Noordzeecross Middelkerke winner Inge van der Heijden reacts to victory over Lucinda Brand: "I had to fight hard for this"
Cycling
It was a remarkable day for the 25-year-old Dutch rider Inge
van der Heijden as she triumphed in the final race of the Superprestige season,
the Noordzeecross Middelkerke. She secured victory ahead of former world
champion Lucinda Brand, who suffered a fall on the first lap and came agonisingly
close to recovering for the win. However, Van der Heijden managed to hold her
ground.
Van der Heijden previously claimed the World Under-23 title
in 2019 in Bogense.
“I had to fight hard for this,” Van der Heijden said after
the Noordzeecross to Het Nieuwsblad. “In the first laps we really pushed hard
because Brand wasn’t at the front. I heard someone crash behind me and I was
glad I wasn’t involved.”
Riding for Fenix-Deceuninck, she seized the opportunity when
Brand was out of contention early on.
"It quickly became clear that Lucinda was not with us.
You shouldn't hesitate then. Together with my teammate Sara Casasola we really
picked up the pace. Especially in the last lap Lucinda came up dangerously, but
I still made it", she smiles. "But I was out of my depth at the
end."
After 25 podium finishes, this marked her first major
victory, and you could see the joy on her face as she crossed the finish line
as a winner.
This season in the Superprestige series, she secured third
place in Mol and Diegem and finished fourth at the World Championships last
weekend in a race won by Fem van Empel. Additionally, she has achieved top-five
finishes in three World Cup races this year.
“Things have been going really well in recent weeks, only
that one highlight was missing. That came today. Everything fell into place. I
will now complete a few more races, but I also want to enjoy this victory a
little.”
This milestone in her career serves as a crucial step
forward as she aims to carry this momentum into the 2025 road season and the
upcoming 2025/2026 cyclocross campaign.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
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- seems like we are advertising the website with pointless comments…Ketterechts08-11-2026
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