Aniek van Alphen turned opportunity into authority in Flamanville, winning World Cup round two on a dry, rapid circuit around the Château with a long, controlled solo. The decisive surge came at -11.6 km, at the start of lap three, when she accelerated out of the finish straight, dropped Leonie Bentveld and committed to riding her own pace while the favourites hesitated behind. With Lucinda Brand absent after Tábor, the win also vaulted Van Alphen into the overall World Cup lead.
Elite Women Results
TBD • Nov 30
| Pos | Rider | NATNationality | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Aniek VAN ALPHEN | NED | 0:47:26 |
| 🥈 | Amandine FOUQUENET | FRA | +0:16 |
| 🥉 | Ceylin del Carmen ALVARADO | NED | +0:22 |
| 4 | Inge VAN DER HEIJDEN | NED | +0:44 |
| 5 | Leonie BENTVELD | NED | +0:50 |
| 6 | Shirin VAN ANROOIJ | NED | +1:03 |
| 7 | Marion NORBERT RIBEROLLE | BEL | +1:07 |
| 8 | Hélène CLAUZEL | FRA | +1:19 |
| 9 | Manon BAKKER | NED | +1:21 |
| 10 | Fleur MOORS | BEL | +1:45 |
| 11 | Julie BROUWERS | BEL | +2:11 |
| 12 | Denise BETSEMA | NED | +2:13 |
| 13 | Laura VERDONSCHOT | BEL | +2:18 |
| 14 | Célia GERY | FRA | +2:23 |
| 15 | Lidia CUSACK | USA | +2:33 |
| 16 | Perrine CLAUZEL | FRA | +2:41 |
| 17 | Amandine MULLER | FRA | +2:48 |
| 18 | Ffion DRAKE | GBR | +2:49 |
| 19 | Anna KAY | GBR | +2:50 |
| 20 | Katherine SARKISOV | USA | +2:51 |
| 21 | Kaya MUSGRAVE | USA | +2:52 |
| 22 | Sterre VERVLOET | BEL | +3:25 |
| 23 | Electa GALLEZOT | FRA | +3:35 |
| 24 | Sofia RODRIGUEZ REVERT | ESP | +3:35 |
| 25 | Lison DESPREZ | FRA | +3:37 |
| 26 | Kiona CRABBÉ | BEL | +3:42 |
| 27 | Anna MEGALE | USA | +3:53 |
| 28 | Xan CREES | GBR | +3:56 |
| 29 | Shanyl DE SCHOESITTER | BEL | +4:04 |
| 30 | Camille DEVIGNE | FRA | +4:14 |
| 31 | Elena DAY | GBR | +4:17 |
| 32 | Sidney MCGILL | CAN | +4:20 |
| 33 | Mia ASELTINE | USA | +4:35 |
| 34 | Liv WENZEL | LUX | +4:40 |
| 35 | Noï MOES | NED | +4:47 |
| 36 | Jinse PEETERS | BEL | +4:56 |
| 37 | Anaïs MORICHON | FRA | +5:00 |
| 38 | Alexandra VALADE | FRA | +5:05 |
| 39 | Lise KLAES | FRA | +5:17 |
| 40 | Anaïs MOULIN | FRA | +5:18 |
| 41 | Hope INGLIS | GBR | +5:30 |
| 42 | Kacey EYEINGTON | GBR | +5:43 |
| 43 | Sara SONNEMANS | NED | +7:00 |
| 44 | Ana LOPEZ BURGOS | ESP | +7:11 |
| 45 | Lyllie SONNEMANN | USA | - |
Who shone
- Aniek van Alphen — Read the course perfectly, hit the front early, then rode metronomic, mistake-free laps in the wind to convert a first-lap move into a debut World Cup win.
- Amandine Fouquenet — Took the holeshot at home, then salvaged second by re-gapping Alvarado on the final lap after conceding ground mid-race, sealing a career-best World Cup result.
- Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado — First race back from a knee injury and already on the podium, bridging to Fouquenet on lap four and holding third despite obvious late-race suffering.
Who misfired
- Inge van der Heijden — Entered as a top favourite but never made the decisive front split, stuck in the chase group once Van Alphen went clear and unable to influence the podium fight.
- Leonie Bentveld — The only rider to initially match Van Alphen’s pace, but paid for it; slipped from close marker to absorbed chaser and out of contention for the top three.
- Lucinda Brand — Skipping Flamanville for a training block cost her the leader’s jersey after just one round, handing control of the World Cup to Van Alphen and Seven Racing.
Team of the day:
Seven Racing (A) — Put Van Alphen in position early, then let her ride clear and defended the gap without drama, walking away with both the stage win and the overall lead.
Tactical timeline
- -17.4 km: Fouquenet takes the holeshot, strings the field through the first technical sections.
- -14.5 km: Van Alphen moves to the front; only Bentveld can cling to her wheel as gaps open behind.
- -11.6 km: Start lap three, Van Alphen kicks on the tarmac, drops Bentveld and settles into a committed solo.
- -8.7 km: Alvarado bridges to Fouquenet, the pair forming the chase for second while Van Alphen’s lead stabilises around 20 s.
- -2.9 km: On the final lap, Fouquenet distances Alvarado to secure second; Van Alphen manages her margin to celebrate alone.
Race Analysis
This was less about one killer attack and more about error-free speed. On a fast, dry Flamanville, Van Alphen’s decision to ride at her own pace once she was clear proved decisive: she avoided the small technical mistakes that repeatedly checked the chasers’ momentum. Behind, the group containing Fouquenet, Alvarado, Van der Heijden and Norbert Riberolle never organised into a true team-time-trial; each surge closed a little, each slip on a corner or remount gave it straight back. Alvarado’s late bridge to Fouquenet underlined her engine after months off, but the cost of that effort showed when the French champion punched clear again on the last lap.
Stats that mattered
- Race distance: 6 laps × 2.9 km = 17.4 km (UCI circuit length; rewards high sustained tempo rather than pure explosive mud running).
- Solo duration: ~11.6 km off the front after the lap-three move (four full laps to manage, mentally and physically, without a wheel to follow).
- Early leader conversion: 1 of the 2 riders from the first-lap front pairing (Van Alphen, Bentveld) made the podium, underlining how costly over-reaching early was.
What it means
- Van Alphen pulls on the World Cup leader’s jersey heading to Terralba, giving Seven Racing the leverage to shape upcoming rounds.
- Brand’s decision to prioritise training now comes with a points deficit; she’ll need immediate podiums when she returns to reassert control of the series.
- Alvarado’s podium on a fast, power-heavy course hints at a higher ceiling once the wetter, more technical races arrive later in the calendar.
