Lucinda Brand is back in Wisconsin for the second time. She is part of the women's contingent at World Cup Waterloo, which includes eight Dutch riders.

It was also in Waterloo last year that the leader of the Baloise Trek Lions launched her World Cup campaign, where she wore the rainbow jersey to become world cyclocross champion. It was her first cyclocross race in the U.S., finishing second in Waterloo and winning in Fayetteville a few days later.

In fact, in two races last year at the start and end of her US races, she finished second behind Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma).

"I'm really looking forward to the race. It's a super fast course right now. It's always hard [in Waterloo], but it's a different kind of tough because it's fast," Brand told Cycling News after practicing a few laps on the World Cup course.

Vos is taking a break after the road world championships in Wollongong, so we will have to wait a few more weeks before racing resumes with the two Dutch riders going head-to-head.

Brand will have a full road season in 2022 with Trek-Segafredo, with podium finishes in Paris-Roubaix Fam and two stage wins and a GC title in the Tour de Suisse. The road season would be a long one, but she began her cross training in August at the team camp and took two podiums at a race in Belgium in early September.

"I'm not focused on any one class, I go to the races first, see how the valves develop, and then decide if I want to continue in the class. I'm not going to focus on any one class, I'm going to race first and see how the valves develop and then decide if I want to continue in the class," said Brand, who has won all three series titles the past two seasons: the UCI World Cup, Superprestige, and X2O Budokamers Trophy.

"Towards the end of the season, we encounter difficult situations in the different classifications. We know that we won three races last year and the year before. But this year it will be even more difficult. I'm not talking about our rivals, just our schedule."

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As for a full schedule, Brand may take a break in mid-December to peak at the World Championships in Hogelheide in early February.

"I probably won't be going to Val di Sole, so I can skip a bit of December. Since we probably won't be going to Val di Sole, we can skip a bit of December.

"We're not going to Val di Sole not because we don't want to race, but because we're taking two days in the camper to go there and two days to come back, and we're not going to race. So it's just for that race."

And what about Dublin becoming the new host of the World Cup? I think it's good to try to go to a more international place, but it's not easy to get there."

Aside from the global challenges of a compact cyclocross season, Brand was ready to see what would happen in the first World Cup field to be held in Waterloo,

"Well, I'm happy to be here. Of course, coming to the Trek factory is something special. Of course, it's always special to come to the Trek factory. It's a little bit difficult to move around, it's not easy to come here. I feel very, very lucky to have the help of the Trek people. But it's really complicated to make a schedule, especially on the way back. So it's not easy, but I'm here to make the most of it. I'm really looking forward to the race."

As for her competitors at the beginning of the year, Brand sees the entry of young riders as a challenge for her, but also a benefit to the sport.

Leading the way in this week's World Cup opener is the Netherlands' Femme van Empel (Pauwels Sauzen Bingor), who beat Brand in the C2 contest in Beringen, Belgium. Other U23 riders in Waterloo's elite field are Lizzie Gansalas, Maddie Munroe, and Lauren Zoner, representing the US, and sisters Eva and Isabella Holmgren, representing Canada.

"We've already seen some of last year's young riders rise to the occasion and show up on the front lines. Of course, we expected them to take that step. Yes, Femme [van Empel] has already taken that step."

"So it makes the competition even more fun. Of course, winning races is going to be even harder. Of course it's going to be harder to win races. But if you push yourself to the limit, challenge yourself to a certain point, and stay focused, you're going to get better. So I think it can only be a good thing."

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