A Dutch match was expected in advance between Ceylin Alvarado and Lucinda Brand. In any case, it was exciting in the Superprestige ranking. Lucinda Brand was 1 point behind Alvarado. Last year’s winner, Zoe Bäckstedt, was also at the start in Gullegem. Was she the third dog to walk with her paw?
In any case, she got off to the best start. With youngsters Leonie Bentveld and Alvarado, they had a small lead of ten seconds after the first lap over the pursuit group consisting of local Norbert Riberolle, Lucinda Brand and Van Alphen. In the second lap, Brand reached the front. Norbert Riberolle beat Van Alphen in the battle for fifth place
Catch up with the fire
Brand backed away for a moment and had to give up for a few more seconds. This was the start of Brand’s catching up with the leading trio. The Dutch champion didn’t get much closer at first. At the front, Bäckstedt and Alvarado took turns.
Finally, Brand came back to join Bentveld, but in the meantime he had to leave a gap on the other two leaders. Brand thought about it and had no time to waste. In no time, she closed the gap with the leading duo. It was exciting in Gullegem.
Raging fire
There were therefore three riders left in the final round. Lucinda Brand wanted to equalize the ranking and overtook Alvarado and Bäckstedt. The Dutchwoman put a lot of pressure on the other two. Alvarado got stuck in the wheel, while Bäckstedt had to leave a gap.
Brand had gained all his strength and was moving away from Alvarado. A good catch-up race was made by the Dutch champion, who is tied in the Superprestige ranking. After a fierce duel, Bäckstedt overtook Alvarado and finished second after a photo finish.
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Lucinda Brand: “Go to bed immediately”
After the cross, winner Brand spoke about her feelings during the race: “For two laps I felt really good and had good flow on the course. After that second post they widened the gap again, but I continued to drive my own line and then the gap completely reversed. In a final round like this, you obviously leave nothing behind and you can always do more.
Thanks to Zoe Bäckstedt who finished second, Lucinda Brand also overtook Alvarado in the standings. A double victory in Gullegem: “Yes, I said it this morning. If I win, I hope Zoé will still be among them, because she manages this course very well. Yes, incredible. We’ve had a good practice walking here, it’ll probably be the same tomorrow, so let’s go to bed soon.
