Brand shouldn’t expect a sweet Sara after her jab at Casasola: "I should command a bit more respect"

"Without Casasola's action, that gap wouldn't have happened, then it would have been a gamble until the end. I had to come back; I hate that," said Brand, referring to a steep hill where Casasola boldly cut inside. This move slowed both riders down, allowing Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado to break away and win in Merksplas. Brand finished second, while Casasola took fourth place.

"I know it may have been a bit much, but it was nothing against Lucinda," Casasola said after taking third place in Hamme. "I wanted to be in her wheel but ended up halfway beside her, so my choice was to either crash or make some meters going uphill. I did what I had to do, even though the line between right and wrong can sometimes be thin for others. But it’s racing, and everyone does what they need to when the moment calls for it."

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"Maybe it's due to the young age," Brand added on Saturday. The Dutch champion from Baloise Trek Lions clearly had her eye on the Italian. "I have often thought: ow! That's also a bit cyclo-cross, but she usually doesn't benefit. Then it's annoying, so when I get the chance, I'll point that out again."

A conversation didn’t happen on Sunday. "I haven’t talked with Lucinda about it, but I hope we’re friends," Casasola laughed, issuing a warning to the top competitors: she’s not going to ease up in the coming weeks. "I take risks when necessary, I think. I try not to do it too much because nobody wants to crash in a stupid way. But if I see an opportunity, I go for it. Sometimes I’m still a bit too nice. I should command a bit more respect."

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10, 2, 4, 3, 3, 4, 3, 4, 4, 3. No one can ignore that Casasola is currently among the top four cyclo-cross riders in the world. Fem van Empel, Brand and Alvarado won’t easily shake off the Italian’s grit in the coming weeks. "It still feels great to get on the podium, but I’m getting closer. When you get close, you want more, but I’m riding well and just missing that little bit."

She hopes to find that missing piece in the coming weeks, though Casasola knows her competitors can still up their game as well. "I hope it comes. It’s getting better and better, but I need to be more aggressive and smarter in the final. I need to work on that — improving my weaknesses, but hopefully, that will come with more races."