“Lucinda Brand fell and I just went full gas” – Sara Casasola punishes late mistake to seize first ever Superprestige victory

Sara Casasola delivered the performance – and the result – of her cyclocross career in Overijse, taking full advantage of a late crash by Lucinda Brand to claim her maiden Superprestige victory. The 25-year-old Italian became the first from her country ever to win the historic Druivencross, powering solo to the finish after a tense hour of mud-soaked racing.

Brand and Casasola were inseparable for most of the race, matching each other blow for blow on the slick, leaf-strewn slopes that make Overijse one of the most technical circuits of the season. The Dutchwoman looked in control, repeatedly testing her rival on the climbs and through the off-camber sections, but the Italian refused to yield.

“It’s unbelievable to win such a classic race,” Casasola said afterwards. “Lucinda was so strong, and we were really on the limit the whole time. I had a bit of luck – when she fell, I just went full gas to the finish.”

The decisive moment came on the final lap. Brand, riding second wheel, tried to carry extra speed into a corner but clipped a wooden post and was thrown from her bike. Casasola seized the chance instantly, sprinting clear while Brand remounted, her advantage growing to twelve seconds by the line.

“It’s incredible to win a race like this, such a cyclocross classic,” she added. “I knew the win was close, but I had to stay focused and keep pushing until the end.”

After consistent podiums in Essen and Ruddervoorde, the victory marked the next step in Casasola’s emergence as a genuine contender. Her calm under pressure, combined with tactical sharpness and technical precision, suggests the Italian’s long-awaited breakthrough season has truly begun.

With her confidence rising and the Superprestige lead now hers, Casasola’s next challenge will be maintaining that level against the returning heavyweights of the discipline — including Fem van Empel and Puck Pieterse — as the winter campaign intensifies. In Overijse, though, the Italian finally confirmed what her recent form had promised: she belongs at the very top of women’s cyclocross.