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It was Dutch domination at the fourth stop of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup in the Belgian Zonhoven sand stadium.

The question was which Dutch star would be best in the sand? Could Lucinda Brand recover from a lackluster performance in Ruddervoorde? Might we see 2019 World Champ Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado back at the front after her return from a medical issue? Or could Denise Betsema pull off a rare double win weekend?

Puck Pieterse led lap one. Elite Women. 2021 Zonhoven UCI Cyclocross World Cup. © Cyclocross Magazine

Puck Pieterse led lap one. Elite Women. 2021 Zonhoven UCI Cyclocross World Cup. © Cyclocross Magazine

Young Dutch star Puck Pieterse got the holeshot in her try to unseat the bigger stars, and led the first lap before Saturday’s Superprestige winner, Betsema, took to the front.

While most racers ran all of the sandy climbs, the last three World Champions in Brand, Alvarado and Cant tried their best to stay on the bike on the final sandy climb of the lap, with Pieterse following their example later in the race.

Elite Women. 2021 Zonhoven UCI Cyclocross World Cup. © Cyclocross Magazine

Elite Women. 2021 Zonhoven UCI Cyclocross World Cup. © Cyclocross Magazine

After the opening lap theatrics, Betsema took her usual turn at the front, drawing out Pieterse, with Brand struggling to stay in contact.

Behind her, Alvarado, starting third row, steadily made her way through the field, moving inside the top ten within a lap, just 15 seconds behind.

Pieterse did her best to hold Betsema’s wheel, but the steady, consistent riding of Betsema, always getting off her bike before stalling out in the sand, gapped the 19-year-old rider.

Brand would catch and then drop Pieterse and set off on a solo chase of Betsema, but would lose ground to the leader with each lap.

Denise Betsema was best in the Zonhoven sand. Elite Women. 2021 Zonhoven UCI Cyclocross World Cup. © Cyclocross Magazine

Denise Betsema was best in the Zonhoven sand. Elite Women. 2021 Zonhoven UCI Cyclocross World Cup. © Cyclocross Magazine

The final suspense was in the race for third. Could Alvarado catch her Alpecin-Fenix teammate Pieterse?

Alvarado was smoothest in the sand late in the race, and caught Pieterse with half a lap remaining. The two sprinted to lead the final major descent and into the final climb. Alvarado was first to the corner, bombed the descent and cleaned the climb. Pieterse dabbed at the bottom of the climb, and Alvarado was gone, securing the final step of the podium.

Denise Betsema pulled off a double win weekend. Elite Women. 2021 Zonhoven UCI Cyclocross World Cup. © Cyclocross Magazine

Denise Betsema pulled off a double win weekend. Elite Women. 2021 Zonhoven UCI Cyclocross World Cup. © Cyclocross Magazine

Americans Rebecca Gross and Corey Coogan Cisek finished 47th and 48th.

Full results below. Stay tuned for men’s coverage and photos.

2021 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Zonhoven Results: Elite Women

PosBibName / UCI Cyclocross TeamNATTimeGap
1.3BETSEMA Denise
PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL
NED47:44-
2.1BRAND Lucinda
BALOISE TREK LIONS
NED48:30+0:46
3.2ALVARADO Ceylin del Carmen
ALPECIN - FENIX
NED48:52+1:08
4.7* PIETERSE Puck
ALPECIN - FENIX
NED49:04+1:20
5.6* VAN EMPEL Fem
PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL
NED49:19+1:35
6.9* VAN ANROOIJ Shirin
BALOISE TREK LIONS
NED49:20+1:36
7.10VAN DER HEIJDEN Inge
777
NED49:58+2:14
8.36* BURQUIER Line
A.S BIKE CROSSTEAM
FRA50:04+2:20
9.5KASTELIJN Yara
IKO - CRELAN
NED50:30+2:46
10.14ARZUFFI Alice Maria
VALCAR - TRAVEL & SERVICE
ITA50:41+2:57
11.8VAN ALPHEN Aniek
777
NED51:02+3:18
12.15LECHNER Eva
TRINX FACTORY TEAM
ITA51:19+3:35
13.21FRANCK Alicia
PROXIMUS - ALPHAMOTORHOMES - DOLTCINI CT
BEL51:27+3:43
14.11BAKKER Manon
IKO - CRELAN
NED51:29+3:45
15.16PERSICO Silvia
VALCAR - TRAVEL & SERVICE
ITA51:30+3:46
16.34CLAUZEL Helene
A.S BIKE CROSSTEAM
FRA51:46+4:02
17.35CLAUZEL Perrine
A.S BIKE CROSSTEAM
FRA52:14+4:30
18.26TRUYEN Marthe
IKO - CRELAN
BEL52:27+4:43
19.12KAPTHEIJNS Maud
CX TEAM DESCHACHT-GROUP HENS-CONTAINERS MAES
NED52:41+4:57
20.41* BACKSTEDT ZoeGBR52:47+5:03
21.38* ONESTI Olivia
STARCASINO CX TEAM
FRA53:02+5:18
22.17GARIBOLDI RebeccaITA53:19+5:35
23.22VERHOEVEN SuzanneBEL53:38+5:54
24.20CANT Sanne
IKO - CRELAN
BEL53:44+6:00
25.50OTTESTAD Mie Bjorndal
ANDY SCHLECK - CP NVST - IMMO LOSCH
NOR54:01+6:17
26.40GONZALEZ BLANCO Lucia
NESTA - MMR CX TEAM
ESP54:05+6:21
27.23NORBERT RIBEROLLE Marion
STARCASINO CX TEAM
BEL54:42+6:58
28.24VAN LOY EllenBEL-1 LAP
29.44* COUZENS MillieGBR-1 LAP
30.18* BRAMATI Lucia
TRINX FACTORY TEAM
ITA-1 LAP
31.48BARHOUMI ZinaSUI-2 LAP
32.13* NOMDEN IsaNED-2 LAP
33.28VERHESTRAETEN Karen
IKO - CRELAN
BEL-2 LAP
34.47* SCHREIBER Marie
TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM
LUX-2 LAP
35.42MELLOR Amira
TEAM SPECTRA WIGGLE P/B VITUS
GBR-2 LAP
36.27PEETERS Jinse
PROXIMUS - ALPHAMOTORHOMES - DOLTCINI CT
BEL-2 LAP
37.29* CRABBE Kiona
PLANTUR-PURA
BEL-2 LAP
38.37* DURAFFOURG Lauriane
A.S BIKE CROSSTEAM
FRA-2 LAP
39.49* KOPECKY JuliaCZE-2 LAP
40.19TEOCCHI Chiara
TRINITY RACING
ITA-2 LAP
41.30* BROUWERS JulieBEL-2 LAP
42.46HINZ Katharina JuliaGER-3 LAP
43.45* SEIDEL CleaGER-3 LAP
44.43* CREES Xan
TEAM SPECTRA WIGGLE P/B VITUS
GBR-3 LAP
45.39* DEVIGNE CamilleFRA-3 LAP
46.31* VERVLOET SterreBEL-3 LAP
47.32GROSS RebeccaUSA-3 LAP
48.33COOGAN CISEK Corey
VELOREVOLUTION WPCYCLES
USA-3 LAP
25VERDONSCHOT Laura
PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL
BELDNF