” he said It has been some weeks and some races since I had this good feeling Or I had a good feeling but sometimes also a bit of bad luck Even if it was like a fourth or a fifth place or a victory Van der Poel started from third row but was already in the lead after just over one minute He sped down the first sandy descent and blasted up the other side with second-placed Toon Aerts the only other rider able to ride up The world champion was clearly in a race of his own and by the end of lap one of eight he was 21 seconds ahead of a chase group led by Pim Ronhaar (Baloise Trek Lions) This advantage increased to 32 seconds over Thibau Nys and Ronhaar by the end of lap two with Van der Poel continued to blitz the course and to stretch his advantage to 57 seconds over Nys Iserbyt led a large chase over the line at 1:25 with this group completely out of contention for the win by the halfway point Van der Poel cruised onwards in an almost effortless way sliced through sand and powered up the punchy climbs around the course Nys knew his only chance of victory depended on the leader having a crash or a mechanical but was taking satisfaction from his own sensations “I immediately felt this was a course where I can get my engine on temperature and convert it into some speed,” he said “I felt like today I could just get the speed into the course and it resulted in a nice day.” Nys was 1:06 off the race lead at the end of lap five and some 20 seconds in front of Lars van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions) and Wyseure An error saw him dab his foot and momentarily lose pace on a corner during lap six causing his deficit to Van der Poel to grow to 1:20 Van der Har and Iserbyt to cut their own gap to 16 seconds He was 1:28 behind Van der Poel at the bell but he remained 16 seconds ahead of the next rider The latter gave it everything to try to close up to him but was caught and dropped by Wyseure “We had a huge group after Mathieu and Thibau,” Wyseure said “I had a good fight against Van der Haar and Aerts on the final lap and then on the last lap in the pits I could come past him “We are training months for these races and he trains a few times and he is already that good World Cup leader Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) had a day to forget but retains the red and white jersey at the top of the series Van der Poel and many of the riders will be in action again Monday in the Superprestige race in Mol Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) was supposed to make his own debut there Results powered by FirstCycling.com A post shared by Eurosport Cycling (@eurosportcycling) Canadian Junior national champion Rafaelle Carrier won consecutive Junior World Cup races On Sunday Carrier piled up points at the top of Junior classification over French rider Lison Desprez who was runner-up in the sixth round of the 2024-2025 UCI CX World Cup in Zonhoven Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado battled Lucinda Brand and Zoe Backstedt to claim the day’s top honours and her second World Cup of the season Canada’s Bella Holmgren raced to 12th Sister Ava was ninth on the penultimate lap when she crashed hard and did not finish Luxembourger Marie Schreiber was still sky high after her big win in Saturday’s fifth round in Hulst Brand came second and Puck Pieterse placed third Brand led Schreiber by 25 points at the top of the standings Pieterse claimed last year’s Zonhoven round Ava Holmgren had raced to 15th and sister Bella to 20th in Hulst Mia De Martin and Dorothee Perron in the Canadian contingent Schreiber and Zoe Backstedt led out the pack into the sand on Lap 1 Backstedt pulled out a gap on the sandy descent Brand led the chase with Annemarie Worst and Blanka Vas just behind Worst stayed on her bike where Brand and Vas had to kick and became the closest pursuer On Lap 2 Alvarado and Inge van der Heijden came charging through the stream Backstedt’s gap grew to 22 seconds over Brand and van der Heijden at the line Lap 3 of 6 saw Backstedt hop on a fresh machine Ava moved past French rider Helene Clauzel into the top 10 before slipping around Manon Bakker Alvarado and Vas strove to join Brand and van der Heijden Brand left van der Heijden and Alvarado behind on Lap 4 as the rain began to tip down Brand made the junction just after the sandy drop and then dropped the Brit Backstedt took five seconds into the second to last lap Ava was 9th and Isabella had made it up to 13th The penultimate lap was where Backstedt tried to resist the combined efforts of Brand and Alvarado Alvarado just about bit it on the sandy descent Brand seized the reins but had a moment of difficulty that let Alvarado skip away Ava crashed on the sandy descent and watched her sister go by Could Bella Holmgren punch her way into the top-10 on the bell lap Backstedt dropped Brand to earn the runner-up spot Every time you think he can’t impress you more “Hold my Heineken.” At the UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Zonhoven The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider was the main attraction at Sunday’s sixth round of the 2024-2025 UCI CX World Cup dominating the race and claiming his first CX victory of the season This win marked his fifth triumph at Zonhoven Michael Vanthourenhout maintained his series lead Series leader Vanthourenhout had a crash-filled round in Hulst but still held a 28-point lead over Aerts in the standings had missed too many rounds to be a serious contender Van der Poel had won the Zonhoven round last year I am once again asking you to appreciate Mathieu van der Poel’s otherworldly power Cody Scott was the best performer among the Canadian contingent which also included Gunnar Holmgren and Fabian Merino Van der Poel quickly surged into 12th place and was soon on Aerts’ wheel He took the lead after navigating the treacherous sandy descent and then surged ahead By the end of the race, Thibau Nys (Belgium/Baloise Trek Lions) came in second, a full 1:30 behind. Van der Poel is set to race the Superprestige in Mol on Monday, but unfortunately Wout van Aert will not be there Watch some incredible riding below. And if you’d like to watch the full race, you can head over to the UCI channel on YouTube. — John Maguire 🇺🇦 (@velo_bristol) December 22, 2024 Belgian beats Van der Haar in the sand as Iserbyt takes third The 28-year-old Belgian made his winning move out of a leading group of six with just over a lap remaining before soloing away.  