Brand out-sprints Cant to win Azencross
Betsema third in sprint to the line
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Lucinda Brand (Sunweb) powered her way to another cyclo-cross victory this season, this time winning a four-up sprint ahead of world champion Sanne Cant and Denise Betsema at the DVV trophy series' Azencross in Leonhout on Friday. Laura Verdonschot finished fourth.
Brand is the Dutch national champion and she has had a strong season after claiming two World Cup rounds in Namur and Tabor, while also securing a win at Vlaamse Druivencross.
In Leonhout, she had a slower start but eventually caught up to a lead group that eventually included Cant, Betsema and Verdonschot, along with Katie Compton, Ellen Van Loy, Loel Sels, Nikki Brammeier and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado.
Brand kept the speeds high enough to cause some separations in the group, but could not completely rid Cant, Betsema and Verdonschot. The four riders raced to the finish line in a sprint with Brand claiming the victory.
"During the last laps I kept the pace high and it was important not to start too early for the sprint: 20 years after Van den Brand ... I can also win here, it's nice, I also started here for the first time in an international cyclo-cross [race], now I'm on that honors list," said Brand, referring to Dutch rider Daphny Van den Brand, who won the race in 1998.
Full Results
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lucinda Brand (Ned) | 0:40:02 |
| 2 | Sanne Cant (Bel) Corendon - Circus | 0:00:01 |
| 3 | Denise Betsema (Ned) Marlux - Bingoal | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
| 4 | Laura Verdonschot (Bel) Marlux - Bingoal | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
| 5 | Loes Sels (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen - Vastgoedservice | 0:00:12 |
| 6 | Nikki Brammeier (GBr) | 0:00:22 |
| 7 | Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Ned) Corendon - Circus | 0:00:38 |
| 8 | Maud Kaptheijns (Ned) Crelan - Charles | 0:00:45 |
| 9 | Ellen Van Loy (Bel) Telenet Fidea Lions | 0:00:47 |
| 10 | Katherine Compton (USA) | 0:01:16 |
| 11 | Jolanda Neff (Swi) Trek Factory Racing Cx | 0:01:22 |
| 12 | Helen Wyman (GBr) | Row 11 - Cell 2 |
| 13 | Lucia Gonzalez Blanco (Spa) Nesta Cx Team | Row 12 - Cell 2 |
| 14 | Marion Norbert Riberolle (Fra) | 0:01:43 |
| 15 | Rebecca Fahringer (USA) | 0:01:58 |
| 16 | Lizzy Witlox (Ned) | 0:02:03 |
| 17 | Sunny Gilbert (USA) | 0:02:12 |
| 18 | Courtenay Mcfadden (USA) | Row 17 - Cell 2 |
| 19 | Monique Van De Ree (Ned) | 0:02:24 |
| 20 | Maghalie Rochette (Can) | 0:02:25 |
| 21 | Ruby West (Can) | 0:02:31 |
| 22 | Juliette Labous (Fra) | 0:02:33 |
| 23 | Bethany Crumpton (GBr) | 0:02:43 |
| 24 | Anne Terpstra (Ned) | 0:02:44 |
| 25 | Jinse Peeters (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen - Vastgoedservice | 0:02:59 |
| 26 | Geerte Hoeke (Ned) Creafin Tüv Sud | 0:03:03 |
| 27 | Mari-Liis Mõttus (Est) | 0:03:06 |
| 28 | Jennifer Jackson (Can) | 0:03:14 |
| 29 | Luisa Ibarrola Albizua (Spa) Delikia - Ginestar | 0:03:22 |
| 30 | Veerle Goossens (Ned) | Row 29 - Cell 2 |
| 31 | Kaat Hannes (Bel) | Row 30 - Cell 2 |
| 32 | Karla Štěpánová (Cze) | 0:03:25 |
| 33 | Meg De Bruyne (Bel) | 0:03:52 |
| 34 | Ida Erngren (Swe) | 0:03:57 |
| 35 | Sophie Thackray (GBr) | 0:03:58 |
| 36 | Sandra Trevilla Samperio (Spa) | 0:03:59 |
| 37 | Paula Diaz Lopez (Spa) | 0:04:13 |
| 38 | Tinne Vermeiren (Bel) | 0:04:37 |
| 39 | Irene Gerritsen (Ned) | 0:04:42 |
| 40 | Jennifer Malik (USA) | 0:04:46 |
| 41 | Dana Gilligan (Can) | 0:04:50 |
| 42 | Caren Commissaris (Bel) | 0:05:06 |
| 43 | Barbara Borowiecka (Pol) | Row 42 - Cell 2 |
| 44 | Emily Werner (USA) | 0:05:11 |
| 45 | Kristien Nelen (Bel) | 0:05:12 |
| 46 | Irene Trabazo Bragado (Spa) | 0:05:18 |
| 47 | Rebecca Gross (USA) | 0:05:30 |
| 48 | Tine Rombouts (Bel) | 0:05:34 |
| 49 | Louise Heywood-Mahe (GBr) | 0:05:36 |
| 50 | Sara Cueto Vega (Spa) | 0:05:45 |
| 51 | Corey Coogan Cisek (USA) | 0:06:13 |
| 52 | Sidney Mcgill (Can) | 0:06:19 |
| 53 | Marie Lynn (GBr) | 0:06:50 |
| 54 | Julia Nikolopoulos (Ger) | 0:07:24 |
| 55 | Helen Pattinson (GBr) | 0:08:09 |
| 56 | Lisette Schoon (Ned) | 0:08:10 |
| 57 | Sandra Damjanovic (Aut) | 0:08:14 |
| 58 | Madeleine Gammons (GBr) | 0:10:05 |
| 59 | Charlotte Heywood-Mahe (GBr) | Row 58 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Ida Jansson (Swe) | Row 59 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Jana Czeczinkarová (Cze) | Row 60 - Cell 2 |
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