“Her crash was lucky for me, but I hope everything goes well for her" - Puck Pieterse sends well wishes to Lucinda Brand after scary Zonhoven crash

Puck Pieterse took her fourth successive victory on Sunday afternoon at the Zonhoven leg of the UCI World Cup. Post-race though, the Dutchwoman was quick to send her well wishes to compatriot Lucinda Brand who had crashed out hard whilst leading.

“This was a race with a bit of bad luck and also good luck,” reflected the Dutch national champion in her post-race interview. “On the first climb I got a flat tire at the back, but I tried to stay at the front. That took some energy, but Lucinda opened up a gap of 20 seconds. It then also took a lot of energy to overtake and chase riders.”

Although not completely unassailable, Brand's lead was looking good to take her to victory before disaster struck and the Baloise - Trek Lions rider crashed out hard. This left Pieterse in the lead, a lead she then comfortably held all the way to the finish.

"I suddenly saw her standing still. At first, I thought she was unlucky, but a little later I saw that she was no longer there. That was lucky for me, but I hope everything goes well for her,” she concludes caringly. “I had some problems in the sand sometimes, but tried to play it safe . Here you can be hyped up by the crowd to go fast, but it is better to stay upright than to fall.”