He was followed home 10 seconds later by team-mate Lars Van Der Haar who led the chasers after a frantic final lap while world cup leader Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) had to settle for third "I didn't expect this after 30 minutes of racing," said Aerts "I was always in front at the beginning and trying to close the gap on Laurens Sweeck when he was a few seconds away but then I made a mistake and it was difficult to make myself back at the front again of the group.  "At the end of the race I found two spots where I could make a difference and so shifted to the front of the group I think that moment when the guys following me had to run and I could make the difference."  Aerts was followed home by Baloise Trek Lions team-mate Van Der Haar who thrived in the sandy conditions and was always present in the front group.  "We're really happy as a team that we can do such a good result," added Van Der Haar.  I'm so happy that there were so many spectators here today and it was such a happy place to be in that pit today."  Meanwhile Iserbyt said he was happy taking third place at Zonhoven keeping the overall leader's jersey and increasing his on gap on second placed overall Quinten Hermans (Tormans-Circus) who finished fifth.  After winning two of the opening three American rounds Eli Iserbyt returned to Belgium for the fourth round in the world cup leader's jersey Leading the charge at the head of proceedings after the opening descent of the 'De Kuil' sand dune was Iserbyt despite stating beforehand the sand venue was not his favourite.  Using their skill to ride up a sandy climb on the opening lap four riders consisting of Iserbyt Laurens Sweeck (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) and Baloise Trek Lions team-mates Toon Aerts and Lars van der Haar pulled out a five-second gap as their rivals were forced to run.  winner of the second World Cup round in Fayetteville was not going to let his rivals ride into the distance and pulled the leading group back together who did not travel to America for the opening World Cup rounds forced the pace and gained a slender advantage from a chasing group of six riders.  The sand dune of Zonhoven welcomed back the crowds after a year away and Jens Adams was one of those that crashed on the steep sandy descent With Sweeck maintaining his slender six-second lead Van der Haar was left to chase behind along with team-mate Aerts.  Aerts pushed the limits too far dragging the group back to Sweeck and on a small sandy mound following a tight corner the tall Belgian rider crashed pulled back to the leading group of seven which had caught Sweeck and was being driven by Iserbyt With Iserbyt on the front Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal teammate Michael Vanthourenhout allowed his team-mate an advantage on a running section forcing Van der Haar to chase and using his sand skills to bridge alone With one rider from each team in the leading duo it was left to Hermans to lead a chasing quartet which had dispatched of Toon Vandebosch (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal).  Aerts and Sweeck back to the leading duo after 35 minutes of racing On the only rideable sandy climb Iserbyt forced his rivals into a mistake and pulled back out a solo advantage of four seconds.  Hermans showed his power once again chasing Iserbyt over the next lap before drawing level along with Van der Haar with three laps remaining Aerts along with Vanthourenhout and Sweeck had looked under pressure by the relentless pace but also joined the front group With just under two laps remaining Iserbyt attacked again on a grass section but was quickly chased down in the sand by Aerts who had spent large sections of the race towards the back of the leading group then ran clear in the steep sandy ascent of the 'De Kuil'.  A mistake by Iserbyt on the sandy climb increased Aert's margin to 22 seconds at the bell ahead of the five chasers Vanthourenhout led the chase behind ahead of Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal teammate Iserbyt and Van der Haar as the race split on the final lap.  As Iserbyt faltered on the last ascent of the rideable sand climb he was passed by Van der Haar for the descent down to the finish  Aerts celebrated his victory while Van der Haar held on to second ahead of Iserbyt who kept his overall World Cup leader's jersey ahead of the fifth round at Overijse next Sunday.  Ben raced as an amateur cyclist in the UK from a young age into the senior ranks on the road and has spent over 10 years as a news and sports journalist Ben has been covering cyclocross for media outlets since 2021 and has been on the ground reporting at World Championships in Zolder Away from cycling as a freelance sports journalist Ben regularly reports on a range of sports including football he is happiest whilst reporting on-site at cyclocross races in Belgium and the Netherlands Dutch star takes 10th cyclocross win out of 10 race starts this season soloing to the victory after a masterclass performance through the sand in Zonhoven The two teams that were dominant in numbers who made his winning move on the fourth of eight laps and extended his lead to 20 seconds as he crossed the line for the victory Joris Nieuwenhuis (Baloise Trek Lions) won the race for second place gaining a small gap as he entered the finishing straight away forcing Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Corendon) to settle for third Pim Ronhaar (Baloise Trek Lions) finished fourth Toon Vandebosch (Crelan-Corendon) was initially among the chase group racing for second but a crash on the final sand descent saw him lose time and finish fifth at 59 seconds back World Cup leader Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) struggled with the pace during this round of the series and finished in sixth at 1:11 “I’m super happy with how this part of the cyclo-cross season went but I’m also happy that I can go to Spain and work on the form again,” Van der Poel said afterwards admitting that he raced more conservatively at the start in Zonhoven due to the colder temperatures “I wanted to see how the race developed It was cold and took me a while before I got into my own rhythm and I didn’t want to waste too much energy today.