Lucinda Brand Eases Up This Winter: "I've Paid the Price for Last Season
Niels Bastiaens
Lucinda Brand, the 36-year-old leader of Baloise Glowi Lions, is going to race less cyclocross. It is a decision the Dutchwoman is forced to make after being drained coming out of last season’s cross campaign. Brand told WielerFlits about it.
You could already see in her cyclocross schedule over the past weeks that Brand started the winter with a new approach. It was quite logical that she skipped the very early Exact Cross in Meulebeke, since she was still active on the road with Lidl-Trek until mid-September. The month before that, she also finished the Tour de France Femmes.
Brand began her cyclocross season on October 16th in the standalone race in Ardooie, followed two days later by the Exact Cross in Essen. However, there was no room for the Superprestige race in Ruddervoorde in her schedule. Quite notable for someone who last winter won the World Cup, X2O Trophy, and Superprestige – a feat she had already achieved in 2021 and 2022. Even more impressive: last year she never missed the podium in 33 cross races and won eleven times.
On the Edge
Still, the number one on the UCI ranking felt she was living on the edge last winter. Sometimes she even crossed the line, she now admits. "People don’t see that, of course. I’m not going to broadcast it everywhere. But you have to take a step back for yourself sometimes. When things are going very well, you sometimes take things less seriously. You think: everything will be fine, and we’ll sort it out later. But you always run into yourself at some point," the Dutchwoman honestly explains.
That eventually happened last season due to her extremely packed schedule. Brand started experiencing back problems: an imbalance in her muscles twisted her lower back and pelvis. Nevertheless, she kept racing cyclocross.
"I have to say I carefully think every year about how I want to approach things. Only, I didn’t expect last year to still do so well in the standings. If I’m leading, I’m not just going to stay home."
"Then I raced a lot over the Christmas period and eventually that also led to very good race results during the cross season. But I thoroughly paid the price for that at other times. Mentally as well. Physically, the spring went really badly, and my body isn’t getting any younger."
Lessons Learned
For that reason, Brand has drawn some lessons for herself. "You have to take physical complaints seriously. That’s why I’m trying to pay a bit more attention to myself. And to make sure I can start races in top shape, where I really want to perform."
Brand just kept on winning – photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
That mainly means making choices. "In principle, I should ensure that I have fewer double weekends. Cutting a few races around the Christmas period is necessary so I can participate in all the major championships, as intended. We all know you can map out a very beautiful plan in advance, but it is important to stay fit and healthy to carry it out."
Last year, that overkill cost Brand a spot at the Dutch national cyclocross championships. This year, she’s targeting the championships. She realizes that the course in Hulst offers opportunities for a second world title, after winning in Ostend in 2021, and she will have to make some sacrifices for it. "That’s difficult. You don’t want to cut races. I’m just a fan, and I love cyclocross. I want to give my all every race, which doesn’t help. I don’t just let it happen, and that remains tough," she concludes cautiously.
