“My level has really gone up" - Lucinda Brand seemingly the closest challenger to Fem van Empel

Fem van Empel's status as cyclocross' number one female rider is unquestionable at the moment. In races however, Lucinda Brand has emerged as the most realistic challenger to the world champion.

“It was fun, but also difficult,” says Brand to Wielerflits after finishing second behind the world champion in Antwerp. “We were well matched. Only Fem could make the difference on the beam passage. I also train for that, but the technique doesn't come as quickly as you would like. Without beams I could certainly have continued the battle for longer in Antwerp, but Fem knew very well that she had to exploit that advantage in the final.”

World champion herself back in 2020, Brand is still returning to top form after injury. “My level has really gone up. I don't know what Fem thinks about her own level. But the data I see during training has brought me back to my old level," she assesses optimistically.

“I'm not sure if surprised is the right word. But if you have had a bad year, and you secretly know that the years are starting to count twice, then it is a very nice feeling if you manage to get back to your best level. And that was certainly a little uncertainty for me. Of course I worked hard to get back to that level, but that is no guarantee," she concludes. "If I can keep it that way for the next few weeks, that would be really nice. I still hope for additional progress, but that also lies in keeping fresh.”