Brand On Point on the Off-Camber to Win 2020 World Cup Hoogerheide – Report – Cyclocross Magazine

Heading into the final round of the 2019/20 Telenet UCI World Cup, only 5 points separated main contenders Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin-Fenix) and Annemarie Worst (777) in the general classification. If Worst finished before Alvarado today, she would likely win the overall. Alvarado faced the task of bettering her Dutch rival.

The stage for the exciting finale of the 2019-2020 Word Cup was the cyclocross course in the Dutch city of Hoogerheide, the original stomping grounds of Adri van der Poel, the 1996 World Champion cyclocross and father of current World Champion cyclocross Mathieu van der Poel.

Hoogerheide offers one of the most beautiful courses in cyclocross and has been the scene of multiple world championships, the last time in 2014 when Marianne Vos (CCC – Liv) captured her 7th title. In 2023, Hoogerheide will once again host the World Championships.

On Sunday, Inge van der Heijden (CCC – Liv) and Worst led the pack in the first lap. Alvarado made sure to hold on to Worst’s wheel as the overall win in the World Cup was at stake. Katie Compton (KFC Racing p/b Trek/Knight), who won in Hoogerheide in 2011, attacked at the end of the first lap but was immediately countered.

Lucinda Brand leads a group of riders early in the race. 2020 World Cup Hoogerheide, Netherlands. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

In lap 3, it was European champion Yara Kastelijn (777) who took the lead. She gave her all on the long climb, but Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing CX) took Worst, Alvarado, Lucinda Brand (Telenet Baloise Lions), World Champion Cant (IKO-Crelan) and Van der Heijden back to her wheel. On the off-chamber Brand decided to take the lower track, which soon turned out not to be her best decision as she dived into the Dutch soil.

As the race and the 2019-2020 World Cup was coming to an end, Alvarado and Worst started tormenting each other. The consecutive attacks gave them an advantage on the others, but not being able to get rid of each other the pace dropped again. Brand, Cant, Kastelijn and Richards rejoined.

Annemarie Worst leads the group of riders battling at the front. 2020 World Cup Hoogerheide, Netherlands. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Brand then attacked at the end of the second to last lap. Alvarado responded with Worst on her wheel. The three distanced themselves and prepared themselves for the last World Cup lap in the 2019-2020 season.

Brand attacked at the start of the last lap. 2020 World Cup Hoogerheide, Netherlands. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Brand lifted the pace to an ultimate high going towards the last passage of stairs. Alvarado pushed herself passed Brand on the stairs, while Worst seemed to have a tough moment. Was this the decisive moment with only the off-chamber and the final stretch left?

It wasn’t, as spectators saw a drama unfolding.

As Alvarado entered the off-chamber, her front wheel dropped off the upper level of the track. She crashed and quickly tried to find her bike, as Worst was passing by her. The chain, however, had dropped and Brand and Worst took off towards the final stretch.

Brand put down a powerful sprint and took the win.

Worst took second, but as she finished in front of Alvarado, she won the overall classification in the 2019-2020 World Cup. Cant, Kastelijn and Richards all passed Alvarado as well, but it was the World Champion who took the last spot on the podium.

World Cup overall podium: Annemarie Worst, Ceylin Alvarado and Katerina Nash. 2020 World Cup Hoogerheide, Netherlands. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Despite the drama for the World Cup victory, Brand seemed very happy with her 5th win of the season.

“It’s very nice to win here. The last race before the World Championships, it’s always good to win that one,” Brand said.

Maghalie Rochette (Specialized x Feedback Sports) finished 8th, Caroline Mani (Pactimo / Colorado Proud) 14th, Compton, 15th, Katie Clouse (Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld) 17th, Katerina Nash (Clif Pro Team) 19th, Clara Honsinger (Team S&M CX) 21st, Rebecca Fahringer (Kona Maxxis Shimano) 30th, Sammi Runnels (Squid x Eliel) 37th, Madigan Munro (Boulder Junior Cycling) 38th, Ruby West (Pivot / Maxxis p/b Stan’s NoTubes) 46th, Hannah Arensman (JA King Cyclocross) 53rd, Lizzy Gunsalus (Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld) 54th, Emily Johnston (Naked Factory Racing) 55th, Emily Werner (Amy D. Foundation) 57th, Shannon Mallory (NW Women’s CX Project) 65th, Dana Gilligan (Hardwood Next Wave) 74th and Claire Steciuk (Hardwood Next Wave) 79th.

Full results are below.

