Results Rapencross Lokeren 2025 Women | Lucinda Brand powers to victory as Riberolle surges late to claim second

Lucinda Brand continued her superb early-season form with a commanding victory at the Rapencross Lokeren, distancing her rivals in the second half of the race and riding to her second win of the weekend in the X2O Badkamers Trofee. Belgian champion Marion Norbert Riberolle produced a storming late charge to take second ahead of Sara Casasola, who had animated the opening laps.

The race exploded immediately on the grassy banks and sandy strips of Park ter Beuken. Leonie Bentveld launched fastest before Sara Casasola took control, accelerating up “Mont Henri” to force the first split. Brand, Aniek van Alphen and Bentveld formed the early lead group, with Van der Heijden and Riberolle working to hold contact as Blanka Vas and Laura Verdonschot suffered troubled starts — the latter later abandoning.

Brand briefly found herself delayed by a pedal problem but quickly rejoined, and alongside Casasola and Van Alphen set a relentless tempo in the early exchanges. The Italian was aggressive, repeatedly attacking through the wooded sections and sand, but this time could not shake her rivals.

That effort cost her. As the pace lifted on lap four, Brand seized control, surging clear as Casasola cracked and then slid out across the beach-volley sand. Bentveld faded and Van der Heijden lost touch, while Riberolle began to creep forward, riding herself into contention after a slow opening.

Once in front, Brand never looked back. Smooth, composed and decisive, she opened daylight and then stretched it inexorably, riding the fastest lap of the race and starting the bell lap alone. Behind, the fight for the podium tightened as Bentveld dropped out of the medal hunt and Van Alphen battled valiantly before being overhauled.

In the finale it became a duel between Casasola and Riberolle for second. The Belgian champion — growing stronger with every sector — kicked hardest on the final run-in, outsprinting her teammate to secure a superb runner-up spot, with Casasola settling for third after originally lighting the fuse.

Brand crossed the line with time to savour her fourth win of the campaign — and her second in three days — further underlining her status as the in-form rider of the autumn.