The Memorial Radomir Simunek in the Dutch town of Gieten, named after the Czech 1991 world champion Radomir Simunek Sr., kicked off a new Superprestige cyclocross season. Forest tracks, muddy run-ups and lots of sand are what awaited the riders today.
One interesting appearance in today’s Women’s race was Annemiek van Vleuten (Mitchelton-Scott), the current road world champion. American Kaitie Keough (Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld) also made the start after her Euro debut at Polderscross on Saturday.
Inge van der Heijden (CCC-Liv), the U23 world champion, had the head start. Ellen van Loy (Telenet-Baloise Lions) had a reputation to keep up and tried to take over.
While van der Heijden and Van Loy were battling each other for the lead, Annemarie Worst (Steylaerts-777 ) and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Corendon-Circus) sharpened their knives.
Halfway through the first lap, the Elite and U23 European champions in Worst and Alvarado took off. By the end of the first lap, they already had a 7 seconds advantage on the first chasing group.
It soon became clear that Alvarado was the strongest woman in the race. After yo-yo-ing for half a lap, Worst broke, probably still recovering from yesterday’s effort that got her a win in Kruibeke. By the end of lap 2, she was joined by 6 others, but Alvarado’s lead amounted to 33 seconds already.
Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado powers away from the field. 2019 Superprestige Gieten. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
In the third lap, Alvarado got stopped by a lapped rider who crashed in a sandy corner, but it didn’t prevent her from extending her lead with another 10 seconds. It was Yara Kastelijn (Steylaerts-777) and World Champion Sanne Cant (IKO-Crelan ) fighting their way towards the podium with a 43 seconds arrear.
While van Loy went down in the deep mud, Kastelijn started putting Cant under pressure and with 2 laps to go, she dropped the world champion.
While Alvarado entered the last lap, van Vleuten dropped out of the race. It was a fun outing after a tough but very successful road season.
Cant made her way back to Kastelijn and soon the roles turned. She left Kastelijn behind, but the victory was lost a long time ago already.
The order on the podium was determined. Alvarado took her second win of the season. Cant finished second with a 55 seconds arrears. Kastelijn completed the podium.
Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado celebrates her win. 2019 Superprestige Gieten. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
“When I accelerated, I immediately had a little gap. It was still far, but I tried to find a good rhythm and I was able to keep that till the end. I even had a little something left for the last lap, but that turned out not to be necessary,” Alvarado said. (translated, source: Sporza)
Elite Women’s podium: Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, Sanne Cant and Yara Kastelijn. 2019 Superprestige Gieten. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
After a strong race, Italian champion Eva Lechner (Creafin – Fristads) took 4th with a little advantage on Van Loy, who took 5th.
Keough went on to finish 17th.
Full results are below. Stay tuned for a Men’s race report.
| Rank | BIB | Last Name | First Name | Country | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 32 | ALVARADO | Ceylin del Carmen | NED | 0:46:24 |
| 2 | 1 | CANT | Sanne | BEL | 0:47:19 |
| 3 | 35 | KASTELIJN | Yara | NED | 0:47:30 |
| 4 | 9 | LECHNER | Eva | ITA | 0:47:37 |
| 5 | 3 | VAN LOY | Ellen | BEL | 0:47:42 |
| 6 | 5 | KAPTHEIJNS | Maud | NED | 0:47:47 |
| 7 | 38 | BAKKER | Manon | NED | 0:47:55 |
| 8 | 6 | VERDONSCHOT | Laura | BEL | 0:47:58 |
| 9 | 34 | VAN ANROOIJ | Shirin | NED | 0:48:00 |
| 10 | 15 | HOEKE | Geerte | NED | 0:48:23 |
| 11 | 4 | ARZUFFI | Alice Maria | ITA | 0:48:29 |
| 12 | 2 | WORST | Annemarie | NED | 0:48:47 |
| 13 | 31 | VAN DER HEIJDEN | Inge | NED | 0:49:08 |
| 14 | 12 | SELS | Loes | BEL | 0:49:38 |
| 15 | 36 | VAN ALPHEN | Aniek | NED | 0:49:50 |
| 16 | 11 | VERHESTRAETEN | Karen | BEL | 0:50:07 |
| 17 | 10 | KEOUGH | Kaitlin | USA | 0:50:22 |
| 18 | 17 | PAUL | Stefanie | GER | 0:50:35 |
| 19 | 37 | VAN ANROOIJ | Lindy | NED | 0:50:42 |
| 20 | 33 | TRUYEN | Marthe | BEL | 0:50:53 |
| 21 | 20 | VAN DE REE | Monique | NED | 0:51:47 |
| 22 | 48 | FLYNN | Anna | GBR | 0:51:56 |
| 23 | 14 | GOOSSENS | Veerle | NED | 0:52:09 |
| 24 | 62 | PIETERSE | Puck | NED | 0:52:18 |
| 25 | 58 | NOMDEN | Isa | NED | 0:52:18 |
| 26 | 43 | VAN DER BURG | Esther | NED | 0:52:54 |
| 27 | 66 | VAN ROOIJEN | Sofie | NED | 0:53:09 |
| 28 | 71 | VOS | Marlies | NED | 0:53:30 |
| 29 | 21 | BOROWIECKA | Barbara | POL | 0:53:50 |
| 30 | 55 | KNAVEN | Senne | NED | LAP |
| 31 | 44 | CRABBÉ | Kiona | BEL | LAP |
| 32 | 51 | VAN HELVOIRT | Lisa | NED | LAP |
| 33 | 13 | GERRITSEN | Irene | NED | LAP |
| 34 | 54 | JONKERS | Eva | NED | LAP |
| 35 | 65 | ROELANDTS | Julie | BEL | LAP |
| 36 | 7 | VAN VLEUTEN | Annemiek | NED | LAP |
| 37 | 64 | QUINT | Danielle | NED | LAP |
| 38 | 61 | VAN DER PEET | Fleur | NED | LAP |
| 39 | 59 | OFFEREIN | Iris | NED | LAP |
| 40 | 16 | KRANS | Laura | NED | LAP |
| 41 | 68 | SCHUTTEN | Pam | NED | LAP |
| 42 | 42 | BOVEN | Kimberly | NED | LAP |
| 43 | 46 | DORUSSEN | Lisa | NED | LAP |
| 44 | 47 | VAN ESPELO | Danique | NED | LAP |
| 45 | 45 | VAN DIENST | Annemoon | NED | LAP |
| 46 | 67 | SCHOE | Aimée | NED | LAP |
| 47 | 73 | ZWAAN | Sophia | NED | LAP |
| 48 | 40 | BONTHUIS | Lora | NED | LAP |
| 49 | 53 | DE JONG | Hedwig | NED | LAP |
| 50 | 41 | BOUWERS | Lisa | NED | LAP |
| 51 | 63 | PIETERSE | Isa | NED | LAP |
| 52 | 19 | WOUDSMA | Josine | NED | LAP |
| 53 | 50 | HEIDEMA | Enya | NED | LAP |
| DNF | 69 | SCOTT | Katie | GBR | |
| DNF | 49 | GIESKENS | Gaby | NED |