“ and I’m happy I can go and do more training.” The men’s field lined up under bitterly cold temperatures for the 12th round of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Zonhoven Series overall leader Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) returned to competition after taking a week off to recover from a stomach illness and dehydration World Champion Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) who had won the last three consecutive World Cups in Antwerp was also on the start line but absent were his biggest rivals Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) and Wout Van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) Joris Nieuwenhuis (Baloise Trek Lions) led the field onto the circuit but he was quickly passed by Iserbyt and Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Corendon) on the first descent through the deep sand as Van der Poel moved into fourth position A mechanical forced Cameron Mason (Cyclocross Reds) into the pits but the British Champion didn’t swap bikes and instead pulled out of the race Nieuwenhuis pushed to the front and opened a small gap The trio started the second lap with a gap of nine seconds on a group led by Iserbyt Pim Ronhaar (Baloise Trek Lions) and Toon Vandebosch (Crelan-Corendon) Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Emiel Verstrynge (Crelan-Corendon) tried to regain contact with the front of the race a front group of seven riders settled into a race rhythm: Baloise Trek Lions teammates Ronhaar Iserbyt struggled to keep up with the pace and ended up too far off the back of the leaders Van der Poel made his winning attack on lap four with a surge on the uphill sand section opening his gap to 12 seconds when he reached the sand descent He orbited the circuit with flawless skill through the sand Van der Poel started to catch lapped riders on the course and showed no signs of slowing down extending his lead to 32 seconds on lap six There was no denying Van der Poel the victory in Zonhoven the race for second place heated up between Baloise Trek Lions’ Ronhaar and Nieuwenhuis and Crelan-Corendon’s Sweeck and Vandebosch Vandebosch got his line wrong on the sand descent which caused him to crash and lose time to the group and the balance to shift in favour of Baloise Trek Lions Teammates Rohnaar and Nieuwenhuis pushed the pace forcing Sweeck to respond and chase after each surge Nieuwenhuis led the trio through the final section of the circuit with Sweeck on his wheel and Rohnaar struggling to stay in contact Nieuwenhuis accelerated onto the finishing straight with a gap to secure second place ahead of Sweeck in third and Rohnaar in fourth Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006 Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023 Race leader Lucinda Brand crashes out on third lap Brand skidded heavily on a left-hand bend at speed on the third lap injuring her face and leaving the race on foot immediately afterwards but was able to fight back and move into the lead when Brand crashed The Dutchwoman claimed her second straight World Cup victory as a result and moved up to second overall in the series she recognised that luck had played a part in her latest win whilst wishing Brand all the best for a speedy recovery.  “I had a flat back tyre at the start so I just tried to stay close to the front and that chasing back took a bit of energy out of me,” she said "Then suddenly I saw Lucinda standing on a corner and I thought she had a mechanical or something I could see she still wasn’t there anymore but I hope everything is fine with her.” Pieterse was quickly in the lead of the 57-rider field but the Dutchwoman was unfortunate enough to puncture early on giving Brand a free hand to move into the lead position Brand gave it everything she could early on and gaining 12 seconds on Backstedt and Van der Heijden by the end of the first lap of six.  Pieterse was closing in on fourth at that point after her unlucky early start and she moved onto the provisional podium shortly afterwards the gap between Brand and PIeterse still stood at 19 seconds seemingly making bridging that gap a tough ask dropping Backstedt shortly after the third descent of the daunting downhill sandpit going all the way to the corners on her bike rather than dismounting and keeping within contention of Brand Just as it seemed that Brand had it in control skidding very heavily at speed on a lefthand bend on lap three and allowing Pieterse to move into the top spot in the race.  calling for medics and walking off the course surrounded by concerned team helpers and officials crossed the finish line for a fourth time with an eight-second advantage over Van der Heijden and Backstedt.  