"I think I limited the damage very well" - Lucinda Brand fights through back pain to stay in the battle for Superprestige victory after round in Niel

Lucinda Brand came out on top in the X2O Trophy in Lokeren on Sunday, but that wasn't the case in Monday's Niel Superprestige. Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado was clearly a notch above her more experienced and thus got to celebrate yesterday. The Dutch champion Brand however managed to limit the damage with a second place as the two ladies now share lead in the Superprestige rankings.

Brand never had a chance of victory, as Alvarado had already ridden away from the competition in the first lap. "I gave it my all. I already knew this morning that it would be difficult to win," Brand begins her story in front of the camera of WielerFlits. "I just didn't have my day."

"I already had some back pain yesterday during the race (in Lokeren, ed.). That doesn’t help with the recovery. This morning it shot again, that doesn’t help at all," she can still laugh about it. "All things considered – with a course that I don’t find very easy – I knew it would be very difficult against Ceylin. She also rode very well yesterday. It is what it is."

Brand couldn't take on Alvarado, but she did manage to limit the damage in the Superprestige standings with a second place. She is – with 42 points – jointly leading in this regularity classification. And that while she managed to extend her leading position in the X2O Trophy yesterday. "I am definitely doing a good thing. I think I limited the damage very well. I can look back on a very good weekend."

Brand is still competing for all rankings. Will this even become a luxury problem in the long term? "That could indeed happen, but I would like to postpone that for a while. Of course you always want to ride well in the upcoming World Cup, certainly because of the points that are involved. I wouldn't say that the World Cup ranking is an immediate goal."