Eighteen podium finishes in eighteen cyclo-cross races for Brand this season: "The way I'm riding now, it's not in the cards"

In the Flemish mud, Brand had to work hard to catch up, as she often does this season. While winner Fem van Empel was already far ahead, Brand caught up with Pieterse as her final rival and, in doing so, secured another podium finish. She crossed the line in second place, 37 seconds behind the winner. "There are definitely some areas for improvement, but it was a good race," Brand said afterward.

Of her eighteen podium finishes, Brand has secured four victories, the most recent being earlier this month in Dublin. Thanks to her consistent top finishes, she currently leads the World Cup standings by a significant margin. However, the lack of recent wins hasn’t gone unnoticed by Brand herself. "The way I'm riding now, it’s not in the cards. It’s a lack of freshness," she explained.

Brand’s explanation for missing that freshness a little bit is understandable. The 35-year-old hasn’t skipped a single race during the busy Christmas period leading up to Gavere. In the days following Hulst, Brand also raced in Zonhoven (third place) and Mol (second place). "Because of that, I’m making mistakes that I don’t normally make," she admitted. "It’s just a bit of the flow, but that’s part of it."

Doesn’t the lack of wins bother her, considering so many podium finishes? "No, I think you just have to make the most of each race and not dwell on it too much. Otherwise, it starts to eat away at you."

As an experienced rider, Brand knows how to handle moments like these. "You shouldn’t focus on it in a negative way. But in a positive way." Would Brand trade her consistent streak and leading position in the standings for a single victory? "If I win the overall standings, that would be amazing," she concluded.