did not bode well for the leading Dutchwoman particularly as Backstedt faded slightly in the second half of the race negotiating the daunting sandy descents with breathtaking skill and maintaining her speed on the draggy rises with the odd post-push the gap remained narrow but solid all the way through lap five and lap six but I tried to play it safe on the descents because you can get really high with all the people cheering you on it’s better to stay safe than to crash,” Pieterse said later Pieterse crossed the line with an advantage of 24 seconds on Van der Heijden and  41 on Backstedt with Van der Heijden saying she was more than delighted with her second place “I could go full gas all the way and didn’t have problems on the sand This is a bit like a victory for me,” she said Already the winner at Hexia Gullegem this weekend on a very different although also remembering Brand despite her personal satisfaction but give me ten minutes I’ll be over the moon about this,” Backstedt said afterwards “I was in a little bit of a hurt box Alasdair FotheringhamSocial Links NavigationAlasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991 He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain he has also written for The Independent,  The Guardian,  ProCycling Sweeck retains World Cup lead with third-place finish ahead of Vanthourenhout Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) rode solo for five laps and reigned supreme at World Cup Zonhoven Sunday Matheiu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) rode clear of the top World Cup leaders to settle for second The battle for the final podium spot was a heated contest for World Cup points series leader Laurens Sweeck (Crelans-Fristads) holding a 13-point advantage over Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) Sweeck launched a vicious attack and distanced Vanthourenhout to secure the final spot on the podium and enough points to retain his series lead.  A familiar pattern with race favourites developed on the early laps of the elite men’s race in Zonhoven but Van Aert proved he had power in the sand and  he took advantage of a few mistakes by his main adversary Van der Poel to capture his second World Cup victory of the season “It was definitely a hard hike,” Van Aert said For me I also liked the extra uphill section This is definitely more spectacular.” The expected battle between Van Aert and Van der Poel sputtered and tried to come to life as the Dutchman closed a gap to Van Aert halfway through the third circuit Van der Poel crashed in the sand for a second time and Van Aert pushed ahead After the race Van der Poel said his feelings were “not good” The Dutchman scored three World Cup victories headed into the new year but his nagging back pain returned last Thursday playing into a big sand defeat behind Van Aert in the X2O Trofee race in Koksijde “I just think it’s really hard to focus The only thing I’m thinking about is my back and it’s hurting,” Van der Poel admitted at the finish “You have to be 100% focused on the course and I’m just not able to then I have to hold back because of the pain It’s super frustrating.”  Sweeck stormed to the front of the new course which had dried considerably since the earlier races The World Cup leader set the pace with all the favourites in tow Van der Poel and Van Aert making a pass before the first drop into the Kuil sandpit Van der Poel slid out and tumbled on the descent which allowed Van Aert to ride to the front and create immediate separation Sweeck then went on the attack with Vanthourenhout and Lars van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions).  Van der Poel  and Vanthourenhout had made the catch of Van Aert and held a nine-second lead over Van der Haar and Sweeck Kevin Kuhn (Tormans Cyclo Cross) led a group of five chasers another five seconds back that included Alpecin-Deceuninck duo Toon Vandebosch and Niels Vandeputte Joris Nieuwenhuis (Baloise Trek Lions) and Timon Rüegg (Cross Team Legendre).  The lead trio stayed together for only half a lap as Van Aert surged again in the sand and created a gap on his two companions Van der Poel would not let the Belgian champion out of sight as he matched his adversary with power Vanthourenhout joined forces with Sweeck in the chase of the big two 18 seconds in arrears as the third lap progressed Van der Poel caught back to Van Aert on the third lap but wobbled in the deep ruts and crashed abruptly again in the large sand section which allowed Van Aert a free rein to dash ahead The delay allowed Vanthourenhout and Sweeck to make the catch and now Van der Poel was in chase mode again while almost 30 seconds back rode Van der Haar in solo fifth position Van Aert continued to carve a fast pace in the sand and on the technical off-cambers building a lead of one minute to the trio of chasers through the midpoint of the race sliding in a few sections but not going down I tried to take advantage of Mathieu van der Poel’s errors I managed to establish a significant gap," he said Quinten Hermans (Alpecin-Deceuninck) had caught Van der Haar and they dug in to close down 23 seconds to the trio ahead It was on the sixth descent into the giant sand pit that Van der Poel rode cleanly and created a gap on Sweeck and Vanthourenhout.  Van der Poel continued his push to a second-place finish never facing a showdown at the front with a surging Van Aert but also no one charging from the back the World Cup leader finished eight seconds behind Van der Poel Vanthourenhout lost his steam and was 31 seconds behind Sweeck Sweeck padded his World Cup lead Sunday and moved to 24 points ahead of Vanthourenhout two races remaining in Benidorm and Bensançon after national championships next weekend A non-starter on Sunday was third-placed Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) who holds a three-point margin over Van der Haar Results powered by FirstCycling a sports marketing and public relations agency which managed projects for Tour de Georgia a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams She has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast) Her favorite road and gravel rides are around horse farms in north Georgia (USA) and around lavender fields in Provence (France) Instagram or YouTube Shorts – and use #whatsyourtour to show us what the Tour de France means to you… explore the countryside or just cruise down the road in a zen-like state Follow the Tour with general updates and become the best version of Peter Sagan you can be How to successfully explain that you need a new bike Factual reports on all the latest health trends and nutritional methods We’ll help you get the most out of your training sessions Veer off the main road and explore nature first-hand Learn to navigate the jungle that is city cycling For a sense of adventure that knows no bounds Guide your relatives toward the one thing that actually matters WeLoveCycling.com is an online magazine that