Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado will be looking to defend her title at next weekend's UCI Cyclocross World Championships in Ostend, Belgium. In an interview posted on the Alpecin Phoenix social media account on Monday, Alvarado said it will be a difficult race, but that she has a good chance to win the world title for the second year in a row.

"I think I have a great chance to extend my world championship title," Alvarado said. I'm in good shape, I'm confident. My coach says I'm at a good level right now."

Alvarado finished alone ahead of Dutch compatriots Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions) and Manon Bakker (Credishop-Fristads) at the final cyclocross World Cup race in Overijse last Sunday, She won the race ahead of her rivals.

This was Alvarado's first World Cup win of the season and his second last weekend following the Flandrien Cross in Hamme on Saturday.

Alvarado won the elite women's world title at the 2020 UCI Cyclocross World Championships in Dubendorf, Switzerland. She held off compatriot Annemarie Werst and Brand in a sprint on the mostly dry and flat course at a military airbase near Zurich.

She said the following weekend that she went into the competition with the same strategy and mindset that won her the title last year and that she felt no pressure as the defending champion.

"I'm going into the World Championships this year with the same mindset I had last year," Alvarado said. "I thought it would be a little difficult to race in the rainbow jersey, but I'm pretty relaxed.

Alvarado has raced at the Telenet Superprestige events in Gieten and Ruddervoorde, the X20 Trofee event in Herentals, GP Sven Nys and Flandriencross, the European Championship, GP Leuven, and the World Cup in Overijse, she is having a strong season, but said she is always pushing herself for higher achievements.

"It's been an incredible year for me to be able to ride in these rainbow colors," she said.

"I keep myself inspired by setting new goals. Even if I win all the titles, I keep pushing myself to achieve more than what I have already accomplished. In doing so, I motivate myself to keep pushing, to keep pushing, and to set more boundaries."[19