Van der Haar disappointed with planning: "Really wanted to race the Koppenbergcross, but needed a proper proposal"

Tuesday evening was a festive night for Lucinda Brand and Lars van der Haar during the Night of Woerden in the Netherlands. Van der Haar achieved his impressive eighth (!) consecutive victory in Woerden, while Brand secured her first win of the season. For both Dutch riders, this was a welcome boost in the lead-up to the European Cyclocross Championships.

Van der Haar had a good feeling beforehand and a clear strategy in mind. "I was sitting in the camper, had thoroughly scouted the course, and pushed hard during the warm-up. I knew there were a few young riders who hadn’t raced here often. So I thought: if I get the chance, I’ll go full throttle for two laps and see how it goes," he told the Dutch outlet Wielerflits.

Still, it turned into a tough battle. "The downside of this course is that it's difficult to create a gap and then build on it, so you have to keep going all out. Once you’re at top speed, the riders behind you also find their rhythm and match your pace. It wasn’t until the last two laps that I could ease off a bit," Van der Haar explained.

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Lars van der Haar

Van der Haar faces logistical challenge: "Otherwise, I wouldn't have done it"

Now, he turns his attention to the European Championships, which take place the same weekend as the Koppenbergcross in Belgium. This requires some logistical planning, as the European Championships are in Pontevedra, Spain. "During the cyclocross in Overijsselse (in the Netherlands, ed.), I’m already sending a bike ahead with a camper so that I can race the Koppenberg. After the Koppenberg, a van with equipment will head to Spain. I’ll fly to Portugal on Saturday and then drive to Spain. I would have preferred a different schedule, but changing the date for the Koppenbergcross was out of the question," says Van der Haar.

He’s not letting the Koppenbergcross slip by. "The team didn’t mind, and I really wanted to race the Koppenberg, but needed a proper proposal, otherwise, I wouldn’t have done it." Van der Haar is confident about the European Championships. "I’m in form, I’m going for it, and that always gives me a chance."

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Lucinda Brand

Brand in form with her first win of the season: "Van Empel is beatable, and that opens up opportunities"

For Brand, it was a challenging and super-fast race in Woerden, which played to her strengths. "I won by making it hard from the start and just keeping the pace up," she told Wielerflits. Fem van Empel had a strong start and set the pace early on. Under her lead, the peloton was strung out into a ribbon, causing the first split. Although Van Empel attempted to break away, Brand, Kata Blanka Vas, Aniek van Alphen and Marie Schreiber managed to follow her.

Brand then made her own move. In the end, it came down to Van Empel, Brand and Schreiber. After Van Empel made a mistake just before the final lap, Brand and Schreiber battled for the win. In the closing stages, Brand was able to shake off the Luxembourg rider definitively. The victory in Woerden marked Brand’s first of the season. "I felt good. Fem van Empel is beatable, and that opens up opportunities. We’re well-matched, and that’s really exciting. It gives me a great and positive feeling," she concluded.

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