Lucinda Brand leaves Lidl-Trek to stay with Sven Nys and Baloise-Het Poetsbureau

Lucinda Brand will leave Lidl-Trek at the end of 2026 after choosing to continue her cyclocross career with Sven Nys and Baloise-Het Poetsbureau for another two seasons.

The Dutch rider revealed that Lidl-Trek had offered her the chance to continue on the road, but that staying would have meant walking away from the cyclocross structure that helped revive her love for the sport and carried her to two elite world titles.

Brand has instead renewed with Baloise-Het Poetsbureau through the next two cyclocross seasons. Her road career will continue elsewhere from 2027, but she is keeping the identity of that team back for another week.

Brand chooses loyalty to Sven Nys and cyclocross family

Brand explained that the decision came down to loyalty rather than results or contract value. She credited Nys with helping her rediscover her enthusiasm for racing at a point when she was losing joy in cycling, and described the Baloise-Het Poetsbureau environment as a family that had supported her through both good and difficult periods.

The relationship has already produced two world titles. Brand first won the elite cyclocross rainbow jersey in Oostende in 2021, then returned to the top step at the 2026 World Championships in Hulst. ProCyclingUK covered that second title when Brand arrived at Hulst as one of the main favourites.

Lidl-Trek chapter ends after long road partnership

Brand’s departure also closes a long road-racing chapter with Trek. She first joined Trek-Segafredo in 2020 and remained with the team through the Lidl-Trek era, combining a full road programme with her separate cyclocross commitments.

Her time with Trek included major stage-race victories, important support work for the team’s GC leaders and repeated success in one-day races. Brand specifically referenced helping Elisa Longo Borghini win the Giro and her own victory at the Tour de Suisse among the memories she will take with her.

Lidl-Trek had already extended Brand for the 2026 road season, but the latest offer would have required a different decision around her cyclocross future. Brand chose not to make that trade.

Road career will continue with a new team

Brand made clear that leaving Lidl-Trek does not mean stepping away from road racing. She said her road story is “far from over” and confirmed that a new team has already been found, with the announcement due next week.

That means the confirmed news for now is split in two. Brand stays with Baloise-Het Poetsbureau for cyclocross, while her road career moves away from Lidl-Trek after seven seasons together. The destination will be known shortly, but Brand has deliberately left that part of the story for a separate announcement.

At 37, she is also making clear that retirement is not part of the immediate plan. The next chapter will again combine road and cyclocross, but this time with different teams across the two disciplines.