Lucinda Brand won the third round of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Terralba, Sardinia, turning the flat coastal circuit into a solo sand time trial. She launched her decisive move on the second lap through the second long sand strip, then held off overall leader Aniek van Alphen by 20 seconds to tighten the series battle.
Elite Women Results
Marceddì, Terralba - Marceddì, Terralba • Dec 7 • 3.4km
| Pos | Rider | NATNationality | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Lucinda BRAND | NED | 0:47:14 |
| 🥈 | Aniek VAN ALPHEN | NED | +0:20 |
| 🥉 | Shirin VAN ANROOIJ | NED | +0:33 |
| 4 | Leonie BENTVELD | NED | +1:02 |
| 5 | Sara CASASOLA | ITA | +1:02 |
| 6 | Manon BAKKER | NED | +1:11 |
| 7 | Denise BETSEMA | NED | +1:26 |
| 8 | Rebecca GARIBOLDI | ITA | +1:48 |
| 9 | Lucia BRAMATI | ITA | +1:52 |
| 10 | Annemarie WORST | NED | +1:58 |
| 11 | Julie BROUWERS | BEL | +2:25 |
| 12 | Lauren MOLENGRAAF | NED | +2:28 |
| 13 | Carlotta BORELLO | ITA | +2:38 |
| 14 | Laura VERDONSCHOT | BEL | +2:57 |
| 15 | Sidney MCGILL | CAN | +3:10 |
| 16 | Giorgia PELLIZOTTI | ITA | +3:19 |
| 17 | Shanyl DE SCHOESITTER | BEL | +3:47 |
| 18 | Sterre VERVLOET | BEL | +4:04 |
| 19 | Jinse PEETERS | BEL | +4:11 |
| 20 | Anna MEGALE | USA | +4:16 |
| 21 | Elisa FERRI | ITA | +4:21 |
| 22 | Nicole AZZETTI | ITA | +4:46 |
| 23 | Elisa BIANCHI | ITA | +5:37 |
| 24 | Adèle HURTELOUP | FRA | +6:09 |
| 25 | Ilaria TAMBOSCO | ITA | +6:21 |
| 26 | Sara PERUTA | ITA | +6:41 |
| 27 | Giorgia SECCHI | ITA | - |
| 28 | Emma FRANCESCHINI | ITA | - |
Who shone
- Lucinda Brand – Turned a second-lap attack in the long sand into a 20s winning gap, then controlled six increasingly heavy laps for her ninth win.
- Aniek Van Alphen – Rode a disciplined chase after losing Brand’s wheel, riding with Van Anrooij before attacking her on the final lap. She limited damage to 20s to keep the World Cup leader’s jersey on a pure power course.
- Sara Casasola – Having struggled with illness this season, she showed good form with fourth at +1:02, matching Dutch pace early and anchoring a five-strong Italian presence inside the top 20.
Who misfired
- Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado – Pre-race podium pick was forced to abandon the race because of illness.
- Denise Bestema – Historic sand specialist managed only seventh at +1:26, losing contact when Brand attacked and unable to ride back through the flat, fast sections.
- Annemarie Worst – Tenth at +1:58 after an anonymous day in the chasing groups, lacking the punch to influence the race when gaps first opened.
Team of the day:
Baloise–Glowi Lions (A) – Brand’s win and Van Anrooij’s third gave them 1–3, their dual presence in the chase group damping any organised pursuit behind the leader.
Race Analysis
This was the Terralba preview brought to life. Two long sand sectors and almost no elevation turned the race into a high-speed threshold test where riding sand through wet conditions decided everything. Brand’s lap pattern (7:45, 7:46, 7:43, 7:49, 7:57, 8:03) shows a sharp second-lap injection, then controlled degradation rather than any late crisis. Van Alphen’s more even splits underline how quickly she switched from racing Brand to defending the jersey.
Stats that mattered
- Average speed: ≈24.5 km/h (43:40 (official race time) over roughly 19–20 km of flat, fast racing).
- Sand domination: Only three riders finished within 1:00; fourth place already at +1:02, showing how Brand, Van Alphen and Van Anrooij handled the sectors better than the rest.
- Italian depth: 5 Italians in the top 20, including three in the top 10, confirming targeted home preparation for Terralba’s sand.
What it means
- Brand slices into Van Alphen’s overall lead, reasserting herself as the rider most capable of turning one well-timed move into a World Cup win.
- Van Alphen’s damage limitation keeps the jersey and, with another fast course banked, proves she can survive even on Brand’s preferred terrain.
- As the series heads towards hillier, likely muddier venues, riders who blended power and precision in Terralba carry real momentum into more traditional winter cross.
Cover image (Brand pictured in 2024) credit: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
