Van Empel wins with a last-minute overtaking at the 2024 Benidorm CX World Cup

There was tension and spectacle until the last lap, but the World Champion Fem van Empel pulled off a tight final overtake with which she achieved the victory of the 2024 Benidorm CX World Cup ahead of Puck Pieterse.

Fem Van Empel takes tight 2024 Benidorm CX World Cup, Ceylin Alvarado wins the overall classification

The start was as fast as expected and it was Van Empel, Pieterse and Alvarado who took the lead of the race from the first meters.

The first winding section of the circuit prevented overtaking but in return the three favorites set a very high pace with which they managed to get away from the rest of the peloton.

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The difference of the first three with the rest was 20 seconds at the end of the first lap and from there the race became a real duel between Vam Empel and Pieterse who kept attacking each other on each section of the circuit.

While the public enjoyed the spectacle of the first two, Ceylin Alvarado struggled to try not to fall behind them. 

The pace of Pieterse and Van Empel made it impossible for anyone else to approach the group of three, but Alvarado did manage to contact them and even take the lead at the beginning of the last lap.

A seventh and final high voltage lap in which the looks between the first three kept happening while each one tried unsuccessfully different attacks.

The asphalt area made the first selection and dropped Alvarado. From there Puck Pieterse took the lead and everything seemed to be in her favor to win but Van Empel pulled off a tight final overtake, even touched Pieterse, with which she took the victory.

Finally Ceylin Alvarado entered third 16 seconds behind, a position that virtually proclaimed her as the winner of the overall classification of the 2024 World Cup.

This was the controversial final overtake of Fem van Empel 

Fem 'F1' Van Empel!! #BenidormCX #CXWorldCup

What a final elbowing and sneaking in the end ahead of Puck Pieterse

The World Cup leader, Ceylin Alvarado, completes the podium

From 3pm, the men's race with @ArseCanada and @tomimisser: https://t.co/euWQxNReyr pic.twitter.com/L2OmxE3vsy

— Teledeporte (@teledeporte) January 21, 2024

 2024 Benidorm CX Women's World Cup Results