Former world champion Lucinda Brand left to rue bad start in World Cup Antwerpen: "I couldn't close the gap"

Lucinda Brand secured second place in the first World Cup race of the season in Antwerp but admitted that victory was never within reach. The Dutch champion struggled after a poor start at the World Cup Antwerpen, which forced her to chase from the beginning, and she could never really get on terms with Fem van Empel who look very strong throughout.

Fem van Empel and Lucinda Brand once again occupied the top two spots on the Antwerp World Cup podium, just as they had the previous year. However, Brand noted a key difference this time around. “It was just a slightly different fight this year,” she told Wielerflits after the race. “She already had a gap from the start.”

Brand acknowledged that the short start and her diminished explosiveness meant she was unable to challenge for the win. “Once I could ride my own lines, I couldn't close the gap anymore,” she explained. “It was a short start, and my explosiveness is not what it used to be. Then you have to find your moments, and that didn’t work out fast enough, which is a shame.”

Despite the challenging beginning, Brand managed to climb through the field to finish in second place, keeping the gap to Van Empel within a manageable range. When asked if she felt as strong as the world champion during the race, Brand speculated, “Without my poor start, we would have seen a duel for sure, but I don’t know how far into the race.”

Although unable to bridge the gap, Brand recognised Van Empel's strength on the day. “At the moment that we could both ride our lines, I didn’t get any closer. That does show that Fem was at least as strong today or maybe even a little bit stronger,” she admitted. “I am generally satisfied with my race.”

The Dutch rider will now look to build on this performance as the season progresses, aiming for more consistency in her starts to challenge for victories.