Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions) won the sixth round of the Superprestige series, the women's elite night cross in Diegem, on Monday.
The 35-year-old Dutch rider broke away from her compatriot Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Fenix-Deceuninck) with one and a half laps to go.
Inge van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon) completed an all-Dutch podium, while Sanne Cant (Crelan-Corendon) finished fifth as the top Belgian.
Alvarado (86 points) remains the series leader, just ahead of Brand (85 points).
Leonie Bentveld led the race at the start, while several riders at the back crashed immediately. Alvarado, Brand, Van der Heijden, Cant, Hélène Clauzel, and Anna Kay followed closely. The series leader, Alvarado, gained a three-second lead over Van der Heijden and Brand as they entered the second lap.
After a mistake by Alvarado, her two compatriots caught up. Brand then made several strong moves, causing Van der Heijden to struggle at the beginning of the third lap. Further back, Cant had to let Bentveld go and was joined by Aniek van Alphen.
Shortly after the halfway mark, Van der Heijden rejoined the front, but not for long. Alvarado increased the pace again, forming a lead group of two riders.
Brand and Alvarado continued to push each other hard until Brand broke away halfway through the penultimate lap.
The Dutch champion began the final lap with a twelve-second lead over Alvarado and maintained her advantage to the finish.
Earlier in the day, Belgium's Arthur Van Den Boer dominated the junior boys’ race. Italy’s Mattia Agostinacchio held off Belgium's Giel Lejeune in a sprint finish. The next round of the Superprestige series is on Saturday in Gullegem, West Flanders.
