Van der Poel solos under the Spanish sun
On a fast but damp course on a typically hot day in southern Spain, van der Poel (Alpecin–Premier Tech) let himself be pulled over the first of eight laps by teammate Tibor del Grosso, who managed to open a gap on everyone, then took off on the climb to the finish line and was never troubled again. His lead over a three-rider chase group at the end of lap 2 was 29 seconds. It ballooned to 47 seconds at the end of lap 4, when the chase group had grown to double figures, and he coasted from there, doing a one-handed wheelie for the fans as he crossed the finish line.
As usual in a race in which van der Poel rides, the suspense was all behind him and concerned the final two podium places. That competition came to life when the eight-time Spanish champion Felipe Lloret Orts (Ridley Racing) attacked the chase group on lap 5 with a strong move, soon opening up a gap. Thibau Nys (Baloise Verzekeringen–Het Poetsbureau Lions) rode away from the chase group on the ascent to the finish line on that lap and soon joined his pal Orts at the front (behind van der Poel, of course).
Nys soon took command and signaled to Orts that he should try and stay on his wheel because he had good legs. The Spaniard gave everything to comply, and Nys was as good as his word because the two finished second and third, much to the delight of the home fans, who cheered a beaming Orts as he crossed the line, 32 seconds behind the winner and 4 seconds behind Nys. But the day belonged to van der Poel.
“I rode toward the finish line together with Tibor [Del Grosso], who rode a very good first lap,” he was quoted by Sporza as saying. “We already had a gap there and that doesn’t happen very often on the course in Benidorm. I wanted to take advantage of that immediately and so I decided to go alone… It was nice to be here again. It is a beautiful course and the public also makes it very nice to ride here.” Young del Grosso left a lot of his energy on that first lap and seemed to be lacking his usual punch, finishing a disappointing (for him) fourth, at 44 seconds.
The defending world champion wasn’t scheduled to ride at Benidorm, but he told Sporza that his teammates talked him into it. “They forced me all week to ride because they wanted to come and watch,” he said. “The weather also played a role, plus the fact that I had been able to train very well here for two weeks.”
He now has a slender lead in the World Cup series over Nys, 240 points to 220, with two races left to ride. But with the world championship coming in two weeks, it’s doubtful that either of the two will ride in next weekend’s races.
Brand gets her mojo back
After winning 13 straight races, Brand (Baloise Verzekeringen–Het Poetsbureau Lions) went through a bit of a slump, failing to win two races in a row. But she won at Benidorm by riding patiently at the start, gradually making her way to the front and then unleashing her typical powerful attack on the fourth of six laps and then riding unperturbed to the finish. The victory sealed the World Cup series championship as she now has an insurmountable points lead ahead of Aniek van Alphen (Seven Racing).
Brand finished 10 seconds ahead of the rider who defeated her in those two lost races, including last weekend’s Dutch national championship, Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Fenix–Premier Tech). The very consistent Amandine Fouquenet (Pauwels Sauzen–Altez Industriebouw), finished third, 12 seconds adrift, the same time as the fast-finishing French champion, Célia Gery (AS Bike Racing–France Literie).
“In the beginning, everyone was waiting and watching,” Brand told Sporza. “I knew I was better on the diagonal sections, but then you have to be in the lead. In the second half, I decided to make it tough because there was too much hesitation. It’s nice to see that I’m back at my old level and not just riding around like I did last week.”
It is her 18th victory of the 2025-26 season. In the 22 races she has ridden, she also has finished second three times and third once. The Brand beat goes on.
Top 5 Elite Men – Benidorm CX World Cup 2026
- Mathieu van der Poel, Alpecin–Premier Tech 1:01:04
- Thibau Nys, Baloise Verzekeringen–Het Poetsbureau Lions +0:28
- Felipe Lloret Orts Ridley Racing +0:32
- Tibor del Grosso, Alpecin–Premier Tech +0:44
- Niels Vandeputte, Alpecin–Premier Tech “
Top 5 Elite Women – Zonhoven CX World Cup 2026
- Lucinda Brand, Baloise Verzekeringen–Het Poetsbureau Lions 52:01
- Ceylin Del Alvarado, Fenix–Premier Tech +0:10
- Amandine Fouquenet, Pauwels Sauzen–Altez Industriebouw +0:12
- Célia Gery (AS Bike Racing–France Literie) “
- Kristýna Zemanová +0:52
