Lucinda Brand ready for ‘exciting new chapter’ on the road as she announces Lidl-Trek departure in wake of Luca Guercilena’s exit

Lucinda Brand has announced she’ll switch road teams for 2027, saying ‘an exciting new chapter is about to begin’ as she leaves Lidl-Trek. She has cited the departure of former team manager Luca Guercilena as a reason for her switch.

At the same time, the world cyclo-cross champion has extended her winter contract with Baloise-Het Poetsbureau Lions, continuing her collaboration with team manager Sven Nys for two more seasons.

In an Instagram post, Brand credited Nys for helping her rediscover her love of racing, while Guercilena – now the cycling director at Giro d’Italia organiser RCS Sport – also received praise.

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“When I was losing my joy for cycling, Sven brought it back. His passion, energy and belief in me made me fall in love with the sport all over again,” she wrote.

“His dream? To become cyclocross world champions together. Sven also knew how much road cycling meant to me and made sure I could sign with Trek-Segafredo.”

Since then, Brand has won two rainbow jerseys in cyclo-cross, among her 77 victories for Nys’ team. At the same time, she refound her winning form on the road, winning her first race since 2017 in 2021, her second season with Lidl-Trek. She’s followed that with 10 more in the ensuing seasons, including the Tour de Suisse, Thüringen Ladies Tour, and the Baloise Ladies Tour.

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“I’ll always be grateful for the people and memories we shared. But sometimes life brings you to a crossroads,” she wrote of her time with the team.

“Lidl-Trek offered me the chance to continue together, but it came with a difficult choice. To stay, I would have to leave behind the man who believed in me when I needed it most. The man who brought back my love for cycling and helped me become the rider I am today.

“And for me, that was never really a choice. Some things in life are bigger than results, contracts or opportunities. Loyalty. Trust. Family.”

Brand concluded her post by announcing that she’ll stay with Nys and Baloise-Het Poetsbureau Lions for two more years. Starting her 2026-27 season this weekend, at the HG Cross Dendermonde, she’ll hope to continue the success of last season, where she won 20 races, including the world title, the UCI World Cup and X2O Badkamers Trofee titles.

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Brand’s road season ended in August, but she’ll return next season for a different team, having ended her seven-year stint at Lidl-Trek. She’ll announce her new road team next week.

“So today, I’m incredibly proud and happy to announce that I’ll continue racing for Baloise-Het Poetsbureau for the next two seasons!” she wrote.

“This means saying goodbye to Lidl-Trek. A chapter I’ll always look back on with a big smile and so much gratitude.

“But don’t worry, my road cycling story is far from over. An exciting new chapter is about to begin. Where will I be racing on the road? I’ll tell you next week!

“Some decisions are made with your head. Others are made with your heart. This one was never in doubt.”

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