Brand beats Pieterse and Van Empel in Dendermonde mud puddle
We had to think twice, but Lucinda Brand won the cyclo-cross race in Dendermonde. Completely covered in mud, the Dutchwoman arrived first after an hour of suffering in the Flemish mud.
Puck Pieterse, winner of the cross-country race in Koksijde on Friday, finished second, more than half a minute behind. World champion Fem van Empel, who suffered a puncture on the last lap, came third ten seconds later.
Brand, who has always ridden well all winter and who won the cross in Gullegem on Saturday, retains the lead in the World Cup rankings. It was the 24th consecutive time that Brand finished on the podium in cyclocross.
More walking than cycling
In Dendermonde, the final stage of eleven cross races in a grueling fortnight of cycling, cyclo-cross was at its best. With a wind chill of two degrees, due to the strong wind. A meadow cross in the no man’s land between Ghent and Brussels. It felt more like walking than cycling at times, through the deep mud strips and puddles.
After riding, Van Empel, Brand and Pieterse gave pre-start interviews with muddy faces. “A battle against oneself” would be, according to Brand. “Drive fast at a pace,” Pieterse predicts as a winning tactic.
Brand and Pieterse started together at the start of the race, left each other little space and briefly collided midway through the cross. Runners could no longer be recognized by their jerseys. It was only when they took off their glasses that we knew for sure who was who.
-“Super tough,” Brand described in the mud. “That’s the first time I thought: another round? Really?”
Brand can laugh after victory in Dendermonde mud puddle: “Super tough”
Brand was pleasantly surprised that there were still so many spectators on the bench: “I don’t know what all these people think about coming to watch in bad weather, but it helps a lot. It’s great to receive so much encouragement.
Flat tire
Due to a puncture and impending exhaustion in Pieterse, Brand was able to open up a decisive gap on the fourth lap of six. She sped through the splashing water to the finish and victory.
A notable dropout in the battle was Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, winner in Dendermonde last year and third yesterday in the Gullegem cross. She gave up after three rounds.
Preparations can begin next week, when competitors Brand, Van Empel and Pieterse meet in Oisterwijk to compete for the Dutch title in this field. But it remains to be seen which big names will be present at this national championship, because the World Cup will take place in Liévin, France, next month.
