Brand continues to boss the season at Citadelcross World Cup in muddy Namur
American Honsinger breaks Dutch stranglehold on major series podiums this season
Lucinda Brand won her second World Cup of the season on Sunday, the third consecutive time she won a Cup race in muddy Namur, Belgium. Brand has claimed the first two rounds to lead the series. The runner-up, American champ Clara Honsinger, broke the Dutch stranglehold on World Cup, Superprestige and X2O Trofee podiums this season. Maghalie Rochette gamely took on the difficult course after suffering a sprained ankle last weekend in the Superprestige race, but she did not finish. Ruby West was top Canadian in 23rd, while Sidney McGill placed 41st.
The Course
As usual, Namur was a mud wallow. Besides a narrower approach to the famous off-camber section this year, there was also a new descent underneath it towards the cobbles, instead of the muddy stairs descent of last year. A new steep section was also included and there were fewer cobbles.
Straight away on Lap 1, the women climbed the mud. Hungarian Kata Blanka Vas was the early leader with Denise Betsema on her wheel. Vas’s crash at the bottom of a short, steep descent put Betsema in the clear. Rochette lost many places on the 3.39-km first lap, but Ruby West was 15th.
Brand made the junction on Lap 2, with world champion Ceylin Del Carmen Alvarado their closest pursuer. At the end of the shorter second lap, Brand had seven seconds over Betsema. West had drifted down to 19th.
On the third of six laps, Betsema made a mistake at the bottom of the same descent that took out Vas. She also had a front tire puncture. Brand jumped on a new machine and seemed to have trouble clipping in, but her gap grew. A podium for Alvarado was complicated by Honsinger’s appearance.
Lap 4 saw Honsinger and Alvarado catch Betsema. Betsema put some muck between herself and the American, while Alvarado dropped back.
Honsinger and Betsema carried on their tussle ahead of Alvarado on Lap 5. When Brand heard the bell, she was 40-seconds ahead of Honsinger.
Brand held tough, while Honsinger distanced Betsema to take second. Alvarado could not get on even terms with the duo and finished 4th.
The next World Cup is next Sunday in Wachtebeke, Belgium.
2020-2021 UCI World Cup Round 2, Namur, Elite Women
1) Lucinda Brand (The Netherlands/Telenet Baloise Lions) 52:47
2) Clara Honsinger (USA) +0:29
3) Denise Betsema (The Netherlands/Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) +0:39
23) Ruby West (Canada/Proximus-Alphamotorhomes-Doltcini CT)
