Brand also wins solo in Koksijde
It quickly became clear who was the strongest in Koksijde. By the end of the second lap, Brand launched her solo move. She held off her team-mate Van Anrooij, while Alvarado proved fastest in the battle for third place.
Less than a day after taking over the overall lead, Brand (Baloise Glowi Lions) was eager to honour her new leader’s jersey. Already in the first sand section, she forced a selection, with only Fouquenet (Arkea–B&B Hotels Women) and Van Alphen (Seven Racing) able to follow. In the next sand section, Fouquenet was forced to let go, while Van Alphen gave everything to stay with the unleashed Brand.
Further back, Van Anrooij (Baloise Glowi Lions) managed to break clear from the chasers. One lap later, she smoothly bridged across to the leading duo at the first sand section. That was the signal for Brand to press on once again. Van Anrooij tried to latch onto her team-mate’s wheel, but like Van Alphen, she eventually had to let go.
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At the end of the second of five laps, Brand committed fully to her solo effort. She held a lead of nearly ten seconds over Van Anrooij, while Van Alphen was already close to half a minute down. The fight for the top two places was soon decided, with Brand steadily extending her advantage over Van Anrooij. The battle for third place, however, remained intense.
In the fourth lap, Pieterse (Fenix–Deceuninck) gradually edged clear. Heading into the final lap, the podium seemed set, although Alvarado (Fenix-Deceuninck) and Van Alphen continued to chase the Dutch champion closely. Right at the end of the final lap, the three came back together, and it was Alvarado who snatched the final podium spot.
That came behind Van Anrooij and Brand, who had already crossed the line more than a minute earlier, strengthening her lead in the overall standings with a broad smile.
