Lucinda Brand satisfied with third place in the final World Cup round of 2023/24: "I think that this has confirmed my ambitions for the World Championships"

Lucinda Brand was in the mix for victory during the cyclocross World Cup in Hoogerheide for a long time, but she eventually crossed the finish line behind Fem van Empel and Kata Blanka Vas in third place. The Dutch champion is nevertheless satisfied.

Brand spent most of the race in the company of Fem van Empel, before Blanka Kata Vas joined the two for the final lap and made it a three-way battle. "It became a tactical race, because we were on even level. I did my best to get rid of them," said the leader of Baloise - Trek Lions. "We fought for it, but with respect. They are also a bit more explosive, they knew that."

After the last stairs it became even more exciting. Van Empel was the first to reach the top and was the first to start the final straight. "And I completely lost momentum, because my front wheel slipped," Brand said. "But I think I can say that this has confirmed my ambitions for the World Championships," she refers to the race held in Tábor next week.