Lucinda Brand claimed a dominant victory at the Dublin Cyclocross World Cup, taking her second consecutive win at the Irish event. The Dutch champion broke clear early and maintained her lead over World Champion Fem van Empel, who finished second, while Britain’s Zoë Bäckstedt took third, matching her best-ever World Cup result.
Brand’s triumph marked her fourth win of the season and placed her joint first in the World Cup standings alongside Van Empel. Speaking after the race, Brand expressed satisfaction with her performance. “This is a big win, so I’m very happy,” she said. “I felt strong. In the beginning, I was held up a bit in the first lap, but when I could quickly move forward, I knew I had good legs. It was still tough, though. Fem also had a puncture, so maybe it wasn’t the prettiest way to win, but I thought, ‘I have to take advantage of this.’”
The race began with an explosive start from Van Empel, who was closely followed by Bäckstedt and Marie Schreiber. Brand found herself further back, forced to dismount early and lose several positions. Despite this, she steadily moved up the field, while Van Empel took control, applying pressure at the front. However, Van Empel’s momentum was disrupted by a flat tyre, forcing a bike change.
Brand capitalised on the opportunity, raising the pace as Van Empel worked to rejoin. “The others struggled with my tempo,” Brand said. “Fem was strong and came back, but I don’t know what happened after that—maybe she made a mistake. In any case, she lost time. I think I was the stronger rider after that.”
Van Empel acknowledged Brand’s superiority on the day. “Lucinda rode a very strong race,” Van Empel said. “In the sand section, she slowed slightly, and I made a mistake by staying too close to her wheel. After the gap opened, I couldn’t close it. She was simply the strongest today.”
The sand section proved decisive as Brand pulled away on the third lap. Van Empel, after briefly rejoining the front, was forced to dismount in the sand, giving Brand a 13-second lead midway through the race. Despite her efforts, Van Empel could not bridge the gap, which grew to 30 seconds by the final lap.
Reflecting on her ride, Van Empel said, “It wasn’t my luckiest race, but Lucinda was also simply the strongest. I’ll now focus on my training camp to prepare for the Christmas period.” She will skip next week’s World Cup round in Sardinia, giving Brand an opportunity to extend her lead.
Behind the leading duo, Zoë Bäckstedt emerged victorious in a fierce battle for third place. The British rider outpaced Inge van der Heijden, Annemarie Worst, and Blanka Vas in the final lap. “I was actually in a close fight with quite a few riders throughout the race,” Bäckstedt said. “I fought until the final straight and am really happy with the outcome. I’ve been working on riding in the sand, and it seems to have paid off.”
The U23 World Cup leader expressed delight at her result. “The atmosphere was amazing, with fans cheering all around the course,” she said. “It’s so fun to race in that environment, and knowing I was in contention for an elite podium pushed me even more.”
With Brand and Van Empel now tied at the top of the World Cup standings, the series continues next weekend in Sardinia, where Brand will look to claim sole leadership.
2024 Women’s Dublin World Cup result
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Photo Credit: GettyMichael Vanthourenhout edges Aerts to win Dublin World Cup
Michael Vanthourenhout claimed victory at the Dublin Cyclocross World Cup in a thrilling final lap showdown, narrowly holding off Toon Aerts to take his first win of the series. Felipe Orts completed the podium, earning third after a strong late push.
The Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal rider overcame mid-race adversity when a broken shoe forced an equipment change, but he showed resilience to rejoin the leaders and deliver a decisive acceleration in the final lap. “It was a little bit of a panic with the broken shoe,” Vanthourenhout admitted. “I thought the race was over, but I felt that my legs were very good. The change was good, so I was back in sixth position, and I knew I was going to fight for the win.”
Early chaos shakes up the race
The day started with drama as Czech champion Michael Boros crashed at the barriers, creating chaos in the field. European champion Thibau Nys was caught in the fallout, taking a hard fall and injuring his ankle. Nys remounted but eventually abandoned the race after five laps, explaining, “I couldn’t put any power on my ankle. It got worse and worse. I tried to make it a training effort, but it just wasn’t possible.”
At the front, Aerts, who had taken the holeshot, ceded control as Vanthourenhout, Pim Ronhaar, and Joran Wyseure began to push the pace. Felipe Orts and Eli Iserbyt bridged across, forming a competitive group of six as the race unfolded.
Mid-race challenges and pivotal moments
Vanthourenhout’s shoe malfunction during the third lap temporarily disrupted his momentum, but a quick change in the pits allowed him to rejoin the front group. With his new shoe, the Belgian applied pressure, thinning the group to six riders by the fifth lap. Orts, who later described his strategy as energy-saving early on, swapped to a more aggressive tyre setup for the closing laps. “It became slicker,” Orts noted. “Switching to Rhino tyres was a good decision. I could push harder and fight for the podium.”
A decisive final lap
As the race entered its final lap, Iserbyt surged to the front, keeping the group tightly packed. A slip on the banking allowed Vanthourenhout to seize the opportunity, moving ahead of Aerts and Iserbyt. Aerts launched a desperate chase, but Vanthourenhout held firm to claim the win. “It was difficult to make a gap,” Vanthourenhout said. “I knew I had to go all-in on the final lap, and I’m very happy it worked out.”
Aerts, who was chasing his first victory since returning from a two-year suspension, was upbeat despite the narrow defeat. “It’s disappointing, but I’m happy to be back at the front and on the podium,” he said. “The form is coming, and I know the wins will follow soon.”
With his win, Vanthourenhout moves into the lead of the UCI World Cup standings with 65 points, ahead of teammate Iserbyt, who sits on 62. The series continues next weekend in Sardinia.
2024 Men’s Dublin World Cup result
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Main photo credit: Cor Vos
