An "exciting new chapter" for multi-talented Lucinda Brand has been sealed with a two-year contract and a dual rule with Canyon-SRAM Scalable Capital for 2027. She has spent nearly half of her 18 years in the pro peloton with Lidl-Trek and will continue on the Women's WorldTour level through 2028 at her new home.
"It was almost like a new fire had been lit inside me," she said in a press release about her decision being based on more than a change of team.
"I didn’t want this to be just one more year on the bike. I wanted it to be the beginning of a longer-term project, where I could keep contributing to the sport and build on what I’ve already done as a rider. I really feel that this team shares my passion, ambition and philosophy on cycling, which gives me a lot of energy and motivation for this next chapter, and for what we can create together."
The 37-year-old Dutch rider will join as a rider, targeting stage races and one-day races through to Paris-Roubaix Femmes in 2028, where a finish in the velodrome is planned to be a career finale. Then she will transition to a staff role for the German-based WorldTour squad.
"When the opportunity came along to potentially finish my road cycling career at Paris-Roubaix, I knew straight away that it was a chance I had to grab with both hands," she said.
"Over the last few years, I’ve noticed that my role as a rider has become more than just racing. In a way, I’ve already been taking on the responsibilities that a sports director might have, and I’ve discovered how much I enjoy that side of the sport.
"I really love working with young, ambitious athletes, sharing my experience, and helping them grow. It’s something I’d love to explore further and develop myself in. That’s why it was important for me to find a team that recognised those qualities and was willing to give me an opportunity to grow in that direction."
Canyon-SRAM adds new title sponsor Scalable Capital next year and the roster features half of the riders at 24 years old or younger, including 19-year-old Emily DIxon moving up form the development team. The team's Director of Sport Rolf Aldag said Brand was an "obvious choice" as a veteran to help the team grow.
"There are a lot of changes happening to our roster, and we’ll have quite a few younger riders, so we need to create the right mix of potential versus experience and leadership," Aldag said.
"Having Lucinda is as much about leadership as it is mentorship. But, it’s not all about race results, it’s also how she also lives and pays attention to all the smaller details that are critical for reaching the very top.
"So, I think she can mentor our younger riders really well, and then bring a lot of stability to the classics team, which is a strong sporting focus for the next two years. We believe that the addition of Lucinda will be a real game-changer for us.”
Brand began her career as a 19-year-old with a Dutch squad and moved to the powerful Rabobank-Liv team from 2013 to 2016, racing during that time with compatriots Marianne Vos, Anna van der Breggen, and Annemiek van Vleuten. After winning the Dutch elite women's road race ahead of her teammates that first year then winning GP de Plouay-Bretagne in 2014, her road career ignited the next season with four stage podiums, including two victories, at Giro d'Italia for women and a second Dutch road title.
The team structure at Canyon-SRAM, with a singular focus on women's cycling, was one of the great appeals to make this transition.
"I’ve spent the last years in a very big organisation, with different teams all under one roof, and that has been a great experience. But, I’m really excited about coming into a smaller environment, where the lines are shorter, communication is more direct, and everyone is working towards the same goal. What I really like is that Canyon-SRAM still has a whole pathway – from development to the pro team – but within an organisation that is fully built for women’s cycling," she added.
On the road she has amassed 28 victories, including Baloise Ladies Tour, Tour de Suisse Women, and Thüringen Ladies Tour while at Lidl-Trek. This year she competed at the Giro d'Italia Women for a 15th time, challenging from a breakaway to go second on stage 2 into Salice Terme.
She's had podiums at the most challenging one-day races - Dwars door Vlaanderen, Amstel Gold Race, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Paris-Roubaix. And it was the cobbles of 'Hell of the North' where she wanted to leave her mark for road racing.
“I love the challenge, the way the race unfolds, and the toughness of the cobbles – riding over them is unique and not something everyone can do," she said about the 'Hell of the North', where she was third in 2022 and 10th in 2026.
"For me, Paris-Roubaix is the race where road cycling and cyclocross come together in a beautiful way. Every time I think about racing it, my heart beats just that little bit faster.”
This time of year Brand goes back to work on her highly-decorated cyclo-cross duties, where she begins a 10th season with a team directed by Sven Nys. On the volatile tracks that range from sand to dirt to mud, Brand has 77 career victories. She attributed Nys with helping her connect with Trek-Segafredo years ago to give her a renewed interest in top-level road racing.
"When I was losing my joy for cycling, Sven brought it back. His passion, energy and belief in me made me fall in love with the sport all over again," she wrote on Instagram, adding that she would "always look back on with a big smile and so much gratitude" as she moves on to her new chapter.
She recently extended her off-road commitment to Baloise Verzekeringen - Het Poetsbureau Lions squad for this season and the 2027-2028 CX campaign. She opened this season with five podiums, including wins on the first two rounds of HG Cross series and the Superprestige series opener in Overijse. Last year she won the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships a second time and also won the UCI World Cup and X2O Badkamers Trofee series.
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