Ruby West avoids Lap 1 carnage to come in 8th in DVV Trofee Azencross

Canadian Ruby West gave her best elite European cyclocross performance on Friday with 8th place in the DVV Trofee’s fifth round in Loenhout, Belgium. Annemarie Worst wasn’t able to keep her 56-second series lead from compatriot Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, who won her second consecutive round. Dutch sensation Alvarado now leads the World Cup, DVV Trofee and Superprestige series.

There was mayhem in the first lap with a stack up at the foot of the first flyover. Winner of Thursday’s World Cup round, Lucinda Brand had to withdraw with an injury. The stack up allowed Katie Compton and Alvarado to grab an early lead before the Dutch rider stretched out a lead.

Maghalie Rochette had squeezed through the carnage and exchanged fourth and fifth places with Ellen van Loy on Lap 1. West also made it through and was in the top-10.

Worst was Alvarado’s closest pursuer on Lap 2, with Compton and world champion Sanne Cant hard on her heels. American Rebecca Fahringer reached Rochette and Van Loy. The muddy ruts were taking their toll–even Alvarado was pestered by them. Worst’s pursuit was slowed by an endo on Lap 3.

Rochette lost a couple of places and West was up to 8th after three laps. Cant and Compton caught and dispatched Worst, while Alvarado kept increasing her lead and started to lap riders on Lap 4.

The main story lines in the bell lap were Alvarado’s time gap over Worst and the scrap between Cant and Compton for the podium spots. West was 8th in a trio of riders while Rochette continued to fade, eventually finishing 17th.

Cant left Compton behind and Worst was able to pass the American to make the podium. Alvarado leads Worst by 57-seconds in the GC with three rounds to go. West held fast to her eighth position beating 2019 revelation Yara Kastelijn. West was 28th the day before in the Heusden-Zolder World Cup.