Lucinda Brand announces a new road cycling team and plans her retirement at 'a very special race'

Lucinda Brand has a new team. It had already been known for a while that the Dutch rider would continue to race for Sven Nys’s Baloise-Het Poetsbureau Lions cyclocross team , but now her road team has also been announced. Brand will ride for Canyon//SRAM, and she already knows when she’ll retire as an active cyclist and what she’ll do next.

Brand has signed a contract through the 2028 Paris-Roubaix, which will therefore be her final race as a road cyclist.

“For me, Paris-Roubaix is the race where road cycling and cyclocross come together in a wonderful way. Every time I think about riding that race, my heart beats just a little faster.”

"It has always been a very special race for me. I love the challenge, the way the race unfolds, and the difficulty of the cobblestones—riding over them is a unique experience and not something everyone can do," said Brand.

“When the opportunity arose to possibly end my cycling career at Paris-Roubaix, I knew right away that I had to seize that chance with both hands.”

So Canyon//SRAM will be her last team.

“I’ve been following the team for years. Our paths had never crossed before, but I always felt like I’d feel at home here. I had a good feeling right from the first conversation, and I was incredibly excited. It was as if a new fire had been lit inside me,” said Brand.

"The way the team approaches cycling, their dedication to their athletes, and their commitment to improving the professional environment align perfectly with my own way of thinking and how I like to approach the sport. This, combined with the team’s long-term vision for my role, made the decision to join them an easy one,” said Brand, who will become the team manager.

"In recent years, I've noticed that my role as a rider has become more than just racing. In a sense, I've already taken on the responsibilities of a sports director, and I've discovered how much I enjoy it," Brand remarked.

"I love working with young, ambitious athletes, sharing my experience, and helping them grow. That's something I'd like to explore further and develop myself in. That’s why it was important for me to find a team that recognizes those qualities and is willing to give me the opportunity to grow in that direction.”

"I didn't want this to be just another year on the bike. I wanted it to be the start of a long-term project, in which I could continue to contribute to the sport and build on what I've already achieved as a rider," Brand explains.

“I truly feel that this team shares my passion, ambition, and philosophy about cycling, which gives me a lot of energy and motivation for this next chapter and for what we can create together.”

"What I'm really looking forward to is being part of a team again that focuses entirely on women's cycling. In recent years, I've worked for a large organization with several teams under one roof, and that was a wonderful experience," said the rider, who has been riding for Lidl-Trek in recent years.

"But I'm really excited to be part of a smaller environment, where the lines of communication are shorter, interactions are more direct, and everyone is working toward the same goal. What I really like is that CANYON//SRAM still has a complete development pathway—from talent development to the pro team—but within an organization that is entirely dedicated to women’s cycling."

"I think that creates a really special atmosphere, and I'm looking forward to being a part of it. And of course, I have to say that it might just be the team with the most swag in the peloton…," she says, referring to Canyon//SRAM's cool outfits.

Rolf Aldag, the experienced sports director of Canyon//SRAM, is thrilled about Brand’s arrival. “There are a lot of changes taking place in our roster, and we’ll have quite a few young riders, so we need to create the right mix of potential, experience, and leadership. That’s why Lucinda was a very obvious choice for us.”

"On the bike, she’s essentially an extension of a sports director, and as those involved in the races know, there are always crucial race situations in which the car cannot and must not determine what should happen next. Instead, it’s crucial to make lightning-fast decisions from within the peloton—assessing the race situation without panicking,” Aldag explains.

"From everything we've seen of Lucinda throughout her career, it's clear that she excels at this. She builds relationships of trust with the riders and is there for them during those crucial moments in the race. She is then able to make those crucial decisions and secure the full support of her teammates."

"Having Lucinda on our team means not only leadership but also mentorship. As a young rider, I can hardly imagine looking at Lucinda’s career and then not listening to her! But it’s not just about race results; it’s also about how she lives her life and pays attention to all the little details that are crucial to reaching the top,” says the German.

"I therefore believe she can provide excellent guidance to our younger riders and bring a great deal of stability to the classics team, which will be a key sporting focus over the next two years. We are convinced that Lucinda's arrival will be a real game-changer for us," Aldag concludes.