In the elite women's race at the Cyclo-cross World Championships, Lucinda Brand faced tough competition from Dutch rival Fem Van Empel. Despite leading and launching several attacks, Brand could not maintain her advantage as Van Empel closed the gap and ultimately took the win. Brand reflected on the challenges posed by Van Empel’s capabilities and acknowledged her own exhaustion, illustrating the intense rivalry and competition between the two athletes at this high-stakes event.
"I've got mixed feelings. We were both strong ... I knew that even though Fem might have been doing a little less ... I knew it was going to be very difficult to beat her."
"I tried a few times when she changed [bikes] to at least put the pressure on, because I knew on that side it was a bit faster, so then you create a little gap."
"After half a lap, she came back, so I tried to give myself a little breath."
"...she drives me very skilfully into the fence, so to speak."
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