"I am definitely approaching the best moment of my career" - Wins just keep coming for 34-year-old Lucinda Brand

After victory last time out at the iconic Nacht van Woerden, Lucinda Brand backed it up again on Sunday afternoon, taking a very impressive win at Superprestige Overijse.

After a tense early couple of laps, Brand blasted clear of the field in the mid-race laps and not even a late charge from world champion Fem van Empel could reel the Dutch national champion back. “I completely missed my pedal at the start. And the first part here is very short, so I was too far back right away," Brand recalls in her post-race interview. "Then we had to walk on the first climb. That of course immediately creates a gap. Fortunately, I was at the front of the gap that fell, so I could ride at my own pace. That was nice.”

As mentioned though, there was no panic from Brand as she got herself back into contention before powering clear mid-race. “I had secretly hoped that they would maintain a slightly higher pace at the front, because Alvarado had of course also been held up on that climb at the beginning. But that didn't happen. And yes, for me a hard race is simply better," she assesses. "So yes, I thought: I'll just see what happens when I ride hard uphill. It was the right attack right away.”

This victory also continues Brand's fight against the next generation, proving she can still more than compete with the likes of Fem van Empel. “I always find it difficult to compare years with each other. I have often had a very good feeling on the bike. I am definitely approaching the best moment of my career," the 34-year-old insists in conclusion, clearly far from done with winning races in professional cycling and cyclocross. "It is great that I still manage to reach such a high level.”