Seirin del Carmen Alvarado (Alpecin-Phoenix) saw her overall Women's Cyclocross World Cup ambitions cruelly cut short when she crashed on the final lap of the final race of the season.

The Alpecin-Phoenix rider entered the final World Cup race with a mere five-point lead over her closest rival, Annemarie Werst (777), and it looked as if the two would decide the final overall standings in the sprint finish in Hogelheide.

However, on the final off-camber section of the last lap, Alvarado pushed his rivals to the limit. To make matters worse, Alvarado was forced to repair his chain before he could catch up.

In the end, she was unable to make contact, leaving Lucinda Brando to take the win and Worst in second place. Alvarado eventually finished sixth, just 15 points behind Worst in the World Cup standings.

"Well, I fell. It's obvious," Alvarado told Cycling News after the podium. "It was just a little mistake. I was feeling good, so it's kind of hard to lose the overall standings because of my mistake."

"The front wheel went down a little bit and the sand was loose. I couldn't control it and it just went away. I had a chance to come back, but after the crash my chain fell off. That was really the end. I didn't have any problems until the crash."

Alvarado took the incident in stride and tried not to let it drag on. With the World Championships just a week away, the Dutch rider is well aware that he needs to focus on his next big goal.

"I feel like crying, but there are still big competitions coming up next weekend. It's not the end of the world championships, but it's a great motivation for the World Championships," she said.

"The end of the World Cup also coincided with the news that Alvarado has agreed to a contract extension with Alpecin Phoenix and will remain there for the next few years.

"I've re-signed through 2024. I am comfortable with the team. Everything is going well and organized. I'm happy with my team and they're happy with me."