Puck Peiterse won her second race in three days under the lights in Diegem, Belgium, triumphing in the penultimate round of the 2023-2024 Superprestige series. By coming second in the night race, Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado took over the series lead from Annemarie Worst by six points. Alvarado also leads the World Cup. Ava Holmgren was the top Canadian of an octet, just missing out on the top-10 in 11th.
The Superprestige Situation Before Thursday
Wednesday’s sixth round in Heusden-Zolder saw Fem van Empel pick up winning again after her first defeat of the season, matching Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado with a hat trick of 2023-2024 Superprestige victories. The top Canadian was Katelyn Walcroft in 72nd. However, it was sixth place Annemarie Worst who led the series before Diegem, Wednesday’s runner-up Alvarado only one point adrift.
The Canadian contingent was Ava Holmgren, Rafaelle Carrier, Aislin Hallahan, Lily Rose Marois, Nico Knoll, Mia de Martin, Mary Fay St. Onge, Christiane Bilodeau, and Madeleine Pollack.
The hole shot went to Zoe Backstedt, with Alvarado off to a slow start on Lap 1. Puck Pieterse roared to the front of the string with Inge van der Heijden, who was third on Wednesday in Heusden-Zolder. Backstedt chased with three-time world champion Sanne Cant. Pieterse then dropped van der Heijden, who pursued between a group made up of Cant, Alvarado, Kata Blanka Vas and Backstedt. Fast-started Marie Schreiber bolstered the Alvarado group. After one circuit, van der Heijden was only six seconds back, and the Alvarado chase 11 seconds slower than that.
On Lap 2 Schreiber lit out after van der Heijden, and Alvarado split from the chase group as soon as Worst joined it. Alvarado kept driving through the lights to latch on to van der Heijden, Worst sifting down to seventh. Pieterse had a 20-second gap at the line.
Lap 3 of 6 was where Alvarado cracked on alone.
By the penultimate lap, Alvarado was still 25 seconds in arrears and there were gaps between everyone in the top-8.
Van der Heijden’s third place was close on Alvarado’s heels.
The final round isn’t until February 10 in Middelkerke.
2023-2024 Superprestige Series, Round 7, Diegem
1) Puck Pieterse (The Netherlands/Fenix-Deceuninck) +1:35
2) Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (The Netherlands/Alpecin-Deceuninck) +0:26
3) Inge van…
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