Lucinda Brand shrugs off two rare defeats to retain favorite tag for upcoming world championships.
Lucinda Brand wins the Benidorm cyclocross World Cup on Sunday 18 January 2026 (Photo: David Pintens / Belga Mag via AFP)
Published January 18, 2026 07:39AM
Lucinda Brand roared back to the top of the winner’s podium Sunday, rebounding after two recent defeats to dominate the Benidorm cyclocross World Cup in Spain.
The 36 year old put in a blistering second half to the six lap race, riding her rivals off her wheel and sealing what is her 18th victory out of 22 starts this year.
More importantly, the latest success means Brand cannot be caught in the battle for the World Cup series. She now has a cool 350 points, 110 ahead of Aniek Van Alphen, with two rounds remaining.
The Baloise Verzekeringen competitor vanquished Ceylin Alvarado (Fenix-Deceuninck) by ten seconds, bouncing back against the rider who beat her in the Zonhoven World Cup and in last weekend’s Dutch national championships.
“It was really hard. It is a hard combination of the turning and then long section uphill. It was not easy today,” Brand said.
The former world champion got off to a strong start but slipped back to seventh place on lap three of six. That made it look like perhaps it wouldn’t be her day, but Brand then put in a blistering surge to sweep past all in front of her and end lap four a full 11 seconds ahead of Alvarado.
She then rode flawlessly from there to the finish, ending the hopes of those behind.
“It is a good feeling. It was a tactical race, especially in the first half,” she said, hinting perhaps that she deliberately held back early on.
Amandine Fouquenet (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw Cycling Team) just about held off fellow Frenchwoman Célia Gery (AS Bike Racing/France Literie) in the uphill sprint to the line. They were 12 seconds behind Brand, disappointed after leading early in the race.
One calm, calculated push changes shape of race
Brand was back after top following two recent defeats by Ceylin Alvarado (l). Fouquenet was third (Photo: David Pintens / Belga Mag via AFP)
Benidorm often enjoys the best weather on the World Cup calendar and so it proved Sunday, with bright conditions arriving after some recent rainfall.
That water had softened up what is normally a very hard surface, but it was drying out as the riders lined out at the start.
Fouquenet was very prominent early on, leading on and off for a long time and tussling with riders such as Blanka Vas (Team SD Worx-Protime) and Kristýna Zemanová (VIF Cycling Team).
The latter powered clear on the climb at the end of lap three, holding a two second lead at the halfway point. Brand was only sixth there, four seconds back, but then put in a stunning lap to pass all in front of her and sweep into a lead she would hold thereafter.
Alvarado did most of the chasing and was momentarily left exposed when Fouquenet and Gery attacked her on the climb to the finish at the end of lap five.
However Alvarado recovered and fended off the two Frenchwomen on the final lap, sealing second place. That result leaves her just one point off Fouquenet in the fight for the World Cup final podium.
“I wanted to win, of course, but today was personally for me a very hard day,” Alvarado said. “In the end I can be happy with second. Maybe if I was there [at the front] a bit earlier, then it would be a different race, but it is what it is.”
The World Cup continues with the penultimate round in Maasmechelen next Saturday, and concludes the following day in Hoogerheide.
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