"I heard her breathing hard" — Lucinda Brand uses race smarts to outfox Sara Casasola in Rapencross showdown

Lucinda Brand’s autumn momentum shows no sign of easing. The Dutch powerhouse claimed her fourth win in just five starts this season at the Rapencross in Lokeren, breaking clear from Sara Casasola and Aniek van Alphen with two laps to go and powering away to another authoritative triumph in the X2O Badkamers Trofee.

For Brand, the victory was not just about legs — it was about composure. While the early laps were animated by Casasola’s aggression and Van Alphen’s stubborn response, Brand bided her time before unleashing a perfectly-timed acceleration. “These are the perfect weekends,” she said after the race.

The former world champion stressed that patience and control were the keys to her latest success. Despite a quieter first half, she insisted she never felt out of position. “My start today was not so good, but I have learned that I should not stress if it happens,” Brand explained. “The bike changes I did were very deliberate. That made the difference today.”

When the decisive move came, it was part instinct, part calculation. Casasola had spent long spells forcing the pace and briefly faltered through a technical passage, giving Brand the signal she needed.

“I was more anticipating,” Brand said. “Sara had just had a difficult section and I heard her breathing hard. Now I know that doesn’t always say much, but I thought: I’ll see where it leads.”

It led, inevitably, to daylight. Once in front, Brand executed with trademark precision, riding clear to close out a weekend double that reinforces her position as the rider to beat as the season deepens.

Calm under pressure, ruthless when the moment comes — on current evidence, this is Lucinda Brand at her most complete. And with confidence, rhythm, and race sharpness all aligned, the rest of the women’s peloton will know one thing clearly: she has found her groove early, and she intends to hold it.