"I didn’t really have a good feeling on the course" - Lucinda Brand admits she struggled behind Fem van Empel at World Cup Besançon

Fem van Empel claimed another impressive victory at the cyclocross World Cup Besançon, showing why she’s number one at the moment by finishing ahead of former world champion Lucinda Brand in second place. Kata Blanka Vas completed the podium in third.

Lucinda Brand, the 35-year-old 2021 cyclocross world champion, shared her thoughts on the race in a post-race interview, "Today, yes," Brand begun, "this morning, during the reconnaissance, I didn’t really have a good feeling on the course.

“During the cross, I got a better feeling, so I’m super happy with that. In that respect, it was a good race. It was difficult to deliver power for a long time on this course. Maybe because it was slippery, or maybe because of the cold, because you don’t really feel it."

The Baloise Trek Lions rider reflected on her performance and how she improved throughout the race, "I really had to warm up in the first lap. For the type of rider I am, I think I had a decent start. I got a better feeling every lap. It was nice that I could follow Blanka a lot in the beginning. After that I got more and more into my rhythm, but I think Fem also found her rhythm, because she had a big gap."

With Van Empel looking superb this year, Brand will be focused on closing the gap to her rival in the upcoming races. Her performance in Besançon, however, demonstrated her strength and growing form as the season progresses. Fans will undoubtedly be eager to see how these battles unfold in the races ahead.