A European title in their own country: it would have been strange if it didn’t happen for the Dutch favorites.
World champion Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, former European champion Annemarie Worst, outgoing champion Yara Kastelijn, Denise Betsema and Lucinda Brand. Who would make life difficult for these riders?
Nobody. The Italian Eva Lechner was the first to enter the field, but was rushed past by Brand. Immediately the last non-Dutch adventure in the front. Brand continued, her compatriots easily followed. Sanne Cant was also well off.
But when Alvarado accelerated for the first time, only Worst could keep up with the world champion. After a catch-up race of 2 laps, we got a head trio with Brand that would enter the final lap.
Sausage saw thousands of asterisks, but refused to break. She kept her countrywoman’s rear wheel in sight until the last straight line. Getting over that wheel was no longer possible. Alvarado sprinted – in an infinitely long sprint – cleverly to the victory, Worst rolled in on a little more than a bicycle length. Brand followed a little later.
With Sanne Cant (7th), Alicia Franck (9th) and Ellen Van Loy (10th) we find 3 Belgian women in the top 10.
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