Alvarado recovers from last-lap crash to win GP Leuven
World champion outsprints Betsema

Ceylin del Carm♐en Alvarado (Alpecin-Fenix) bounced back from a final-𒐪lap crash to win the 2020 GP Leuven on Saturday, beating Denise Betsema (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) in a two-up sprint.
The world champion fell on the grass going around a left-hand bend early on the last𓄧 of seven laps of the race, which this year is the fourth round of the Ethias Cross series.
She quickly remounted and re-took her place in what was by then a five-rider lead group, along with Betsema, Lucinda Brand (Telenet Baloise Lions), Annem🐻arie 💜Worst (777), and Manon Bakker (Credishop-Fristads).
Those riders had emerged as the strongest after Frenchwoman Perrine Clauzel (As Bike Cross Team) had made the ear🦩ly running, impressively handling the steep wooded banks before fading later in the race.
Alvarado’s crash wasn’t the only dramat♑ic moment on the fi🦂nal lap, as Brand, who had come through to the front after being mostly at the back of the group, crashed going down one of those banks mid-way through the lap.
The recent Jaarmarktcross winner quickly got up and kept her lead as the others adjusted their lines, and even managed to restring her chain as shꦅe ran up the next bank. However, back on the grass, Betsema surged past, and Alvarado was the only one with the power to follow.
The pair hit the pump trac𓄧k sections with a small lead and emerged together onto the tarmac to contest the finish. With a stronger sprint in her locker, Alvarado made no mistake and dispatched Betsema to reverse the result of the last round of the Ethias Cross from Beringen a month ago.
Brand ouꦑtsprinted Worst for the final podium spot, while Bakker trailed a♏cross the line for fifth place, with a much larger gap back to the rest of the field.
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix | 0:46:53 |
2 | Denise Betsema (Ned) Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal | 0:00:01 |
3 | Lucinda Brand (Ned) Telenet Baloise Lions | 0:00:03 |
4 | Annemarie Worst (Ned) 777 | 0:00:05 |
5 | Manon Bakker (Ned) (Credishop-Fristads) | 0:00:09 |
6 | Perrine Clauzel (Fra) As Bike Cross Team | 0:00:47 |
7 | Kata Blanka Vas (Hun) Doltcini-Van Eyck | 0:00:57 |
8 | Fem Van Empel (Ned) Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal | 0:01:03 |
9 | Yara Kastelijn (Ned) Credishop-Fristads | 0:01:04 |
10 | Laura Verdonschot (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal | Row 9 - Cell 2 |
11 | Aniek van Alphen (Ned) Credishop-Fristads | 0:01:08 |
12 | Alicia Granck (Bel) Proximus-Alphamotorhomes-Dolcitini | 0:01:31 |
13 | Ellen Van Looy (Bel) Telenet Baloise Lions | 0:01:39 |
14 | Eva Lechner (Ita) Starcasino CX Team | 0:01:41 |
15 | Lucia Gonzalez Blanco (Spa) Nesta-Skoda-Alecar | 0:01:51 |
16 | Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ita) 777 | 0:02:11 |
17 | Loes Sels (Bel) Iko-Crelan | 0:02:13 |
18 | Sanne Cante (Bel) Iko-Crelan | 0:02:29 |
19 | Maghalie Rochette (Can) | 0:02:31 |
20 | Clara Honsinger (USA) | 0:02:46 |
21 | Josie Nelson (GBr) Trinity Racing | 0:02:47 |
22 | Harriet Harnden (GBr) Trek Factory Racing | 0:02:58 |
23 | Joyce Vanderbeken (Bel) | 0:03:02 |
24 | Marlene Morel Petitgirard (Fra) Team S1neo-Graal-Bjorka | 0:03:10 |
25 | Zina Barhmoui (Swi) | 0:03:12 |
26 | Kaitlin Keough (USA) | 0:03:14 |
27 | Marthe Truyen (Bel) Telenet Baloise Lions | 0:03:32 |
28 | Lindy Van Anrooij (Ned) Starcasino CX Team | 0:03:52 |
29 | Susanne Meistrok (Ned) Proximus-Alphamotorhomes-Dolcitini | Row 28 - Cell 2 |
30 | Ffion James (GBr) | 0:04:12 |
31 | Amira Mellor (GBr) | 0:04:34 |
32 | Esther van der Burg (Ned) Proximus-Alphamotorhomes-Dolcitini | 0:04:44 |
33 | Marine Strappazzon (Fra) Team Podiocom CC | 0:04:58 |
34 | Kione Crabbe (Bel) | 0:04:59 |
35 | Mascha Mulder (Ned) Hens-Maes | 0:05:51 |
36 | Rebecca Fahringer (USA) | 0:06:38 |
37 | Lise Van Wunswel (Bel) | -1 lap |
38 | Sophie Wright (GBr) | Row 37 - Cell 2 |
39 | Camille Devigne (Fra) Ardennes Cross Team | Row 38 - Cell 2 |
40 | Julie Brouwers (Bel) | Row 39 - Cell 2 |
41 | Aurelie Vermeir (Bel) | Row 40 - Cell 2 |
42 | Tessa Zwaenepoel (Bel) Proximus-Alphamotorhomes-Dolcitini | -2 laps |
43 | Laura Porhel (Fra) | Row 42 - Cell 2 |
44 | Meg De Bruyne (Bel) | Row 43 - Cell 2 |
45 | Laura Greenhalgh (GBr) | -3 laps |
46 | Tine Rombouts (Bel) | Row 45 - Cell 2 |
47 | Jana Dobbelaere (Bel) | Row 46 - Cell 2 |
48 | Corey Coogan Cisek (USA) | Row 47 - Cell 2 |
49 | Tinne Vermeiren (Bel) | Row 48 - Cell 2 |
50 | Maite Barthels (Lux) | Row 49 - Cell 2 |
51 | Michelle Geoghgean (Irl) | Row 50 - Cell 2 |
52 | Nina Berton (Lux) | -4 laps |
53 | Liene Meeusen (Bel) | Row 52 - Cell 2 |
54 | Paula Diaz Lopez (Spa) | Row 53 - Cell 2 |
55 | Eline Steenhuysen | Row 54 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Ruby West (Can) Proximus-Alphamotorhomes-Dolcitini | Row 55 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Maud Paptheijns (Ned) Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal | Row 56 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Julie De Wilder (Bel) Iko-Crelan | Row 57 - Cell 2 |
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