X2O Trophy Kortrijk: Lucinda Brand wins elite women's race
Betsema and Kastlijn round out podium
Lucinda Brand (Telenet Baloise) secured victory at the X²O Badkamers Trophy’s Urban Cross Kortrijk on Saturday. It was an all Dutch podium as Brand sprinted for the win ahead of Denise Betsema (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) in second and Yara Kastelijn (Credishop-Fristads).
World champion Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin-Fenix) crashed in the closing metres of the race and was out of contention for the final sprint, finishing in fourth place.
Brand attacked a lead group of contenders as the race head into the last of six laps. Her rivals stuck to her rear wheel, however, as Betsema, Alvarado and Kastelijn clung to the fast pace through the first half of the last lap. The quartet ’s high speeds meant that a sizeable gap opened on chasers Annemarie Worst (777) and Fem van Empel (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal).
Inside the final half lap, Betsema overtook Brand for the front position and then opened a small gap through an off-camber section, forcing Brand to chase with Alvarado on her wheel, while Kastelijn barely hung onto the back.
Alvarado slide out on a slick, muddy off-camber section, and was caught by the netting on the course. She got back on her bike but lost a significant number of seconds to the three leaders and was out of contention for the final sprint.
Betsema led the three riders into the finale followed by Brand and Kastelijn, through the zig zag fencing and into the last straightaway. Onto the tarmac, Betsema led the trio into the uphill sprint but as she slowed and looked over her shoulder at her rivals, Brand kicked for the line with 150 metres to go to take the win.
Betsema finished second, Kastelijn third, and 13 seconds later, Alvarado rolled over the finish line in fourth.
Pos. | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Lucinda Brand (Ned) Telenet Baloise Lions | 0:45:43 |
2 | Denise Betsema (Ned) Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal | 0:00:01 |
3 | Yara Kastelijn (Ned) Credishop-Fristads | |
4 | Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Ned) Alpecin - Fenix | 0:00:14 |
5 | Fem Van Empel (Ned) Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal | 0:00:40 |
6 | Annemarie Worst (Ned) 777 | 0:00:43 |
7 | Manon Bakker (Ned) Credishop-Fristads | 0:01:07 |
8 | Sanne Cant (Bel) Iko - Crelan | 0:01:27 |
9 | Aniek Van Alphen (Ned) Credishop-Fristads | 0:01:34 |
10 | Clara Honsinger (USA) | 0:01:58 |
11 | Ellen Van Loy (Bel) Telenet Baloise Lions | 0:02:09 |
12 | Loes Sels (Bel) Iko - Crelan | 0:02:42 |
13 | Ruby West (Can) Proximus - Alphamotorhomes - Doltcini Ct | 0:02:56 |
14 | Kaitlin Keough (USA) | 0:02:57 |
15 | Susanne Meistrok (Ned) Proximus - Alphamotorhomes - Doltcini Ct | 0:03:31 |
16 | Marine Strappazzon (Fra) Team Podiocom Cc | 0:03:45 |
17 | Karen Verhestraeten (Bel) Iko - Crelan | 0:03:56 |
18 | Esther Van Der Burg (Ned) Proximus - Alphamotorhomes - Doltcini Ct | 0:04:07 |
19 | Lindy Van Anrooij (Ned) Starcasino Cx Team | 0:04:20 |
20 | Kiona Crabbé (Bel) | 0:04:25 |
21 | Amy Perryman (GBr) | 0:04:41 |
22 | Jana Dobbelaere (Bel) | 0:04:59 |
23 | Marlène Petit (Fra) Team Podiocom Cc | 0:05:46 |
24 | Shana Maes (Bel) Tormans Cyclo Cross Team | 0:06:02 |
25 | Camille Benoit Guyod (Fra) | 0:06:18 |
26 | Abbie Manley (GBr) | 0:06:27 |
27 | Tessa Zwaenepoel (Bel) Proximus - Alphamotorhomes - Doltcini Ct | 0:07:19 |
28 | Tine Rombouts (Bel) | 0:07:31 |
29 | Siobhan Kelly (Can) | 0:07:35 |
30 | Maïté Barthels (Lux) | |
31 | Lina Beirinckx (Bel) |
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Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.
Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.
She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.
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