Lucinda Brand on her way back but delays cyclocross season start - "During the first attempt I still sat on the bike like an old and scared grandmother"

Lucinda Brand had big goals in the road season but her season ended prematurely as she crashed out at the Simac Ladies Tour and sustained shoulder injuries. That already is delaying her start and some goals to the cyclocross season, but the Dutchwoman prioritizes her recovery before setting goals.

“Because I am currently very quiet on social media, I thought it would be good to give an update. After four weeks I was finally able to start physical therapy to regain mobility in my shoulder. In the meantime, I'm trying to continue building on my fitness," Brand wrote on her social media. “After short indoor rides, I tried cycling outside again. During the first attempt I still sat on the bike like an old and scared grandmother, but after that, after every ride, it got better again. I can't train for as long as I would like, but I have now ridden on gravel roads again.”

Brand is back on the bike but has spent several weeks away from it. Whether she will focus on any of the classifications is uncertain but currently unlikely. The Baloise - Trek Lions rider already had to handle an injury mid-season last winter, and has also not won for over a year as youngsters such as Fem van Empel and Puck Pieterse evolved into leading figures in the discipline.

“The main priority now is to allow the shoulder to fully heal so that I can regain my full shoulder capacity," Brand states. "Once this goal is achieved, we will create a race plan. It will be difficult to watch the weekends from the sidelines, but I will continue to focus on my return!”