2023 Namur Cyclocross - Citadelcross
(World Cup)
Namur, Belgium
Sunday, December 17, 2023
Namur Cyclo-cross podium history | 2022 edition (run as European Cyclocrss Championships) | 2021 edition | 2024 edition
Weather at Namur at 1:35 PM, local time: 9C (49F), fair, with the wind from the southwest at 16 km/hr (10 mph). There is just a 2% chance of rain.
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Namur Cyclocross course map.
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Tom Pidcock left everyone else behind. UCI photo
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The race: Here's the report from winner Tom Pidcock's Team INEOS Grenadiers.
Following up his second place in Herentals 24 hours earlier, the Grenadier put in an assured performance to overcome a number of obstacles on the way to a 15-second victory.
The hard-fought win saw Pidcock battle through the pack once again, from 20th on the opening lap. The Brit was quickly up to sixth, but on lap two suffered a stuck chain on the famous course’s technical off-camber section.
Forced to go again, Pidcock had a 20-second deficit to overcome, but after slashing the gap on lap three, by lap four he edged by Joris Nieuwenhuis into second place.
Up ahead, leader Pim Ronhaar put up a spirited battle, but was eventually caught on lap six of eight. Pidcock then accelerated to open out a gap, only to puncture heading on to the final lap. A quick and timely trip through the pits saw him retain his lead, with no mistakes made on the final lap to take his first elite win in Namur.
Tom Pidcock:
"It was not simple but I can be happy with that. I learned from the last time I raced here – the last laps are where it really counts. If you go too deep at the start you make mistakes in the end, and I knew you can lose 30 seconds easily. So I was just waiting, waiting. Then I went, then I punctured! Then I had to go again. I was never sure.
"I thought after my chain got stuck and I came back, I thought 'okay, today I have a chance'. But it was not easy. It’s a course where you can’t really go into the red.
"I can’t complain. I did one [cyclo-cross] training session and then I raced yesterday. I’m quite surprised actually. My technique was already pretty good. I rode my mountain bike a bit on these Sunday rides, but not much on my ‘cross bike. I think I had quite a long period training – nearly six weeks – so I think my base is quite good."
Complete results:
20.6 kilometers raced at an average speed of 20.60 km/hr
Unattached riders have their nationality listed.
| 1 | Tom Pidcock | INEOS Grnadiers | 59min 45sec |
| 2 | Pim Ronhaar | Baloise Trek Lions | @ 15sec |
| 3 | Joris Nieuwenhuis | Baloise Trek Lions | 0:33 |
| 4 | Eli Iserbyt | Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal | 0:52 |
| 5 | Michael Vanthourenhout | Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal | 1:02 |
| 6 | Lars Van Der Haar | Baloise Trek Lions | 1:08 |
| 7 | Niels Vandeputte | Alpecin-Deceuninck | 1:30 |
| 8 | Toon Vandebosch | Crelan-Corendon | 1:38 |
| 9 | Witse Meeussen | Crelan-Corendon | 1:44 |
| 10 | Ryan Kamp | Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal | 1:58 |
| 11 | Corné Van Kessel | Deschacht-Hens-Maes | 2:40 |
| 12 | Kevin Kuhn | Circus-Reuz-Technord | 3:02 |
| 13 | Cameron Mason | Cyclocross Reds | 3:06 |
| 14 | Thijs Aerts | Circus-Reuz-Technord | 3:13 |
| 15 | Jens Adams | Belgium | 3:18 |
| 16 | Michael Boros | Elkov-Kasper | 3:25 |
| 17 | Gioele Bertolini | Fas Airport Services-Guerciotti | 3:31 |
| 18 | David Menut | As Bike Racing | 3:50 |
| 19 | Timon Rüegg | Heizomat Radteam-Kloster Kitchen | 4:00 |
| 20 | Marcel Meisen | Germany | 4:05 |
| 21 | Mees Hendrikx | Crelan-Corendon | 4:47 |
| 22 | Stan Godrie | Netherlands | 4:52 |
| 23 | Joshua Dubau | Van Rysel | 5:09 |
| 24 | Valentin Remondet | France | 5:25 |
| 25 | Joran Wyseure | Crelan-Corendon | 5:40 |
| 26 | Mickaël Crispin | France | 5:57 |
| 27 | Gilles Mottiez | Switzerland | 6:07 |
| 28 | Jan Sommer | KA Boom-Krapf | 6:58 |
| 29 | Aurelien Philibert | France | 7:21 |
| 30 | Nicolas Reculeau | France | @ 1 lap |
| 31 | Lorenzo Marasco | Sebmotobikes | @ 1 lap |
| 32 | Caleb Swartz | USA | @ 2 laps |
| 33 | David Risberg | Sweden | @ 2 laps |
| 34 | Hannes Jeker | Switzerland | @ 2 laps |
| 35 | Nicolas Conod | Switzerland | @ 3 laps |
| 36 | Simon Maillefer | Switzerland | @ 4 laps |
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Ceylin Alvarado wins again. SportPic photo
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The race: Here's the UCI's race report.
Under a radiant winter sun, the 8th round of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Namur unfolded with heightened expectations. With Fem Van Empel absent, all eyes were on Alvarado, Brand, and Pieterse as the top contenders.
Marie Schreiber took the lead in the opening round, closely followed by Puck Pieterse. Unfortunately, Pieterse's chain derailed, forcing an early bike change and placing her in a pursuit position. World Cup leader Alvarado immediately surged ahead, creating a substantial 17-second gap over Pieterse, who raced relentlessly, leaving other competitors behind.
As the race progressed into the second round, Alvarado maintained her lead, with Pieterse and Brand trailing. Despite a commendable effort from Pieterse and Brand collaborating in the chase, Alvarado's advantage remained intact. A pivotal moment occurred on a steep incline where Brand caught up with Pieterse, who encountered a shoe issue, adding further drama to the race.
