The Elite Women took to the UCI Cyclocross World Cup course in Dendermonde, which was run backward from 2020.
Lucinda Brand was consistent and held off a charging Clara Honsinger. 2021 Dendermonde UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Elite Women. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
The first lap left plenty of suspense, with multiple lead changes and Marianne Vos, Mannon Bakker, Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado and Shirin van Anrooij all pushing hard at the front in their search of green grass and traction.
It didn’t take long for the class of the field this season, a patient Lucinda Brand, to emerge from the pack and mud to ride clear of her rivals and put her stamp on this season’s World Cup rankings.
Clara Honsinger had a blazing last lap to nearly catch Brand. 2021 Dendermonde UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Elite Women. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
Behind her, the question was who might complete the podium. Denise Betsema made mistakes in the race for second, while 2021 USA Cycling National Champ Clara Honsinger hit the turbo on her last lap to drop Betsema and nearly reel in Brand by the finish.
Lucinda Brand was consistent and held off a charging Clara Honsinger. 2021 Dendermonde UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Elite Women. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
Youngsters Katie Clouse and Maddie Munro led the rest of North Americans, finishing in 19th and 20th.
Clara Honsinger had a blazing last lap to nearly catch Brand. 2021 Dendermonde UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Elite Women. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
Canadian Maghalie Rochette did not finish.
The top two were the same as in 2021, with Betsema replacing Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado in third.
Honsinger, Brand, Betsema. 2021 Dendermonde UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Elite Women. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
“It was really hard, there was a lot of running, and finding the place where you could keep a little bit of speed,” said Brand after the finish. “I had trust that this was a course where in the end the strongest would come [to] the front.”
“I was just trying to keep smooth as possible and see where I could make time on that last lap,” said Honsinger after the finish. “Maybe if it was five minutes longer…”
The race was held without in-person fans, after Belgium banned them from outdoor sporting events.
2021 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Dendermonde Results: Elite Women
| No | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BRAND Lucinda (BALOISE TREK LIONS) | 47:38:00 |
| 2 | HONSINGER Clara (CANNONDALE/CYCLOCROSSWORLD) | 47:42:00 |
| 3 | BETSEMA Denise (PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL) | 48:14:00 |
| 4 | VOS Marianne (JUMBO-VISMA WOMEN TEAM) | 48:19:00 |
| 5 | * VAN ANROOIJ Shirin (BALOISE TREK LIONS) | 48:19:00 |
| 6 | * PIETERSE Puck (ALPECIN - FENIX) | 48:24:00 |
| 7 | CANT Sanne (IKO - CRELAN) | 48:30:00 |
| 8 | VAS Kata Blanka (TEAM SD WORX) | 48:48:00 |
| 9 | ALVARADO Ceylin del Carmen (ALPECIN - FENIX) | 48:53:00 |
| 10 | BAKKER Manon (IKO - CRELAN) | 48:56:00 |
