She had finished on a World Cup podium and won a stage of the Superprestige series, but at Sunday’s second round of the 2025-2026 UCI CX World Cup in Flamanville, France, Aniek van Alphen earned the biggest triumph of her career. Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, double round victor last season, made her season debut after returning from a knee injury, making the podium. French rider Amandine Fouquenet delighted the crowd as the day’s runner-up. Sidney McGill came in 32nd.
Preliminaries
After winning Round 1 in Tabor, Lucinda Brand missed the Flamanville race, as did Tabor runner-up Sara Casasola. However, Inge van der Heijden has produced a fine start to the season, and as she placed third in Czechia, she was poised to take over the series lead.
Sidney McGill was the only Canadian racing in France on Sunday.
Leonie Bentveld claimed the hole shot on Lap 1, overtaken by Fouquenet, who led up the stairs. Marion Norbert Riberolle was the only rider to take a fresh bike at the first pit. Van Alphen pushed to the front. Alvarado, who started in the second row, surfed her way forward. Fouquenet was van Alphen and Bentveld’s closest chaser. Alvarado, Riberolle and van der Heijden were 11 seconds back at the line. McGill raced in 28th.
Van Alphen continued to pull at the start of Lap 2. Alvarado and European champion van der Heijden toiled to link up. Riberolle crashed and sifted down to 11th. Van Alphen dropped Bentveld and finished the lap six seconds clear. McGill was 31st.
On Lap 3 of 6 van Alphen poured it on. The podium scrap was among Alvarado, Bentveld, van der Heijden and French champion Fouquenet 21 seconds in arrears. Lap 4 saw Alvarado start to push, while van Alphen kept her gap. At the line, Fouquenet had put real estate between herself and the other chasers. McGill crossed in 30th.
Alvarado tried to run down the French rider on the penultimate lap and made the junction. The bell lap was where Fouquenet dropped Alvarado.
Alvarado gave van Alphen a delighted embrace after the finish. Van Alphen leads Fouquenet by 12 points at the top of the overall standings.
The next World Cup round is next Sunday in Cabras, Sardinia.
2025-2026 UCI CX World Cup, Round 2, Flamanville
1) Aniek van Alphen (The Netherlands/Seven) 47:26
2) Amandine Fouquent (France/Arkea-B&B) +0:16
3) Ceylin del Carmen…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…