Heading into the subsequent laps, Brand narrowed the gap to Alvarado to 20 seconds, while Pieterse followed closely at 23 seconds. The trio navigated the challenging course flawlessly, showcasing their technical prowess on the course's demanding features.
By the fourth round, Pieterse and Brand reduced the deficit to 18 seconds, intensifying the pursuit of Alvarado. The race witnessed a dynamic shift as Brand surged ahead, leaving Pieterse behind. Meanwhile, Van Anrooij faced a challenging moment with a substantial fall in the background.
In the final rounds, Alvarado extended her lead to an impressive 33 seconds over Brand. The Dutch rider showcased a dominant performance, securing her third World Cup victory of the season. Pieterse mounted a strong comeback in the last lap, claiming the second spot, while Lucinda Brand secured the third position.
The Namur event unfolded as a spectacular showcase of cyclo-cross, with Alvarado's commanding performance leaving an indelible mark on the competition.
Complete results:
15.4 km raced at an average speed of 17.786 km/hr
Unattached riders have their nationality listed.
| 1 | Ceylin Del Carmen Alvarado | Alpecin-Deceuninck | 51min 57sec |
| 2 | Puck Pieterse | Fenix-Deceuninck | @ 17sec |
| 3 | Lucinda Brand | Baloise Trek Lions | 0:19 |
| 4 | Sara Casasola | Fas Airport Services-Guerciotti | 2:15 |
| 5 | Inge Van Der Heijden | Crelan-Corendon | 2:29 |
| 6 | Marie Schreiber | SD Worx | 2:38 |
| 7 | Annemarie Worst | Cyclocross Reds | 2:46 |
| 8 | Leonie Bentveld | Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal | 3:01 |
| 9 | Laura Verdonschot | De Ceuster-Bonache | 3:25 |
| 10 | Hélene Clauzel | AS Bike Racing | 3:26 |
| 11 | Kata Blanka Vas | SD Worx | 3:31 |
| 12 | Anna Kay | Cyclocross Reds | 3:38 |
| 13 | Manon Bakker | Crelan-Corendon | 3:53 |
| 14 | Shirin Van Anrooij | Baloise Trek Lions | 4:13 |
| 15 | Denise Betsema | Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal | 4:38 |
| 16 | Sidney McGill | Canada | 4:48 |
| 17 | Aniek Van Alphen | Cyclocross Reds | 4:49 |
| 18 | Valentina Corvi | Italy | 4:52 |
| 19 | Olivia Onesti | Van Rysel CX Racing | 5:10 |
| 20 | Lore De Schepper | Belgium | 5:58 |
| 21 | Judith Krahl | Heizomat Radteam-Kloster Kitchen | 6:16 |
| 22 | Francesca Baroni | Hubo-Remotive | 6:33 |
| 23 | Amandine Fouquenet | Arkea Pro | 6:43 |
| 24 | Jinse Peeters | Proximus-Cyclis-Alphamotorhomes | 6:44 |
| 25 | Electa Gallezot | Sebmotobikes | 6:46 |
| 26 | Zoe Backstedt | Cnyon-SRAM | 7:00 |
| 27 | Kiona Crabbé | Proximus-Cyclis-Alphamotorhomes | 7:11 |
| 28 | Julie Brouwers | Circus-Reuz-Technord | 8:01 |
| 29 | Rebekka Estermann | Switzerland | @ 1 lap |
| 30 | Julia Kopecky | AS Insurance | @ 1 lap |
| 31 | Suzanne Verhoeven | De Ceuster-Bonache | @ 1 lap |
| 32 | Iris Offerein | Deschacht-Hens-Maes | @ 1 lap |
| 33 | Zina Barhoumi | Hubo-Remotive | @ 1 lap |
| 34 | Mirre Knaven | AG Insurance | @ 1 lap |
| 35 | Perrine Clauzel | As Bike Racing | @ 1 lap |
| 36 | Xan Crees | Team Spectra Cannondale-Das | @ 1 lap |
| 37 | Camille Devigne | AWOL Oshea | @ 1 lap |
| 38 | Katerina Hladiková | Brilon Racing Team | @ 1 lap |
| 39 | Isa Nomden | Netherlands | @ 1 lap |
| 40 | Maité Barthels | Luxembourg | @ 2 laps |
| 41 | Liv Wenzel | Sebmotobikes CX Team | @ 2 laps |
| 42 | Jana Dobbelaere | Duolar-Chevalmeire | @ 2 laps |
| 43 | Febe De Smedt | Belgium | @ 2 laps |
| 44 | Hope Inglis | Great Britain | @ 2 laps |
| 45 | Asia Zontone | Isolmat-Primac-Vittoria | @ 2 laps |
| 46 | Siobhan Kelly | Canada | @ 2 laps |
| 47 | Nora Fischer | Austria | @ 3 laps |
| 48 | Elizabeth McKinnon | Great Britain | @ 3 laps |
| 49 | Emily Shields | USA | @ 3 laps |
| 50 | Madeleine Pollock | Canada | @ 3 laps |
| 51 | Mia Aseltine | Competitive Edge Racing | @ 3 laps |
| 52 | Katelyn Walcroft | Canada | @ 3 laps |
| 53 | Michelle Schätti | Switzerland | @ 3 laps |
| 54 | Mia De Martin | Canada | @ 3 laps |
| 55 | Viktoria Dehler | Germany | @ 3 laps |
| 56 | Prisca Jaquet | Switzerland | @ 3 laps |
| 57 | Larissa Rossner | Switzerland | @ 3 laps |
| 58 | Miriam Zeise | Germany | @ 4 laps |