Lucinda Brand is in the driver’s seat in 2025-2026 X2O Badkamers Trofee, as she added Sunday’s second round in Lokeren, Belgium to Saturday’s victory in Oudenaarde. Sunday’s triumph gives her wins in four out of five races so far in the early season. On GC Brand leads Sara Casasola by 2:10 after two rounds.
Saturday’s opening round went Brand’s way, as the Dutch 2024-2025 Trofee winner beat French youth Célia Gery. Casasola took another podium.
Marion Norbert Riberolle snagged the early lead on a faster course than she experienced at the Koppenbergcross on Saturday. Leonie Bentveld pressed Riberolle from behind. Casasola was prominent at the front. Aniek van Alphen appeared in the Italian’s rear view mirror. Brand was Position 4. Riberolle had faded back by the end of the lap.
With Casasola romping on ahead, Brand pushed around van Alphen and Bentveld into Position 2 at the beginning of Lap 2. Inge van der Heijden put herself in the mix. Brand and then van Alphen reached the Italian at the pointy end of the race, but Casasola sought solitude. You could throw a lasso around the five riders by the line.
Van Alphen volunteered to break trail for the quintet on Lap 3, Casasola her shadow. All five kicked sand out of their cleats before the line.
Riberolle caught up again at the start of Lap 4 of 6. Brand crashed in the sand before Bentveld grabbed the reins. Again, Casasola pressed on and tried to pry out a gap. After she was caught she too went down in sand. This time the riders were spread over the road when they hit the line.
Brand led going into the penultimate lap, Bentveld her closest pursuer before Riberolle took over Position 2. Suddenly, Casasola was tailgunner Charlie in the sextet.
Brand took a 22-second lead over Riberolle and van Alphen into the bell lap. Casasola wasn’t quite finished, and she challenged van Alphen and Riberolle for the podium. Van Alphen was the one to miss out.
The next round is November 16 in Hamme, Belgium.
2025-2026 X2O Badkamers Trofee, Round 2, Lokeren
1) Lucinda Brand (The Netherlands/Baloise-Glowi Lions) 49:38
2) Marion Norbert Riberolle (Belgium/Crelan-Corendon) +0:17
3) Sara Casasola (Italy/Crelan-Corendon) s.t.
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