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Just like last week, a storm was passing by over the Netherlands and Belgium. Contrary to last week’s race in Merksplas, however, the race didn’t get canceled, pleasing cyclocross stars and fans, and disappointing headwind specialists.

With a lot of off-cambers and steep uphills and downhills, Vestingcross centers around an old windmill built in 1792.

2020 Vestingcross Hulst. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

2020 Vestingcross Hulst. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

At the 2020 Vestingcross Hulst, the site of next year’s UCI Cyclocross World Cup, the Elite Women followed the season’s script with another duel between Annemarie Worst (777) and 2020 World Champ Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin Fenix).

Elite Women. 2020 Vestingcross Hulst. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Elite Women. 2020 Vestingcross Hulst. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

And just like yesterday at the Superprestige Middelkerke, they had some company in the form of Denise Betsema (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal).

Alvarado beats Worst in a sprint once again. Elite Women. 2020 Vestingcross Hulst. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Alvarado beats Worst in a sprint once again. Elite Women. 2020 Vestingcross Hulst. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Alvarado, with new rainbow-powered wings, outkicked Worst yet again, but this time there were no tears or screams but congratulations and smiles.

The two rivals share a sporting moment. Elite Women. 2020 Vestingcross Hulst. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

The two rivals share a sporting moment. Elite Women. 2020 Vestingcross Hulst. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

The course proved challenging and World Cup-worthy in terrain but also logistically challenging for athletes and media. The small town had little parking and a press center far from the venue, but featured plenty of off-cambers for exciting racing.

Worst, Alvarado and Betsema. The same podium as Middelkerke, but second and third reversed. Elite Women. 2020 Vestingcross Hulst. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Worst, Alvarado and Betsema. The same podium as Middelkerke, but second and third reversed. Elite Women. 2020 Vestingcross Hulst. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

North Americans Rebecca Fahringer (Kona Maxxis Shimano) finished 20th, Emily Werner (Amy D) 29th, and Corey Coogan Cisek (Triple C Racing) 36th.

Note: the official results are below, but the times are clearly off as Worst and Alvarado finished in a sprint. They are Junior Men’s times.

2020 Vestingcross Hulst Results: Elite Women

RankBIBLast NameFirst NameCountryAgeResult
11ALVARADOCeylin del CarmenNED220:31:58
22WORSTAnnemarieNED250:32:51
37BETSEMADeniseNED270:33:04
412KAYAnnaGBR210:33:29
53NORBERT RIBEROLLEMarionFRA210:33:41
64VAN ANROOIJShirinNED180:33:50
724VAN LOYEllenBEL400:34:06
89VAN DER HEIJDENIngeNED210:34:34
919FRANCKAliciaBEL260:34:49
106BAKKERManonNED210:35:07
115ARZUFFIAlice MariaITA260:35:21
1213LECHNEREvaITA350:35:26
138CANTSanneBEL300:35:29
1427VERDONSCHOTLauraBEL240:35:39
1520SELSLoesBEL350:36:40
1628VERHESTRAETENKarenBEL290:36:54
1716VAN ALPHENAniekNED210:37:04
1821GARIBOLDIRebeccaITA240:37:17
1923KAPTHEIJNSMaudNED260:37:23
2018FAHRINGERRebeccaUSA310:37:34
2130VAN ANROOIJLindyNED240:37:49
2222GOOSSENSVeerleNED270:38:08
2346TRUYENMartheBEL210:38:31
2440VOSMarliesNED190:38:55
2526VANDERBEKENJoyceBEL360:39:10
2631VAN DER BURGEstherNED220:39:27
2744STRATHDEEIshbelGBR190:39:35
2825PAULStefanieGER340:39:38
2929WERNEREmilyUSA270:40:07
3037VERHOEVENSuzanneBEL240:40:07
3135PEETERSJinseBEL211 Lap
3242VAN DER ZWAANLauraNED191 Lap
3338VERVLOETSterreBEL171 Lap
3445GREENHALGHLauraGBR352 Laps
3534NOMDENIsaNED172 Laps
3614COOGAN CISEKCoreyUSA432 Laps
3733MAUSLaetitiaLUX192 Laps
3836STOLKNoaNED172 Laps
3939VIVEENJacobienNED183 Laps
4047BLANCHAERTJoBEL503 Laps