Aniek van Alphen produced the most complete performance of her career so far, dictating the pace from the opening lap and riding solo to her maiden World Cup victory in Flamanville. The Seven Racing rider seized control early and never allowed the race to come back to her, opening a gap on Leonie Bentveld and defending it with growing confidence.
In the chase behind her, French champion Amandine Fouquenet delivered her best World Cup result to date with second place, while Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado marked her return from a knee injury with an encouraging third.
Van Alphen strikes early and never looks back
On a dry, rapid and flowing circuit around the château, Amandine Fouquenet set the early tempo with the holeshot, but the complexion of the race changed quickly once Van Alphen settled into her rhythm. By midway through the first lap, she had pushed to the front, Bentveld the only rider capable of staying near her wheel.
Behind them, Alvarado and European champion Inge van der Heijden began moving up from the second row, but by the second circuit, Van Alphen was already chipping open daylight. Bentveld began to lose contact, while Fouquenet drifted back into a group containing Alvarado, Van der Heijden and Marion Norbert Riberolle.
After fifteen minutes the race for victory was down to five riders, and Van Alphen was the only one off the leash. She struck decisively at the start of lap three, powering clear and committing fully to a long-range effort. By lap four her lead hovered around twenty seconds, a margin she controlled with calm efficiency.
“I cannot quite believe it,” she said afterwards. “I rode the whole race at my own pace. I felt good in the first lap and when the others made mistakes and I didn’t, I knew I could create a gap. I’m really happy I could hold it to the line.”
For the Brabant rider, it is her first televised win since the Exact Cross Essen in December 2022 and her first-ever World Cup victory. “It makes all the hard work worthwhile,” she added. “It’s wonderful to finally stand on the top step again.”
Fouquenet energises the home crowd
While Van Alphen’s victory looked increasingly assured, the podium battle behind her became an absorbing contest. Fouquenet, buoyed by home support, rediscovered her momentum and attacked the group containing Bentveld and Van der Heijden. Only Alvarado could go with her.
The pair matched each other’s accelerations through the middle laps, Alvarado typically quicker through the technical sections while Fouquenet used every straight to respond. On the final lap the French champion launched one last acceleration, opening a clean gap and securing a hugely popular second place.
Photo Credit: GettyAlvarado’s assured return
For Alvarado, Flamanville marked her first race in almost two months after persistent knee problems delayed her season start. With no clear sense of how her knee would respond and a course that rewarded power as much as finesse, she entered without expectations.
“I can be very happy with today,” she said. “It was a hard race and I suffered a lot, so third was the maximum. Aniek was outstanding. Halfway through I knew the win was gone. I tried, but I didn’t have the legs to ride any faster.”
She acknowledged that the course layout worked against her. “On the technical parts I could try to get ahead, but after every technical section there was a power section and that’s where I lost time today.”
Most importantly, her knee held steady. “My knee was fine. I think the injury is gone now. I just tried to get the maximum out of myself and that turned out to be third.”
Alvarado praised Van Alphen’s performance. “She really deserved it. It’s the icing on the cake for her and gives her extra motivation.”
World Cup picture and notable absences
Van Alphen now leads the overall World Cup standings after a fifth place in Tábor and victory in Flamanville. Her breakthrough comes partly thanks to a reshaped front of the field, with several major contenders opting out.
Lucinda Brand, who won in Tábor to equal Marianne Vos’ record of 51 consecutive podiums, skipped the French round to focus on a training block ahead of a heavy December. “I’m not chasing classifications,” she said earlier this season. “I’m choosing races that suit me and that fit my road season.”
Sara Casasola also missed Flamanville, still managing her recovery from illness after her strong second place in Tábor. World champion Fem van Empel remains absent as she continues her post-road-season break.
Further back, Annemarie Worst abandoned early after reportedly suffering from illness, a setback after making a promising return from a broken collarbone earlier in the month.
For Van Alphen, however, Flamanville marks a defining step: the day she turned promise into proof, taking control of the World Cup for the first time.
2025 Flamanville World Cup Women result
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