Lucinda Brand wins second out of last three World Cup races
Vos still leads series after Dutch podium sweep in Namur
Lucinda Brand (The Netherlands/Sunweb) once again showed her quality on Sunday’s sixth round of the UCI cyclocross World Cup in Namur, Belgium, shedding high-powered competitors midway through the race to solo the victory. Brand won her second of the last three rounds, having triumphed in Tabor, Czech Republic on November 17. Maghalie Rochette was the top Canadian in 20th.
Going into the elite women’s race, Dutch great Marianne Vos had the series lead 9-points over World Champion Sanne Cant. Canadian Maghalie Rochette, 28th in the last round in Koksijde, was 19th in the World Cup after five rounds. Compatriots Jenn Jackson, Ruby West, Dana Gilligan, Sidney McGill, and Magdeleine Vallieres Mill joined Rochette in Namur’s huge field of riders.
The U23 and Juniors had churned up the muddy course. The riders started at the bottom of a cobbled hill. Eva Lechner (Italy) took the hole shot, but Ellen Noble grabbed the lead. Lechner went back to the front only to have Vos get by her in some muddy, off camber ruts. Rochette was 12th after one 3.55-km lap of five and West 29th.
Denise Betsema, winner in Koksijde, joined Vos out front with Annemarie Worst and the group swelled to a sextet on Lap 2. Rochette slipped back to 14th and West to 43rd, with Sidney McGill 73rd. Brand led Betsema, Vos, Worst and Nikki Brammeier into Lap 3.
On the hills Brand pushed out a 16-second lead on Lap 3. Rochette was 14th, and Jenn Jackson became the next Canadian at 34st.
Brand took another bike in the pits on the penultimate lap. Rochette was fading. The bell lap saw Brand hold an 18-second lead over Vos and pull out even more time on the last circuit.
Vos’ runner-up helped her to pull out more of a lead over Cant, 13th on the day. Rochette finished in 20th place while Jenn Jackson was 33rd.
2018-2019 UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Round Six, Namur, Belgium, Elite Women
1) Lucinda Brand (The Netherlands) 45:40
2) Mariane Vos (The Netherlands) +0:27
3) Annemarie Worst (The Netherlands) +0:32
20) Magahlie Rochette (Canada) 2:56
33) Jenn Jackson (Canada)
