'If she has tears in her eyes, that is not a good sign' – Fears for Lucinda Brand's cyclo-cross season as world champion injures ankle in opening-lap crash

Cyclo-cross World Champion Lucinda Brand season could be in doubt, after she was forced out of the Superprestige race at Niel in tears following an opening-lap crash that left her in tears.

Brand arrived for the Jaarmarktcross hoping to take her fifth win in the event, which formed the third round of the season-long Superprestige series, but the most innocuous of crashes left her barely able to walk.

She started the race on the back foot, trying to make up time on Amandine Fouquenet (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw), who had blazed her way through the sand pit to build an early lead. However, as Brand set off in pursuit in the muddy conditions, she was pushed into the barrier on a small climb, apparently twisting her ankle as her foot hit the ground.

While she carried on for a few seconds, riding through the pit area, she then abandoned and was barely able to stand as she dismounted. Though she was seen riding off, her Baloise-Poetsbureau team manager Sven Nys has cast doubt on the rest of her season.

"Lucinda twisted her ankle in the first round, where she made a misstep," Nys said in a statement from the team.

"She lost her line, she can’t put force on her foot right now, so I think it’s important that we monitor that and make sure that nothing was damaged. Hoping we won’t lose her for the rest of the season."

Nys also spoke with the host broadcaster Play Sports immediately after the race, saying: "She told me that she went off the track and wanted to put her foot down, but she twisted it, she couldn't put any weight on it anymore. I told her she needs to have everything checked to make sure no ligaments were damaged," Sporza reported him as saying.

"But if Lucinda has tears in her eyes, that is usually not a good sign. She is quite a tough cookie, which is why I am a bit worried now."

Brand has been the dominant force in cyclo-cross in recent seasons, winning the rainbow jersey twice, the World Cup and X2O Badkamers Trofee four times and the Superprestige on three occasions, as well as taking a total of 89 career wins.

At the weekend, she won her second European title after Luxembourgish rider Marie Schreiber was relegated for an irregular sprint.

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