| 11 | * VAN EMPEL Fem (PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL) | 49:26:00 |
| 12 | CLAUZEL Helene (A.S BIKE CROSSTEAM) | 49:59:00 |
| 13 | VAN ALPHEN Aniek (777) | 50:06:00 |
| 14 | VAN DER HEIJDEN Inge (777) | 50:09:00 |
| 15 | NORBERT RIBEROLLE Marion (STARCASINO CX TEAM) | 50:10:00 |
| 16 | LECHNER Eva (TRINX FACTORY TEAM) | 50:13:00 |
| 17 | PERSICO Silvia (VALCAR - TRAVEL & SERVICE) | 50:16:00 |
| 18 | MAJERUS Christine (TEAM SD WORX) | 50:40:00 |
| 19 | * CLOUSE Katie (CANNONDALE/CYCLOCROSSWORLD) | 50:44:00 |
| 20 | * MUNRO Madigan (TREK FACTORY RACING CX) | 51:30:00 |
| 21 | CLAUZEL Perrine (A.S BIKE CROSSTEAM) | 51:50:00 |
| 22 | ARZUFFI Alice Maria (VALCAR - TRAVEL & SERVICE) | 51:59:00 |
| 23 | BILLOUIN Solenne (TEAM GUEVEL IMMOBILIER LAVAL CYCLISME 53) | 52:18:00 |
| 24 | * REALINI Gaia | 52:32:00 |
| 25 | KOPECKY Lotte (LIV RACING) | 52:47:00 |
| 26 | * ZEMANOVA Kristyna | 52:49:00 |
| 27 | * ONESTI Olivia (STARCASINO CX TEAM) | 52:50:00 |
| 28 | VERDONSCHOT Laura (PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL) | 52:57:00 |
| 29 | * CRABBE Kiona (PLANTUR-PURA) | 53:07:00 |
| 30 | TRUYEN Marthe (IKO - CRELAN) | 53:19:00 |
| 31 | * DE WILDE Julie (IKO - CRELAN) | 53:44:00 |
| 32 | NUSS Raylyn | 53:49:00 |
| 33 | VAN LOY Ellen | 53:52:00 |
| 34 | GONZALEZ BLANCO Lucia (NESTA - MMR CX TEAM) | 53:53:00 |
| 35 | * KURNICKA Tereza | 53:55:00 |
| 36 | HENZELIN Lise-Marie | 53:56:00 |
| 37 | MELLOR Amira (TEAM SPECTRA WIGGLE P/B VITUS) | 54:17:00 |
| 38 | VERHOEVEN Suzanne | 54:33:00 |
| 39 | * SCHREIBER Marie (TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM) | 54:36:00 |
| 40 | * KRAHL Judith (SCHAMEL P/B KLOSTER KITCHEN) | 54:37:00 |
| 41 | VERHESTRAETEN Karen (IKO - CRELAN) | 54:59:00 |
| 42 | ROGNANT Viviane (OCF TEAM CROSS) | 55:26:00 |
| 43 | TEOCCHI Chiara (TRINITY RACING) | 55:34:00 |
| 44 | BERNSTEIN Caitlin | 55:46:00 |
| 45 | VANDERBEKEN Joyce | 55:51:00 |
| 46 | MEGALE Anna | 56:06:00 |
| 47 | * SEIDEL Clea | 56:09:00 |
| 48 | MCGILL Sidney | 56:23:00 |
| 49 | ZAVETA Erica | 56:24:00 |
| 50 | WERNER Emily | 56:46:00 |
| 51 | * VANICKOVA Tereza | 56:54:00 |
| 52 | * CREES Xan (TEAM SPECTRA WIGGLE P/B VITUS) | 57:03:00 |
| 53 | * BRAMATI Lucia (TRINX FACTORY TEAM) | 57:12:00 |
| 54 | * NOMDEN Isa | 57:24:00 |
| 55 | PAUL Stefanie | 34:24:00 |
| 56 | DE BRUYNE Meg | 34:30:00 |
| 57 | * DEVIGNE Camille | 34:41:00 |
| 58 | RODRIGUEZ REVERT Sofia (TEIKA - GSPORT) | 34:44:00 |
| 59 | * BERTON Nina (ANDY SCHLECK - CP NVST - IMMO LOSCH) | 34:55:00 |
| 60 | CUETO VEGA Sara (UNICAJA BANCO - GIJON) | 35:08:00 |
| 61 | HEIGL Nadja (KTM ALCHEMIST POWERED BY BRENTA BRAKES) | 34:58:00 |
| 62 | * BONILLO TALENS Sara (TEIKA - GSPORT) | 24:01:00 |
| 63 | * BARTHELS Maite (ANDY SCHLECK - CP NVST - IMMO LOSCH) | 24:19:00 |
| 64 | KELLY Siobhan | 24:17:00 |
| 65 | * PINTO LARENJO Lydia (NESTA - MMR CX TEAM) | 23:58 |
| 66 | * BILODEAU Christiane | 24:23:00 |
| 67 | * JAQUET Prisca | 24:49:00 |
| 68 | * TOOLEY Bridget | 24:58:00 |
| DNF | KASTELIJN Yara (IKO - CRELAN) | 20:43 |
| DNF | * WALCROFT Katelyn | 25:15:00 |
| DNF | ROCHETTE Maghalie | 10:14 |
| DNS | * GUNSALUS Lizzy | |
| DNS | DIAZ LOPEZ Paula (RIO MIERA - CANTABRIA DEPORTE) | |
| DNS | FRANCK Alicia (PROXIMUS - ALPHAMOTORHOMES - DOLTCINI CT) |
