Brand was the strongest, but had some luck with Van Empel's misfortune: "Had to take advantage of it"

Not Fem van Empel, but Lucinda Brand was victorious in the World Cup cyclo-cross race in Dublin. The Dutch champion was by far the best and crossed the line solo. Afterward, she was delighted with her performance, although she also saw that she was a bit lucky with the misfortune of the world champion.

In the flash interview, Brand smiled at the camera after her fine victory. "It's a big one, so I'm delighted," she said. "I felt great. At the beginning of the first lap, I felt slightly stuck. But I noticed I had good legs after I could ride to the front very fast, but it was still tough. Fem, of course, had a flat tire. I know it's not the nicest way, but I knew I had to take advantage of it. People were struggling quite a bit with the pace, but Fem returned. Then she made a mistake and lost time again. At that point, I was the strongest, I think."

In Antwerp, she suffered a defeat against Van Empel, but that gave her courage. "The last week, I also felt strong. During that race, the gap also stayed a bit the same with Fem. I looked forward to not losing time in the first lap and competing with her. I'm pleased that I was able to turn the tide. Maybe it will be the other way around next time, but for now, I'm pleased."

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Brand was also the strongest in Overijse, Belgium this year.

Ties play big role: "Knew I could gamble"

Was the choice of tires crucial? Compared to her closest competitor, Brand had much more grip. "So maybe yes. It's a tough lap. But I had a good feeling and knew that I could gamble if I was a little more cautious in the turns, and with the wind and sun making it drier." The new World Cup leader can extend her lead in Italy next week, where Van Empel will not be present. "Ooh, that is true. It's nice, but we'll see in January. There are still a lot of tough races ahead, of course. The points I pick up there are a nice bonus for me."

Read also

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