Baloise-Trek riding high into the first BIG weekend of cyclocross racing

With wins in Overijse this past weekend, Lucinda Brand and Thibau Nys pushed Baloise-Trek’s gold medal count to five on the year. If there were any worries about how the Lions would follow up one of the best seasons in team history, early season returns suggest those concerns were for naught.

Brand now has wins at Sunday’s Superprestige race and at the C2 category Kiremko Nacht van Woerden, where she lined up against many of her biggest rivals and was awarded with a wheel of cheese. Fellow veteran rider Lars van der Haar won the men’s race, and also has a win at Exact Cross Beringen. He took third in Overijse, and Pim Ronhaar took second at Exact Cross Heerderstrand to contribute to a prolific weekend. 

The start of the cyclocross season is a balancing act, especially for the riders coming off an intense road racing season with Lidl-Trek like Brand, Nys and Shirin van Anrooij, who has yet to race this cyclocross season as she focuses on some much-needed rest and relaxation.

Sunday’s race was just Nys’ third of the season, and he had yet to podium. As his father, Sven, explained before the season, managing his son’s workload will be vital to realizing his biggest ambitions this winter. If Overijse was any indication, Nys is rounding into form. He overcame a mid-race dropped chain to rejoin the leaders, then laid down a signature surge for the finish line to win in similar fashion to his 11 road victories this past year. 

“I really didn’t wake up on Sunday with the feeling I could win the race,” Nys said. “The last weeks have been challenging, physically as well as mentally. The build up to the season wasn’t flawless. It took some time and some brave decisions to finally make it work. It’s so nice to get a big win already, and also for the head.”

The women’s cyclocross field has grown fiercely competitive over the last several year, and with a win, Brand made a loud and clear statement that she won’t be bowing down to the rising young talent in the sport. She had to work extra hard at the start after missing her pedal, but she worked back to the front, and was able to take full control of the race by the midpoint. She repeatedly pushed the pace to stress the field. Only Fem van Empel was able to stay within shouting distance of the 35-year-old, finishing 10 seconds back.

“Halfway through the race, I felt like I had to try and see what would happen if I tried to take the climbs a bit harder, and then straightaway other riders were really in difficulty,” Brand said. “I kept on my high pace and pushed harder, and ended up being away alone.

“It was a super good, strong race, and also technical. And just in time, because the next race will be Koppenberg with one day in between before Europeans.”

If you’re just tuning into cyclocross this year, now’s a good time. Two of the biggest races of the season are coming this weekend: Koppenbergcross on Friday, and European Championships this Sunday in Spain.

Pro cyclocross racers are used to jam-packed racing schedules — just check out what they go through during the daunting Kerstperiode during the holidays —  but this weekend will be extra challenging due to the daunting travel. Schlepping from one cyclocross race to the next is easy when it’s a manageable drive between nearby locales in Belgium and the Netherlands, but 1,830 kilometers (1,137 miles) separate Oudenaarde from Pontevedra. That’s 18-plus hours of driving if someone were so inclined.

“It’s going to be a difficult weekend with traveling,” Brand said. “We have already sent some bikes to Spain, and straight after the Koppenberg, other bikes will go there. Of course, without the help of the team, it would not be possible. And then I can catch a flight, and I just need to eat a lot, sleep a lot, and make sure I have a good recovery [laughs].”

Some riders will be skipping Friday’s race, and the leg-busting cobbled climb up the Koppenberg, so that they can be as fresh as possible for European Champs. Not Nys. The 21-year-old is the Koppenberg’s defending champion, and he’ll be looking to extend a family legacy. Last year, he flashed 10 fingers as he crossed the finish line — one representing his first victory at the iconic race, and nine representing his father’s record number.

“The combination of Koppenberg and the EU Champs is gonna be tough. Koppenberg is known as one of the hardest races on the calendar, and to add on travel to Spain on Saturday is not gonna help the recovery,” Nys said. “But for me, Koppenberg is just way too iconic to let it pass.”

Baloise-Trek features two former elite European Champions in Brand (2021) and Van der Haar (2021 and 2015). All signs point to a fast, wide open race: The course in Pontevedra is punchy, relatively low on technicality and the weather forecast is dry. Among Brand, Nys, Van der Haar and Ronhaar in the elite category, and Fleur Moors and David Haverdings in U23s, the Lions are well-positioned to take home some major hardware.

The fact that European Championships will be taking place on a relatively little-used course on the elite racing circuit should make the event all the more exciting. 

“⁠It’s the first time I will race in Pontevedra,” Nys said. “For me the type of course is less important. If I find the legs I need, I will be able to adapt to every situation and hopefully battle for the top spots.”

Baloise-Trek features two former elite European Champions in Brand (2021) and Van der Haar (2021 and 2015). All signs point to a fast, wide open race: The course in Pontevedra is punchy, relatively low on technicality and the weather forecast is dry. Among Brand, Nys, Van der Haar and Ronhaar in the elite category, and Fleur Moors and David Haverdings in U23s, the Lions are well-positioned to take home some major hardware.

The fact that European Championships will be taking place on a relatively little-used course on the elite racing circuit should make the event all the more exciting. 

“⁠It’s the first time I will race in Pontevedra,” Nys said. “For me the type of course is less important. If I find the legs I need, I will be able to adapt to every situation and hopefully battle for the top spots.”

We may learn a lot about the Lions’ prospects this season. But one thing we already know for certain: They love a challenge.

“It’ll be harder to drop other riders, and then it could come to the very end,” Brand said. “But I’m absolutely looking forward to both races. The championships are always special.”

Koppenbergcross is part of the X2O Badkamers Trofee series. The women’s race will take place this Friday, Nov. 1, at 1:45 p.m. local/7:45 a.m. ET, followed by the men’s race at 3 p.m. local/9 a.m. ET. Racing will stream on Eurosport/Discovery+ and Sporza in Europe, and on Max and Flobikes in the United States.

European Championships will take place this Sunday, Nov. 3, beginning with the Elite Women’s race at 2:10 p.m. local/8:10 a.m. ET, and followed by the Elite Men’s race at 3:30 p.m. local/9:30 a.m. ET. Racing will stream on Eurosport/Discovery+ and Sporza in Europe. Unfortunately, there does not appear to be legal streaming available in the United States.