Rank	BIB	Last Name	First Name	Country	Result
1	14	BRAND	Lucinda	NED	0:45:11
2	13	WORST	Annemarie	NED	0:45:14
3	1	CANT	Sanne	BEL	0:45:15
4	11	KASTELIJN	Yara	NED	0:45:16
5	36	RICHARDS	Evie	GBR	0:45:21
6	12	ALVARADO	Ceylin del Carmen	NED	0:45:28
7	17	VAN ANROOIJ	Shirin	NED	0:45:37
8	80	ROCHETTE	Maghalie	CAN	0:45:40
9	15	VAN DER HEIJDEN	Inge	NED	0:45:55
10	4	VERDONSCHOT	Laura	BEL	0:45:55
11	2	VAN LOY	Ellen	BEL	0:45:55
12	57	LECHNER	Eva	ITA	0:45:56
13	6	FRANCK	Alicia	BEL	0:45:57
14	68	MANI	Caroline	FRA	0:45:58
15	25	COMPTON	Katherine	USA	0:46:00
16	20	PIETERSE	Puck	NED	0:46:00
17	27	CLOUSE	Katie	USA	0:46:23
18	35	KAY	Anna	GBR	0:46:24
19	41	NASH	Katerina	CZE	0:46:25
20	47	GONZALEZ BLANCO	Lucia	ESP	0:46:35
21	24	HONSINGER	Clara	USA	0:46:42
22	67	NORBERT RIBEROLLE	Marion	FRA	0:46:44
23	61	CASASOLA	Sara	ITA	0:46:44
24	16	BAKKER	Manon	NED	0:46:48
25	21	VAN ALPHEN	Aniek	NED	0:46:49
26	74	MAJERUS	Christine	LUX	0:46:53
27	62	REALINI	Gaia	ITA	0:47:00
28	3	SELS	Loes	BEL	0:47:04
29	70	FOUQUENET	Amandine	FRA	0:47:07
30	26	FAHRINGER	Rebecca	USA	0:47:08
31	76	BRANDAU	Elisabeth	GER	0:47:12
32	23	VAN EMPEL	Fem	NED	0:47:14
33	18	HOEKE	Geerte	NED	0:47:19
34	59	BARONI	Francesca	ITA	0:47:25
35	40	HAVLÍKOVÁ	Pavla	CZE	0:47:34
36	69	CLAUZEL	Perrine	FRA	0:47:38
37	28	RUNNELS	Samantha	USA	0:47:47
38	29	MUNRO	Madigan	USA	0:47:55
39	71	CURINIER	Léa	FRA	0:48:02
40	5	VANDERBEKEN	Joyce	BEL	0:48:14
41	64	BARHOUMI	Zina	SUI	0:48:17
42	43	VIHÁLKOVÁ	Tereza	CZE	0:48:22
43	65	KRÄHEMANN	Lara	SUI	0:48:30
44	38	NELSON	Josie	GBR	0:48:41
45	48	NUÑO PALACIO	Aida	ESP	0:48:46
46	82	WEST	Ruby	CAN	0:48:48
47	34	HARNDEN	Harriet	GBR	0:48:56
48	50	RODRIGUEZ REVERT	Sofia	ESP	0:48:58
49	39	FLYNN	Anna	GBR	0:49:03
50	7	TRUYEN	Marthe	BEL	0:49:12
51	75	SCHREIBER	Marie	LUX	0:49:35
52	81	JACKSON	Jennifer	CAN	0:49:41
53	30	ARENSMAN	Hannah	USA	0:49:50
54	31	GUNSALUS	Lizzy	USA	0:49:54
55	84	JOHNSTON	Emilly	CAN	0:50:03
56	22	NOMDEN	Isa	NED	0:50:18
57	33	WERNER	Emily	USA	0:50:24
58	86	HEIGL	Nadja	AUT	0:50:28
59	10	DE WILDE	Julie	BEL	0:50:28
60	78	KRAHL	Judith	GER	0:50:35
61	77	PAUL	Stefanie	GER	0:50:42
62	72	DEVIGNE	Camille	FRA	0:50:45
63	89	MÕTTUS	Mari-Liis	EST	0:50:49
64	44	BEDRNÍKOVÁ	Karolína	CZE	0:50:59
65	32	MALLORY	Shannon	USA	0:51:04
66	8	CRABBÉ	Kiona	BEL	0:51:10
67	37	CRUMPTON	Bethany	GBR	0:51:35
68	49	DIAZ LOPEZ	Paula	ESP	0:51:37
69	42	BAJGEROVÁ	Nikola	CZE	0:51:42
70	9	BROUWERS	Julie	BEL	0:53:08
71	66	ROUILLER	Mélissa	SUI	LAP
72	51	TRABAZO BRAGADO	Irene	ESP	LAP
73	73	MULLER	Cyriane	FRA	LAP
74	83	GILLIGAN	Dana	CAN	LAP
75	54	PARAJON FUENTES	Maria	ESP	LAP
76	56	BONILLO TALENS	Sara	ESP	LAP
77	63	ZANGA	Marta	ITA	LAP
78	55	ALBERT BOSCH	Ainara	ESP	LAP
79	85	STECIUK	Claire	CAN	LAP
80	79	STEFFENHAGEN	Diana	GER	LAP
81	87	AKAMATSU	Aya	JPN	LAP
DNF	45	NOVOTNÁ	Aneta	CZE
DNS	53	GOMEZ ANDREU	Lucia	ESP