Manon Bakker wins Superprestige Niel 2026 as Lucinda Brand abandons early

Manon Bakker won the women’s Superprestige Niel 2026 with a commanding solo ride through the mud, taking her first victory in the series as world and European champion Lucinda Brand abandoned during the opening lap.

The Dutch rider made the decisive move on the second of five laps and held her advantage to the finish, stopping the clock at 45 minutes and 22 seconds. Italian champion Sara Casasola worked her way through the field to finish 14 seconds behind, with Denise Betsema third at 22 seconds.

Bakker’s seventh victory of the 2026–27 cyclocross season was her biggest success in Europe since winning the Val di Sole World Cup in December 2023. Behind her, Aniek van Alphen finished fifth but retained the overall Superprestige lead after three rounds.

How it unfolded

Heavy rain turned the Jaarmarktcross circuit into a demanding test of running and balance, just as our Niel women’s preview. The sand section forced riders off their bikes almost immediately, while the muddy climbs and awkward off-camber banks repeatedly interrupted their rhythm.

Amandine Fouquenet made the best start, with Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw teammate Leonie Bentveld also prominent. The French rider briefly established an advantage while the field stretched out through the first running sections. Brand was trying to work her way towards the front when her race ended abruptly.

On one of the short rises, Brand lost her line near the course barriers and twisted her foot as she tried to correct herself. She attempted to continue but withdrew after roughly five minutes of racing. Having won the European title in Zeddam only four days earlier, the world champion had arrived among the leading favourites. The extent of the injury was not immediately confirmed.

Fouquenet’s early advantage disappeared as Van Alphen moved to the front, with Bakker also making rapid progress. The three briefly led the contest, while Bentveld and Inge van der Heijden remained close enough to keep the front of the race unsettled.

Bakker takes control on the steep running sections

Bakker began making the difference where riding gave way to running. On the steep, slippery ascents she was able to carry more speed on foot than the riders around her, opening gaps that were difficult to recover once they remounted. The advantage was not simply the product of Brand’s withdrawal. Bakker was the strongest rider on the sections that shaped the race.

She went clear on lap two and reached the start of the third circuit with approximately 18 seconds in hand. Van Alphen initially led the pursuit, but the chasing order changed as Betsema and Casasola recovered from slower starts and began moving through the field.

Betsema was particularly effective during the middle of the race. She briefly reduced Bakker’s lead to around 13 seconds, with Bentveld also contributing to the pursuit. Yet the gap never disappeared. Every muddy run-up required another acceleration from the chasers, while Bakker continued to maintain a consistent pace at the front.

Casasola gradually became the greater threat. The Italian champion had lost ground early but improved as the race developed, joining Betsema in the battle for second and then beginning to push on herself. Their pursuit reduced the number of contenders for the podium without bringing the leader back within reach.

Casasola closes late but cannot deny Bakker

With one lap remaining, Bakker still had around 17 seconds over the nearest challengers. It was a substantial cushion on a circuit where mistakes were easy to make, though hardly an opportunity to ease off. The final lap still contained the same muddy descents, difficult remounts and running sections on which she had built her advantage.

Casasola left Betsema behind in the closing circuit and attempted one last pursuit. She took time back from Bakker, but the Dutch rider negotiated the final obstacles without surrendering the lead and crossed the line 14 seconds clear.

Betsema completed the podium eight seconds after Casasola. Bentveld finished fourth at 37 seconds, with Middelkerke winner Van Alphen fifth at 47 seconds. Fouquenet faded to sixth after her fast opening lap, ahead of Van der Heijden, Hélène Clauzel and Julie Brouwers. Britain’s Grace Inglis rounded out the top ten, 3:27 behind the winner.

A first Superprestige win carries extra significance for Bakker

For Bakker, the result was an important step beyond an already productive start to the winter. She had taken six victories during her North American campaign but returned to the European circuit without the backing of a major professional cyclocross team. Racing independently, she had not won an elite European event of this stature since her breakthrough World Cup victory at Val di Sole in December 2023.

Niel offered a very particular test of her strengths. Rather than relying on a late sprint or a single technical mistake from a rival, Bakker established the lead through repeated gains on foot and defended it against two experienced chasers for more than half the race. Her handling of the demanding terrain was as important as the initial acceleration.

It was also her first victory in a Superprestige round, a notable result in a competition that rewards consistency over eight races rather than success on one afternoon.

Van Alphen keeps the overall lead ahead of Merksplas

Fifth place was enough for Van Alphen to remain at the top of the women’s Superprestige standings on 40 points. Betsema moved up to second with 37, while Van der Heijden’s seventh place left her third on 36. Bakker’s victory added another contender to the individual races, but the overall competition remains tightly contested.

The next round takes place at Merksplas on Saturday, 14 November, leaving only three days between races. Brand’s fitness will be one of the immediate questions following her withdrawal in Niel, although there was no confirmed prognosis at the finish.

Superprestige Niel women 2026 result