Brand wins World Cup cross in Fayetteville under tough conditions

Lucinda Brand won the World Cup Cross in Fayetteville on Wednesday under very difficult conditions.

The world champion shook off Marianne Vos halfway through and rode solo to the finish.

Denise Betsema moved up to second place in the pouring rain, nine seconds behind Brand.

American Clara Honsinger finished third.

Vos eventually had to settle for fourth place.

Last Sunday Vos had won the first World Cup of the season in Waterloo, also in America.

Due to her fourth place in Fayetteville, she loses the lead in the World Cup standings to Brand.

Brand and Vos soon ran off together on the muddy track.

In the third lap Vos was alone in the lead due to a crash by Brand and for a moment she seemed to be riding to victory.

Her rival, however, rejoined a lap later and placed a gear to which Vos had no answer.

The American triptych in the Cyclo-cross World Cup will be concluded in Iowa on Sunday.

This is followed by two World Cup competitions in Belgium.

The men will be in action later tonight.

World toppers Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert skip the races on American soil and only start their cyclocross season later.