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Rochette tenth at muddy Namur World Cup

Brand repeats as Namur round champion

Silver Goose Maghalie Rochette
December 22, 2019
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Maghalie Rochette returned to the World Cup Sunday after skipping a round, finishing 10th in Namur, Belgium to return to the top-5 of the overall standings. Dutch rider Lucinda Brand repeated as Namur champion on a very muddy day, the course throwing up challenging off-camber sections and steep, treacherous chutes. For the third consecutive World Cup elite women’s race, the podium was all Dutch.

Yara Kastelijn was the early leader, but it was her Dutch compatriot Annemarie Worst who led over the line of 3.5-km Lap 1, Brand and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado her closest pursuers at 4-seconds back. Rochette was eighth at +0:42 and Ruby West 30th.

Rochette lost a place on Lap 2 and the lead changed hands, with Brand and Alvarado coming to the fore and Worst 13-seconds behind. Alvarado’s crash on Lap 3 resulted in Brand going clear by 8-seconds. Rochette was +1:54 and West +3:52.

A soggy Brand leads Alvarado and Worst on Lap 3.

New American champion Clara Honsinger made her way through the pack on Lap 4 and threatened the status of the all-Dutch podium. Brand and Alvarado began to lap riders, asking for them to make way.

Brand’s gap over Alvarado meant that she could afford a couple of mistakes on the bell lap, holding tough to win by 16-seconds. Rochette retained her top-10 position while West came in 34th, Siobhan Kelly 73rd, Claire Steciuk 79th and Kelly Lawson 80th.

Rochette crosses the line in 10th ahead of Marion Norbert Riberolle and Manon Bakker.

Alvarado edged closer to series leader Katerina Nash in the overall standings. Rochette is four points behind fourth place Inge van der Heijden.

2019-2020 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Round 6 Namur, Belgium, Elite Women
1) Lucinda Brand (The Netherlands/Telenet Baloise Lions) 45:05
2) Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (The Netherlands/Corendon Circus) +0:16
3) Annemarie Worst (The Netherlands/777) +1:21
10) Maghalie Rochette (Canada) +3:07
34) Ruby West (Canada) +6:30
73) Siobhan Kelly (Canada)
79) Claire Steciuk (Canada)
80) Kelly Lawson (Canada)