“Lucinda Brand fell and I just went full gas” – Sara Casasola punishes late mistake to seize first ever Superprestige victory
Cyclocross
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.
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.
claps 4visitors 4
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
Loading
Nouveau succès pour Sara Casasola dans le Superprestige d'Overijse ! L'Italienne a battu Lucinda Brand, même si c'est dommage qu'une chute ait forcé la décision.
Write a comment