LUCINDA BRAND AND VAN DER POEL WIN ‘CROSS WORLDS

The Netherlands dominated the 2021 Cyclocross World Championships in Ostend, Belgium. Dutch duo, Lucinda Brand and Mathieu Van der Poel, were victorious in the women’s and men’s elite categories.

In the women’s race, defending champion, Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado crashed in the whole shot which allowed 31-year-old Lucinda Brand to lead the race with two compatriots. Brand powered away on the final lap to finish with a half-a-second gap ahead of Annemarie Worst.

Mathieu Van der Poel earned his fourth world championship over 30 seconds ahead of Belgian rival Wout Van Aert. After a crash in the whole shot involving Tom Pidcock, Van der Poel and Van Aert had separated themselves from the other favorites. Van Der Poel crashed as Van Aert attacked early but the the defending champ closed the gap. On the third lap, an untimely puncture for Van Aert allowed Van der Poel to open up a gap that he increased over the next three laps to the finish.

Mathieu Van der Poel told reporters “The flat tire for Van Aert was a little bit of luck from my side to come back but at that moment I didn’t feel the race was over yet,

“The course changed and became a bit faster at the beach section and I felt (I had) a bit better legs by then and I improved every lap running through the sand, so the good feeling was growing lap by lap and that made the difference for me today.”

WOMEN’S TOP 5 RESULTS

1. BRAND Lucinda

2. WORST Annemarie

3. BETSEMA Denise

4. HONSINGER Clara

5. KASTELIJN Yara

MEN’S TOP 5 RESULTS

1.  VAN DER POEL Mathieu

2.  VAN AERT Wout

3.  AERTS Toon

4. PIDCOCK Thomas

5. SWEECK Laurens

Photos: Bettini