Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado secured a dominant solo victory in the women’s Kermiscross Ardooie today, marking her first win of the cyclocross season. The Dutch rider took control midway through the race, launching a decisive attack in the third lap that left her rivals trailing.
Early on, Kiona Crabbé got off to the best start, but it wasn’t long before Alvarado moved to the front, setting a steady pace. A group of eight riders, including Marion Norbert Riberolle and Alicia Franck, formed the lead pack. However, as the race progressed, it became clear that Alvarado had more to give.
In the third lap, Alvarado increased her tempo and none of the chasing riders could stay with her. Slowly but surely, she built a lead that extended to 18 seconds over Norbert Riberolle by the final lap. Despite Norbert Riberolle’s best efforts, Alvarado crossed the finish line comfortably ahead, sealing her victory. Norbert Riberolle took second place, while Franck finished third after losing contact with her compatriot in the penultimate lap.
2024 Women’s Ardooie result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Vanthourenhout triumphs in a close battle at the men’s Kermiscross Ardooie
In the men’s race, European champion Michael Vanthourenhout clinched victory at the Kermiscross Ardooie, narrowly beating his Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal teammate Eli Iserbyt by three seconds. The race came down to the final lap, with Vanthourenhout timing his attack perfectly.
Midway through the race, a group of nine riders was in contention, but the pace set by Vanthourenhout and Iserbyt began to whittle the group down. By the final lap, the pair had broken away, with Witse Meeussen following 10 seconds behind in third.
“I chose to pace myself and only give it my all at the end,” Vanthourenhout told Het Nieuwsblad after the race. “It quickly became clear that Iserbyt and myself were just a little bit better, so we had to wait until the right moment to accelerate.” That moment came just before the final lap, with Vanthourenhout switching to a bike with slightly higher tyre pressure to allow him to take more risks in the corners.
Vanthourenhout’s calculated move paid off, as he created a small but crucial gap to Iserbyt in the final turns, crossing the finish line first. Meeussen secured third, completing an all-Belgian podium.
2024 Men’s Ardooie result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: David Pintens/Belga/Getty
