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Follow us on GoogleNovember 11 isn’t exactly a day to celebrate for Sven Nys. The Belgian had to announce that morning that his sponsor, Het Poetsbureau, would be ending its sponsorship as of January 1. That afternoon he watched his team leader and world champion, Lucinda Brand, drop out after just one lap in Niel. “I’m concerned,” Nys said during the TV broadcast.
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Brand made a small mistake on a downhill section and appeared to trip over her own feet. The Dutch rider tried to ride through the pain for a moment, but quickly shook her head and dismounted a few seconds later.
Continue reading below the video.
Nys is worried about Brand: 'She's a tough cookie'
Nys gave Play Sports an initial explanation:
“She told me she lost her balance and tried to plant her foot, but she twisted it instead. She couldn’t put any weight on it anymore, so she hobbled back to the RV as quickly as she could. I told her she needs to get it checked out to make sure she didn’t tear any ligaments.”
"In any case, it was the right decision to pull out of this race, because you have to get on and off the bike a lot. That's difficult if you can't generate power," said Nys, who is concerned about his female rider.
"If it's 'just' a sprain, the swelling should go away. But if Lucinda has tears in her eyes, that's usually not a good sign. She's a pretty tough cookie, so I'm a little worried now."
Manon Bakker capitalised on Brand's misfortune
Manon Bakker won the muddy Superprestige race in Niel after building an unchallenged lead. After Lucinda Brand withdrew in visible pain after a minor first-lap mistake, Bakker came to the front and made sure of the victory.
Sara Casasola finished second and Denise Betsema third.
Read the full race report here.
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David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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Latest Comments
- If he finished ninth at the Tour, why didn’t he get a stage win too? I’m still trying to understand how the overall standings work.julien11-11-2026
- No ‘cross at all this winter? That’s a shame, but with his road season starting in February, I can see why he’d want a proper break. Does stepping away mean he’s done with cyclocross for good?gearguru3311-11-2026
- I like the honesty of that training post. Even the best riders feel the difference after a few weeks off, and he’s got plenty of time to build back up.samanthak11-11-2026
- Three sets of tyres in two days at the Nürburgring! The man clearly doesn’t do anything by halves. Bet a winter without cyclocross will feel strange, though.bikebuffj11-11-2026
- Fifth in the world rankings after that autumn run is some achievement. Pidcock was so aggressive at the Tour, too—hopefully he can turn a few of those near-misses into wins inpatriciaw11-11-2026
- Does XEFI’s investment mean the team will have more money to sign riders, or is it mainly a sponsorship and naming change? And is Roglič expected to race much next season?jeremya11-11-2026
- If the roster is nearly complete, why bring up Roglič at all? Feels like the article is turning a firm “no” into a transfer rumour.andrewf11-11-2026
- Wuling is no joke—105 km of climbing to 3,275 metres is brutal. Five minutes off Dyball’s record is still an incredible ride.velodromevirtuoso111-11-2026
- Roglič at TotalEnergies would be a fascinating move, but Heulot sounds pretty clear that it isn’t happening. His experience could be a massive boost for the younger riders, though.jennifer1911-11-2026
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026