brings you original stories fresh videos and special reports from the wide world of cycling Mathieu van der Poel demonstrated his unrivaled talent in cyclo-cross by clinching his fourth consecutive World Cup victory in Zonhoven This win marks his tenth victory in as many starts this season marked by van der Poel’s tactical brilliance saw him breaking away from his main competitors teams Baloise Trek Lions and Crelan-Corendon They couldn’t match the pace of the reigning World Champion Van der Poel initiated his decisive move in the fourth lap of the eight-lap race ultimately finishing with a commanding 20-second lead edging out Laurens Sweeck of Crelan-Corendon The race wasn’t without its share of drama suffered a crash in the race’s final stages faced challenges with the high pace and finished sixth Van der Poel reflected on his performance and the season “I’m super happy with how this part of the cyclo-cross season went but I’m also happy that I can go to Spain and work on the form again.” He also noted his initial cautious approach due to the cold and I didn’t want to waste too much energy today.” He concluded and I’m happy I can go and do more training.” It's going to be so great to have you with us We just need your email address to keep in touch WeLoveCycling.com is an online magazine that brings you original stories 'In Gullegem I suffered again from severe back pain' says World Cup series leader Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin-Deceuninck) has been forced to sit out round 12 of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Zonhoven on Sunday due to severe back pain Alvarado is currently leading the overall World Cup series after her consistent performances across ten of the fourteen-round series She opted not to compete in round 6 in Flamanville and confirmed that she will not compete in Zonhoven I suffered again from severe back pain,” said Alvarado and I couldn’t put any power on the pedals either.” Alvarado lined up to compete at the Hexia Cross Gullegem on Saturday she was forced to stop mid-race due to the pain Alpecin-Deceuninck said that in agreement with medical staff and team management it was decided not to take any risks by competing in the following day's Zonhoven World Cup Alvarado is now looking ahead to competing at the Dutch National championships held next weekend in Hoogeveen I could have taken a nice step towards the overall win in the World Cup But an osteopath visit is more important now It will take a few days to fully recover from this," Alvarado said Alvarado has won three rounds of the World Cup series in Dendermonde She is currently leading the series with 312 points runner-up Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions) has 237 points and third-placed Puck The World Cup will continue in Zonhoven on Sunday followed by round 13 in Benidorm on January 21 A post shared by Alpecin-Deceuninck (@alpecindeceuninck) Please note that this is an automated translation and it will not be perfect All articles have been written in English and if anything appears to not make sense Van der Poel maintains his perfect record as cyclocross hits some of the most iconic events of the season and exclusive interviews with the best cycling athletes Behind-the-scenes vlogs from the biggest events on any device with our TV and mobile apps Which devices can I use to watch live events and videos Apple Store (Apple TV) Can I access my account on multiple devices Can I watch multiple streams from a live event at the same time you can watch up to 12 streams on one or multiple devices connected to the same WiFi network or IP address and another on a Connected TV device like Roku at the same time Why are some videos unavailable in my location or country FloSports streams thousands of events every year events are restricted to specific geographical regions based on contractual agreements with rights holders and we aren’t able to stream to all geographical locations If a stream or event replay is not available in your location we will display an event "is not available in your location" message on the Event’s page or our Schedule pages check your VPN or proxy settings and try turning the setting to 'Off' Your subscription will remain active through the remainder of the last billing cycle Visit the Account Details > Subscription page to make a change to your subscription Feel free to Contact us Watch all the action from the UCI World Cup The 2024-25 cyclocross season continues this weekend with the big one: the 2025 UCI Cyclocross World Championships Read on for all the information on how to watch cyclocross live streams wherever you are in the world with the Belgium- and Netherlands-based Superprestige X2O Trofee and Exact Cross series joined by the UCI World Cup after the conclusion of the World Cup series last weekend it's time for rainbow jerseys and world titles to be handed out at the Cyclocross Worlds in Liévin who are once again competing for the rainbow jersey at Worlds.  Here's our guide on how to watch cyclocross online RaceDateUK StreamUS StreamFree streamUCI Cyclocross World Championships January 31 – February 2Discovery+FlobikesSporza NPO StartThis week in cyclocross it's all about the World Championships Taking place from January 31 to February 2 in Liévin Cyclocross Worlds will see seven rainbow jerseys handed out for seven world titles over three days of racing.  Six-time world champ Mathieu van der Poel is in action while Fem van Empel is seeking a special hattrick in the women's race.  ► How to watch Cyclocross World Championships 2025: Live streams, TV broadcasts, Schedule Good news for cycling fans: you can watch cyclocross for free The sport's governing body, the UCI, hosts free streams for the UCI World Cup series and UCI World Championships on its own UCI YouTube channel and is only available in countries where a TV deal hasn't been struck with an external broadcaster.  