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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

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

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

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

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

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

NoRiderTime
1BRAND Lucinda (BALOISE TREK LIONS)47:38:00
2HONSINGER Clara (CANNONDALE/CYCLOCROSSWORLD)47:42:00
3BETSEMA Denise (PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL)48:14:00
4VOS 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
7CANT Sanne (IKO - CRELAN)48:30:00
8VAS Kata Blanka (TEAM SD WORX)48:48:00
9ALVARADO Ceylin del Carmen (ALPECIN - FENIX)48:53:00
10BAKKER Manon (IKO - CRELAN)48:56:00
11* VAN EMPEL Fem (PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL)49:26:00
12CLAUZEL Helene (A.S BIKE CROSSTEAM)49:59:00
13VAN ALPHEN Aniek (777)50:06:00
14VAN DER HEIJDEN Inge (777)50:09:00
15NORBERT RIBEROLLE Marion (STARCASINO CX TEAM)50:10:00
16LECHNER Eva (TRINX FACTORY TEAM)50:13:00
17PERSICO Silvia (VALCAR - TRAVEL & SERVICE)50:16:00
18MAJERUS 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
21CLAUZEL Perrine (A.S BIKE CROSSTEAM)51:50:00
22ARZUFFI Alice Maria (VALCAR - TRAVEL & SERVICE)51:59:00
23BILLOUIN Solenne (TEAM GUEVEL IMMOBILIER LAVAL CYCLISME 53)52:18:00
24* REALINI Gaia52:32:00
25KOPECKY Lotte (LIV RACING)52:47:00
26* ZEMANOVA Kristyna52:49:00
27* ONESTI Olivia (STARCASINO CX TEAM)52:50:00
28VERDONSCHOT Laura (PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL)52:57:00
29* CRABBE Kiona (PLANTUR-PURA)53:07:00
30TRUYEN Marthe (IKO - CRELAN)53:19:00
31* DE WILDE Julie (IKO - CRELAN)53:44:00
32NUSS Raylyn53:49:00
33VAN LOY Ellen53:52:00
34GONZALEZ BLANCO Lucia (NESTA - MMR CX TEAM)53:53:00
35* KURNICKA Tereza53:55:00
36HENZELIN Lise-Marie53:56:00
37MELLOR Amira (TEAM SPECTRA WIGGLE P/B VITUS)54:17:00
38VERHOEVEN Suzanne54:33:00
39* SCHREIBER Marie (TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM)54:36:00
40* KRAHL Judith (SCHAMEL P/B KLOSTER KITCHEN)54:37:00
41VERHESTRAETEN Karen (IKO - CRELAN)54:59:00
42ROGNANT Viviane (OCF TEAM CROSS)55:26:00
43TEOCCHI Chiara (TRINITY RACING)55:34:00
44BERNSTEIN Caitlin55:46:00
45VANDERBEKEN Joyce55:51:00
46MEGALE Anna56:06:00
47* SEIDEL Clea56:09:00
48MCGILL Sidney56:23:00
49ZAVETA Erica56:24:00
50WERNER Emily56:46:00
51* VANICKOVA Tereza56:54:00
52* CREES Xan (TEAM SPECTRA WIGGLE P/B VITUS)57:03:00
53* BRAMATI Lucia (TRINX FACTORY TEAM)57:12:00
54* NOMDEN Isa57:24:00
55PAUL Stefanie34:24:00
56DE BRUYNE Meg34:30:00
57* DEVIGNE Camille34:41:00
58RODRIGUEZ REVERT Sofia (TEIKA - GSPORT)34:44:00
59* BERTON Nina (ANDY SCHLECK - CP NVST - IMMO LOSCH)34:55:00
60CUETO VEGA Sara (UNICAJA BANCO - GIJON)35:08:00
61HEIGL 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
64KELLY Siobhan24:17:00
65* PINTO LARENJO Lydia (NESTA - MMR CX TEAM)23:58
66* BILODEAU Christiane24:23:00
67* JAQUET Prisca24:49:00
68* TOOLEY Bridget24:58:00
DNFKASTELIJN Yara (IKO - CRELAN)20:43
DNF* WALCROFT Katelyn25:15:00
DNFROCHETTE Maghalie10:14
DNS* GUNSALUS Lizzy
DNSDIAZ LOPEZ Paula (RIO MIERA - CANTABRIA DEPORTE)
DNSFRANCK Alicia (PROXIMUS - ALPHAMOTORHOMES - DOLTCINI CT)