Lucinda Brand will not defend National Title: "My body needs some rest"

Lucinda Brand has announced that she will not defend her national title this weekend. Instead of competing in Oisterwijk, she has opted for a longer rest period and a training camp in Spain. As a result, a new national champion will be crowned.

On Instagram, the Baloise Glowi Lions rider shared that she would be relinquishing her national champion jersey. "It’s time to say goodbye to my national champion jersey, but I’ve worn it with so much pride," she stated. "The national championships have always meant a lot to me, and it really hurts not to participate this year. But after ten races in just 16 days, my body needs some rest and training to recover."

"It’s already been a fantastic season so far," she continued. "And I hope I can make it even more special in the coming weeks. Thank you for all the support—let’s finish the season strong!" On Sunday, Brand had already mentioned to IDLProCycling.com that her chances of starting in Oisterwijk were slim. Brand is enjoying a stellar season. Her victory in the Dendermonde World Cup was her seventh of the season, and she has made the podium in all 24 of her races this winter. Unsurprisingly, she leads the standings in the World Cup, the Superprestige, and the X2O Trophy.

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Sanne Cant also won't defend her national title

Lucinda Brand is not the only national champion bidding farewell to her jersey. Sanne Cant has also ridden her final race in her national colors. For the Belgian, it is an even more emotional farewell: not only is this her final year as a professional cyclo-cross racer, but she has been undefeated in the Belgian championships since 2010. For fifteen years, she wore the Belgian national champion's jersey. Now, after a decade and a half, the era of Sanne Cant has come to an end.

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