The Superprestige series made its anticipated return on Monday with the fifth round taking place at the Zilvermeercross in Mol, Belgium, after a five-week hiatus. The event saw Dutch cyclist Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado achieving her fourth Superprestige victory of the season, following her success at the Zonhoven World Cup just a day before.
Alvarado, who has been on fire this season, was on track to win her fourth consecutive Superprestige title. She entered the race with just one point lead over her closest rival, Lucinda Brand, making the stakes particularly high. Last year, Brand had triumphed at the Mol race, which was previously part of the Exact Cross series.
Among the Canadian competitors, Siobhan Kelly was the top performer, finishing the race in 43rd place. The absence of several key athletes due to injuries and illnesses, such as Fem van Empel and Annemarie Worst, altered the dynamics of the race, leaving Alvarado and Brand to contend for the title.
From the start, the race was filled with excitement as riders took on the 2.78-kilometre circuit. Alvarado faced some challenges early on, dropping to third place after struggling through one of the sandy sections. By the end of Lap 1, Brand had found her stride and took the lead at the beginning of the second lap.
On Lap 2, Alvarado attempted to regain momentum but faced fierce competition from Brand, as well as other strong contenders like Jinse Peeters. Meanwhile, Canada's Christiane Bilodeau managed to keep up with the lead pack for much of the early race.
Midway through the race, significant shifts occurred as van der Heijden and Brand vied for important positions. Van der Heijden initially led at the beginning of Lap 3 but began to lag as the race pressed on. Alvarado capitalized on the opportunity, pushing herself to overtake her rivals after noticing Brand's struggles.
On the penultimate lap, Brand experienced a fall, which allowed Alvarado to secure her position and extend her lead. Alvarado realized the importance of this moment: "I heard Brand had fallen, but she had not ridden far at the moment, so I certainly thought she would still be able to catch up. She didn't, so it was the moment for me to turn on the gas tap," she stated after her victory.
By the end of the race, Alvarado finished with a time of 43:10, a solid 33 seconds ahead of Brand, who came in second, and van der Heijden, who secured third place. Despite Brand’s impressive record, having been on the podium for all 17 races this season, she could not make up the difference after the fall.
This victory not only cements Alvarado’s dominance but also positions her strongly as the series heads toward its next round scheduled for December 30, 2024, in Diegem, Belgium. The overall standings after the Mol race show Alvarado leading the Superprestige series, just one point above Brand.
The Zilvermeercross is part of the larger Superprestige series, which is considered one of the premier events beneath the UCI World Cup framework. Alvarado's consistency and recent form have made her the standout performer this season, raising expectations for her future performances as the competitive cyclocross season continues.
