Lucinda Brand is the new world champion, Rochette comes 16th
The Dutch sweep the elite women's podium
After elite women podiums in the last three world championships, the most dominant rider in women’s cyclocross this season, Lucinda Brand, won her first title on Saturday in Ostende, Belgium. Brand won the 2020-2021 World Cup with three victories, and she leads the Superprestige and X2O Troffee series. A crash on the first corner doomed Ceylin Del Carmen Alvarado’s bid to keep the elite women’s title. Maghalie Rochette came 16th.
The 2.9-km course threw a long beach section at the riders early, the tide rising to increase the challenge. A long, steep bridge awaited after that. Between races course workers cleaned off the staircase that had proved quite treacherous in the U23 men’s race. The 29-km/h wind had the sea churning and rain caused at least one Belgian rider to wear a plastic bag over her helmet in the build up to the starting gun. It was only 2 degrees celcius.
How would this season’s great rivalry–Brand vs Alvarado–play out in the race? Add Denise Betsema, Marianne Vos and Annemarie Worst and the Dutch had an enviable problem.
Alvarado and Sanne Cant crashed on the first corner and Rochette led for a few seconds before falling back. Betsema, Worst and Brand, with Evie Richards and Perrine Clauzel, made up the leading group. In the latter half of Lap 1, the first five riders were Dutch: Betsema, Brand, Worst, Yara Kastelijn and Alvarado, the world champion 27-seconds in arrears. Rochette was 24th.
On Lap 2 Betsema worked to stay ahead of compatriots Brand and Worst, completed the second of five circuits 11 seconds clear with three laps to go. Rochette was up to 21st.
Betsema slowed down on Lap 3, Brand and Worst making the junction on the beach. Worst crashed after touching wheels with Brand. Alvarado wasn’t making any headway into Worst’s podium position. Rochette was 23rd over the line.
On the penultimate lap Worst returned to the front. Brand took a new bike, putting her a little behind. The trio gelled again and caught a Pole. They heard the bell 36-seconds ahead of Alvarado. Rochette had dragged herself up to 17th.
Brand put down the hammer on the bell lap, and only Worst could hang. They came together shoulder to shoulder as Brand took the inside line of a corner and Worst came a cropper. Worst kept working to catch up. Brand screamed in triumph as she crossed the finish line.
Action continues in Ostende on Sunday with the U23 women’s race featuring Canadians Ruby West and Sidney McGill and the next round of van der Poel vs Van Aert in the elite men’s race.
2021 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, Elite Women
Gold) Lucinda Brand (The Netherlands) 46:53
Silver) Annemarie Worst (The Netherlands) +0:08
Bronze) Denise Betsema (The Netherlands) +0:19
16) Magahlie Rochette (Canada) +3:45
