“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
Cyclocross
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.”
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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.”
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Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- Tis beyond your comprehension fine sir so best not to look on with blind eyes to THE GOATS greatness.
Brucegel09-11-2026 - McNulty winning was beneficial in ensuring the rainbow jersey would not remain winless
Front24209-11-2026 - Eccelente! That's 7 riders in total in Red Bull who come from the devo team, 8 if you include Lipo
Rafionain-Glas09-11-2026 - again, nothing is going to be resolved. it is a discussion board. I simply said I didn't see how MS impeded LBs sprint. the UCI doesn't care about my thoughts, and I am really not that emotionally invested in it.mij09-11-2026
- provoke change, lol. this is a discussion board. nothing is going to change by what I say here. just commenting that it didn't look like MS impeded Brand. beyond that not trying to go too deep.mij09-11-2026
- as excellent as maga rednecks chloe dygert (and quinn simmons)?Ketterechts09-11-2026
- so what i understand is: i left a comment calling out the endless author CVs for being an unnecessary flex of expertise, and you responded by lecturing me (and others) on discrimination and value systems. hats off to you. you definitely lost me!Ketterechts09-11-2026
- I just love the flood of Americans into the top ranks of world cycling. In addition to being studs on the bike, they all seem to be excellent emissaries for our country.Occam09-11-2026
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Flyingggggg into 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣4️⃣ 🚀 Puck Pieterse victorious at Round 12 of the Women Elite CX World Cup in Zonhoven 🥇 @SportPic_Agency #CXWorldCup
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