Controversy in the Cyclo-Cross Worlds: Lucinda Brand furious over Van Empel’s tactics — but is that fair or not?

Lucinda Brand’s fierce post-race comments after her defeat at the Cyclo-cross World Championships in Liévin have not been well received by many in the cycling world. The Dutch rider claimed that Fem van Empel unfairly blocked her in the final lap, but was that really the case?

Van Empel and Brand engaged in an intense back-and-forth battle, repeatedly swapping the lead. At times, it looked like Brand was pulling away, then Van Empel, and ultimately, they entered the final lap side by side. In the closing moments, Van Empel made a bold move, taking the lead as Brand came to a near stop on a small incline.

Brand argued that Van Empel went too far in a corner, forcing her wide and preventing her from passing. "I don’t know what to think about someone feeling the need to push another rider into the barriers. To be honest, I already saw something similar happen at the European Championships, which maybe is just part of it. But this — I really don’t think this was okay," Brand said.

Read more below the video.

Analyst criticizes Brand's words

Brand’s emotional post-race interview with Sporza immediately sparked debate in the Belgian TV studio. Former pro Richard Groenendaal had a strong opinion on the matter. "Maybe the interview came too soon, while she was still full of emotions. But this kind of criticism is not what the race deserves. No, this isn’t necessary," he said firmly.

Groenendaal didn’t hold back: "Lucinda shouldn’t have let it get to that point. And if I’m being really harsh, she might want to give Annemarie Worst a call about Oostende," he said, referring to the 2021 World Championships, where Brand passed Worst on the inside in the final moments, causing her to crash and miss out on the title. "I think Lucinda needs to watch the footage — she’ll probably realize it wasn’t as bad as she thought. I don’t think she’s watched it back yet."

Watch the moment Groenendaal is referring to, at the 2021 World Championship, in the video below (around the 4-minute mark).

Team manager Sven Nys understands Brand’s frustration: "That's frustrating"

IDLProCycling.com asked Sven Nys, Brand’s team manager at Baloise Glowi Lions, for his take on the situation. He understood why she was furious at the finish. "That’s partly just the adrenaline. You hope for a fair fight, where you’re not blocked from making a decisive attack. That’s how it felt to her, and I get why she took it that way. The final stretch is crucial, you know? You either enter it in first place, or you’re stuck chasing."

Nys emphasized that this was both a physical and mental setback for Brand. "I think that’s how it felt to her. But is it worth appealing to the jury? Probably not. Van Empel felt that Lucinda was coming up fast, with a lot of speed. And she simply closed the door on her. That’s frustrating, but it happens a lot. Of course, when it happens just a few hundred meters from the finish at a World Championship, the disappointment is even bigger."

Read more below the photo.

Brand could barely manage a smile on the World Championship podium

Nys felt Brand made no mistakes

Should Brand blame herself for this outcome in the Worlds? "I wouldn’t call it a mistake," Nys said. "She got blocked and couldn’t take the position she expected to. That’s frustrating, but is it a mistake? I wouldn’t go that far. It’s something that happens often in racing. It’s just that when it happens in the final lap of a World Championship, the frustration is magnified."

Right after the controversial moment, Brand’s race unraveled. She had to unclip her foot just before the final turn, losing all momentum. "That was a direct consequence of what happened earlier. The frustration carried over from that moment — it definitely played a role." In the end, Brand had to settle for silver. But Nys insisted she shouldn’t feel like she lost. "She shouldn’t walk away feeling like she lost. A champion finished second today."

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