UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup: Lucinda Brand indomitable in Dendermonde

Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi) continued to be indomitable in the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, taking her seventh straight series win in Dendermonde and her 11th victory in a row. She’s won so many, Brand couldn’t compare this win to her others.

“There have been always good days that you’re flying around. It’s really hard to compare day by day,” she said in a brief post-races interview.

After Brand’s escape on lap 3, the battle for second place ended with Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) getting away from the ever-impressive Amandine Fouquenet (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) on the final lap.

The conditions continued to be sunny and dry in an unusual streak of fine weather for the kerstperiode races, and in sharp contrast to the last Dendermonde World Cup last January, where Brand also emerged victorious.

The race got off to a fast start, with Fouquenet leading from the hole shot, followed by up-and-coming riders Leonie Bentveld and Célia Gery (FDJ-SUEZ) and Brand.

But a crash on the sandy downhill by Bentveld opened up a gap behind the other three leaders, forcing Pieterse to chase along with teammate Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado.

Brand in the lead on the run-up (Image credit: Getty Images)

“I was very surprised – passing sand pit on the first lap, there was a big gap. Maybe something happened behind. So I got the queue from the side – ‘Just keep going’,” Brand said.

As Gery faded, it was Fouquenet who was closest to matching Brand, but by lap three, it was game over.

As Fouquenet faded, she was joined by Pieterse at the start of lap 4 and the pair took turns chasing Brand to no avail.

Having briefly distanced Fouquenet on the next lap, Pieterse was caught with three of nine laps remaining.

It came down to the final lap, during which Pieterse attacked on the run-up and opened a gap in the technical section that followed to finish second at 11 seconds.

Fouquenet relented and came through 12 seconds later, well ahead of Alvarado in fourth.

Further down the rankings, Marion Norbert Riberolle (Crelan-Corendon) made an impressive surge to finish fifth.

FirstCycling