but fans in the UK and Ireland will always be blocked from the feed given Eurosport and Discovery+ show all World Cup and World Championship races over the border the Dutch public broadcaster NOS often has free live streams on its platform but we'll keep you up to date throughout the cyclocross season with our dedicated How To Watch pages for all the big races If you are outside of your home region and need to access your live streaming services to watch the action you may find your access to be geo-restricted But that doesn't mean you can't watch the races.  A Virtual Private Network – to give it its full name – allows your computer to pretend it's in a different country letting you log into your streaming accounts to catch all of the racing action Our expert colleagues at TechRadar recommend using a VPN for streaming as well as enhanced cyber-security – they know a thing or two about VPNs and right now they rate NordVPN as the best VPN on the market.  There's no better VPN for unblocking streaming services It offers super-fast connections to over 5,000 servers across 60 countries and it's compatible with just about any streaming device out there You get a money-back guarantee and it's currently available for more than 70% off Cyclocross coverage in the US is a little patchy with coverage split between Flobikes and Max.  its schedule does not cover the entire series so it's worth keeping an eye on what they have coming up A subscription to Flobikes will set you back $149.99  for the year or $29.99 on a monthly basis.  is the US-based streaming platform owned by Warner Bros which started adding cycling rights in 2024 That includes some cyclocross coverage across the Superprestige but does not include the UCI World Cup series or the UCI World Championships Max subscriptions start from $10 a month but you'll need the B/R Sports add-on That said, you could find the top-level action for free, with the UCI YouTube cyclocross World Cup free live stream not always geo-restricted in the US.  Some UCI World Cup events will also be aired in Canada for free on the UCI Youtube page You can watch all the UCI World Cup rounds while Discovery+ is the online streaming platform where you'll find all the cyclocross racing more consistently available.  which is all you need to get Eurosport's cycling coverage will set you back £6.99 / €4.99 per month or £59.99 / €49.99 per year.  It's the World Cup that attracts the biggest range of international broadcasters and you'll find most races on RAI in Italy For a full list of international broadcasters for the World Cup events, the UCI publishes a list each round on the UCI website DateSeriesLocationJanuary 3X2O TrofeeKoksijdeJanuary 4SuperprestigeGullegemJanuary 5UCI World CupDendermondeJanuary 12National ChampsBel SpaJanuary 19UCI World CupBenidormJanuary 25UCI World CupMaasmechelenJanuary 26UCI World CupHoogerheideFebruary 2UCI World ChampsLiévinFebruary 5Exact CrossMaldegemFebruary 8SuperprestigeMiddelkerkeFebruary 9X2O TrofeeLilleFebruary 15Exact CrossSint-NiklaasFebruary 16X2O TrofeeBrusselsDisclaimerWe test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service) Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing Dani has reported from the world's top races She has interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars and her favourite races are the Giro d'Italia Cyclo-cross star crashed while leading World Cup race Lucinda Brand is determined to race the Dutch Cyclocross National Championships this weekend despite breaking her nose in a high-speed crash at the Zonhoven World Cup on Sunday Brand was able to leave the race course on foot but TV images showed that she was clearly in considerable pain something she later confirmed herself on social media However, a medical update from her Baloise-Trek-Lions team has said that despite the injury, the 2021 world champion is aiming to be on the startline in the Nationals om Sunday.  “X-ray examination showed that Lucinda's nose is broken,” Baloise Trek Lions said "But she can breathe freely and there are no medical risks associated with cycling She is therefore determined to participate in the Dutch championships in Hoogeveen next Sunday.” According to Wielerflits Brand will not wear a mask to protect her nose Brand has already successfully fought back from a road race shoulder injury this season and at Zonhoven the 34-year-old looked to be en route for a third when she crashed Brand will be a key name to watch in the Dutch National Championships on Sunday a race she has already twice won in her professional career with Pieterse and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado also key pre-race favourites A post shared by Baloise Trek Lions (@baloisetreklions) Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) finished second with time to spare before the rest of the favourites arrived Laurens Sweeck (Crelans-Fristads) claimed the final podium spot to increase his lead in the World Cup “It was definitely a hard hike,” Van Aert joked after the finish 🚀 Van Aert is flying through the sand today in Zonhoven! ☀ He has an advantage of more than a minute on Van der Poel! 👏 #CXWorldCup pic.twitter.com/DU3BUF0g9R — UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup (@UCIcyclocrossWC) January 8, 2023 “I was able to benefit from the mistakes Mathieu made He suddenly fell in front of me and then I was able to make a big gap The lead surprised me a bit,” Van Aert said I need miles in the sun to get that real acceleration back.” The expected battle between Van Aert and Van der Poel was cut short by Van der Poel’s prevailing back problems Van der Poel said his feelings were “not good” The only thing I’m thinking about is my back and it’s hurting,” Van der Poel admitted at the finish “You have to be 100% focused on the course and I’m just not able to Does this mean Van Aert will win the February world championships Shirin van Anrooij was simply the best rider on the day as she coped best with the sandy course Shirin van Anrooij won round 12 of the Cyclocross World Cup, conquering the sandpit in Zonhoven to take the victory. The race opened with plenty of thrills and spills, and it was Van Anrooij who was best able to cope with the course and capitalise on the errors of her rivals. The main contenders for the overall World