"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
Cyclocross
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."
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"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."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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