Lucinda Brand on her victory in Meulebeke -"It's getting better and better for me, I really like it"

Lucinda Brand secured the top spot in the Exact Cross Meulebeke after she beat Fem van Empel in a thrilling sprint. It’s her first victory of the season.

"It was a tough cross. It was very difficult to get into my rhythm," Brand said. She continued, "I couldn't really get through it. You really have to be able to pull up through those corners, that wasn't quite there. Fortunately, I still have that bike. I had some struggles with the sandbox, which didn't always go so well. Then you ride alone a lot, and there is secretly a lot of wind. I'm glad I was able to compartmentalize well and still pull it to me in the sprint."

Brand secured silver last week in Beringen, whereas Van Empel took the win, but today, the situation has reversed. "I like that opposition. Riding laps in front of it is also very challenging because you just have to keep riding in front of it. It's hard to ride technically well at a high heart rate. But this is riding technically in a different way, this is also very instructive. It's getting better and better for me. You maybe shouldn't have let me do this three years ago... But now I do, I really like it,” said Brand.

As she heads to the United States, Brand is optimistic about continuing her season. "Now I'm stretched out on the couch, then we get on the plane. Hopefully, we can continue this upward feeling,” concluded Brand.