Lucinda Brand is yet to finish off the podium of a cyclocross race this season – a run of 24 top-three finishes on the bounce. With two more victories in consecutive days this weekend, the 35-year-old cemented her title as the most consistent rider in the elite women’s field.
Brand’s run of consecutive podiums extends even beyond this season having finished in the top three of her final eight races last season, making it 32 podiums in a row. Only Puck Pieterse (35 races) and Marianne Vos (51 races) have had longer podium streaks among active women’s riders in cyclocross.
The Baloise Glowi Lions rider leads the women’s World Cup standings by 61 points with three rounds remaining and could seal the overall series at the next round in Benidorm later this month. Brand also leads both the prestigious Superprestige and X20 Badkamers Trofee series as she bids to complete a clean sweep of titles.
She led from start to finish to win her second World Cup round of the season in Dendermonde on Sunday, ahead of rivals Pieterse in second and world champion Fem Van Empel in third.
“It feels very good to win, of course,” said Brand after clinching victory by 30 seconds. “But also I think it’s the first time I thought ‘Oh another lap, really?'”
“At the end of the penultimate lap, my gap increased so I just had to focus on the very tough parts and to keep enough speed there.
“The mud was super heavy. First I had a battle with Puck [Pieterse]. But at some point, if you drive there alone, it’s super nice to have so much encouragement [from the crowd].”
The World Cup win was Brand’s 10th race in 15 days during the Christmas and New Year period, starting from the World Cup in Hulst on December 21. Brand also finished runner-up on the sand dunes of Koksijde on Friday before winning at Gullegem on Saturday and in Dendermonde 24 hours later to close out a hectic weekend.
“Yes, it’s absurd and the training logic is not there, I think,” added Brand.
“But the training logic does say that you have to prepare for the World Cup.”
Brand said that a ‘fantastic’ road season with Lidl Trek has contributed towards her cyclo-cross success.
After last season’s cyclocross campaign, Brand competed in the spring Classics before winning the 1.1 ranked Elmos Dwars door het Hageland in June and a stage of the Internationale LOTTO Thüringen Ladies Tour.
Brand finished the Giro d’Italia Women before placing eighth overall in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift after a stunning ride on the final day up Alpe d’Huez, which also saw her teammate Gaia Realini take fifth overall.
She posted on Instagram after taking victory at Gullegem and the Superprestige lead.
“This season is just amazing! So many people ask me how I manage to show up fresh and ready for every single race,” Brand said. “After a tough few years of bad luck and injuries and health, everything is finally going according to plan!
“Thanks to a fantastic road season with Lidl Trek, I’ve built up an incredible foundation. Now, it’s all about fine-tuning every little detail. Nutrition, training, recovery, and surrounding myself with the right people— this is where the real gains are made.
“This year, I’ve built an incredible support team: a dedicated masseur, physio, chiropractor, trainer, and more. Every piece of the puzzle matters, and together, we’re raising the bar!
“We’ve also made a huge step forward with our equipment. SRAM Road has provided us with the absolute best gear, fine-tuned to perfection!
“And then there’s my coach, Paul Van Den Bosch, who is simply the best. Together, we’ve created a precise plan to tackle my weaknesses head-on. Paul calls me every single day to make sure we’re on track and to tweak things if needed. His passion and guidance are truly inspiring!
“Moving to Belgium has been another game-changer. I’m on my ‘cross bike more than ever, my travel time is down to a fraction, and I’m loving life in my beautiful forest!”
Brand is the defending Dutch women’s national cyclo-cross champion but might opt out of a title defence in favour of a training camp alongside the road squad. With the World Cup round in Benidorm arriving in just two weeks’ time, Brand is amongst the riders who may elect to skip the national championships and stay in Spain for Lidl-Trek’s training camp in Denia.
“I’m going to Spain anyway,” Brand added. “I’ll sleep again first, but it’s certainly possible that I just stay there.”
