Lucinda Brand ran wild again on Sunday’s sixth round of the 2025-2026 UCI Cyclocross World Cup in sand-heavy Koksijde, Belgium, padding her lead at the top of the classification. She has won 12 of her 14 races this season, including eight in a row. Her Baloise Glowi Lions teammate Shirin Anrooij’s runner-up spot was her best result this season. Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado was on the podium for the second day in a row. The top Canadian was Sidney McGill in 34th.
Earlier in the day in the Junior women’s race, the best-placed Canadian was Alexa Haviland in 22nd. Elly Moore came 34th, Claire MacKinnon was 42nd and Clare Hauber 44th.
Preliminaries
After winning her fourth World Cup round on the trot in Antwerp, Brand grabbed the series lead from Aniek van Alphen. Antwerp runner-up was Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado’s best result of her brief season.
The Canadian contingent was Sidney McGill and Kajka Verkerk.
Amandine Fouquenet claimed the hole shot, van Alphen on her six. Brand took over and accelerated, taking van Alphen and Fouquenet with her. Alvarado tried to bridge with Leonie Bentveld and Shirin van Anrooij. Fouquenet lost contact before Brand eluded van Alphen. The World Cup leader finished the first 3.65-km circuit in 10:03. McGill was 32nd.
Van Alphen wouldn’t relent at the start of Lap 2, catching Brand and running past Saturday’s winner when the latter rode a sand sector. Van Anrooij found the duo in the sand and started to run interference. Brand put some real estate between herself and her rival, who found herself gapped by van Anjooij. Alvarado and Puck Pieterse kept their podium hopes alive racing behind the leading trio. Van Alphen was +0:28 at the line. McGill was 33rd.
On Lap 3 of 5 Alvarado came across to van Alphen and Pieterse made inroads. The Baloise Glowi Lions teammates continued to whip on the field.
Lap 4 was where Pieterse tried to rid herself of van Alphen and Alvarado. When Brand heard the bell, she was 32 seconds clear of her teammate.
Alvarado and van Alphen wouldn’t relent on the bell lap, which made for a cracking podium tussle. Van Alphen and Alvarado made contact. Pieterse was the first to relent in the sprint and Alvarado claimed the third step.
Brand is now 32 points clear of van Alphen.
The next round is Boxing Day in Gavere.
2025-2026 UCI…
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