“I still can’t get used to this” – Lucinda Brand continues her winter of dominance with Boxing Day Gavere win

Lucinda Brand admitted she needed time and multiple adjustments to unlock her winning ride at the UCI Cyclocross World Cup Gavere, after sealing another dominant victory on one of the season’s most demanding courses.

“I still can’t get used to this,” Brand said after the finish in quotes collected by Sporza. “I’d had some input from the men, but I thought it would work on the tyres I started on. I just couldn’t find grip. So I changed tyre profile, but I still wasn’t happy, so I changed again. Then I slowly grew into it, although I also had to grow into the race itself. If I just keep focusing on riding good races and staying fit, a nice classification will come.”

Brand’s comments reflected the early uncertainty that preceded her decisive move, with two bike changes proving crucial before she began to ride clear of the field and steadily extend her advantage.

Behind her, Amandine Fouquenet continued her strong recent form by finishing second, following up her victory in Zolder with another podium result. The French rider described a race ridden without pressure, despite a sustained battle for position. “I feel good,” Fouquenet said. “I can ride without pressure. I’m happy with my win in Zolder and now also with this second place. It was a hard fight with Pieterse, but I felt good on the heavy sections.”

Fouquenet established herself as Brand’s closest challenger in the second half of the race, ultimately securing second place as the gaps stabilised in the closing laps.

Puck Pieterse completed the podium after a difficult and error strewn race shaped by changing conditions. She confirmed that tyre choice became a major factor even before the start.

“I’m happy to be on the podium,” Pieterse said. “It wasn’t easy. Before the start we were already talking among ourselves because it had become more slippery. In the first corner I already noticed I had very little grip. I managed to ride like that for quite a long time, but halfway through I crashed and then switched to a coarser profile on the front.”

With all three riders pointing to grip and tyre choice as decisive factors, Gavere once again underlined its reputation as a course where adaptation matters as much as raw power.