Cross World Championships 2026: Brand crowns dominant season and becomes world champion

For Brand, it was the ninth World Championship medal in a row - and the 19th victory of the cross-country winter. Six laps had to be completed on the 3.2 kilometre course in Hulst. Brand was only able to break away from her closest rivals in the last lap, where the first small gap caused a morale boost that made the result quite clear. "It's very special to win the World Championships in my home country. All the people cheered me on, otherwise it's sometimes just the five from my support team," joked the winner in the interview after the finish line, who also spoke of a dream come true. "If things went so well earlier in the season, then of course it's great to win here now too."

Cross World Championship 2026 - Results Women Elite

1. Lucinda Brand (Netherlands) 49:16 minutes
2. Ceylin del Carmen del Alvarado (Netherlands) +0:21
3. Puck Pieterse (Netherlands) +0:51
4. Blanka Vas (Hungary) +0:56
5. Amandine Fouquenet (France) +0:58
6. Jolanda Neff (Switzerland) +1:02
7. Zoe Bäckstedt (Great Britain) +1:05
8. Manon Bakker (Netherlands) +1:11
9. Shirin van Anrooij (Netherlands) +1:20
10. Marie Schreiber (Luxembourg) +1:37

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First Pieterse crashes, then Brand also has to get off his bike

There were no women from Germany at the start in Hulst. However, Jolanda Neff from Switzerland achieved a good result from the German-speaking countries in sixth place. The 33-year-old had managed to get stuck in the group of six that included the Dutch favourites, Blanka Vas (Hungary) and Kristýna Zemanová (Czech Republic) at the end of the first lap. However, the group subsequently fell apart, with Brand, Alvarado and Pieterse pulling away. However, the latter two initially set the pace and tried to shake off the eventual winner, but were unable to do so.

Pieterse then crashed and, after a bike change, fell back into a larger group, which was around 40 seconds behind by the middle of the race. Gold and silver were awarded. But then Brand hit the barriers and had to come off her bike briefly, but did not change her equipment. However, the lead that Alvarado then held was short-lived. Once Brand had closed the small gap to her rival again, she took command. The 27-year-old was unable to keep up with the higher pace for long and secured second place.

While Brand dismounted before the finish line and carried her bike across the line in jubilation, Pieterse fought for bronze with Vas at the back. When the Hungarian slipped slightly in a bend, the decision was also made there and the all-Dutch podium was sealed.

Brand had started the race with starting number 2, the 1 was not assigned. The world champion of the past three years, Fem van Empel, announced before Christmas that she would be taking a break from her career.