Cyclocross racing has been underway in North America and Europe for weeks now, but on Sunday Europe’s big three series—the World Cup, Superprestige and X20 Badkamers Trofee—got underway with the first round of the Superprestige, the climb-y Vlaamse Druivencross in Overijse, Belgium. By winning her third race of the season, world champion Lucinda Brand nabbed the first series lead. Brand took two of the eight Superprestige rounds last season.

2025-2026 Superprestige

Last season, Aniek van Alphen won the series due to the Superprestige’s singular rules. Although Amandine Fouquenet and van Alphen were tied on points after the final round, Fouquenet’s three victories in seven rounds raced didn’t count as a tiebreaker as much as van Alphen’s zero wins in eight rounds. Go figure.

Italian champ Sara Casasola took the Overijse round last year.

Casasola earned the 2025 win at Overijse.

Fouquenet seized the hole shot on Lap 1. She formed a leading group with Lucinda Brand, Inge van der Heijden and Denise Betsema. The quartet completed the first lap in 8:11, seven seconds ahead of Kristyna Zemanová, van Alphen and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, who took Saturday’s third round of what used to be called the Exact Cross series, HG Series.

The group grew on Lap 2 of 6, but Alvarado couldn’t make the junction. Van Alphen and van der Heijden had a slight gap to the others after the downhill that precedes the finish line. Brand grabbed the reins on Lap 3.

Van Alphen leads the group over the planks on Lap 3.

At the midway point of the race, Brand was ahead of van Alphen and van der Heijden by five seconds. In the latter half of the contest, van Alphen lost van der Heijden. When Brand heard the bell, she was 18 seconds clear.

The next round of the Superprestige is the Noordzeecross in Middelkerke on November 5. The X20 Badkamers Trofee gets underway on November 1 and the World Cup starts in Czechia on November 27.

2026-2027 Superprestige, Round 1, Overijse
1) Lucinda Brand (The Netherlands/Baloise Lions) 48:19
2) Aniek van Alphen (The Netherlands/777TV) +0:17
3) Inge van der Heijden (The Netherlands/Crelan-Corendon) +0:36