Cup win, Puck Pieterse and Fem van Empel, completed an all Dutch podium. Drama from the start as Fem van Empel and Zoe Backstedt both took a tumble on the first time down De Kuil. Puck Pieterse capitalised to get ahead, despite having her own slight tumble soon after. World Cup leader Van Empel went down again after getting stuck in the deep sandy rut near to where Pieterse had been forced to dismount and run not long before. Running became a theme, as you might expect in a cyclocross race, but perhaps more time off the bike than the racers would have expected. The next time round, Pieterse thundered down the sandpit to gain yet more time on all those behind her. Van Empel also had a much better time on the downhill as she appeared to be getting herself together after the early setbacks, although the 30+ second gap to the front of the race was staying stubbornly static. After ceding the lead to Shirin van Anrooij, Pieterse went flying over the handlebars into the soft embrace of Zonhoven's sand. The gap between the lead pair quickly went out to 15 seconds and grew from there. The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox! While struggling to make a dent in the time deficit to the front of the race, Van Empel was gaining places on the course, working her way towards the top five – important for her overall series points tally. Pieterse showed her skill by riding a technical uphill section that all other riders were forced to run. Over the six-lap race, Van Empel had a very good race for all but the first one to one-and-a-half laps. She recovered to ensure her poor start wasn't terminal, but she could not cancel out the mistakes and bad luck of the opening circuits to get back to the front of the race. All the while, Van Anrooij was doing her own thing at the front. Gritting her teeth with the effort, showing she wasn't easing up in the later laps despite the advantage she had over the chasers, she rode on to show that she was the best on the day. Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1 *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1 Jack Elton-Walters hails from the Isle of Wight and would be quick to tell anyone that it's his favourite place to ride He has covered a varied range of topics for Cycling Weekly He moved on to work for Cyclist Magazine in 2017 where he stayed for four years until going freelance He now returns to Cycling Weekly from time-to-time to cover racing review cycling gear and write longer features for print and online What a match until I hit the ground' Brand posts update on social media "In the women’s race, Lucinda Brand was on track to get the victory when she unfortunately fell and had to step out of the race She will get a necessary check-in with the medical staff to determine the next steps," Baloise Trek Lions wrote in an official update following the race Brand was leading the race when she skidded heavily on a left-hand bend at speed on the third lap Live broadcast footage of the race showed Brand sliding out and hitting her face on the hard-packed ground with her nose taking much of the impact.  and walked along the course until support arrived Brand's Baloise Trek Lions' support team wrapped Brand in a warm jacket and clothing as she continued to hold her nose Baloise Trek Lions have not released a medical update; however Brand posted to Instagram later in the afternoon next up: making an x-ray to decide the next steps in the process Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) went on to win the World Cup in Zonhoven and wished Brand a quick recovery I saw that she was no longer there," said Pieterse who was coming back from a first-lap mechanical when she rode passed an injured Brand on the third lap but I hope everything goes well for her.” referred to Brand's accident and how it had affected the overall outcome of the World Cup When asked if she could have done better than third she was flying; she just floats over the sand "I was in a little bit of a hurt box today I also would have been happy to get fourth A post shared by Lucinda Brand (@lucinda_brand) Isabelle Holmgren’s first cyclocross World Cup podium could not have come at a more iconic venue The Canadian junior national champion flew through the sandy dunes of Zonhoven Lauren Molengraaf of the Netherlands earned the win ahead of France’s Célia Gery Isabella Holmgren followed eight seconds behind Gery to take bronze Zonhoven’s separate junior category properly showcases the impressive riding of both sisters Madeline Pollock and Geza Rodgers were also on the start line for Canada in Zonhoven They finished 36th and 37th in the junior women’s World Cup On the junior men’s side, Mika Comaniuk led the Canadian effort with a 5oth-place finish. Filipe Duarte followed in 57th. Ian Ackert, who also had a run of very fast finishes in Europe during the holiday period Who schedules a CX race on the same day as worlds One of the four or five races which vie yearly for the title of best CX race But what sets it apart from the other top contenders which is the one feature that Zonhoven revolves around because it's such a tremendously amazing feature even if it makes you forget what the rest of the course is like The race should go like this: riding around the rolling section pretty quickly -> some poor sod goes head over heels in the sand -> splits on the uphill section of the sandpit -> repeat The downhill isn't the only important feature with a good bit of tough climbing for splits to be formed how often is it that a CX race has more altitude gain than a big road race on the same day Here are some highlights of last year's men's race and what you should notice before anything else is the frankly ridiculous dominance of Wout van Aert but last year he won Zonhoven by a minute and nine seconds from his own team mate who came out of hibernation for policing the chase group Only five people finished within two minutes in comparison with nine in the 2014 and 2013 races And while I could paint the contenders list for this race as long and diverse there are better sources of evidence than paintings is