Both on podium, but different emotions for Brand and Bäckstedt: "I struggle with that turn every year"

Ultimately, it was Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado who snatched victory, but Lucinda Brand and Zoe Bäckstedt were also in winning positions for a long time. The little British rider was happy, but Brand was very disappointed. She seemed to have the upper hand for a while, but then, as earlier, this erratic season stalled again. "It just wasn't happening anymore," she said in the flash interview.  

"When we caught up with Bäckstedt, I felt strong for two laps, and it was going well. Then came that hairpin turn, where I had a slight hiccup, and suddenly my legs just jammed," spoke the Dutch rider, searching for a cause. "I simply slowed down because of that. I didn't let it run, but if it doesn't work, it doesn't. I struggle with that turn every year. I do try to deal with it, but it doesn't help," said the 35-year-old World Cup leader.

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Archive photo of Lucinda Brand during cyclo-cross Hulst

Bäckstedt happy second place: "Twice I thought: ow, I almost blew it"

The other lady who narrowly missed out on winning was Bäckstedt. Her emotions were very different from Brand's. The fact that the British rider did not win actually did not affect her. "Lucinda and Ceylin are so strong, I was delighted I could still sprint to second place," said the 20-year-old. "Twice I almost went over my handlebars, I thought, ow, I almost blew it."

She deliberately tried to attack early today to go solo ahead of the rest of the field like Marie Schreiber on Saturday. That didn't work out, but Bäckstedt certainly wasn't disappointed. "That I could compete for spot two with Lucinda gives me a lot of satisfaction; it went well for a long time today. I gave everything. Above all, I enjoyed myself and had a lot of fun."

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