picture of Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado
Brand Isn't The Favorite For Worlds

Can Lucinda Brand Win The Cyclocross World Championships This Weekend? We Think Not.

Jan 29, 2021

Lucinda Brand has dominated cyclocross this season, but she faces serious challengers in Ostend this weekend.

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The women’s field will be headlined by Lucinda Brand, who dominated the World Cup. Brand is however by no means a runaway favorite for the title. Denise Betsema, who lives on one of Holland’s northern islands is well acquainted with sand riding, a point she proved with her 2018 Koksijde victory. Betsema was a key challenger in the 2020-2021 World Cup, winning the fourth round in Hulst.

Another former winner in Koksijde, which is just 30 kilometers down the beach from Ostend, is defending world champion Ceylin Del Carmen Alvarado. Alvarado was not as dominant in this cyclocross season as she was last year, however her win in last weekend’s Overijse World Cup suggests that she has timed the arrival of her form to perfection.