Two in a row for the relentless Lucinda Brand in a fantastic mudfest in Dendermonde

Sunday, 05 January 2025 at 16:41

Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google

Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.

Lucinda Brand triumphed at the Dendermonde World Cup. In an incredibly muddy spectacle, the Dutch champion emerged as the strongest after a well-paced race. Puck Pieterse led the first laps but couldn’t keep up with the World Cup leader, finishing second, followed by Fem van Empel in third.

This was only the fourth edition of the race in East Flanders. Brand claimed victory in the first two editions, while Ceylin Alvarado took the win in 2024. The event has since become infamous for its muddy conditions. Sunday’s race was no exception, with heavy rain turning the course into a true spectacle for cyclo-cross fans. The World Cup was the third race in three days: Pieterse had delivered a phenomenal performance to win the sandy Koksijde race on Friday, while Brand took the win in Gullegem on Saturday.

At the start, Van Empel and Alvarado lost a few positions, while Pieterse got off to an excellent start. However, it was Brand who blasted ahead from the first muddy section. The World Cup leader quickly built a gap. Pieterse gave chase, followed by a strong-starting Manon Bakker. Fem van Empel and Alvarado trailed the leaders by around twenty seconds after the first lap, as the front group solidified with Brand, Pieterse, and Zoe Bäckstedt.

Read more below the Tweet!

Eurosport Nederland

@Eurosport_NL

·Follow

🚵🇧🇪 | Het is vies, het is nat, het is koud, het is verraderlijk al voor de start. en het gaat veel lopen worden. Het is ouderwets crossweer in Dendermonde! 🌧️🌧️ #CXWorldCup 📺 Stream cross op HBO Max

Watch on X

12:39 PM · Jan 5, 2025

Pieterse starts fast, Van Empel forced to chase

After a bike change by Brand, Pieterse took the lead alone. She found her rhythm and began to build a gap, while a crash by the Dutch champion made her comeback even harder. After two laps, Pieterse’s lead had grown to fifteen seconds, but her race wasn’t flawless either. A few small mistakes by the solo leader and a well-timed bike swap allowed Brand to close the gap. Regaining her momentum, Brand reclaimed the lead and steadily pulled away, as Pieterse began to fade after three laps. Meanwhile, Alvarado had a tough day, dropping out of the race halfway through.

Van Empel did not seem to be running on empty. Despite a maximum deficit of thirty seconds, she began to close the gap steadily. The world champion slowly reeled in Pieterse and kept Brand within sight. Yet, the leader proved as relentless as ever, pressing on with a determined expression. The muddy course at Dendermonde made conditions brutally tough, leaving everyone nearly unrecognizable. Pieterse was stubborn, attempting to run less than her competitors, but ultimately lost second place to Van Empel, who overtook her on foot.

As a result, the fight for second place remained tight, but there was no contest for the victory. Brand dominated for the second cross in a row, crossing the finish line with more than a thirty-second lead, further solidifying her lead in the standings. Van Empel suffered a puncture in the final lap, losing her position to Pieterse. As a result, the podium places were settled. Behind the unstoppable top three, Bakker saw her strong race rewarded with an impressive fourth-place finish.

Results World Cup Dendermonde 2025, women:

Results powered by FirstCycling.com

Write a comment

Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief

Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.

Bram van der Ploeg | Lindkedin | Email

See author's posts

IDL-productions

Glasgow set to shine as World Cup demand outstrips expectations and Mason eyes first home cyclocross race

Pogačar, Vingegaard and Van Aert went faster again in 2026... except when they didn't

Team GB dominate, China on the rise, Lavreysen the best ever? Five takeaways from the 2026 Track World Championships

Track World Championships day 2: A golden day for Team GB, Levreysen goes 2 for 2, and Kopecky eliminates the competition

Rumours, speculation and guesswork: 2027 Tour de France route will be revealed live on October 22 in Paris

Latest Cycling News

Round up of controversial aftermath of Women's European Cyclocross Championships: 'We would have liked to see it go differently. Period'

Schreiber's team manager Sanne Cant reacts furiously to European Championship relegation: "We're not going to let this slide."

Sven Nys was first to speak with Lucinda Brand immediately after European Championship drama: "Is that enough to ultimately relegate someone'

There is no euphoria now': Lucinda Brand sets record straight after the European Cyclocross Championships

Cycling world reeling from European Championship drama involving Brand and Schreiber: 'Today, no one won, and only cyclocross lost'

Popular Cycling News

99 steps await the European Cyclocross Championship competitors: 'There’s no hill quite like it'

Cameron Mason brushes off Vanthourenhout's angry abuse : 'A taste of his own medicine'

Furious Schreiber skipped European Championship podium: 'Getting any sleep tonight is going to be a problem'

Video shows Vanthourenhout lashing out at Brit Cameron Mason after mistake costs him the win at Middelkerke