Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado claimed her third cyclocross victory of the season at the Exact Cross Heerderstrand on the sandy shores of the Netherlands, showing her skill on a challenging, sand-heavy course. Her decisive attack in the penultimate lap broke away from early leader Inge van der Heijden and sand specialist Laura Verdonschot, allowing her to cross the line with an eight-second gap.
The women’s race began with Van der Heijden setting a fast pace, joined by Verdonschot and last year’s winner, Manon Bakker. Alvarado took a more cautious approach, starting slowly and even changing her bike in the early laps. By the second lap, the trio in the lead had a six-second advantage over Alvarado, who, after her bike change, managed to close the gap. The group navigated a mix of sandy sections and quick turns, with Van der Heijden holding her lead for most of the race.
However, it was Alvarado who capitalised in the final laps. “I didn’t have the best legs at the beginning of the race,” Alvarado admitted. “It took me a long time to take my position at the front… but I never gave up. I had already changed bikes because I didn’t have the best tyres, but everything was fine pretty quickly.” She attacked decisively in the sand, breaking free from her rivals and quickly opening up a gap. Verdonschot, reflecting on the difficulty of competing against Alvarado and Van der Heijden, noted, “On the technical sections, I was in the advantage, but on the straights, I couldn’t pass her. She can ride hard, and I experienced that today.” In a sprint for second, Van der Heijden edged out Verdonschot, who finished third.
2024 Women’s Exact Cross Heerderstrand result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Photo Credit: GettyMen’s Exact Cross Heerderstrand
In the men’s race, Eli Iserbyt returned to competition after his recent three-race ban with a powerful victory, leaving behind the controversy of his suspension following a stamping incident involving Ryan Kamp. The Belgian national champion channelled his frustration into an explosive start on the sandy course. His speed on the lake-side path gave him the edge early on, with only Laurens Sweeck and Pim Ronhaar able to keep pace.
As the race progressed, Sweeck and Ronhaar closely challenged Iserbyt, who initially seemed poised to have his lead contested. Sweeck pushed hard in the sandy sections to match Iserbyt, but when he fell off the pace, Ronhaar seized his chance and closed in on Sweeck, overtaking him on the final lap to secure second. Iserbyt’s solo lead in the final laps secured his win, distancing him from the field and marking an emphatic return to racing.
The race also saw Spanish national champion Felipe Orts add to the intensity with a tumble on a tight corner, colliding with Guus van den Eijnden in a dramatic early-race moment. Recovering quickly, Orts fought back through the pack and ultimately finished fifth, rounding out a competitive debut for Heerderstrand as part of the Exact Cross series.
2024 Men’s Exact Cross Heerderstrand result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Getty