going to be between Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel Van der Poel didn't compete in Zonhoven last year We have very few data points to take information from but let's look at Gieten two weeks ago for a little bit on a tough sandy hill at the end of the lap You never know what these kids will do next) it's not a perfect comparison but what I noticed was that Van Aert had a few problems with control in the sand but they were racing together for only the second televised time this season and then Van der Poel looked strong before his crank snapped They were rarely together for the entire race and the only thing we do know is that they're stronger than everybody else And who'll be chasing them down? Well, here's a handy startlist. Look for Van der Haar he's been around for a few weeks now and should get into a bit of form soon enough who rode an understated if impressive race in Gieten who actually beat Van Aert in the Brico Cross in Kruibeke today Van Aert seems to be doing that series a little bit of an injustice by using it to warm up between Van Aert and Van der Poel tomorrow who waltzed away to win last week in Ronse to take the victory for the third year running if she holds off the challenge of Sophie De Boer which I hope will be repeated throughout the season Lucinda Brand endured a brutal crash during the Zonhoven UCI World Cup on Sunday resulting in a broken nose as confirmed by recent X-rays she remains resolute about participating in the Dutch Championships in Hoogeveen this Sunday according to an announcement from her team “X-ray examination has shown that Lucinda’s nose is broken That is why she is determined to participate in the Dutch championship in Hoogeveen on Sunday.” Brand, a favourite for the Dutch championship, will not wear a protective mask for her nose during the national championships, the team said to WielerFlits. She will also keep any sort of eyewear during the race due to discomfort. Puck Pieterse and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, her main rivals, will be competing in Hoogeveen, while Fem van Empel will not be participating. The Zonhoven crash occurred while Brand was in a leading position. Falling face-first on a fast stretch, her nose bore the brunt of the impact, leading to her withdrawal from the race. She was seen holding her nose as she made her away from the race course, and blood was trickling down. A post shared by Baloise Trek Lions (@baloisetreklions) Dutchwoman heads to Spain for training and World Cup in Benidorm A broken nose caused by a crash in the Zonhoven World Cup did not stop Lucinda Brand from winning her National Cyclo-Cross Championship for a third time this weekend and the Dutch star confirmed immediately afterwards that she will now continue training and racing despite her injury she told reporters in the Nationals’ mixed zone area at Hoogeveen and will train in Spain with her road team beforehand Brand crashed heavily at speed whilst leading the Zonhoven World Cup on January 7th breaking her nose and having to abandon the race The 34-year-old told reporters she had been able to train normally during the build-up to her latest national title and was ready to fight on again Lucinda Brand fights the pain to win Dutch elite women's cyclocross title "A national title is a very nice reward because it was a bit of a shock last week," she said, according to In De Leiderstrui. "Luckily I didn't have any problems breathing but on Tuesday training went as I wanted and I just felt good." and that her recent spell of good form ensured she was in no doubt about her underlying condition At Zonhoven she looked to be comfortably en route to claiming her third World Cup of this season before the crash happened “I was afraid of getting mud in my eyes but I had such a bad start [to the Nationals race] that didn’t matter,” she laughed  The complete recovery process will take six weeks Lucinda Brand was having a fine race on a chilly Sunday in sandy Zonhoven the last 2023-2024 World Cup round in Belgium Puck Pieterse took her third World Cup race of the season and fourth consecutive win; she is now second place in the overall standings with two rounds remaining The top Canadian was Ava Holmgren in 14th and sister Isabella was 17th Maghalie Rochette came in 23rd in her return to the World Cup Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado led Lucinda Brand at the top of the table by 75 points Alvarado and Fem van Empel both missed this round 10th in Saturday’s Hexia Cyclocross in Gullegem but Puck moved around her into the first mud section Everyone made it down the big sand descent Puck flatted and lost ground; Brand now led the string Zoe Backstedt was behind Brand with Schreiber Brand finished the first circuit 12 seconds ahead of Inge van der Heijden and Backstedt Pieterse toiled to join van der Heijden and Backstedt on Lap 2 of 6 Van der Heijden lost contact with the Dutch-British duo Brand’s gap was 19 seconds after two circuits got up holding her nose and then walked her bike off the course On Lap 4 van der Heijden was now the closest chaser to new leader Pieterse Backstedt had a large enough gap over a chasing quartet to not have to panic about protecting the final podium position Sixteen seconds separated van der Heijden from Pieterse going into the penultimate lap The Dutch rider didn’t want to make any mistakes in the latter part of the race van der Heijden held her first World Cup podium of the season and the runner-up spot Zonhoven is known for its precipitous sandy descents Will Sven Nys be able to add a sixth win to his palmares on Sunday is a 10-year-old revival of a race first run in the 1950s with its two daredevil plunges into a steep-walled “It’s like you are racing in a football stadium,” says Sven Nys “That race is a modern cyclocross like every cyclocross rider dreams of.” Few races boast a feature as spectacular as the precipitous plunges that throw riders into Zonhoven’s vast sand pit Though a mishap on one of the sandy descents can end hopes for a win A big effort here late in the race can easily put victory in reach.