“I just kept piling up the mistakes” – Lucinda Brand reflects on painful Zonhoven defeat as 13-race winning streak ends
Cyclocross
The end of a winning run rarely arrives without warning in Zonhoven, and for Lucinda Brand, it came through a sequence of small errors on a course that offered no forgiveness. After 13 consecutive victories, the former world champion was finally beaten in the World Cup sand, with consistency proving more valuable than raw control on a treacherous afternoon.
Brand was quick to acknowledge the performance of Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, who emerged strongest from a crash-marred contest that repeatedly reset itself.
“Ceylin rode a really strong race and made hardly any mistakes,” Brand said in post-race comments collected by Sporza afterwards. “After the first crash I was glad I got back into my rhythm, because that one really hurt, but after that I just kept piling up the mistakes.”
Those mistakes proved decisive on a circuit where momentum shifted constantly and recovery was limited. Brand remained in contention deep into the race and briefly looked capable of regaining control, but another slip in the closing lap ended any remaining chance of overturning the deficit.
“Of all the races, I really wanted to win here”
That final error left Brand with too little time to respond. “After that mistake in the last lap, there was simply too little time to come back,” she explained. The disappointment was heightened by how much the Zonhoven round meant to her personally. “Of all the races, this was one I really wanted to win, so then it hurts a bit more.”
Despite the frustration, Brand framed the result with perspective shaped by experience at the top of the sport. Ending a run of 13 straight victories had always been inevitable, even if the timing stung. “You always know that the day you do not win is getting closer,” she said.
On a day defined by crashes, errors and constant pressure, Brand’s reaction captured both the brutality of Zonhoven and the fine margins that finally brought a remarkable winning streak to an end.
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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