Lucinda Brand wins X2O Trofee Loenhout after fierce duel with Zemanová

Under Zemanová’s leadership, about a dozen women managed to break away, but the Czech decided to ease off slightly at the start of the second lap. This was the signal for Manon Bakker to take the initiative, but after a forced bike change, the Dutch rider slipped back to the front ranks of the lead group. Schreiber immediately retook the lead, but was then met by a counterattack from Brand.

Brand’s first acceleration
The overwhelming favorite for the win initially watched from a distance but decided to open the throttle after about twenty minutes of racing. For her rivals, it was suddenly all hands on deck, but after Brand’s surge, the pace visibly dropped again and we saw yet another regrouping. Was this then the prelude to a quieter middle phase?

No, because Norbert Riberolle now saw a perfect moment to try her luck. Setting a brisk tempo, she stretched the lead group, now down to eight women, into a line. Brand, Zemanová, Bakker, the revitalized Worst, and Bäckstedt could follow, but after a second acceleration from Brand, the front group was further thinned out. Where Brand usually wears down the competition, this time it was not quite so straightforward.