Lucinda Brand wins Flandriencross in Hamme

Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions) won the X2O Badkamers Flandriencross in Hamme, soloing clear of the field shortly before the midpoint of the race.

Brand came home 17 seconds clear of teammate Shirin van Anrooij, who outsprinted Denise Betsema (Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal) for second place.

Annemarie Worst (777) came home 4th at 24 seconds, while Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado  (Alpecin – Fenix), who had been part of the four-woman front group with Brand, Van Anrooij and Betsema in the early exchanges, took 5th at 1:02, just ahead of Manon Bakker (Iko – Crelan).

Brand got off to a rapid start in Hamme, immediately stretching out the field, with Betsema the only rider to match her initial surge. After Brand picked up the first bonus sprint, the front group grew to include four riders, with Van Anrooij and Alvarado bridging across.

Van Anrooij hit the front shortly afterwards and piled on the pressure in the opening laps, but Brand’s class began to tell on the third lap. The world champion hit the front and she opened a gap of 3 seconds over Betsema and 9 on Van Anrooij with three laps remaining.

Alvarado, meanwhile, was out of the hunt, now trailing by 17 seconds in the company of Worst and Bakker.

Brand continued to extend her advantage, going 10 seconds clear of Betsema with two laps remaining, with Van Anrooij a further 4 seconds down in third. By this point, it was clear that the suspense lay in the battle for second place, and so it proved, as Betsema and Van Anrooij engaged in a spirited duel.

Brand took the bell with an unassailable lead and she safely negotiated the final lap to win by 17 seconds, while Van Anrooij had just enough in the tank to fend off Betsema and take second place.

A week out from the World Championships, the defending champion Brand has underlined her status with a commanding victory. She also now leads the Soudal Ladies Trophy classification by 21 seconds from Betsma, while Worst lies third at 6:11.