Worst bests Betsema in seventh round of series while Backstedt takes fourth
European Cyclo-cross champion Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions) won her sixth Superprestige Series race Saturday in Gavere(Image credit: Tommaso Pelagalli/BettiniPhoto)
Lucinda Brand (Trek Baloise Lions) officially secured the overall title of the Telenet Superprestige series on Saturday with a dominant victory on a muddy course in Gavere, Belgium on Saturday. It was her sixth victory out of seven starts in the series, and her 19th overall victory of the 2021-2022 season.
Annemarie Worst (777) took second while Denise Betsema (Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal) secured third place, trailed 40 seconds later by 18-year-old Zoe Backstedt in fourth.
The early leaders from the hole shot were Worst and Backstedt, the reigning junior world champion, but five minutes into the opening circuit Brand took over at the front, then was clear of Betsema, Worst and Backstedt by eight seconds. The trio would stay together for two more laps until Backstedt began to fade.
On the bell lap, Brand had no one in sight as she cruised under bright, blue skies. Worst would make the pass of Betsema with half a lap remaining and create a gap of 16 seconds to take second place on the day. Worst gained the necessary series points to tie with Betsema for second overall.
Brand will make her final cyclo-cross start of the season on Sunday at X2O Trofee Brussels - Brussels Universities Cyclocross, where she holds a 2:55 cumulative time advantage for that series title over Betsema and another four-plus minutes over Worst in third.
Jackie has been involved in professional sports for more than 30 years in news reporting, sports marketing and public relations. She founded Peloton Sports in 1998, a sports marketing and public relations agency, which managed projects for Tour de Georgia, Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah and USA Cycling. She also founded Bike Alpharetta Inc, a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling. She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams. On the bike, she has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast), and spends time on gravel around horse farms in north Georgia.
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