Ceylin Alvarado wins HG Cross Heerde cyclocross race

Dutch champion Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado secured her first victory of the 2026-27 cyclocross season at HG Cross Heerde. After a competitive battle involving a leading trio, Alvarado made a decisive move in the sand section near the Heerderstrand lake during the final lap.

Denise Betsema finished second, 10 seconds behind Alvarado, while Aniek van Alphen completed the podium in third place after a strong late recovery. Manon Bakker finished fourth, 16 seconds back, following a slip on the final lap. Fem van Empel, competing in only her second race since returning to competition, finished fifth.

The race was characterized by a challenging circuit featuring heavy sand, damp grass, and woodland sections. While Fem van Empel led early on, technical errors and a bike change caused her to lose contact with the leaders. Denise Betsema briefly held a 12-second lead before being caught by Alvarado and Bakker.