"We can continue with this" - Lucinda Brand back to the top as she comes close to win in Gavere
Cyclocross
In the absence of Fem van Empel, several riders had the opportunity to shine today in Gavere. Lucinda Brand has had her best performance since returning from injury, and she finished runner-up to teammate Shirin van Anrooij.
"I'm happy to be on the podium of a World Cup race again. I hope I can get a little better, but we can continue with this," Brand said in a post-race interview. As Puck Pieterse also struggled in the muddy course, Brand temporarily saw herself in the lead, before her young teammate took over and extended the lead.
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"She (van Anrooij, ed.) made some little mistakes, so I wanted to pass. She had to walk, but I was on top in a somewhat difficult track. I got off track, so I had to walk too. There I lost the connection again," Brand explained. eventually, she rode to second place, her best World Cup result since resuming racing after a hand fracture suffered in Tabor.
"That also took a lot of energy. Of course I was hoping to reconnect on the long climb, but Shirin had a really good last lap. I couldn't ride as far as I wanted. The energy was gone, so the strongest won today," Brand concluded.
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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Brand is getting closer to her teammate Van Anrooij going into the final lap! Will the former World champion 🌈 close the remaining 🔟 seconds and take her first #CXWorldCup of the season?
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