Alvarado best on the sand course of Mol
Monday 23 December 2024
Halfway through the race in Mol, Alvarado started gradually to pick up the pace. Dutch champion Brand resisted the longest, but come the final lap, Alvarado was sure of her victory. Alvarado took her fourth win of the season, consolidating her first place in the ranking.
Inge van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon) started fastest at the Zilvermeer in Mol. The sandy course fitted her like a glove, allowing her to immediately put pressure on Brand (Baloise Trek Lions) and Alvarado (Fenix-Deceuninck). It took a lap until the two were able to join up with the race leader. For a while the race was nip and tuck as the trio were evenly matched.
Up until the fourth of a total of six laps. Van der Heijden made a mistake in the sand along the Zilvermeer and that is when Alvarado made a move. She stepped up the pace and applied a lot of pressure, which forced Dutch champion Brand into a mistake. At the start of the penultimate lap, Alvarado’s lead over the rest of the field was 10 seconds.
Brand refused to give in; the Dutch champion inched closer and closer and managed to get within 5 seconds, but then her momentum started to give out. Entering the final lap, the gap had grown again and the closer the finishing line came, the further Alvarado managed to ride away. Alvarado thus strengthened her leading position in the ranking for the Telenet Superprestige with her fourth win of the season.